The Craft Brewers Conference, a rotating annual industry event, took place the first week of May in Philadelphia, PA. While the event is always chock-full of all the biggest names in craft brewing along with big announcements from breweries large and small, perhaps the biggest announcement was from an American institution: The Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The Smithsonian announced a new initiative to document the history of American brewing. This program’s goal is to “collect, document and preserve the history of brewing, craft brewers and the beer industry to explore how the beverage and brewing connect to larger themes in American history,” according to a release.
The Smithsonian will partner with the Brewers Association, American brewers and beer historians in order to paint a picture of the rich history of American brewing and immortalize the innovation and creativity that American brewers have shown – as well as connect the changeable brewing scene to larger societal, cultural and economic shifts in the country.
While a few small but important brewing collections are currently housed at The Smithsonian, American brewing traditions have been reimagined since the days of Ballantine IPA and Schlitz.
“We are honored to support this effort and work with the National Museum of American History to chronicle and showcase the significant achievements small and independent brewers have made throughout this nation’s history,” said Bob Pease, CEO of the Brewers Association in a statement.
More information about the program and America’s brewing history can be found here: http://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/food-history/pages/brewing-history
Oskar Blues, the 14th largest brewery in the US, announced plans to distribute in Montana. This marks the 50th state in which Oskar Blues’ offerings will be available – making it one of the few breweries that can boast national distribution.
The brewery’s two locations in Longmont, CO and Brevard, NC contributed to impressive growth for the company in 2015, which looks to continue that growth in 2016 with the debut of Beerito Mexican Lager and the opening of a third location in craft-happy Austin, TX.
The brewery will also makes its debut in the southern hemisphere with plans to hit Australian markets. Oskar Blues’ six year-round offerings – Dale’s Pale Ale, Pinner, Old Chub, Little Yella Pils, IPA and Beerito – will be available in...
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