Brewers with seasonal or variety pack placements in Walmart stores may be in for a bumpy ride next year. 

The Beer Industry Electronic Commerce Coalition (BIECC) threw up a warning flare last week that the largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the U.S. would be mandating that all seasonal brands and variety packs use unique UPC codes, starting in early 2024.

Brewers were given until July 14 to state whether they planned to comply. The unique UPC transition will take effect in March 2024. 

The practices of brewers reusing UPCs has been common for decades to easily swap in and out seasonal products or switch up their variety packs. 

However, Walmart appears to be taking a hardline stance with the unique UPC mandate, with plans to remove non-compliant products.

National Beer Wholesalers Association VP of state affairs David Christman told Brewbound that the BIECC made its case to Walmart about three weeks ago, and although the chain retailer’s leadership was accommodating, they plan to push forward with the program, with alcohol being one of the last categories for implementation. 

The reason behind the shift is to cater to online shoppers and ensure those consumers are able to view real-time inventory numbers and receive the specific products that they’re attempting to purchase, Christman shared in a release.

The change over poses several potential challenges for brewers. Brewbound Insiders can read more about the change, the reaction from the Brewers Association and why Walmart may only be the first domino to fall.

Brewbound Insiders can read more in the link.

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Growing up, Spencer Hoddeson said he mostly heard the term “gay” in a negative context. Now, he wants to destigmatize the word and create representation in spaces that traditionally don’t have LGBTQ+-owned products, one Gay Water at a time.

The ready-to-drink vodka soda debuts at an auspicious time, coming on the heels of anti-trans legislation across the country, as well as a boycott of Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light brand led by right wing influencers and political figureheads following an influencer promotion with a transgender woman.

Gay Water – named for a popular cocktail in queer bars – joins Supergay Spirits in the small cohort of spirit brands founded by an LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs that are proudly sharing their identity on the label. The two brands claim to differ from major companies that engage in “rainbow washing” – using branding attempts to attract LGBTQ+ dollars without making long-lasting commitment to queer causes. As some major brands stumble to please everyone, these brands have a clear target.

Can a brand with a hyper-focused consumer base win? Spirits editor Ferron Salniker explores the idea for Brewbound Insiders. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitemer has signed a bill that will allow for the sales of alcoholic beverages at football, basketball and hockey games at public universities such as Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, per the Detroit Free Press. Sales will be allowed an hour before the games and end when the games do. 

Universities can apply for licenses for 100 total days of sales in each calendar year.

Whitmer said: "Authorizing the legal sale of alcohol at sporting events will bring us on equal footing with other universities, help reduce the likelihood of binge drinking before games, and bring in a heck of a lot more revenue that we can use to improve the student experience. I am proud that we are getting this done and making fall evenings at Spartan Stadium or the Big House safer and more fun."

Turlock, California-based Dust Bowl Brewing has appointed Kevin Riddiough as the director of national accounts, the company announced.

For Dust Bowl, the role is a newly created position. Riddiough will be tasked with managing national and regional chain business across California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma. He’ll work with the sales and marketing team and the brewery’s wholesalers to develop its chain business.

In his 25-year career, Riddiough previously served in national accounts roles at Firestone Walker, Karl Strauss and Gambrinus.

Marc Jalbert, Dust Bowl’s director of marketing and sales, said: “We are confident that Kevin will build upon our existing chain presence and help us take this important sales sector to the next level. The breadth of experience he brings will certainly add immediate value and help us reach our future goals."

San Diego brewing veteran Matt Walsh was found dead in a hotel room in India, according to a San Diego Union-Tribune report from earlier this month. 

Walsh was 48. The Pump House Brewery in Bengaluru had recently hired Walsh. 

Walsh’s career included stints at Ale Smith, Karl Strauss, Speakeasy, Lost Coast and Modern Times, where he led brewing operations in 2013. He also brewed at breweries around the world, including Hong Kong, Kenya and India.

Lauren and Joe Grimm, the husband and wife founders of Grimm Artisanal Ales, are opening Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza today (Friday) in East Williamsburg (990 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn). 

The word on the spot: “Pulling inspiration from New Haven style pizzas, some of their favorite Brooklyn pies, and the pizzas they make at home with their kids, Lauren and Joe have created their own pizza dough utilizing the same spontaneous fermentation that gives Grimm beers and Physica wines their unique flavor profiles – a process they’ve honed over more than two decades experimenting together with fermentation.” 

The menu also includes Grimm beers, Physica Wines and small-batch cocktails.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based Roadhouse Brewing Co. is partnering with the Breakthru Beverage Group in Colorado to expand distribution in the state and triple its on- and off-premise retail locations, “including national off-premise retailers, airports and entertainment venues,” the brewery shared in a release.

Roadhouse was previously distributed by Colorado Craft in the state. The transition puts Roadhouse in the same distribution house as Melvin Brewing, which Roadhouse acquired in December 2022 and formed the Pure Madness Brewery Group.

Roadhouse plans to expand distribution to Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia and Florida later this year.

Elmsford, New York-based Captain Lawrence Brewing company has added distribution to Kentucky, as part of its partnership with U.S. Beverage.

Products hitting the Bluegrass State include Jam Juice hazy imperial IPA, Pacific Dawn West Coast DIPA, Citra Dreams hazy NEIPA, and Liquid Exotic Rum Punch.

Hooters is the first restaurant chain to serve Boston Beer Company’s Hard MTN Dew nationwide, offering the crossover flavored malt beverage in 58 company-owned restaurants starting this week. Additional locations are expected to be added throughout the rest of the year. 

Hard MTN Dew, which Boston Beer produces through a strategic partnership with PepsiCo, has recorded growth off a small base, with the majority of sales in 12-packs. The flavored malt beverage is distributed in more than a dozen states, and per Boston Beer’s Q1 earnings report, the brand is the No. 2 FMB 12-pack, trailing Twisted Tea, in the markets where it is sold. 

In the 13-week period ending June 17, off-premise dollar sales of Hard MTN Dew are up +3.9%, to more than $16.5 million, although volume has declined -2.1% compared to last year, according to NIQ data shared by 3 Tier Beverages.

Longmont, Colorado's Left Hand Brewing will be releasing Breezy Does It, a passion fruit sour ale soon. A pair of cans landed on Justin’s front porch this week.

Specs: 

• 4.8% ABV
• 6-pack cans and kegs
• 180 day shelf life
• Ella and Apollo hops
• Pilsner, Munich, wheat and acid malts

Availability: Year-round across Left Hand’s 46-state footprint. 

Pro tip: One or two cans are the perfect beer mail package for beer journalists (Justin) who desperately needs to invest in a beer fridge.