Constellation Brands Inc., Victor, N.Y., announced that it completed its acquisition of Grupo Modelo's U.S. beer business from Anheuser-Busch InBev, Leuven, Belgium, for approximately $4.75 billion. The transaction includes full ownership of Crown Imports LLC, which provides Constellation with complete, independent control of all aspects of the U.S. commercial business; a state-of-the-art brewery in Nava (Piedras Negras), Mexico; an exclusive perpetual brand license in the United States to import, market and sell Corona and the Modelo brands Crown currently sells; and the freedom to develop brand extensions and innovations for the U.S. market.

Strongbow, a brand of Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., launched its “Golden Hour” on-premise, retail and event activation for the summer. The cider brand will act as a catalyst for spur-of-the-moment experiences to excite consumers of legal drinking age and encourage them to create their own “Golden Hour” celebrations with Strongbow, it says.

What would the United States be like without beer? A study conducted by John Dunham & Associates, jointly commissioned by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association, shows that without the beer industry, the U.S. economy could be very different.

Wynkoop Brewing Co. now is self-distributing its fourth hand-canned craft beer: Belgorado Belgian-Style India Pale Ale.

Oskar Blues Brewery has teamed up with can-maker Ball Corp. to offer its popular Mama’s Little Yella Pils in Ball’s Royal Pint, a 568-ml can.

With the launch of Helles Golden Lager, Sly Fox Brewing Co. utilized the 360 End beverage can technology developed by Crown Holdings Inc.

Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser brand introduced a bowtie-shaped aluminum can that mirrors Budweiser’s iconic bowtie logo.

With a title like chairman of the party, Josh Deth of Revolution Brewing has a tall order to fill. The Chicago-based craft brewery went from operating solely as a brewpub to opening a brewery for its consumer packaged goods (CPG) business last spring, but the idea of Revolution Brewing began much earlier than that.

The Boston Beer Co. Inc., Boston, reported first quarter 2013 net revenue of $135.9 million, an increase of $22.7 million or 20 percent, compared with the same period last year, which it says is mainly due to core shipment growth of 18 percent.

Leuven, Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) reported that its total revenue grew 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013, with strong revenue per hectoliter growth of 5.8 percent due to the company’s revenue management initiatives and the premiumization of its brand portfolio in key markets. On a constant geographic basis, revenue per hectoliter grew by 6.9 percent, it reports.