After opening Bellingham, WA brewpub location in 2016, Melvin Brewing sold Bellingham brewpub location to new owner, Gary Pickering, Tap Trail and Washington Beer Blog reported. This location is now “100% locally owned with no money going to the former parent company, Melvin Brewing,” Gary told Tap Trail. Deal closed “a couple weeks ago” and “within a month,” will be rebranded as an entirely new brewery, tho owner “plans to keep the same staff” in order to emphasize Bellingham community, paper added. Gotta note, Melvin’s WA location was relatively small in terms of sales and Melvin’s total volume in WA declined steep double-digits in 2018. Melvin sold 2,759 bbls in WA collectively including just 207 bbls from its Bellingham location, according to WA data. That’s down 37% from 4,386 bbls in 2017. Yet total Melvin biz was still able to grow nearly 16% to 23K bbls in 2018, according to Brewers Assn stats.

Melvin’s decision to cut ties with this location also comes after a detailed account of sexual misconduct involving a “key member of the Melvin Brewing team” leaked in Jan 2018, followed by unrelated but similarly “inappropriate” content posted on its website in Mar 2018, WA Beer Blog reminded. At the time, Melvin responded to “extend our sincerest apologies,” assuring readers that “our company in no way supports sexual violence in any form” and that “this has been dealt with internally with our employees.” About one year later, Melvin addressed these issues and talked about multiple measures taken to improve awareness and company culture via blog post titled “A Year In Reflection: International Women’s Day.”

In early 2018, ahead of celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring, Asheville, NC’s Highland Brewing switched up two of the most important pieces of any craft brewing biz. It launched a complete refresh of its branding, look and feel, across its packages and digital assets last Feb. The prior month it shifted distributors across much of its home state of North Carolina, keeping only its distibs in Western NC (Skyland) and Greensboro/Winston Salem (RH Barringer). The changes paid off. It shipped 45,500 bbls last yr, it confirmed with Craft Brew News, up 11%. Highland cycled transition numbers, putting up “very strong” growth in the first half of 2019, prexy/CEO Leah Wong Ashburn told CBN, expecting to finish the year up “strong single digits.”

“It goes back to beer, of course,” Leah told us, pointing out that AVL IPA, released for the first time with the brand refresh, and Highland’s Pilsner, launched a couple yrs prior, contributed much of the growth. Yet, even tho newer brands like AVL and a handful of other IPAs may be just pushing past half the co’s biz, 25-yr flagship Gaelic Ale is “holding strong,” still growing, albeit just slightly.

“Pioneers in Asheville,” Highland Grows Statewide with New Distribs The new branding and colorful packages, sporting a new “simplified compass” logo and striking mountain motif, helped make Highland “more relevant,” Leah explained. The logo underscores the co’s position as “pioneers in Asheville”: opened by Leah’s father Oscar Wong in 1994, Highland was the city’s first operating brewery since Prohibition. These days, the city known for its surrounding Blue Ridge mountains as well as its bustling craft beer scene is in “the mid-30s for breweries in Asheville proper,” Leah estimated. The new brand identity “more clearly expresses who we are, what’s important to us,” like its hometown. That’s helped Highland attract folks who “gravitate towards brands and things that aren’t afraid to make a statement. Especially when that statement is a clarifying one.”

Importantly, the co’s distrib changes “strengthened us in our home state,” Leah shared. Highland’s off-premise volume sales grew 23% in NC multi-outlet + convenience data from IRI (available in our Craft Update, 2019 webinar series). It gained 0.4 share of craft cases to 3.5 share of the segment in state scans, easily a top-10 craft player. But Highland also seeing strong growth elsewhere in its “five-and-a-fraction” state footprint, Leah said. Its trend in “South Carolina is north of 30%,” for example. Outside the Carolinas, Highland also distributes to Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, plus “the southwestern corner of Virginia.” And “at this point, I feel more inclined to invest where we are,” Leah said, rather than expand to new markets. “My philosophy is to sell beer where we matter.” And right now, “we matter in this corner of the southeast.”

16 Oz Singles for C-Stores, Barrel-Aged/Sour Series Coming Part of investing deeper where it already sells beer will be exploring new channels for the co. “We’ve been in grocery for a long time,” Leah said. Highland is now “doing a little more work in the c-store channel.” It’s “learning it” at the moment, with plans to launch single-serve 16oz cans later this yr. At the other end of the spectrum, Highland is also working towards the release of its “first publicly available barrel-aged beer,” coming this Nov. It plans to use 500ml glass bottles for those more limited releases.

