Press Releases

Stone Brewing Co 16th Anniversary (PR)

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (August 13, 2012) — Yet another year has passed, and Stone Brewing Co. is yet another year older — 16 to be exact. And what better way to celebrate the company’s anniversary than with the release of a deliciously Continue Reading →

Dock Street & Brasserie Thirez Collab (PR)

(Philadelphia, PA) — Dock Street and Brasserie Thiriez have teamed up to develop a special, limited edition Saison. Brewers Scott Morrison and Daniel Thiriez brewed the beer at Dock Street at the end of June- marking it the first brewing collaboration between a US Continue Reading →

Anderson Valley & Wild Turkey Partner (PR)

anderson valley brewing COMPANY AND Wild Turkey®Bourbon

ENTER INTO exclusive partnerSHip to develop bourBon BARREL-AGED CRAFT beer

HandCRAFTED BEERS first to be aged in select barrels

from THE iconic kentucky bourbon distillery

Boonville, CA (August 14, 2012) — As part Continue Reading →

21st Amendment Releases Hop Crisis (PR)

SAN FRANCISCO – 21st Amendment founders Nico and Shaun need to break out of Alcatraz. And fast.The Hop Syndicate is hoarding hops in a remote warehouse, depriving the People of their right to hoppy, aromatic beer. This is Not Cool. Shaun Continue Reading →

Goose Island Brewmaster Joins 5 Rabbit (PR)

CHICAGO, IL – The first Latin craft brewery in the US, 5 Rabbit Cervecería is pleased to announce that John J. Hall has been added to its growing team as Brewmaster/Production Deity. Hall will be in charge of all brewhouse, cellar, packaging and Continue Reading →

Shmaltz Unites Bourbon & Bock (PR)

New York, NY – August 7, 2012 – Shmaltz Brewing Company, ringleader of the sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is excited to announce the third seasonal release of Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®. Weighing in at 10.83% ABV, this burly Imperial American Bock has aged over Continue Reading →

Miller Coors Q2 Report (PR)

(London ENGLAND and Denver, CO) – SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company reported that MillerCoors second quarter underlying net income increased 9.1 percent to $436.0 million versus prior year, driven by positive pricing, favorable brand mix and cost management.

“As our major summer marketing programs kicked Continue Reading →

Posted in Press Releases, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Co 16th Anniversary (PR)

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (August 13, 2012) — Yet another year has passed, and Stone Brewing Co. is yet another year older — 16 to be exact. And what better way to celebrate the company’s anniversary than with the release of a deliciously hoppy beer and a two-day festival? Today, Stone is releasing Stone 16th Anniversary IPA, a pale amber IPA with lemon verbena, lemon oil, and a variety of unique hops that give the beer a bitter and citrusy finish. Stone’s anniversary bash, the Stone 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival, is August 17 and 18 at the California State University San Marcos grounds.

“Each year we strive to create a uniquely tasty and hoppy beer that allows us to use an assortment of ingredients, and the Stone 16th Anniversary IPA is certainly a testament to our brewing team’s goals,” says Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “We used a variety of malts, hops and botanicals to create an intense, bitter and refreshing IPA perfect for long summer nights.”

Stone 16th Anniversary IPA

URL: www.stonebrewing.com/16/ale/
Blog Post: http://blog.stonebrew.com/index.php/stone-16th-anniversary-ipa

Stats: 10% abv, 85 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning August 13
Malt bill: Pale, Rye, Vienna, Light Munich and Dark Munich
Hops bill: Magnum for bittering, Delta and Target in the whirlpool, and Calypso and Amarillo in the dry hop
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA

