Summit Brewing founder and CEO Mark Stutrud will retire from the Minnesota craft brewery in March after 37 years.

Stutrud will stay connected to Summit – the largest craft brewery in Minnesota – as chairman of the board and a brand ambassador, according to a press release. 

Chief strategy officer Brandon Bland will take over the role of president and CEO upon Stutrud’s retirement.

Stutrud said in the release: “Building this brewery has been quite a ride. Because we’re independently owned and operated, we’ve been able to make craft beer our way. For us, that has always meant never settling for just good enough.” 

Insiders can read the full story, including Bland’s background and the latest numbers for Summit’s production and off-premise performance.

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Brewbound recently caught up with Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione on the brewery’s 2023 performance and fall beer programming. 

Here are some highlights: 

Citrus Squall has been Dogfish Head’s “single biggest new launch in a number of years,” Calagione said. The 8% ABV double-golden-ale-and-paloma-cocktail hybrid launched earlier this year is closing in on the $1 million revenue mark, he added. In fact, Citrus Squall off-premise dollar sales in the 52-week period through August 12 have topped $1 million, per NIQ all outlet plus liquor and convenience data shared by 3 Tier Beverages. 

Citrus Squall has been a bright spot in Dogfish Head’s beer portfolio, as dollar sales (-12.4%) and volume (-15.5%) have declined double-digits in the 52-week period. Trends have improved in the latest four-week period, with dollars nearly flat (-0.3%) and volume down mid-single-digit (-5.9%).

Dogfish Head’s convenience strategy of gaining placements for both Citrus Squall next to 90 Minute IPA is also gaining traction. 

Singles have helped improve 90 Minute trends, as the 24-year-old brand is up +4% in off-premise dollar sales, driven by 19.2s, Calagione added. 

The 2023 edition of Punkin Ale is in cans for the first time as part of Dogfish Head’s seasonal Art Series.

“Art Series year-to-date is up almost 3%, 2.5%,” Calagione said.

Brewbound Insiders can go deeper into Dogfish Head’s trends and fall beer program.

More RTD news from BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker …

Global volume for Brown-Forman’s Jack & Coke RTD has grown to 1.8 million cases across 11 markets. However, net sales were flat for the Jack Daniel’s RTD portfolio as volumes declined for its previous cola and whiskey canned cocktail, Brown-Forman reported in its first quarter of fiscal year 2024 earnings report.

Brown-Forman president and CEO Lawson Whiting blamed low numbers on the switch-out in markets where Coca-Cola is “taking the lead” with the new cola and whiskey cocktail, indicating that those sales will now be recorded on “Coca-Cola’s books.” 

In the U.S. the RTD has been the most successful launch in Brown-Forman history, having achieved the second highest level of off-premise distribution across the portfolio.

The RTD is “getting massive distribution flow” according to Whiting, but said it was too early to supply investors with repeat purchase numbers yet. 

The company plans to expand the RTD into 30 total markets by the end of 2024.

Insiders can read more from the earnings rundown, including brand investment and marketing plans.

Gallo is aiming for a Mexican audience with a new RTD partnership between Casa Lumbre and world champion boxer Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez. 

The company behind leading ready-to-drink cocktail High Noon is bringing out a new contender: VMC, which was launched in Mexico in 2022 will be distributed by Spirit of Gallo, starting with select markets with large Mexican-American populations.

VMC comes from Mexican spirits group Casa Lumbre, which has mainstreamed Mexican products into the U.S. market with a boost from several other major partnerships and celebrities.

How a national distributor taps a specific audience will be interesting to watch. Last week, Martinez Brands ditched Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits for Casa Cuervo – moving two of its heritage brands with the aim to “take those categories to the next level with greater level of expertise and a more refined approach that is typically lacking for the Hispanic market within the big distributors.”

Insiders can read more here.

After more than seven months of fighting to be recognized as the certified bargaining agent for Creature Comforts workers, the Brewing Union of Georgia (BUG) has come out victorious and can now move forward with an election.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled in favor of BUG, following a February pre-election hearing in which Creature Comforts’ executive team challenged BUG’s legitimacy. 

A union election date has yet to be determined. However, “because of the substantial seven month delay for the decision,” NLRB regional director Lisa Henderson has ordered the union and Creature Comforts to each submit proposed election dates by September 7, according to a press release. 

Insiders can catch up on how BUG got to this point, including the several unfair labor practices (ULP) filings BUG has submitted against Creature Comforts, and what Creature Comforts leadership has said about the claims:

• Creature Comforts Staff Moves to Unionize
• Brewing Union of Georgia Files Complaints with NLRB Against Creature Comforts; Brewery Founders Respond
• Union Busting Allegations Escalate at Creature Comforts

As Brewbound’s next Brew Talks event in Denver approaches, this week we replay a Brew Talks Boston conversation exploring what’s next for hazy IPAs. 

The panel features:

• Vitamin Sea Brewing founder Dino Funari;
• Wormtown Brewery president and general manager Kimberly Golinski;
• Mighty Squirrel Brewing co-founder Naveen Pawar; 
• And Samuel Adams taproom head brewer Megan Parisi.

They share where they believe the style is going, how New England craft breweries are approaching hazies and what maturity means in the market where it originated. 

Plus:

• Justin and Zoe recap Firestone Walker’s annual business planning meeting;
• They also play a game of Another Round or Tabbing Out, discussing White Claw’s entry into non-alcoholic seltzer. 

Listen on all popular podcast platforms.

Brewbound’s Brew Talks meetup will (unofficially) kick off the Great American Beer Festival weekend with conversations with industry leaders and networking on Thursday, September 21, from noon to 3 p.m. MT at Cervantes Masterpiece in Denver.

The first conversation will discuss the challenges facing draft beer and strategies for improving draft trends.

Panelists include:

• Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione
• Buffalo Wild Wings director of beverage strategy & innovation Jason Murphy
• Tamarron Consulting co-founder and president Lori Scheiffler. 

Additional speakers and talks will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Tickets are available now.

The Brewbound Live business conference returns December 6-7 in Marina del Rey. Speakers and conversations to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Registration and the discounted room block is now open. Find out more details here.