Focus on Home Helps Build the Family Biz Highland keeps digging deeper in beer-drenched Asheville too, telling its story by underscoring its “family ownership and independence,” Leah explained. “Adding depth to that message,” it collaborated with Sierra Nevada on its anniversary beer, as well as “six local farmers,” hop growers and maltsters that supplied ingredients for the beer, highlighting their story on packages. It continues to develop the “roughly half” of its 40-acre property “that we can play with,” too. For visitors to Highland’s sizeable event spaces, it’s building out a series of trails that will hopefully connect to a proposed greenway, which could eventually connect the city with the co’s property. Helping construct such greenways across Asheville has been a key issue for Leah and Highland. It raised $40K over the past few years by hosting its 4.5-mi Night Flight evening running race, with this yr’s event coming right up.

And all of this work, from the brand refresh to the property development and devotion to Asheville’s outdoors, follows directly from advice Oscar gave to Leah when she took over the reins of Highland in 2015, after she joined the co in 2011. “Make this company your own,” she remembers him telling her. By providing a place for other “active people” who also love “getting out and being with the trees and on the mountain tops,” Leah reflected, “the brewery becomes a bigger expression of my family.”

Lotsa confusing Bell’s-related action continues in VA and now DC too. Bell’s reportedly just terminated its DC/VA distrib Hop & Wine; it sold as much as 150K cases between 2 locations. Bell’s presently without a distrib in DC as Bell’s works out final details of deal to buy its brands from Hop & Wine, source said. Bell’s gave 30-day notice about a month ago of termination without cause, which it claims as a right under its contract with Hop & Wine. When Bell’s gave notice, Hop & Wine reportedly filed complaint with VA ABC. Recall, Hop & Wine also had rights to Bell’s in northern VA. But Bell’s pulled from state of VA and is embroiled in battle at ABC in VA, which started after Reyes Beer Div bought Loveland in Richmond last Dec. (This article also appeared in sibling-pub INSIGHTS Express earlier this afternoon.)

Back and forth it’s gone, with most recent ruling reversing earlier decision that compelled arbitration as per Bell’s contract. On 2d thought, VA ABC said it would hear case. Just filed: another Bell’s motion seeking “reconsideration” from ABC, asking VA to “vacate” its order remanding case to be heard by VA ABC and allowing Bell’s 2 weeks to file supplemental briefs “on the issue of whether the Board has jurisdiction to hear a case the parties agreed to arbitrate.” That same Reyes-related rationale may have propelled Bell’s DC actions, as Reyes reportedly in talks to buy approx 1-mil-case Hop & Wine. Finally, all this plays out as potential trades for Dogfish Head could factor in too. Oh what a tangled web we weave!

Total Boston Beer shipments and depletions flew up 17% in 2nd qtr, now already near 2.5 mil bbls shipped in first half of the yr. Brings 1st half shipments trend to +23% after consciously over-shipping in 1st qtr to get Truly hard seltzer inventories ready for summer and alleviate production. Depletions still up 15% for 2 qtrs. Up even faster, +17% for 28 wks thru July 13. Net revs in line, hit $318.4 mil for the qtr, +16.6%. So rev/bbl flattish. Gross margin slimmed to just below 50% and ad promo and selling expenses up just 8.7%. So net income up over 18% to $27.9 mil.

Boston completed deal with Dogfish Head as expected on July 3. Addition of DFH will add 3-4% to volume trend and $50-60 mil in net revs with $20-25 mil of operating expenses. So Boston expects full-yr 2019 volume to be up 13%-18% without Dogfish Head, putting Boston brands between 4.8 mil bbls and just over 5 mil bbls on their own. Factor in a few hundred thousand bbls of DFH and Boston expects to blow thru 5 mil bbls, grow volume 17-22%. At upper threshold, Boston would top 5.2 mil bbls, gain almost a million bbls in a single yr. Wild.

Execs obviously upbeat in comments, “happy that our diversified brand portfolio continues to fuel double-digit growth,” founder/chairman Jim Koch commented. That’s despite “a general softening on the part of the craft beer category that goes through the three-tier distribution system and retail shelves,” he said, putting finer point to comment about slower craft trends. Co still “disappointed” in Sam Adams brands, but will continue to invest there. Note tho that Sam Seasonal trend improved to mid-single-digit growth for 2nd 4-wk period in a row in IRI multi-outlet + convenience scans thru Jul 14. Recall, co launched new “lighter and brighter” formula for Sam Summer Ale this yr, with new packages, as Jim noted in Q2 comments.

