Competition in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industry

Back in July 2021, the Biden Administration issued Executive Order 14,036 focused on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy.” An Executive Order is a broad directive from the Executive Branch that sometimes can act as an immediate law. The goal of Biden’s EO last year was to draw attention to consolidation and competition in various industries in order to provide benefits to consumers in the form of better service, more product choices, and lower prices, as well as provide guidance for regulatory agencies to provide a more level playing field for small businesses. In this instance, Executive Order 14,036 specifically addresses competition in the beer, wine, and spirits industry.

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Modern Times Beer To Close Four Locations

Modern Times Beer announced on Monday via their Instagram accounts and a blog on their website that they will be closing four of their satellite taprooms. Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, and Santa Barbara will all be closed for good after Friday, Feb 18.

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BREAKING | McWhinney Purchases Great Divide Brewing Co.’s Barrel Bar

Great Divide Brewing Co. announced today that its Barrel Bar facility in Denver’s River North Art District was purchased by Colorado-based real estate investment, development, and management firm McWhinney. Service … Read More

SweetWater Brewing Celebrates Grand Opening in Fort Collins, Colorado

For a while, the trout was their only clue.

Driving past the former Red Truck Beer Company taproom and distribution center in Fort Collins, Colorado, it was clear that whatever … Read More

Native Land Beer Project | A Celebration of Indigenous Lands

Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. out of Albuquerque, New Mexico opened in 2016 and is the first Native Women-owned brewing company in the country. Being a part of the .1% of breweries in the U.S. owned by Native Americans, they wanted to use their platform to make a difference in their community.

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2021 Craft Brewers Conference External Events Guide

The Craft Brewers Conference is back! Returning to Denver, CO this year, CBC will be held from September 9 through September 12 at the Colorado Convention Center. Touted as America’s Largest Craft Brewing Industry Gathering, this event is an annual show that travels to different cities each year. It serves both on-premise breweries and packaging breweries and is a great way to meet other craft beer industry professionals.

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Laughing Monk Brewing | Sister Britney Hazy IPA

Pop Culture references are always a hit in the beer scene. Whether references to songs, or puns on band names, or pivotal cultural events, there is no shortage of choices. You’ll usually catch a few eyes and maybe a chuckle or two when people remember where they were, or all the words to a song they forgot they knew. But every once in a while it lands with more serious tones. In February of 2007 Britney Spears, overwhelmed with being constantly scrutinized by the paparazzi and public, walked into a Salon and took an electric razor to her hair.

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Odell Brewing Co. Celebrates Grand Opening of OBC Wine Project

“Less snobby, more sippy.”

This is the mantra of OBC Wine Project, Odell Brewing Co.’s latest adventure of craft and creativity. Though cans of their wine have already hit distribution across Colorado and several other states, May 5 marked the official opening of their tasting room and patio located directly across from the well-known brewpub in Fort Collins, Colorado. And when we say directly, we mean directly: it takes about a dozen steps from Odell Brewing Co.’s famous patio stage to the front door of the OBC Wine Project. But despite this proximity, upon entering it is immediately clear that a great deal of thoughtful effort went into carving this space its own personality.
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BREAKING | Boulder Beer Rolls Out Updated Look, Brand Refresh

Boulder Beer Company has opened another chapter in its long and storied history with a relaunch and refresh of the brand. This includes new can designs, realignment of the beer portfolio and a new partnership to help roll out the refreshed brand.

Boulder Beer will reduce core beers from six to five and eliminate its seasonal program to make the lineup more accessible to distributors and consumers. It will also resurrect old favorite Buff Gold as SKO – Buff Gold and introduce a new crossover brew named Bubbly by Nature. Read More

Tired Hands I VOTED TODAY Beer Encourages Craft Beer Drinkers to Vote

It is no secret that the 2020 Presidential Campaign is an unprecedented one. There has never been such an emphasis on people exercising their right and democratic duty to vote. Everyone from athletes, to singers and actors, to craft breweries are encouraging the public to vote this election season.

To encourage craft beer drinkers around the country to vote, Tired Hands Brewing in Ardmore, PA created the I VOTED TODAY nationwide voter awareness beer initiative.

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Election 2020: Reminding Myself “The West Wing” Isn’t on the Ballot

Quick aside, so my editors don’t have to put a note in: I speak only for myself in this post. PorchDrinking staff and contributors do not have any official political stance that I’m aware of, and I have no animosity for people on this site or in our country who respectfully disagree about matters of policy. Also, sorry to die-hard “West Wing” fans if I do the show a disservice. All that said… go vote.

A millennial is about to write 1,000 words arguing that a television show from 21 years ago isn’t real life. It’s the kind of groundbreaking content that’s going to save this country. You’re welcome, America! Read More

903 Brewing’s Voted Beer Series | A Bipartisan Call-To-Action

With National Voter Registration Day just behind us and a mere seven weeks until the 2020 Presidential Election, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for a brewery to highlight the need for all U.S. citizens to get out and vote. 903 Brewing, based in Sherman, Texas, is in the process of brewing its second bipartisan call-to-action I Voted beer. The blueberry-raspberry-cherry Berliner-Style Weisse follows the raspberry-blueberry sweet Cream Ale that kick-started the project during the May Primaries. 

