Category: blog

MIKE’S MESSAGE

As a craft brewery owner there is no greater feeling than being at the bar, anonymous to the consumer, and watching someone step up and order your beer. It is the culmination of your dream; the beer you created is wanted by someone who could have ordered anything. But what that consumer never sees is

10 RULES TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR DISTRIBUTORS IN 2018

There’s an old saying about distributors… “George Washington makes every decision”. Like most old sayings, it is true. Distributors are expert financial managers. Those who were not were bought out a long time ago. If you ever wonder why the distributors let so many great selling opportunities slip by and sometimes expect you to do

CATAWBA BREWING ACQUIRES PALMETTO BREWING

Friends and Associates: Brewers Advisory Group announced that it acted as advisor to Palmetto Brewing Company in its agreement to be acquired by Catawba Brewing Company. The transaction closed in late December. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Palmetto Brewery sold approximately 16,000 barrels in 2017, and has experienced rapid growth. Catawba Brewing sold about 17,500

2017 SOUTHERN BREWERS CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS

The 2017 Southern Brewers conference was well attended, with craft brewers wanting to know what is happening and what to do about it. Our seminar was entitled “The Coming Shakeout in the Craft Beer Market”. We explored the growth of (former) craft brands that have been acquired by A-B, MillerCoors, Heineken and Constellation. These brands

2016 SOUTHERN BREWERS CONFERENCE AFTERMATH

Leaving the Southern Brewers Conference in Nashville last week, I noted some common themes that haven’t been heard before: Tough Exhausting Trouble Unlike other recent conferences, you could feel it in the air. There is a storm coming and most are not prepared. More breweries, too many skus, slower growth, rotating taps, consumer fatigue, big

MERGERS BETWEEN CRAFT BREWERS ARE PART OF THE FUTURE

A hundred years ago, there were over 1,800 automobile manufacturing companies in the United States. Click here to see the list of those who succeeded and who didn’t. They were entrepreneurs with a dream, who risked everything. Most either sold their companies or went out of business the hard way. This list looks eerily like