And plenty of glowing commentary about Dogfish, especially founder Sam Calagione, “a tremendous friend, innovator and brewer,” Jim said. Angry Orchard also off during Q2, but clearly not getting in the way of Truly and Twisted gains. Truly could go even farther as co launches draft nationally and new ad campaign helmed by comedian Keegan-Michael Key, CEO Dave Burwick noted in comments. Less sweet, Crisp Unfiltered cider option also being added to Angry Orchard portfolio in back half of yr. Dave highlighted challenges of getting growth oppys in front of the co, particularly higher costs of Truly production at 3rd party brewers and in variety packs. Variety pack can line came on line at Boston’s PA brewery this qtr, he said.

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Many top craft cos improved in IRI data for latest 4-wk period thru Jul 14 as total craft segment also picked up compared to other recent periods. Yet craft’s 4-wk trend still lagging YTD; $$ up 2% and volume up 1% for 4 wks thru Jul 14 vs $$ up 3%, volume up 2% YTD. IRI craft still trending 2-3 pts better without Blue Moon, Leinenkugel and Shock Top, even while Blue Moon Belgian White back to growth lately.

Sierra $$ Up 8% for 4 Wks; Hazy Little Thing Ahead of Fat Tire and Boston Lager for Period Sierra Nevada’s turnaround stands out. Its $$ sales grew 8%, $1.6 mil for 4 wks, outgaining all but AB acquired craft (+18%, $4.3 mil) and CANarchy (+34%, $2.2 mil) for period among largest craft cos in scans nationally. Sales grew 5% for 12 wks and $$ now up 2% YTD. Sierra Hazy Little Thing IPA doubled sales again for 4 wks and still up 123% YTD. It’s now neck and neck with Sierra’s Torpedo Extra IPA YTD (-5%), as #13 and #14 largest craft brands in scans. And in latest 4 wks, Hazy Little Thing surpassed New Belgium Fat Tire (-11%), Boston Lager (-6%), Bell’s Two Hearted (+2%) and Torpedo (-5.5%) to become #11 craft brand and #4 IPA in scans. Closing in on AB’s Elysian Space Dust IPA (+19%) for period too.

Lagunitas Up 2% for 4 Wks as Both Flagship IPA and Little Sumpin’ Grew Another top craft co from Calif that had slipped into decline was able to stabilize and get back to growth for 4 wks. Lagunitas $$ and volume grew 2% for latest 4 wks thru Jul 14 after declining 1-2% each of the prior two 4-wk periods. Key to growth was flagship Lagunitas IPA and Little Sumpin’ turnarounds fueled by c-store growth and stabilized grocery trends. Lagunitas IPA up 12% and Little Sumpin’ up 6% in c-stores for 4-wks, while both flattish in grocery. That added up to Lagunitas IPA $$ up 2% and Little Sumpin’ $$ up 2.5% in MULC.

Boston Beer at 3.1 Share of $$ YTD, 3.75 Share for 4 Wks with Dogfish After a better 12-wks, Dogfish Head $$ up 5% and volume up 11% YTD thru Jul 14 in IRI MULC. Now officially under Boston Beer umbrella, should be interesting to see how much of a push Dogfish gets in 2d half of 2019. Adding Dogfish to the mix bumps total Boston Beer up to 3.1 share of total beer $$ YTD in IRI MULC; up to 3.75 share of $$ for latest 4 wks. Dogfish $$ sales make up 4.4% of combined cos’ $$ sales and 3% of total volume YTD in IRI MULC.

CBA Slipped 9% for 4 Wks as Kona Big Wave Stalled; Gambrinus, Stone, Deschutes Still Soft While many top cos improved over latest 4 wks, CBA went in the opposite direction as lead brand Kona Big Wave’s growth stalled for period. CBA $$ slipped 9%, volume down 11% as Big Wave slowed to $$ up 2% and volume down 2%. Indeed, CBA largely dependent on Big Wave for growth these days. Big Wave $$ grew 34% and volume up 44% for 12 wks thru Jun 16 fueled by first-ever natl media campaign, and CBA $$ had been up 3% for same period. But as Big Wave stalled, any growth CBA was collectively getting is now gone; $$ down 2.5% for 12 wks thru Jul 14 and down 3% YTD. Separately, Gambrinus (-7.5%), Stone (-9.5%) and Deschutes (-3%) declines steepened in latest 4 wks as well.

