This afterwork event features a beer tasting theme for the August party. I thought with this newsletter I would provide some of my own take on recent events. These are only my opinions, so take them for what they are worth. The shakeup in the specialty beer business continues in 1998 at full force. The large players in our category are continuing to report sales and profit difficulties.
Smaller players are quieter than usual, and microbrewery closings are picking up pace.
In other words, for every three micros opened, two have closed. I believe this stat is for the first six months of 1998. Compare that to the past few years where the opening to closing ratio was more like 7 to 1 and you know the landscape is changing. Probably the most talked about change has been the sale of Pete's Wicked Ale brands to Gambrinus. For those who don't know, Gambrinus is a large importer responsible for the Corona brand in this country.