Brew News: Looking Back at Craft Beer’s Year

Historic beer stolen from a pick-up truck, big beer sees a downswing, New York beer goes international, the world’s fastest runner/drinker gets new shoes and the Brewers Association looks back at the year in beer. Read on for further details…

Tacoma, Wash.: Thief makes off with ancient beer

The owner of Pacific Brewing and Malting in Tacoma is offering a cash reward for the return of a five-pack of beer stolen from his truck. While that might seem like a lost cause, this isn’t your average beer heist. The bottles in question where a century old and brewed by the original Pacific Brewing and Malting which closed during Prohibition. The original six-pack was found under the stairwell of an Oregon hotel and was purchased by the new Pacific Brewing’s owner for $1,000. One bottle was sent off to a lab to analyze the yeast but tests proved inconclusive. While certain beers will certainly age for a few years in the cellar, 100 years is pushing your luck. It’s likely that whoever stole the bottles seeking a free buzz ended up with something akin to “vinegar or putrid water” according to brewery owner, Steve Navarro, who hopes that putting a price on their safe return could help preserve this piece of regional brewing history.

Wall Street: The business of beer

The Motley Fool has a breakdown on how the stock market treated the big boys in the beer world in 2016. Craft Brew Alliance—owners of Redhook Ale, Widmer Brothers and Kona Brewing, among others—had a bullish year with stocks increasing 86%. Meanwhile, A-B InBev, despite the merger with SABMiller, saw stocks decrease by almost 15%. While that was the biggest decrease in the beer world, Boston Beer wasn’t far behind. The makers of Sam Adams Boston Lager saw stocks drop 14.3%. Maybe rebranding will help In other macro-beer stock news, Molson Coors saw stocks rise 6% so far this year.

New York/China: Building New York Town in China

In an attempt to drop some New York craft beer knowledge on China, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that an official I LOVE NEW YORK beer will be distributed in the People’s Republic. The ale is brewed with Chinese black tea and produced by Syracuse’s Empire Brewing Co. through their Two Dragons label. “New York’s thriving, world-renowned craft beverage industry is creating new jobs and driving economic growth across the state and this unique partnership will introduce one of our finest New York products to a global audience,” Governor Cuomo said. “The iconic I LOVE NEW YORK logo will promote the high quality of New York’s food and beverage products and attract more visitors to craft beverage breweries, growing the industry and increasing tourism revenue across the state.” The beer will be available in China in February 2017 and will also see distribution in New York, New Jersey and Delaware.

National: Craft Beer Year in Review

The Brewers Association released their 2016 Craft Beer Year in Review earlier this week. “In the face of numerous opportunities and challenges in 2016, small and independent craft brewers continue to thrive,” said Brewers Association chief economist, Bart Watson. “This community should be very proud of what it has accomplished and how far it has come.” According to the report, the number of breweries currently operating in America stands at 5,005—up nearly 1,000 from 2015. A total of 99% of those are considered small and independent craft breweries and that sector of the market grew by 8%. IPA continues to be the most popular style accounting for around one-quarter of craft volume while sessionable styles were up 33%. And, while tipplers were apprehensive about the merger between A-B InBev and SABMiller—the world’s two largest brewers—65% of craft beer drinkers stated that it was the variety that kept them coming back to craft.

Canada: Sponsorship for beer mile record holder

When the FloTrack Beer Mile World Championships (as mentioned in last week’s roundup) go down in Austin on December 17 it’s safe to bet that last year’s winner and record-holder, Corey Bellemore, will be running in some new kicks. The Canadian athlete recently signed an endorsement deal with Adidas. This latest endorsement of the beer mile elite comes on the heels of previous record holder, Lewis Kent, signing a deal with Brooks Running in 2015. But Bellemore is no one-trick pony. He can also compete without liquid courage having won bronze in the 800m U23 championships and could make the Canadian national team in that distance as well as the 1,500m. “I’ll have to pick and choose,” he told Canadian Running Magazine. “I’ll continue to train for running specifically and focus on the beer mile when the time comes.”