Founders All Day Slowed to +3%; Still Up 12% YTD Founders All Day IPA continues to slow in scans. All Day up just 3% for 4 wks thru Jul 14 in IRI MULC, tho still sporting low-double-digit gain YTD. Total Founders trend slowed as well to +6% for 4 wks vs +14% YTD. So while both All Day and total Founders remain top growth contributors within craft YTD, dynamics of growth have shifted more recently.

Mostly Growth at the Top But most of the top craft cos are growing these days in IRI. AB acquired craft (+18%), Sierra (+8%), New Belgium (+6.5%), Lagunitas (+2%), Founders (+6%), CANarchy (+34%), Bell’s (+8%), Firestone Walker (+21%), MC acquired craft (+16%), SweetWater (+6%), Artisanal Brewing Ventures (+18%) and Dogfish (+6%) each posted solid growth for 4 wks. Each of these cos and brand families are within top-25 beer vendors in IRI MULC. And in grocery channel, New Glarus jumped 16% for 4 wks to regain its spot among top-25 total beer vendors in IRI grocery data YTD.

Craft beer is a “different category than it was two or three years ago,” Boston Beer founder/chairman Jim Koch acknowledged on co’s Q2 earnings call yesterday afternoon, soon after reporting huge 17% shipments and depletions gain for the qtr (see yesterday’s issue). Craft is “more mature, more stable,” yet still sees “a thousand new entrants a year. So it’s a category where it’s really difficult to grow if you’re fully distributed and your brand’s been around a long time.” Like Sam Adams.

So Boston execs not exactly surprised that Sam Adams continues to underperform in craft. Asked about the brand’s softness – total Sam franchise $$ down 13.3% yr-to-date thru Jul 13 in Nielsen all outlet data – Jim said its current status actually falls “pretty much in the ballpark of expectations.” However, it’s “gaining share in seasonals,” he said. As we noted yesterday, Sam Seasonal $$ +6% for 4 wks thru Jul 14 in IRI multi-outlet + convenience data, now down just 1.5% YTD. Yet total craft seasonals off double digits for both periods.

Within craft in general, Jim expects, over “three to five years” that “retailers are going to be more selective about what they put on shelves” and “distributors will cut their portfolios back because they’re not grabbing everything the way they were a few years ago.” At that point, “strong, well-supported, high-quality brands will emerge from that long winnowing process,” he said. And “so we’re beginning to see that winnowing out, maybe first in seasonals, where a lot of people overexpanded,” he commented later in the call.

Plenty of Upside for Dogfish’s “3 Strong Assets” Despite current flux and tougher period in craft, Jim believes it’s “a category that is permanent and enduring and can continue to grow a little bit.” In fact, “we obviously feel that it has solid potential, because the Dogfish Head merger is a doubling down on craft beer,” he pointed out. The two brand families, Sam Adams and Dogfish Head, “will be much healthier together” due to the stylistic gaps they fill within the portfolio, he said. “Within our product line of Sam Adams, we missed generating a successful IPA,” Jim acknowledged. IPAs still growing 16-17% in IRI MULC data YTD, tho slightly slower, +12-13%, for 4 wks to 7/14. Gained 4.7 share of craft $$ to 46.5 YTD.

Therefore, Dogfish Head’s two top IPA brands, 60 Minute and 90 Minute, represent first of DFH’s “three strong assets” that Boston will look to leverage, Jim said. DFH also has “number one sour beer in SeaQuench,” he reiterated, and new Slightly Mighty, “a 96-calorie, low-carb” IPA that’s “a unique product,” in Jim’s view. “So we view significant distribution opportunities off-premise for SeaQuench and especially Slightly Mighty. And we think there’s significant run room for 60 Minute IPA on premise,” Jim shared. Off-premise distribution oppys also available for 60 Minute too, tho, Boston CEO Dave Burwick acknowledged: 60 Minute currently at about 12% ACV (all commodity volume, a measure of distribution), vs Sam Adams in the “low 30s.” So Boston will look “to bring it up and bring it in line with Sam,” Dave said.

On Integrating DFH: First Financials and Distribution, Then “People and Production” Jim also reiterated expected timeline for integrating Dogfish Head into Boston’s biz after deal closed at start of this month: “2019 is business as usual,” he said. Co is “proceeding prudently, in a way that will not mess up anything.” Obviously, Boston’s gotta quickly integrate financial ops so it can “report on a combined basis in three months” for Q3. It’s also putting “a lot of attention on consolidating our wholesaler networks,” with “a lot of work to do” over “the next 6 months” or so. That’ll be “most visible” part of merging cos this yr. Then next yr, Boston will be at “the point where we really start the rest of the integration of production and people and sales and operations.”