The I Voted beers sport equally red-white-blue packaging and are designed to encourage voters of all persuasions to make themselves heard on Election Day. With the original batch of I Voted having sold out swiftly, 903 is releasing an expanded run of its new Berliner-Style Weisse. The latest release will hit supermarket shelves in mid-October in time for early voting, and should be available for Election Night consumption.

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6 and 40 Brewery Grand Opening | Firing on All Cylinders

New breweries often seem to take a few months to dial in their recipes and make great beers. Not so for 6 and 40 Brewery in Lakewood, Colorado. At their September 11 grand opening, the brewery fired on all cylinders with a wide-ranging tap list designed to satisfy every palate. 6 and 40 is connected to long-standing homebrew store Tom’s Brew Shop.

Owner Tom Schurmann explained that he created 6 and 40’s beer selection for broad appeal. “We want something for everyone,” he explained. “We have 20 selections. We’re gonna have what you like.” Read More

FoBAB Cancelled, ICBG to Continue with Virtual Competition

On Thursday, the Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild announced that their annual Festival of Barrel and Wood Aged Beer (FoBAB) will be among the many festivals to get cancelled because of the global pandemic. This news coincides with the cancellation of the 2021 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines festival held in Breckenridge, Colorado. The ICBG mentioned in their official announcement that the annual competition and awards ceremony would still be taking place virtually. Participating breweries will be asked to send their competition beers to FoBAB where they will be judged by 50 industry leaders and certified craft beer judges.

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BREAKING | Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Announces 2021 Cancellation

There will be no joy in Breckenridge this January as Laura and Bill Lodge, organizers of Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines, have announced the cancellation of the 2021 event. The festival was planned for January 7-9, 2021 in Breckenridge, CO. The cancellation follows similar moves by virtually every onsite beer festival in 2020 and represents one of the first 2021 events to be canceled. It would have marked the 21st annual event.

Organizers attributed the cancellation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on gatherings.

“Our Big Beers board has met and discussed the pandemic situation. We are very clear that our first priority as a Big Beers community needs to be supporting our sponsors and brewers throughout this bizarre and difficult time as they work hard to adapt business as necessary – and not by asking you to travel and/or otherwise support us in January of 2021,” said organizer Laura Lodge.

Lodge went on to explain that they’ve decided not to move forward with a virtual version of the event, but that they are still exploring the possibility of some scaled-down homage via newsletter or social media that would take place on the originally proposed January 2021 date.

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Purpose Brewing Safely Celebrates Anniversary Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

As beer-drinkers increasingly long for festivals and celebrations to return, Purpose Brewing and Cellars seems to have found a way to throw a great party that’s both fun and safe. Purpose, located in Fort Collins, CO. celebrated their third anniversary on Aug. 1 with many of the usual features including music, special releases and an outdoor beer garden, along with pandemic-inspired additions like masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing.

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Great Divide Expansion Undeterred by Pandemic

Bucking the pandemic-induced trend of small businesses reducing operations or shutting down entirely, Great Divide Brewing Co. celebrated the grand opening of a new taproom in Castle Rock, Colorado, June 1. The opening of Great Divide Brewery and Roadhouse came just days after Colorado gave approval for restaurants and breweries to reopen. “We’ve got this beautiful place. Once they give you the all-clear you want to get it open,” said Great Divide marketing manager Matt Sandy.

The bar features 16 taps, along with a full-service restaurant, patio and brewhouse. The restaurant surrounds the brewhouse so customers can watch Great Divide’s brewers creating new beers. Read More

Virtual Happy Hour Do’s and Don’ts

We all can agree we miss happy hours at an actual bar or brewery. Thankfully, with technology and the advent of to-go beers, we are fortunate enough to be able to have virtual happy hours with friends and family. After spending roughly 42,000 hours on virtual happy hours, here are some do’s and don’ts that will help make your time online even better! 

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The First Sip: Life After COVID-19

With more time to watch movies and shows, I’ve been reevaluating the importance of entertainment and imagination. One movie I’ve been thinking about is Big Fish—particularly the end where Albert Finney and Billy Crudup envision how “the story ends.” The ending they come up with is a bright visualization—a jubilant, cheerful scene where the son carries his dying father to a pond through a long stretch of smiling faces. As they walk down the hill towards the pond, the father gets a standing ovation from the dozens of quirky people who made up his remarkable (if exaggerated) life’s story.

Sometimes those kinds of visualizations are fun distractions—a daydream to pass the time. But sometimes visualizations are a coping mechanism, pure survival. It’s not news that we’re missing a lot right now. And when we miss things, it’s easy to let our minds wander and dream about what may come. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. With the help of some lovely folks in the craft beer industry, we’re going to close our eyes and imagine what it’ll be like on that first day back to life.

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Small Business Relief Options for Breweries Shut Out by Stimulus Bill

When President Trump signed the CARES Act on March 27, 2020, it appeared to offer a much-needed lifeline to small businesses that are suffering under the current pandemic. The act funded several programs designed to allow businesses to pay their basic expenses—particularly their employees—while under various government-mandated shutdowns and reductions in service. However, within just 13 days of the April 3, 2020, start date the $376 billion program ran out of funds, leaving many small businesses, including breweries, wondering if any assistance will be coming. Read More