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In a new agreement, Ashland, Ore.-based Rogue Ales & Spirits and Missouri Beverage (MoBev), St. Louis, will join forces to distribute the craft beer and spirits manufacturer’s products statewide. Although Rogue is not new to the Missouri market, the partnership provides further opportunities to build the company’s craft beer and spirit brands, it says.

Anheuser-Busch (A-B), the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, introduced Shock Top Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat as its newest year-round offering.

White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA, which acquired import rights to the Strongbow Hard Cider brand in January 2013, is phasing out the original Strongbow Hard Cider recipe in place of the new Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider and Strongbow Honey & Apple Hard Cider. In a blind taste test conducted last year by Rogil Research, both men and women noted that they strongly preferred the new crisp, refreshing flavor profile of Strongbow Gold Apple, the company says.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch (A-B), the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, will release its new Johnny Appleseed Hard Apple Cider brand nationwide April 7. Inspired by the legendary adventurer and storyteller, Johnny Appleseed Hard Apple Cider features a refreshingly sweet flavor with a crisp apple bite, the company says.

The Brewers Association (BA), Boulder, Colo., released 2013 data about U.S. craft beer industry. Craft beer rose 18 percent in volume sales, representing a total of 15.6 million barrels, and increased 20 percent in retail dollar value, making the segment the primary growth driver in the beer industry, according to the BA.

The Boston Beer Co. added Angry Orchard Green Apple to its lineup of year-round hard ciders.

Stone Brewing Co. added Stone Go To IPA to its year-round lineup.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, a division of AB InBev, announced the latest beer release for its Shock Top brand: Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat.

Back in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, talking beer stein characters Schultz and Dooley promoted the mellow taste and naturalness of Utica Club lager in TV commercials. At the time, the brand was a strong regional competitor produced in Utica, N.Y., by West End Brewing Co., which is known today as F.X. Matt Brewing Co.

Appealing mostly to female consumers and younger consumers of legal drinking age (LDA), the flavored malt beverages (FMBs) — also known as progressive adult beverages (PABs) — segment of the beer market brings in a slightly different demographic than the typical beer drinker, says Jeff Nowicki, chief strategy officer at Bump Williams Consulting Co., Stratford, Conn.