A Note on Truly and Seltzer Sourcing Much of Boston earnings call spent discussing seltzer, natch, the “tiger by the tail” Boston working hard and spending heavily to hold on to, as Dave described it. Lots more details in this morning’s issue of sibling pub INSIGHTS Express. But he also revealed some interesting new stats about where hard seltzer is sourcing its growth from, citing IRI panel data. Currently, “about 37% of the volume” is coming from spirits, the data suggests, and “another 20% is wine.” Plus, “another 10%” of seltzer volume coming from light beer, Dave shared. So that’s about 2/3 of seltzer’s growth from 2 non-beer buckets and one huge beer bucket. But where’s the other 3rd coming from? Unsaid by Dave, but gotta assume craft’s a part of that mix too. And recall, if seltzer meets initial expectations of doubling in 2019, that’s 2 mil bbls of growth sourced mostly from other alc bev categories. And these days, lookin’ like seltzer’s closer to tripling.

Whether backed by large strategic brewers or financial firms, the top craft-focused coalitions, made up of multiple individual brand families, now control about half of US craft volume. In 2018, just 20 individual companies shipped over 200K bbls each. But that volume represented at least 60 different brand families, most of which were founded as standalone outfits later acquired by larger entities. In fact, less than half of those 20 companies sold beer under just one substantial brand. The accompanying table breaks out these 20 companies by brand family; 9 of them feature just one line. … [The other] 11 outfits held over 26 share of craft volume by the end of 2018. Even more notably, only 5 of them existed just 5 yrs prior. And those 5 portfolios still only represented about 12 share of the segment in 2013. So the formation of these portfolios consolidated over 14 share of US craft beer volume in less than 5 yrs, a period when craft expanded by almost 10 mil bbls.

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Another pair of craft brewers, CANarchy’s Deep Ellum and Atwater Brewing, are latest to throw their hats into the hard seltzer ring. And another, CO’s Left Hand, just announced debut of a CBD-infused sparkling water for its home state (and beyond?). Dallas-based Deep Ellum will first launch new Blind Lemon hard seltzer in early Aug on draft statewide in TX, followed by 6pk and 12pk 12oz cans “later this year,” co announced. Blind Lemon brand name is a tribute to the old Texas blues legend Blind Lemon Jefferson. It clocks in at 5% ABV and “makes use of beet sugar instead of the usual malted barely that is used in a typical beer,” Deep Ellum brewer Kyle Willborn stated in release. “When yeast is added, the result is an unusually spritzy and light brew,” and “we then dose it with natural lemon flavor to create a crushable beverage that pairs well with swimming pools and Texas summers.” Indeed, “a shi#% ton of lemons were harmed in the making of this beverage,” it sez on Blind Lemon packaging. This marks CANarchy’s 4th hard seltzer brand, along with Oskar Blues Wild Basin, Wasatch’s Grandeur Peak and Perrin’s Clear Coast.

Then too, MI’s Atwater will launch Atwater Spiked Sparkling Water this week, starting with 7,500-case run of 12pks for local mkt “including Southeast Michigan Meijer stores,” reported Crains Detroit among others. Atwater hard seltzers clock in at 5% ABV and 100 calories per 12oz can, available in mango, cherry and lime flavors at $14.99 per 12pk. While Atwater beer brands still distributed in 15 states, its Spiked Sparkling Water brand will be more locally/regionally focused. “Depending on the drink’s success,” Atwater will look to expand accordingly, founder and CEO Mark Rieth told paper. Recall, Atwater once had grand plans to be natl, and even international craft brand with multiple locations across the US. But after pulling out of Austin, TX project with Celis (which ultimately filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy last mo), Atwater seemingly scrapped those ambitions and “we regrouped locally,” Mark said. “We pulled out of some markets because there’s so much competition,” he acknowledged. And “ultimately we’re more profitable: in fewer states but selling more product.” Recall, Atwater grew solid mid-to-high single digits each of the last 2 yrs in home state MI, reaching 22K bbls in-state in 2018 (see above).