Mitch Steele

Tasting Notes, provided by Brewmaster Mitch Steele

Appearance: Beautiful light amber with a thick creamy tan head.
Aroma: An incredible blend of fruits: citrus, lemon, and peaches, with hints of mint and dry-roasted nutty malt flavors.
Taste: A very clean maltiness, intense peach/mango Amarillo hops, hints of apples and berries, finishing in a burst of fresh lemon, hop bitterness, and herbal spiciness.
Palate: Medium body with smooth and complex malt flavors and the very slightest hint of alcohol heat, with a refreshingly bitter and citrusy finish.
Overall: From the first time I smelled a broken leaf from a lemon verbena bush at Stone Farms, I thought its intense lemon character would be a great addition to an IPA. It truly is “more lemon than lemon.” The lemon flavors combine wonderfully with the peach and tropical mango flavors from the Amarillo, and the apple and berry notes from the Calypso hops. The result is an intense and bitter take on a double IPA.

"Dr." Bill Sysak

Suggested food pairings, provided by “Dr.” Bill Sysak

Appetizers: Coconut shrimp, ceviche, Thai spring rolls, deviled eggs
Salads: Grilled peach and feta salad, kimchee, Chinese chicken salad
Main course: Grilled cheddar cheese sandwich, fried chicken, Camarones a La Diabla, pepper steak
Dessert: Lemon meringue pie, carrot cake, peach cobbler
Cheeses: Grafton Tavern Aged Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola Dolce, Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue
Cigars: Camacho Corojo Churchill, La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Matatan, Crowned Heads Four Kicks Corona Gorda

ABOUT STONE BREWING CO.

Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 11th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine – TWICE! The brewery recently announced more than $50 million in expansion plans that include Stone Packaging Hall, Stone World Bistro & Gardens — Liberty Station, and the future Stone Hotel among other lofty ventures. For more information, please visitwww.stonebrewing.com.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dock Street Brewery, Press Releases

Dock Street & Brasserie Thirez Collab (PR)

(Philadelphia, PA) — Dock Street and Brasserie Thiriez have teamed up to develop a special, limited edition Saison. Brewers Scott Morrison and Daniel Thiriez brewed the beer at Dock Street at the end of June- marking it the first brewing collaboration between a US and French brewery on American soil.

Daniel Thiriez, owner and brewer at Brasserie Thiriez in Esquelbec, France, is known in the industry for his Saison and Biere de Garde styles. Dock Street Brewer Scott Morrison, also known for his own Saison style, worked with Daniel to combine their signature approaches to develop La Biere des Amis — ‘the beer of friends.’

Sharing a similar brewing philosophy, Thiriez and Morrison created a beer that equally defines their personalities. “Daniel makes some of my favorite beer in the world, and I always thought it’d be awesome to do a collaboration. Dock Street was very open to the idea and Daniel was excited to brew here. It all just fell into place,” said Scott Morrison. La Biere des Amis is a full flavored beer that is made with German pilsner and wheat malts. It exhibits a clean, hop character and refined bitterness from Mt. Hood and Nugget hops.

La Biere des Amis (4.5% ABV) is a very limited release, available on draft at Dock Street and select bars and restaurants beginning in September. A small number of naturally carbonated 750ml bottles go on sale at Dock Street Brewery starting Saturday, September 15th at noon.

About Brasserie Thiriez: In the heart of French Flanders, located in an old farmhouse brewery a few kilometres from the Belgian border, the brewery Thiriez was founded in 1996. Since then, Daniel Thiriez has been passionately brewing top quality beers in the charming village of Esquelbecq. Signature beers include Thiriez XXtra, Thiriez Blonde and La Nocturne.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Press Releases

Anderson Valley & Wild Turkey Partner (PR)

anderson valley brewing COMPANY AND Wild Turkey®Bourbon

ENTER INTO exclusive partnerSHip to develop bourBon BARREL-AGED CRAFT beer


HandCRAFTED BEERS first to be aged in select barrels

from THE iconic kentucky bourbon distillery


Boonville, CA (August 14, 2012) — As part of an exclusive partnership and licensing agreement, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and the famed bourbon brand Wild Turkey® announced today that they will be teaming to facilitate the brewing of world-class Bourbon-barrel aged craft beers using repurposed American oak barrels from the Wild Turkey Distillery in Kentucky.

