• 🍎 Stormalong Founder Reflects on 10 Years
• 🚲 New Belgium Execs to Depart
• 💔 Wooden Robot Co-Founder Dies in Fall
• 💸 Flying Fish Brand, Assets Auctioned Off
• 🤝 Ex-Atwater Owner Takes Stake in Lansing
• 🥃 Casa Azul Appoints Former Gallo Exec as CEO
• 🗳️ Legislative: TN Cold Beer & IN Happy Hour
• 🎷 Funkytown Honors Black is Beautiful’s History

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After a decade in business, Stormalong Cider is finally creating the taproom of its dreams and that its fans have been requesting.

The Massachusetts-based craft cidery operates in two spaces: an office and small retail space in Sherburne and a production facility in Leominster. By the end of the year, the company plans to move into an all-encompassing facility in Millis that will house production and a tasting room. 

Having a Stormalong headquarters is vital to the cidery’s mission of increasing consumer education on the diversity of hard ciders and the capabilities of apples – something that the U.S. market is just scratching the surface on, Stormalong founder and CEO Shannon Edgar told Brewbound.

Edgar said: “We do a lot of farmers markets and other experiential events, but this is a great opportunity to really get people to taste things and show them what cider can do and what apples can be.”

Stormalong was founded in 2014 with the mission to “respect the apple,” and still operates with that motto. The company does not use juice from concentrate, committing only to products made with “100% whole ingredients,” and preaching the need to talk about apples and cider’s connection to agriculture, “rather than talking about ABV.” 

That message is something Edgar plans to emphasize in his efforts at the American Cider Association (ACA), following his election to the trade group’s board of directors earlier this year. 

Edgar said: “If you’re just talking about ABV and how much alcohol, then we’re just a commodity. And then it’s really tricky to differentiate ourselves.

“We're trying to drive people’s attention to apples, trying to make people love apples like we love apples. We taste it every day when we're making it, but it's hard to describe the beautiful acidity and the flavors and the tropical notes and all those things. The beer brewers do it with smelling hops and stuff – juice has such a great range, so we'd love to be able to do that more, and just really be able to show people everything.”

Insiders can read more, such as Stormalong’s plans for 2024 – including a non-alcoholic offering – and Edgar’s opinion on pursuing other bev-alc categories.

Kirin-owned New Belgium Brewing announced several leadership changes today and provided an update on its search for a new chief marketing officer (CMO).

Chief sales officer (CSO) Michael Corrigan is leaving the Fort Collins, Colorado-based craft brewery after more than 15 years to join Keg1, one of New Belgium’s “largest distributor partners,” according to a media statement shared with Brewbound. His last day will be March 8.

Corrigan will serve as chief business development officer of K1MS, a new platform from the distributor. New Belgium division VP Shannon Cahalan will serve as interim CSO “to ensure a smooth transition.” 

Additionally, New Belgium chief ESG officer Kattie Wallace is leaving the company after nearly two decades. Her last day will also be March 8.

New Belgium did not share what Wallace’s next move will be in its statement.

Insiders can read more, including New Belgium’s comments on the status of its CMO search following the appointment of Belongie as CEO.

Dan Wade, the co-founder of Charlotte-based Wooden Robot Urban Farmhouse Brewery, died Tuesday in a fall at the brewery’s South End taproom.

Wooden Robot co-founder Josh Patton wrote in an Instagram post: “It is with an extremely sad and heavy heart that we share this news. Due to an accident that occurred today, we lost one of our founders, co-owners, and friend, Dan.

“We ask that you respect the privacy of his loved ones in this incredibly difficult time. We are all still in shock and need time to process everything, but we will do our best to keep everyone in the loop for when we open up our taprooms again.

“Your thoughts and prayers for Dan’s family, his wife, and his son are much appreciated at this time.”

The brewery has indefinitely closed both of its taproom locations.

Former Atwater Brewery owner Mark Rieth is back in the craft beer business. 

Rieth, who bought the Detroit-based brewery in 2005 and sold the business to Molson Coors in 2020, is acquiring a majority stake in Lansing Brewing Company (LBC) and its Hard Nose Spirits brand via his Detroit Liquid Ventures beverage platform.

Rieth purchased a 90% stake in the business, with previous owner Jennifer Gillespie retaining the remaining 10% of the business, a spokesperson told Brewbound. All LBC staff have been offered to continue in their existing roles. 

Reith said in the announcement: “LBC is a respected regional brand and allows me to combine my passions for brewing unique, high quality and easy drinking beers while also supporting Lansing and the Michigan State Spartan community!”

Brewbound Insiders can read more about the transaction.

