This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Tom White.
In this week’s Hoplinks, yeast issues cause a recall for one of our go-to breweries, a West Coast brewer makes cuts to their workforce, a homebrew shop gets acquired, and we finally get an update on our Chicago cake and oysters.
LOGAN SQUARE, CHICAGO — Revolution Brewing announced the recall of six canned beers, saying a problem with their house yeast strain means they “do not meet brand specifications for taste and flavor.” While a full recall is the certainly the right move, it’s interesting to see the overall reaction through social media to this recall versus the incredibly negative reaction we witnessed following the Goose Island ordeal. To get the inside scoop on Rev’s quality control process, check out our interview with Marty Scott from earlier this year. [RevBrew.com]
ESCONDIDO, CA — Layoffs are never good news and despite their recent huge expansions in Europe, Stone is apparently not immune to market forces. Laying off a rumored 80+ employees last week, the brewery blamed Big Beer’s acquisition strategies and the proliferation of “hyper-local” breweries for the cuts. Stone says they do not expect any other layoffs in the foreseeable future. [The Full Pint]
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Speaking of Big Beer, AB InBev is on the move once again as Northern Brewer & Midwest Supplies announced it has been acquired by the international conglomerate. What their interest in the homebrew supply shop is remains to be seen but this is the first time we’re aware of that AB InBev has moved outside of direct brewery purchases. [Homebrewtalk.com]
PILSEN, CHICAGO — A couple weeks back, we asked just what happened to the much anticipated Moody Tongue tasting room, originally promised for late August. Well, we finally got our answer as it looks like the brewery is about ready to open their space to the public. No word on an official opening date just yet, but let’s hope they stick to their “later this month” goal this time around. [Red Eye]
–––
Photo of Revolution’s cans from our early 2016 interview with the brewery’s Quality and Innovation Lead, Marty Scott — by Robert Battista.