Beers

New Belgium Brewing will add a 16,000 square foot canning facility to its bottling hall in Fort Collins, Colo. The addition will increase New Belgium’s canning volume capacity six fold.

“Cans have been a great addition to the packaging portfolio for us,” said New Belgium spokesperson Bryan Simpson. “We first introduced Fat Tire cans in 2008 and we’ve since added Sunshine Wheat and Ranger IPA. Sales have been ahead of projection and we’re fortunate to be able to accommodate demand.”

The new 40-head filler will be capable of filling 360 cans per minute and can package 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans. New Belgium expects it will begin running early in 2012.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission has reversed its decision banning Flying Dog Brewery’s Raging Bitch Belgian-Style India Pale Ale from the state.

In a press release, the company explained the move came three weeks after Flying Dog’s first hearing on the case before the federal court in Grand Rapids. Flying Dog argued that the original decision by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission violated the company’s First Amendment rights and sought a preliminary injunction to lift enforcement of the commission’s ban while waiting for a final judgment from the court. Michigan reversed its decision to ban Raging Bitch in the state before the court ruled on Flying Dog’s request for an injunction.

“The Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s involuntary reversal of opinion is a victory for craft beer,” Flying Dog CEO and general partner Jim Caruso said for the press release. “Now, the great people of Michigan are no longer denied access to Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA, Flying Dog’s top-selling beer. But the fight for First Amendment rights in Michigan continues to rage on.”

Although the commission approved the sale of Raging Bitch in the state, Flying Dog will not drop its First Amendment lawsuit. Flying Dog originally filed suit in U.S. District Court on March 25 not only to overturn the commission’s regulation banning Raging Bitch, but to establish that allowing the commission to ban any beer label they simply find offensive would be unconstitutional. The suit seeks to recover damages from the loss of Flying Dog sales under the rule.

The controversy began in September 2009, when Flying Dog Brewery applied for a license to sell Raging Bitch in Michigan. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission barred the sale of Raging Bitch, stating the beer’s label is “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Stella Artois is rolling out 440ml (14.9-ounce) aluminum cans the first day of April.

The silver can features the silhouette of Stella Artois’ signature chalice glass, and will be sold nationwide in 4- and 10-pack configurations. The 10-pack will be called “Pour le Fridge” (French for “for the fridge”).

This the first time Stella Artois has been available in cans. The brewing company continues to suggest the best way to serve Stella is in its signature chalis, but this makes available for outdoor occasions where glass is not permitted.

Boston Beer Co., brewer of the Samuel Adams beers, reported higher sales for the fourth quarter and all of 2010, although its stock was punished — the stock prices dropped 11% in after hours trading Tuesday — because it did not meet Wall Street’s expectations. Shares of Boston Beer (SAM) had more than doubled since the beginning of 2010.

Highlights of its report were:

* Depletions growth of 12% for the quarter and 11.5% for the year.
* Core shipments increase of 7% for the quarter and 12% for the year.
* Core gross margin improvement to 55% for 2010 from 52% in the prior year.
* Increase in the company’s investment behind its brands for 2010 of $14.1 million.
* Earnings per diluted share of $0.87 for the fourth quarter and $3.52 for the year.

Given that Boston Beer accounts for about one in five craft beers sold (according to the Brewers Association definition) this is one more sign that when the final totals are in for 2010 overall craft beer sales will likely be up about 11% to 12%.

Boston Beer founder Jim Koch, summarized the success for a press release: “We achieved depletions growth of 12% in the fourth quarter, and total depletions for the year grew 11.5% to 30.9 million case equivalents. This record total depletions for the fourth quarter and full year is attributable to our strong sales execution and continued support from our wholesalers and retailers. While we continue to see expanded distribution of domestic specialty brands and local craft brands, which is increasing competition in the category, we are happy with the health of our brand portfolio. After 26 years, we continue to grow our flagship beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, even as we continue to innovate and develop new beer styles, such as Samuel Adams Noble Pils, the Barrel Room Collection and Infinium.”

He announced the company will expand it Freshest Beer Program, tested last year with five wholesales, adding ten wholesalers in the first quarter. “This program substantially reduces both the time and the temperature our beer experiences at wholesaler warehouses before reaching the market,” he sad. “This reduction in time and temperature is not only great for our beer; we believe it will also be financially and organizationally beneficial to our wholesalers and in the long term good for our business.”

Molson Coors in the United Kingdom today announced the acquisition of the award-winning Sharp’s Brewery, including Doom Bar — which is describes as “the UK’s most exciting cask beer brand.”

Molson Coors chief executive for the UK and Ireland, Mark Hunter, said: “The Doom Bar brand is modern and progressive. It has a loyal following and excellent reputation amongst consumers and customers alike and has the potential to become a truly extraordinary brand. We have a wealth of experience with this type of venture and an excellent track record of building brands across all markets. We respect and want to preserve the unique culture of Sharp’s Brewery and the special appeal of their brands to beer drinkers.”

Stuart Howe, head Brewer at Sharp’s Brewery, said: “We are delighted to be joining the Molson Coors team, all of whom are passionate about Sharp’s Brewery and committed to the Doom Bar brand. We are incredibly proud to be voted the best regional cask beer by our customers, with the support of Molson Coors we’re looking forward to being recognised as the best cask beer in the country.”

Founded in 1994, Sharp’s Brewery is in Cornwall and has grown rapidly to become the largest brewer of cask beer in the South West. Doom Bar is the No. 1 selling cask brand in the South West and Wales and the fastest growing cask brand in Greater London.

New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale, has announced plans to expand the brewery’s market territory along the eastern seaboard. The Colorado brewer will open Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. in September of 2011. The added territory will bring the nation’s third-largest craft brewer to 29 states.

“We had significant expansion in 2009 when we added five states,” Joe Menetre, New Belgium sales director, said for a press release. “We wanted to make sure we had the capacity to keep up with that demand, so we expanded our fermentation cellar to address future growth as well.”

New Belgium currently distributes its beers in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The much anticipated release of a collaboration beer between the Boston Beer Company and German’s Weihenstephan has been set for early December.

Infinium has been two years in the making with brewery founder Jim Koch riding point for Samuel Adams and Dr. Josef Schrädler, manager director, for Weihenstephan. A press release describes the beer as the “first new beer style created under the Reinheitsgebot (German’s beer purity law that dictates beer should be made from only from malted grains, hops, yeast and water) in over a hundred years.”

Infinium is packaged in 750ml cork-finished bottles and contains 10.3 percent alcohol by volume. The suggested retail for a bottle is $19.99.

“Dr. Schrädler and I are thrilled to uncork Infinium, and introduce not only a first-class beer, but a new standard in the art of brewing,” Koch said. “When I brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in my kitchen in 1984, it challenged America’s perception of what beer could be. At the time, beer drinkers weren’t used to bigger, more flavorful brews that used high-quality, traditional ingredients and followed the age-old Reinheitsgebot purity law. Infinium continues to challenge people’s perception of beer in a very different way, making this partnership unique. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented brewers in the world during this project.”

“It was exciting to work with Jim and the brewers at Samuel Adams to stretch the limits of Reinheitsgebot during the creation of Infinium,” Schrädler said. “This beer is truly a marriage of the German brewing heritage that our brewery has upheld for almost a thousand years, combined with new, innovative brewing techniques that take beer beyond what anyone expected to be possible under the constraints of the purity law.”