Ale Street News Online

Court Denies Costco’s Petitions

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voted unanimously to deny the plaintiff’s petitions for rehearing and rehearing en banc in Costco v. Hoen (Washington State Liquor Control Board). In January, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely overturned a lower court’s decision thus affirming the right of states to regulate alcohol. The Ninth Circuit’s opinion unequivocally upholds Washington’s uniform pricing rule, delivered pricing requirement, volume discount ban, credit prohibition, central warehousing ban, minimum mark-up and retail-to-retail sales ban. "This decision is a great victory for the people of Washington State, and it upholds the right of states to set alcohol policy as their citizens see fit," said NBWA President Craig Purser.

Steve Hindy Elected to BI Board

The Beer Institute’s Board of Directors announced the election of Brooklyn Brewery president and co-founder Steve Hindy as its newest member. Hindy was officially seated at the Board’s May 13 meeting in Washington, DC. "When I became chairman of the Beer Institute, one of my goals was to enhance our working relationships with smaller brewers," said August A. Busch IV, president and chief executive officer, Anheuser-Busch Co., Inc., and chairman of the Beer Institute. "The decision to bring an innovator like Steve onto the Board of Directors gives smaller brewers a voice at the highest levels of the Beer Institute and improves our organization’s ability to formulate and promote public policy initiatives that benefit the entire industry." Hindy’s addition will provide valuable insight into the unique challenges and opportunities facing smaller brewers. "I see my seat on the Beer Institute’s Board of Directors as a real opportunity to solidify the bridge between small and large brewers," said Hindy. "While no two businesses are exactly alike, we are all proud to be part of America’s brewing tradition, and we stand united in efforts to build upon our industry’s many successes."

Victory Brews for German Hop Growers

Victory Brewing Co. has brewed three small batch specialty beers at the commission of the German Hop Growers Association. The styles crafted include a Select Pils, Tettnanger Pils, and Sapphire Belgian Strong Ale. Each of these three beers was brewed to showcase the high quality hops produced in Germany to potential American brewing clients. "We appreciate that the German Hop Growers Association has chosen Victory two years in a row to produce specialty beers to promote their quality hops. As true beer geeks, Ron and I love the challenge and look forward to working towards brewing perfection in all of our core brands and specialty brews," said Bill Covaleski, president and brewmaster of Victory Brewing Co.

Boston Beer Recalls SamAdams

In April, the Boston Beer Co. (BBC) announced a voluntary recall of select 12 oz glass bottles of its Samuel Adams beer which may contain small grains or bits of glass. The defect was discovered in routine quality control inspections at the company’s Cincinnati brewery. The impacted bottles, manufactured by a third-party glass bottle supplier, are thought to be less than 1 percent of the bottles filled. The affected products are embossed on the base of the bottles with the following marking: The letter "N" followed by the number "35" followed by the letters "OI". Consumers who have purchased beer in the defective bottles are advised not to drink it and dispose of the product. BBC will issue a full refund on potentially affected product. For additional information call 1-888-674-5159 or access the company’s recall web site at www.consumerinfo.samadams.com.