“I’ve been familiar with Anderson Valley Brewing for some time, and I’ve always admired the pride and care they take in crafting and brewing their beer,” said Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey Master Distiller.  “It’s similar to the approach we take with our bourbon, which made this partnership such a natural fit. Now I finally have a good excuse to drink a great craft beer!”

“The opportunity to partner with the Bourbon Hall of Fame Russell family and Wild Turkey is tremendously exciting,” said Trey White, Anderson Valley owner and CEO.  “We have done some trial brews with a limited number of Wild Turkey barrels over the past several months and the beers to date have been awesome.  We cannot wait to create some truly special craft beers with hundreds rather than a handful of barrels.   The relationship with Wild Turkey provides Anderson Valley with a world class, consistent source of barrelage rather than randomly sourced barrelage in limited quantities.  Anderson Valley, working with the Russell’s, will explore new frontiers in barrel aged craft beer.”

The initial production from this first-of-its-kind collaboration will be a Bourbon barrel aged Stout featuring Anderson Valley’s award-winning Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.  Aged for three months, the resulting beer will be deep ebony in hue with a beautiful mahogany head, an aroma of fresh-baked bread, toffee, and espresso mingling with the woody vanilla notes of Bourbon whiskey and the rich roasted flavors wrapped with Bourbon.

“We chose to work with Wild Turkey not only because their whiskey is so outstanding – they are also the only major Bourbon producer to use a #4 “alligator” char on their barrels.  This helps to introduce way more flavor to the Bourbon, and therefore way more flavor to our famous Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout,” continued White.

This draft-only production will be released in the fall and will be followed by packaged products in early 2013. Anderson Valley and Wild Turkey personnel will work jointly in the coming months on a variety of exciting promotional opportunities both on and off premise to expose their respective consumers to the quality and authenticity of Bourbon barrel aged products.

This partnership comes on the heels of the launch of Wild Turkey’s first-ever television advertising campaign, titled “Give ‘Em The Bird.” In addition, since acquiring the brand in 2009, Campari America has introduced several, far-reaching investments and innovations including: the debut of Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon, a portfolio-wide packaging refresh, a $50 million expansion of its distillery to double output, the groundbreaking of a new $44 million packaging facility, and the launch of Wild Turkey 81 Rye.

More information on Anderson Valley Brewing Company can be found at www.avbc.com; http://www.facebook.com/AndersonValleyBrewingCompany; https://twitter.com/avbc.  Information on Wild Turkey can be found at www.wildturkey.com, www.facebook.com/wildturkey or www.twitter.com/wildturkey.
About Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Anderson Valley Brewing is constantly striving to excite and reach new consumers with high quality craft beer. Located in the bucolic Anderson Valley region of Mendocino County, California and founded in 1987, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a pioneer of the American craft brewing industry. An environmentally friendly, solar powered brewery, it produces highly respected craft beers including Boont Amber Ale®, Hop Ottin’ IPA®, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Summer and Winter Solstice® and a wide array of specialty craft offerings ranging from Sour Stout to Mowkeef Saison to Gatlin Damnosus amongst many others.