Baltimore-based Guilford Hall Brewery has acquired the Flying Fish brand, recipes, trademarks, and wholesaler agreements through a bankruptcy auction, according to NJ Advance Media. The business netted $597,925 from the auction.

Flying Fish had attempted to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December but failed to restructure and began an auction process. The auction followed a failed sale of the brewery to Cape May Brewing last year.

Guilford Hall owner Stefan Popescu paid $152,500 for the brewery’s intellectual property and distribution deals, according to Patch. The new owner plans to continue East Coast distribution of Flying Fish products, but will shutter the brewery’s 45,000 sq. ft. Somerdale location. 

Flying Fish’s Facebook account posted an image of a Spirit Halloween banner over the brewery location on February 18 with the caption: “Coming soon … we kid but who knows what will come of the building once its contents have been moved to their new homes? Signing off of this account now as it’s probably part of the IP that now belongs to the new owners. But I had to leave everyone with a giggle.”

Dennis Carr is the new CEO of Casa Azul, the tequila company from the beverage innovators behind non-alc brands Fuze, NOS, BodyArmor and Core.

Carr comes with a lengthy track record leading bev-alc groups, the most recent being a four-year stint as VP of E. & J. Gallo (now “Gallo”). Carr was also the president and CEO of spirits company Hotaling & Co for seven years, and had stints at C. Mondavi & Family and Boston Beer.

Insiders can read more here.

A controversial Tennessee bill to ban the sale of cold beer has been withdrawn. 

In its original form, House Bill 2845 proposed banning the sale of refrigerated beer at licensed retailers in the state in an attempt to curtail impaired driving. 

After backlash from grocery and convenience stores, Rep. Ron Gant withdrew the bill and has promised to rework its language, according to WSMV-4.

In Indiana, coincidentally the only state with a ban on cold beer sales, a bill to permit time-bound price discounts on alcohol beverages at on-premise retailers – effectively legalizing happy hour – has passed both houses of the Indiana Legislature.

House Bill 1086 will head to the desk of Gov. Eric Holcomb after passing the state Senate Tuesday and the House of Representatives last month. 

The bill allows retailers and craft bev-alc manufacturers to “reduce or increase the price of alcoholic beverages during a part of the day.” 

Promotional prices may be offered for a maximum of four hours each day and 15 hours each week, but not between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., according to the bill.

Insiders can read more details on both legislative efforts.

The latest beer mail to land on my (Zoe’s) doorstep comes from a very familiar place to our Brewbound team: Funkytown Brewery.

The Chicago-based craft brewery and winner of the 2021 Brewbound Pitch Slam sent its 2024 contribution to the Black is Beautiful beer campaign: Black is Beautiful Jazz Nights. 

Black is Beautiful is a collaboration initiative started by Weathered Souls Brewing to fight police brutality and other injustices against the Black community. Funkytown is expanding on its participation this year with its own twist that pays homage to the “roots and foundation of the Black is Beautiful movement in the 1960s.”

Black is Beautiful as a movement was sparked from fashion shows in Harlem, New York, the first of which was held at the Purple Manor Jazz Club, Funkytown co-founder and CEO Richard Bloomfield shared with Brewbound. The show featured models embracing “their natural hair, darker skin, body types and Afro-centric clothing,” “staunchly refusing Euro-centric beauty standards and adding empathetic context to the phrase ‘Black is beautiful.’”

In March, Funkytown met with Cinque Brathwaite, the son of the late Elombe Brath (the leader of the African Jazz Art Society and Studios, which started the fashion shows) and Helene Nomsa (one of the original models). 

Bloomfield said: “The impact of the stories Cinque shared, and the continuous genuine support received changed how we approach our Black is Beautiful series of beer. While we will continue to highlight and support endeavors from the Black is Beautiful beer movement started by Marcus Baskerville of Weathered Souls Brewing, we now look to express ourselves creatively and stylistically with the original Black is Beautiful movement and founding family as the inspiration.”

The can art on Funkytown’s offering is inspired by a Black is Beautiful poster from 1970. The liquid itself is a Baltic porter with blackberry, meant to “introduce flavors of roast, chocolate and dark fruit with a lighter body to again introduce more Black people, women and underserved groups to beer with a palatable option low on bitterness and astringency” – a common thread among all of Funkytown’s brews.

We’re taking this show on the road. The Brewbound Podcast On-Location is heading to industry gatherings across the country, starting March 12-14 with the California Craft Beer Summit in Sacramento, hosted by the California Craft Brewers Association. 

Look for Brewbound Podcast hosts Jess Infante and Justin Kendall conducting interviews with industry leaders on the show floor. 

Reach out to podcast@brewbound.com if you’d like to connect at the event. Also, look for more Brewbound Podcast On-Location announcements in the near future.