This Week's Beer News: ☀️ Happy Oberon Day ☀️
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Best wishes to Carrie Yunker today.
Yunker, the 21-year Bell’s Brewery employee who worked her way up to be the Executive Vice President of the company and its leader in the post-Larry era, has chosen this Oberon Day to be her final day at the company.
Extensive profiles of a woman leading a nationwide craft beer brand are quite rare, so definitely take a few minutes to read this MLive.com piece about her time at the brewery, where she helped transition it from a Larry-led one to a “more democratic” company with new ownership, become a nationwide beer brand, sell Upper Hand, expand Hearted, make Oberon year-round (sorta) with their Eclipse extension, and also move into the shandy market.
Oh, and release Oberon Light, which is out today. It’s been a busy few years.
Compared to other craft breweries that have moved from a founder-led business to a more corporate structure, Bell’s has straddled that transition better than most. Usually when the founder departs and new ownership takes over, the next few years see some growing pains - but that hasn’t really been the case at Bell’s. Going national was always a big goal, but doubling down on their relationship with their Michigan and Midwestern base was the right move at the right time.
Per the MLive piece, Yuenker’s next step appears to be into politics or NPO leadership. Hopefully whoever’s next at the top of the org chart can keep helming it wisely.
Eater has a pretty in-depth look at the new Detroit-style pizzas from middle brow now available at The Beer Temple. Sounds like a lot of work went into coming up with this dough.
Shaw Local released their “Best of the ___” awards, celebrating Penrose Brewing, Fox Republic Brewing, Crystal Lake Brewing and others throughout the state.
Illinois-based, Wisconsin-contract-brewed and (I believe) soon-to-be-IL-distributed Tridentine Brewing received this big profile in the Catholic World Report.
The opening of the Fort Wayne location for MORE Brewing has been pushed to 2026.
The Des Moines Register reported on the new micro-grant program from Big Grove Brewing.
Roar Brewing Co., the first Black-owned brewery in Detroit, is now in soft open mode in the former Nain Rouge Brewing location. They’re planning a full grand opening celebration later this year.
The Detroit News talks to a variety of craft brewery owners to check in on how things are going in this recent downturn for beer, including folks at Griffin Claw, Batch Brewing and the recently closed Loaded Dice Brewery.
The Free Press reported on Saugatuck Brewing’s efforts to help protect lake sturgeon with their Lake Street Light lager.
CityPulse checked out what’s happening at Looking Glass Brewing Company in DeWitt, just north of Lansing.
In Walker, WOOD-TV visits the new kitchen set to open at Lost Art Brewhouse.
In Marquette, Ore Dock Brewing’s new space, The Trestle, is now open.
Dangerous Man Brewing announced that they were shuttering their production facility, two years after closing their taproom. They’re releasing a final beer - Last Call IIPA - tomorrow.
Craft Beer & Brewing’s Love Handles column pays a visit to STL’s Little Lager.
Sauce Magazine praises the charitable efforts of 4 Hands’ City Wide beer.
Sauce Magazine also says that the beers from Heavy Riff are extremely popular in Asia (specifically South Korea).
The Dayton Daily News says that Yellow Springs Brewing “has momentum” with the release of a new beer … but then never says what that beer actually is. Apparently it’s a big surprise?
Job Alert: Rhinegeist is looking for a rep to sell their beer in Cleveland.
It looks like it might not be the end of the road for MobCraft Brewing after all — a pair of former employees are reportedly reopening the Walker’s Point space as a brewpub as early as next month.
Now open in Delafield: A new franchise location for Voodoo Brewing.
To celebrate Milwaukee Day in April, MKE Brewing is bringing back its all-you-can-drink “brewery tour” for one day.
After renovating a building that had been vacant for 15 years (including moss growing inside), Knuth Brewing Co. won a Best Total Building Transformation award at this year’s Wisconsin Main Street Awards - the photos do look pretty cool.
The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company announced that their Wausau brewpub would be closing in mid-April.
CBS-58 previewed the Beer School 101 event at Black Husky Brewing.
InsideHook asks an interesting question with this piece: What would you do differently if you were opening a brewery taproom today? Author Courteney Iseman heard from big names at Weldwerks, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Schilling Beer Co. and Chicago’s own Gabe Magliaro at Half Acre.
When you hear about craft brewers using the more-sustainable “regenified malt” in the future, remember that you (probably) read about it in this piece from The Manual first.
Last week’s most-clicked link: The link to Beer Under Glass tickets, which is nice to see.
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