About Campari America
Campari America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), together with its affiliates Gruppo Campari.  At the heart of Campari America are two legends in the American spirits industry.  The first, Skyy Spirits, was founded in San Francisco back in 1992 by the entrepreneur who invented iconic SKYY Vodka.  The second is the world-famous Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, where they have been making the world’s finest whiskies since the 1800’s.  Both companies were purchased by Davide Campari-Milano and together they form Campari America, which has built a portfolio unrivaled in its quality, innovation and style, making it a top choice among distributors, retailers and consumers.  Campari America manages Gruppo Campari’s portfolio in the US with such leading brands as SKYY® Vodka, SKYY Infusions®, Campari®, Wild Turkey® Straight Kentucky Bourbon, American Honey®, Russell’s Reserve®, Glen Grant® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cabo Wabo® Tequila, Espolón® Tequila, Ouzo 12®, X-Rated® Fusion Liqueur®, Frangelico®, Cynar®, Carolans Irish Cream®, Irish Mist® Liqueur, Sagatiba® Cachaça and Jean-Marc XO Vodka®.  Campari America is also the exclusive US distributor of Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Auchentoshan® Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Glen Garioch® Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, McClelland’s® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Flor de Caña® Rum, Midori® Melon Liqueur, Hibiki® Whisky, Hakushu® Single Malt Whisky, and The Yamazaki® Single Malt Whisky.

Campari America is headquartered in San Francisco, California.  More information on the company can be found at www.campariamerica.com, www.facebook.com/campariamerica, Twitter: @CampariAmerica and www.camparigroup.com.  Please enjoy Campari America brands responsibly and in moderation.

About Gruppo Campari
Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., together with its affiliates (“Gruppo Campari”), is a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in over 190 nations around the world with a leading position in the Italian and Brazilian markets and a strong presence in the USA and Continental Europe. The Group has an extensive portfolio that spans three business segments: spirits, wines and soft drinks. In the spirits segment its internationally renowned brands, such as Campari, Carolans, SKYY Vodka and Wild Turkey stand out. It also has leading regional brands including Aperol, Cabo Wabo, Camparisoda, Cynar, Frangelico, Glen Grant, Ouzo 12, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Zedda Piras and the local Brazilian brands Dreher, Old Eight and Drury’s. Its wine segment boasts the global brand Cinzano, as well as important regional brands including Liebfraumilch, Mondoro, Odessa, Riccadonna, Sella&Mosca and Teruzzi&Puthod. The soft drinks segment comprises the non-alcoholic aperitif Crodino and Lemonsoda as well as its respective line extension dominating the Italian market. The Group employs over 2,200 people. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. www.camparigroup.com.  More information on the company can be found at: http://www.camparigroup.com/en/group/main.jsp

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, Press Releases

21st Amendment Releases Hop Crisis (PR)

SAN FRANCISCO – 21st Amendment founders Nico and Shaun need to break out of Alcatraz. And fast.The Hop Syndicate is hoarding hops in a remote warehouse, depriving the People of their right to hoppy, aromatic beer. This is Not Cool. Shaun and Nico have to do something. They need to Free the Hops!

21st Amendment Brewery today announced the re-release of Hop Crisis, an oak-aged Imperial IPA with big malt flavor at 9.7% alcohol by volume and 94 IBUs (International Bittering Units-that’s bitter!). Hop Crisis is the latest installment in the 21st Amendment’s Insurrection Series, a limited edition, once-in-a-while, four-pack release of a very special beer that rises up in revolt against common notions of what canned beer can be. Hop Crisis was the winner of the Great American Beer Festival silver medal in 2010 in the Imperial IPA category and is rated a 99 out of 100 on the consumer ratings and social media website ratebeer.com.

21st Amendment co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan says of the idea behind the beer, “A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof, making it more difficult to brew bitter beers, we decided there was only one thing to do. Make the biggest, hoppiest beer we could imagine. And we really wanted to celebrate the Imperial IPA style by doing something a little more original. Aside from the higher alcohol and intense hop bitterness, we felt aging the beer on oak would add some additional layers of flavor. Because oak can overwhelm the hops, we chose a light, subtle oak character to accentuate the dry hop bitterness and add a unique character to the beer.”

“The graphics on our four-pack box tell the story of convicts Nico and Shaun’s adventure to Free the Hops,” noted co-founder Nico Freccia.  “A daring escape through the sewer pipe, surfing monster waves while being chased by a great white shark and a high speed getaway on the San Francisco cable car are all part of the adventure,” he adds. “We just really felt we had an opportunity to have some fun with this beer.”

