Are things finally stabilizing in the turbulent world of beer?

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Just Tapped

This week, no long narratives. Just some quick hits. And yes, we know that many of you are tired of hearing about the seemingly never-ending saga of Anchor Brewing, but please indulge us, briefly, one last time. Let’s get to it.

Anchors Away. No, We Mean it This Time

This is not a rhetorical question. Truly, we wonder. Why does one legacy brewery, whether it be regional or national, vanish so silently while another's demise ignites a firestorm of support? And where were all these Anchor Brewing fans when the brewery was slowly sinking into the abyss? If everyone who now says they so dearly loved Anchor Brewing had so dearly loved the brewery when it was, you know, still alive, perhaps Anchor Brewing would have survived.

Anyway, what most folks assume to be the last Anchor Brewing kegs get tapped on Saturday, December 9th at Buzzworks, a sports bar and event venue in San Francisco. The beer will flow until it is gone. And then the saga is over. Well, maybe. The collective of employees who are trying to repurchase the brewery and rescue it from the gallows will hold a raffle at Saturday's event. They'll need to sell a lot of raffle tickets. Back in October, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Sapporo was hoping to rake in $40 million for Anchor's assets.

YCH Invites Brewers to Help it Develop New Hops

Together we move beer forward. That's the motto of Yakima Chief Hops' new FWD program. It's a hop innovation program created in partnership with Yakima Chief Ranches. Breweries can apply to participate in the program. If selected, the brewery gets access to new hop products and varieties that are still under development. YCH will work with the breweries to collect feedback and data from the resulting beers. It is a cool, new way for breweries to get involved in the hop innovation process. Learn more about the FWD program and apply here.

Tilray Expanding Montauk Beyond the Northeast

We've talked a lot about Tilray Brands here on The Taster Tray. The massive cannabis company has made a few different forrays into craft beer in the past year or so, including the purchase of several brands from Anheuser-Busch in October (Redhook, Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, and others). Before that, Tilray acquired New York's Montauk Brewing in November 2022. Now, propelled by Tilray's seemingly bottomless pockets, Montauk is set to expand distribution into Florida.

Since its founding in 2012, Montauk Brewing's trajectory has been impressive. The brewery's founders joke about it being a "10-year overnight success." Montauk's beers are now available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida. Keep an eye on this one. With Tilray's backing, Montauk Brewing is going places. Read about the latest expansion here.

Ales for ALS is Hitting the Road

Since 2013, Ales for ALS has used beer to drive research efforts at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). Now Ales for ALS is ready to drive its RV around the country visiting breweries and forming partnerships to further advance the mission of finding treatments, and eventually a cure, for ALS. Read the announcement to learn more about the road trip. If there is a brewery that you think would be a good fit or otherwise would make for a good stop along the road trip, find Ales for ALS on Facebook or Instagram and shoot them a DM.

More Stable and Predictable

Good news and bad news. The November Beer Purchasers Index (BPI) shows improvement and stability for the beer industry overall. At the same time, the craft beer segment continues to languish in contraction. Craft's BPI was about the same this November as it was last. In total, the Beer Purchasers Index sits at 51 compared to 38 at this time last year. The craft segment, on the other hand, sits at 26.

Remember, the BPI is provided each month by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. A number above 50 signifies expansion and below 50 indicates contraction. Learn more about the BPI and what it means here.

Say What?

Last week we shared news about legal actions and accusations involving the majority owners of Tree House Brewing. Conducting crooked real estate deals, forging official documents, usurping millions of dollars, withholding tax info from investors, buying beach houses and fancy cars, and so on. If the allegations are true, it is a story of impropriety and unethical behavior at one of the nation's most highly touted craft breweries. We asked, in basic terms, do you still hold the breweries you love to a certain ethical standard? Or are those days gone? We received varying responses, like...

dj.gmur@... said: “... To your question, I would definitely consider the actions of a brewer or brewery management when deciding whether to patronize their establishment or beer.”

raptor231575@... said: “... I don’t think I’d boycott them because of the accusations, and not being able to go there makes it a moot point... ”

This week's Taster Tray was composed by Kendall Jones.