Report: No Apparent Relief from Rising Costs on Horizon
There is no immediate relief in sight for brewers facing various cost pressures because of inflation, Rabobank says in its latest Beer Quarterly report. While many breweries have focused on cutting and controlling costs rather than raising prices, sustained inflation may lead them to rethinking that strategy, the report suggests. Meanwhile, although U.S. beer volume has remained flat for many years, beer continues to lose share to wine and spirits. Another tidbit from the report: The post-pandemic on-premise recovery appears to have stalled out at about 90 percent of what it was pre-COVID. “Considering the U.S. had broadly been moving away from on-premise prior to the pandemic, we don’t expect a return in the short term,” the report says.
BrewDog Gambles on Vegas Strip Expansion
Scotland-based BrewDog announced that it is opening a branded brewpub on the strip in Las Vegas, with an opening celebration scheduled for the weekend of December 2. The bar features 30,000 square feet, 96 taps, and a 10-barrel brewhouse. The company says a raffle will include a $1 million bar tab, redeemable at any BrewDog bar around the world in the next 20 years. BrewDog also says it’s planning to open a pub in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood, one of three Denver locations planned in the next four years. A BrewDog bar also recently opened in Atlanta. BrewDog’s U.S. expansion is ongoing even as BrewDog tries to shake accusations from at least 300 current and former employees that its founders fostered a culture of fear and harassment and engaged in deceptive practices.
Illinois Scholarship for Diversity in Brewing
The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is accepting applications for its second annual Illinois Diversity in Brewing Scholarship. The scholarship for underrepresented groups in the brewing industry goes toward brewing courses at the Siebel Institute of Technology. The deadline to apply is November 19. For more info or to apply, see illinoisbeer.org.