Hop Crisis is available in four-pack cans and on draft beginning August 13th at bars and stores in all seventeen of 21st Amendment’s current distribution territories which include CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, NJ, DC, MD, DE, PA, VA, GA and NC. For up to date availability, events and promotions, visit 21A’s website at www.21st-Amendment.com.

About 21st Amendment Brewery:

Hey, we’re Nico & Shaun. We live for great beer. When we opened the 21st Amendment Brewpub in San Francisco in 2000, we vowed to do things differently. To us, the 21st Amendment means much more than just an end to Prohibition. It means the right to brew beer, the freedom to be innovative, and the obligation to have fun.  

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Goose Island Brewing, Press Releases

Goose Island Brewmaster Joins 5 Rabbit (PR)

CHICAGO, IL – The first Latin craft brewery in the US, 5 Rabbit Cervecería is pleased to announce that John J. Hall has been added to its growing team as Brewmaster/Production Deity. Hall will be in charge of all brewhouse, cellar, packaging and quality control operations for the brewery. 5 Rabbit’s brewery is currently under construction at their 25,000 sq. ft. building in Bedford Park, the southwest suburb of Chicago located a short distance from Midway Airport.

“We are thrilled John is joining the 5 Rabbit team. The coming months are going to be very exciting for us as we bring all production to our new brewery. We can’t wait to see our beers reach their full potential now that John is in charge of production,” says 5 Rabbit partner Andrés Araya. “Making the best beer is the most important thing for us. We were looking for an extraordinary brewer, a highly creative person and passionate beer enthusiast.

From the moment we first met John, we knew he was the perfect person for the job. With John’s addition to the team, we can confidently say that we have one of the strongest brewing teams in the Midwest,” says 5 Rabbit partner Isaac Showaki.

“We’re excited to bring John’s expertise and experience to our collaborative beer development process. The beers have been very good so far, but we expect a real jump in beer quality once we get them optimized for our new brewery with John’s help,” says partner and creative director Randy Mosher. “It’s going to be a real fun fall.”

Hall is a Siebel Institute graduate and has spent much of his career at Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Company, which was sold in 2010 to the global beer giant, AB-Inbev. Starting at Goose in 1997, Hall worked his way up from cellarman to the position of Head Brewer by 2002. Over his 15 years his recipe formulations helped the brewery win numerous medals in prestigious competitions, such as the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), World Beer Cup and the Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival. He is active in many organizations, including the Brewers Association, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, and as a Board Member of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Hall has also been a Judge at GABF, World Beer Cup, and Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers.

John Hall states, “I am so excited to join the 5 Rabbit team. Since meeting Andres and Isaac, I have been impressed by their vision and drive to start a whole new concept in craft brewing. Randy Mosher’s involvement really just confirmed for me this was an adventure the likes of which I want to be a part of.

He was one of the instructors at Siebel who not only taught me to open my mind to new flavors and ideas, but to always challenge myself. I look forward to a long future with this unique team, creating new beers that expand the notion of what craft beer can be.”

5 Rabbit was launched in May 2011 with the idea of creating exciting, Latin-inspired beers. Their products have found a following both among mainstream craft beer enthusiasts and Latino drinkers looking for something new and exciting. Sales have been increasing ahead of schedule, and the beers are now available in Northern Illinois, Ohio and the Philadelphia area. 5 Rabbit now offers four year-round beers (5 Rabbit, 5 Lizard, 5 Vulture, and the newly released 5
Grass) as well as three seasonal specialties, and will be adding some limitededition brews and additional seasonals in the near future.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Press Releases, Shmaltz Brewing

Shmaltz Unites Bourbon & Bock (PR)

New York, NY – August 7, 2012 – Shmaltz Brewing Company, ringleader of the sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is excited to announce the third seasonal release of Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®. Weighing in at 10.83% ABV, this burly Imperial American Bock has aged over five months in Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrels. While the original Human Blockhead® was conceived as a tough-as-nails strong lager, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is the evolution of a true professional; bearing the signature richness of Munich and Vienna malt, but emerging from the barrel softened and silky, with hints of maple, caramel, and vanilla. With such a limited-edition production run, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is as rare and special as it is highly coveted.

Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is the seventh release in Shmaltz’s Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series, and took home a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships in 2011. The series also includes 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medalist HE’BREW R.I.P.A. on Rye; 2011 World Beer Championships Gold Medalist HE’BREW Vertical Jewbelation; and HE’BREW Genesis 15:15, a 15% ABV barleywine brewed with grapes, figs, dates, and pomegranates. The Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series not only represents some of Shmaltz’s most decorated beers, but also boasts the highest consumer ratings from BeerAdvocate.com and RateBeer.com. The latter recently ranked Shmaltz Brewing as one of the “Top 50 Brewers in the World” for 2012. With the release of Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®, Shmaltz Brewing continues to design unique and sophisticated beers that can stand with the world’s best specialty beverages.

Fusing Old World brewing traditions with bold, flavor-driven American ingenuity, Coney Island Human Blockhead® and Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® are two examples of how Shmaltz has lifted lagers to the creative height that ales have enjoyed in the American craft beer movement. After selecting Coney Island Craft Lagers® as “Best in Show” at their inaugural BevStar Awards, Beverage World Magazine noted, “in a segment largely dominated by ales… Shmaltz has demonstrated how creative one can be when pushing the limits of lager.” The Chicago Tribune also praised Shmaltz’s artistic vision and pioneering spirit in a recent article, declaring, “the Coney Island series has put [Shmaltz] on the leading edge of craft lagers.” Not surprisingly, Coney Island Human Blockhead® has garnered top awards across the country since its debut in March 2009. In its first bout against other strong lagers at the 2009 United States Beer Tasting Championships, Human Blockhead® was designated the Loose Lager Grand Champion and wound up taking the Bock/Doppelbock Grand Champion prize the following year. Human Blockhead® went on to win Silver Medals at both the 2010 and 2011 World Beer Championships.

Like all the Coney Island Craft Lagers®, Human Blockhead® pays tribute to the eclectic performance culture of Coney Island, New York. The Human Blockhead stunt, developed by renowned magician and sideshow entertainer Melvin Burkhardt, is upheld today by performer Donny Vomit –– the namesake and image on the Human Blockhead® bottle label. Known for his spellbinding stage antics with his trusty hammer, sixty-penny nail, and the occasionally power drill, Donny is thrilled to be featured on the Coney Island Craft Lagers® bottle. “As a kid, I always thought it would be cool to have an action figure made after me, but having a kickass beer is a whole lot better,” says the man behind the mustache.

Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is nationally available in 22 oz. bottles and limited draft at specialty shops and select bars from August 2012 – October 2012. A portion of the proceeds of Coney Island Craft Lagers® help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Arts Non-Profit, fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn’s historic Coney Island neighborhood.

About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Shmaltz Brewing Company was named “Best American Craft Brewer” and won the “Best In Show 2010” title by Beverage World Magazine, after being named “Breakout Brand” for 2009. Ranked in 2012 as one of the “Top 50 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times, and is a recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Established in San Francisco in 1996, with the first batch of 100 cases of HE’BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE’BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its new line of sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®. Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 30 states through 35 wholesalers at more than 3,500 retail specialty shops across the U.S., including Beverages & More, Whole Foods, Total Wine, select Krogers and Cost Plus.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” New York Magazine, Newsweek, Men’s Health, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com and Epicurious.com.

For more information, please visit www.shmaltzbrewing.com
by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Miller Coors, Press Releases

Miller Coors Q2 Report (PR)

(London ENGLAND and Denver, CO) – SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company reported that MillerCoors second quarter underlying net income increased 9.1 percent to $436.0 million versus prior year, driven by positive pricing, favorable brand mix and cost management.

