Brewers State Fees Fund Wine Industry?

mibiz Michigan-based craft brewers want to change state law so the annual licensing fees they pay can go to benefit research and promotion for their industry rather than support a competing craft beverage sector.
 Under current law, every dollar that alcohol manufacturers pay in licensing fees to the state is earmarked to fund grape research for Michigan’s wine industry.
 While state officials appear to be in no hurry to change a program they believe is working, a growing number of executives in the state’s nascent craft brewing industry are calling for those licensing dollars to be put to use in ways that help foster their agricultural supply chain, namely for Michigan-grown hops and barley.  more -brewers-state-fees-

Burning Foot Beer Festival - Aug 29

.mlive.com/beer_festival/brandon champion
 The guild, which is open to any brewery in a county bordering the Lake Michigan shoreline, is still in its infancy, but planning for its first event is already in its advanced stages. The Burning Foot Beer Festival is scheduled to take place at Pere Marquette Beach from 3-9 p.m. on Aug. 29.
 Ticket sales have been "going well," according to Brower. A total of 2,000 are available for $30 each at www.lakeshoreguild.beer.
 Brower, who is also an attorney specializing in liquor law and licensing, said the Michigan Liquor Control Code requires the formation of a guild in order to have a beer festival featuring brew pubs. Now that the guild is official, the multi-year dream of having a beer festival in Muskegon can be realized.
"It became apparent that the guild was the way to accomplish a beer festival," Brower said. "But, it's also a good way to solidify the communal atmosphere we have between breweries."
 The creation of the Lakeshore Brewers Guild is not meant to supplant the state's foremost beer organization, the Michigan Brewers Guild, but is meant to be more of a "supplement" for breweries along Lake Michigan, Brower said.
 In addition to hosting festivals, the Lakeshore Brewers Guild will work with its members to build the "Lakeshore Ale Trail." Membership to the guild has been steadily increasing since its creation. Current member breweries include:

Pigeon Hill Brewing Company (Muskegon)
Unruly Brewing Company (Muskegon)
Big Lake Brewing Company (Holland)
Our Brewing Company (Holland)
New Holland Brewing (Holland)
Fetch Brewing Company (Whitehall)
Trail Point Brewing Company (Allendale)
Stormcloud Brewing Company (Frankfort)
Old Boys Brewhouse (Spring Lake)
Vander Mill (Spring Lake)
Grand Armory Brewing (Grand Haven)
Pike 51 Brewery (Hudsonville)
Milwaukee Brewing Co. (Milwaukee, Wisc.)

Big Lake Brewing To Increase Production And Distribution In Holland

 Big Lake Brewing, a locally-owned microbrewery in Holland, will celebrate its two-year anniversary this week with equipment upgrades, tripling production and a new focus on the business, Holland Sentinel reported on July 1.
"Our expectations are constantly shifting as we go along — two years ago there's no way I would have put us at this point," said Nic Winsemius, brewer and owner of Big Lake Brewing.
The 3,000-square-foot brewery and taproom opened in the Family Fare shopping center in Holland on July 5, 2013.
 Early success allowed reinvestment in the business after one month. Owners and brewers Nic Winsemius and Travis Prueter, and owner in charge of wine and cider Greg MacKeller remain committed to reinvestment and growing the business.
"It's a really exciting time," Winsemius said. "Our focus on quality has led us to invest in some laboratory equipment to better ensure consistency, and we will also take delivery of a new seven-barrel brewing system later this month." The equipment will allow an output of 1,000 barrels a year, or about 19-20 a week. In September 2013, the output was about three barrels a week.
"We've consistently sold all of the product we can make, and this is the fourth time we've increased our capacity," Prueter said.
 Staying just under 1,000 barrels a year will allow continued self-distribution. The goal is to stay at 1,000 for about two years, Winsemius said. The next step would be 4,000-5,000 barrels a year.
The brewery got into the business of canning and distributing early this year. Canned and draft Big Lake Brewing brews are available at the Holland taproom, nine restaurants and bars and six small retailers in West Michigan from Holland to Ludington. The increased capacity will help expand distribution.
 With sales on the rise and work to do, both Prueter and Winsemius have left their day jobs as engineers to devote themselves to brewing and business management. "It was always our goal to work at the brewery full time," Prueter said. "But we didn't expect it to happen this quickly."

Will Craft Beer Survive AB Inbev?

 byMatthewBoyleandDuaneStanford  After 19 years of running Elysian Brewing, a craft beer maker in Seattle, Chief Executive Officer Joe Bisacca was ready for a change. He was tired of worrying about making payroll, feeling guilty about the company’s miserly 401(k) plan, and trying to keep pace with the ceaseless demand for Elysian’s irreverently named beers, such as Space Dust, Superfuzz, Mens Room, and Loser Pale Ale. The last was inspired by the grunge-rock band Nirvana and carries the slogan “Corporate beer still sucks.” So he and two partners, David Buhler and Dick Cantwell, talked about selling. Before long they were in touch with Andy Goeler, CEO of craft beer for AB InBev’s Anheuser-Busch division. Elysian and AB InBev might seem like a strange match. AB InBev, the world’s biggest beer company, manufactures Budweiser and its sister brand, Bud Light, the kind of corporate products that get the rhetorical middle finger from Loser Pale Ale. AB InBev is also an assiduous cost trimmer. That didn’t seem to bode well for Elysian’s 217 employees. ...more-wwwbloombergcom