Left Hand Launches Joint Venture on CBD-Infused Sparkling Water, Present Colorado craft brewer Left Hand took a different route to seltzers, tho. Today it announced a joint venture with WAAYB Organics, a “seed-to-shelf” CBD co, on new Present line of CBD-infused sparkling waters. Six-packs of 16oz cans of the zero-cal, zero-sugar, 20mg of CBD bevs in 3 flavors (“natural,” lemon/lime, blood orange) will hit select CO stores and be available for purchase online in mid-August. Left Hand brings the bev experience, including packaging and distribution, WAAYB the CBD know-how. Indeed, Left Hand COO Chris Lennert will take on GM position for Present brand. For its CBD products, WAAYB grows, harvests and processes organic hemp, including the creation of “full spectrum distillate” (extracting not just CBD but dozens upon dozens of other non-psychoactive cannabinoids) used in Present brands.

The expansion of its “Colorado focus” with a tasting room/R&D brewery in Denver’s hot RiNo district worked out for Odell Brewing. So much so that the co plans to open a 2nd Denver location, this time a brewpub in Sloan Lake nabe west of downtown, scheduled to open late next summer. “Growing in our home market is first and foremost,” CEO/co-founder Wynne Odell said, announcing the coming location. “Investing in our own backyard creates more opportunities for our co-owners and aligns with our goals of pragmatic innovation,” she added. The new spot, outfitted with a 10-bbl brewhouse and “scratch pizza kitchen,” will be housed in a historic building in the largely residential neighborhood. Just as with its RiNo Brewhouse, which was responsible for originating recipes behind bigger new brand launches like Sippin’ Pretty and Cloud Catcher, the new location will serve new beers made on the in-house R&D system as well as Odell classics.

Dock Street, Voodoo and Lavery Digging Deeper at Home in PA Odell is far from the only craft brewer working on opening new brewpub/taproom locations in home cities, states and regions. Check out movement in PA. Original Philly brewpub Dock Street is getting ready to open a 2nd location in the city that’s twice the size of its current spot. The 10K sq-ft space will give Dock Street the room to almost quadruple capacity, Eater’s Philly outlet wrote.

Western PA-based Voodoo Brewery built out an impressive array of locations across the state and has now expanded outside its borders. Opened in 2005, Voodoo operates a production facility in Meadville, south of Erie, PA. Now it’s got a pub location getting ready to open up across the border in Cleveland Heights, according to The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com. It won’t produce any beer there, tho. The co opened its first satellite pub in 2015 in Homestead, close to Pittsburgh, the paper wrote. It’s also expanded to 2 other Western PA pubs, a State College and a Lancaster location further east, plus a temporary DC pop-up, according to the paper. In nearby Titusville, owners of Erie-based Lavery Brewing opened a 2nd location in a spot vacated by Blue Canoe Brewery, which closed “due to tax and licensing issues,” the Post-Gazette wrote. The area is poppin’ with small breweries these days as the paper’s round-up of beery activity, including opening of new Riverside Brewing, points out.

American Solera, Pegasus City, More; Australia to SF In Tulsa, American Solera finishing up renovations on 100-yr-old, 14K sq-ft building for its new brewery, the Tulsa World wrote. It’s the 3-yr old outfit started by Chase Healey after he sold his previous co, Prairie Artisan Ales, to OK’s Kreb’s Brewing (makers of Choc brand), paper reminds. New, much larger facility includes plenty of wood for aging, taproom, full kitchen in neighborhood where it’s surrounded by numerous other Tulsa craft beer and bev makers. Head south across the Texas border for the 2nd location in Dallas for Pegasus City Brewing, the Dallas Observer wrote. First opened in 2017, Pegasus City’s 2nd spot will be right downtown in a historic building that echoes brand’s Art Deco aesthetic. It’ll operate a small pilot system, taproom and outdoor beer garden there, expected to open next yr.

Then there’s Bill’s Front Porch Pub and Brewery, a brewpub in Wilmington, NC, which is building out a new production facility. It plans to pull back food service a little and refocus its current location on the beer as a taproom-style outlet, Wilmington Biz reported. In Fresno, small area brewpub group Mad Duck Craft Brewing just opened its third location in central California, according to the Fresno Bee, building out a 6K sq-ft space that boosts the co’s capacity and provides another outlet for its “chef-driven,” draft-only model.

On the other hand, look out for more foreign craft brewers to tap into the US craft market. Little Creatures, an Aussie brand owned by Lion/Kirin (also part owner of Brooklyn), just opened its 6,300 sq-ft taproom in San Francisco’s Mission District, SF Eater reported. The co already has other Little Creatures locations in Singapore and London.