California’s craft brewing industry generated approximately $3 billion in total economic impact to the state in 2011, reported Steve Wagner, president of the California Craft Brewing Association (CCBA), Nevada City, Calif., and president and brewmaster at Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif.
Beer distributor uses marketing, broad portfolio to reach demographics
September 12, 2012
Most of the time, change doesn’t happen overnight. But in the case of Silver Eagle Distributors, its acquisition of BudCo Ltd. in 2007 catapulted its business in an instant.
In 2011, beer’s performance reflected a category of contradictions with trends torn between the ongoing price consciousness of some consumers and the insatiable taste for variety — even if it carries a higher price — from other demographics.
Operating under the slogan “Beer is agriculture,” San Francisco-based Almanac Beer Co. has carved out its own niche in the burgeoning craft brewing industry with its “farm-to-bottle” beer model.
The winners of the first “Canny Awards,” which recognized craft beer cans with high-quality, captivating graphics, were announced during the Craft Brewers Conference, May 2-5 in San Diego.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Brewing Co. doubled the amount of hops to 5 pounds per barrel and increased the alcohol by volume to 10.8 percent for the anniversary edition, it says.
With more than 4,500 attendees from 35 countries, the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, hosted by the Brewers Association, Boulder, Colo., May 2-5 in San Diego, was a testament to the growth in the industry. Setting the tone for the event, Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian addressed any doubts about the industry’s potential, saying, “We are not in a bubble, we are knee-deep in foam — and the foam is still rising.”