“As our major summer marketing programs kicked off during the second quarter, we saw sequential improvement in retail sales on our premium light brands, highlighted by the strong growth of Coors Light,” said MillerCoors Chief Executive Tom Long. “We also delivered double digit growth from Tenth and Blake as we scale brands like Blue Moon and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy to meet changing consumer tastes. Positive brand mix shifts — combined with our continued attention to cost control and sharp revenue management — were key to delivering another profitable quarter. We continue to make progress against our strategy of strengthening our core business, while evolving our portfolio to match consumer demand.”

Second Quarter Highlights

Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts are in U.S. dollars and calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All percentages are versus the prior-year comparable period and include MillerCoors operations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

  • Underlying net income (a non-GAAP measure) increased 9.1 percent to $436.0 million.
  • Total net sales increased 4.3 percent to $2.224 billion.
  • Domestic net revenue per barrel, excluding contract brewing and company-owned distributor sales, increased 3.6 percent.
  • Total cost of goods sold (COGS) per barrel increased 2.5 percent.

MillerCoors domestic sales-to-retailers (STRs) were down 1.4 percent, a slight improvement versus the first quarter trend as the U.S. economic environment remained challenging and unemployment among our key consumer demographics worsened. Domestic sales-to-wholesalers (STWs) increased 0.3 percent.

Brand Highlights for the Second Quarter
Premium Light STRs were virtually unchanged in the second quarter versus prior year, an improvement compared to the first quarter 2012. Coors Light continued to post solid results, leading all major premium light brands with low-single digit growth for the quarter. Innovations such as the Coors Light Silver Bullet Aluminum Pint have contributed significant new volume to the brand. In the early stages of the new “It’s Miller Time” campaign, Miller Lite declined low-single digits, while showing incremental trend improvement versus the first quarter. Twelve and 16 oz. can sales have increased in the low-single digits for the brand, attributable to the launch of the Punch Top Can innovation. Miller64 declined low-double digits as new branding, packaging and marketing programs rolled out nationally.

Tenth and Blake Beer Company continued to grow the MillerCoors craft and import portfolio by double digits in the quarter driven primarily by Leinenkugel’s. The Leinenkugel’s franchise is leading the craft segment in share growth, primarily via double-digit growth of Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. Blue Moon also continued to show strong volume growth. Peroni Nastro Azzurro grew mid-single digits and continued to show strength.

The Below Premium portfolio declined mid-single digits, as the company maintained competitive price gaps between Premium and Below Premium brands. Miller High Lifecontinued to build brand awareness with its “Welcome Veterans Back to the High Life” program and the unveiling of its new red, white and blue packaging. Keystone Light continued to drive its “Always Smooth” positioning through digital engagement.

The Premium Regular portfolio was down mid-single digits with a double-digit decline by Miller Genuine Draft partly offset by mid-single-digit growth of Coors Banquet.

Financial Highlights for the Second Quarter

  • Domestic net revenue per barrel grew 3.6 percent as a result of strong net pricing and favorable mix.
  • Total company net revenue per barrel, including contract brewing and company-owned distributor sales, increased 3.4 percent.
  • Third-party contract brewing volumes were up 6.7 percent.
  • Total COGS per barrel increased 2.5 percent driven by packaging innovation, brand premiumization and brewing material costs, partially offset by tight cost control and savings initiatives.

Marketing, general and administrative costs increased 3.1 percent, driven by slightly increased marketing spending related to the Miller64 brand re-launch and increased spending behind new products and packaging innovations, partially offset by lower information systems costs.

In the second quarter, $32 million of cost savings were achieved versus prior year, primarily within the integrated supply chain.

Depreciation and amortization expenses for MillerCoors in the second quarter were $73.0 million and additions to tangible and intangible assets totaled $47.6 million.

During the second quarter, special items reflect the benefit of a $2.3 million pension curtailment gain.

by Reid Ramsay