Brewbound Podcast

Stout Collective founder and CEO Matt Tanaka walks us through expected design trends for 2025, including why he believes mascots and maximalism will be a feature of beer labels in the new year.    Tanaka also breaks down the goals and experience of Stout Collective’s BOPP Beer Design Conference, held annually in Chicago. He shares how his firm tries to keep the conference fresh and the conversations uninhibited.    But first, Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata shares insights from the Beer Marketer’s Insights summit in New York City. Zoe recaps New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie’s energetic presentation, highlighting the addition of Mini Ripper 7.5 oz. cans of Voodoo Ranger Juice Force and Tropic Force, the occasion smaller cans are meeting, the launch of alcoholic sports drink LightStrike, some shade for amber ales and an admission that the reformulated Fat Tire didn’t go well.

This week the Brewbound Podcast crossed the 200th episode milestone. Insider’s Week in Beer newsletter writer Sean McNulty joins to celebrate.   The Brewbound team recaps the latest headlines, including the Lord Hobo-Lone Pine merger, the Beer Institute’s Annual Membership Meeting, layoffs at Molson Coors’ remaining craft production facilities and Monster’s Q3 financial results.    Plus, the gang plays Another Round or Tabbing Out, recalls Episode 100 (we think) and time capsules recent life moments for the next podcast milestone.    It’s a fast-moving show, with an unexpected Real Housewives detour.

Highland Brewing owner and CEO Leah Wong Ashburn provides an update on how Asheville, one of the country’s great craft beer cities, is recovering in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.    Last weekend, Highland brewed its first beer since the hurricane cut a path of destruction through Western North Carolina. Ashburn shares the steps the brewery took to return to operations, starting with ensuring that all of its team members were accounted for and had their basic needs covered, and then stabilizing the business. She also explains the importance of people visiting Asheville now, after the biggest month of business was wiped off the calendar.   Ashburn also discusses Highland’s first post-hurricane milestone, the release of Cold Mountain winter ale November 7-11.    Plus, Jess and Justin touch on several headlines, including a craft brewery deal in Iowa, the vibes at the Massachusetts Craft Brewers Guild’s annual meeting, a leadership change at the American Cider Association and the pending closure of Revolution Brewing's Logan Square brewpub after 15 years.

The Brewbound team dives into the top stories in the beer business, including the “strategic partnerships” made by Maui Brewing parent company Craft ‘Ohana to hand off leadership of Modern Times Beer’s daily operations and hospitality businesses.   The team also discusses Boston Beer’s latest earnings report, which one analyst called “messy,” the performance of Twisted Tea and a write down on craft beer brands.   The conversation then turns to beer being the preferred choice for Halloween celebrations.    Plus, this week’s episode features a pair of conversations recorded during the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s Annual Convention.    The first features David Christman, NBWA VP of state affairs, who shares why intoxicating hemp is the most talked about state-level issue and why distributors should have a seat at the table of those discussions.   Then, Behold Beverage Intelligence’s Sean Mossman and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage’s Laura Melzow will explain how artificial intelligence is changing workflow in the middle tier.

Chula Vista Brewery co-founder Tim Parker shares how meditation, mindfulness and taking care of your mental health can help your business on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.    Parker discusses his personal journey, how he and his wife Dali have struck a better work-life balance and much more.    Plus, the Brewbound team covers the latest news, including a brewery that is backing away from brewing for partners, the 2025 plans for Duvel USA and Boulevard Brewing Company and UK brewers’ move away from the “craft beer” label.

Lester Jones, chief economist and VP of analytics at the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), joins the Brewbound team to discuss the importance of the on-premise, and how tides may be shifting in draft beer’s favor. The conversation was recorded in San Diego during the NBWA Annual Convention and Product Showcase.    Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and reporter Zoe Licata also recap the reimagined Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to managing editor Jess Infante, who is suffering from a bad case of FOMO. The duo give a play-by-play of walking through the new GABF experience areas – Fright, Blast Off, Chill, Prost and Score – and other changes the Brewers Association made to the festival, as well as the best (and strangest) beers they tried, and whether they’re getting Another Round or Tabbing Out on the additions.

In this Brewbound interview, host Ray Latif sits down with Alexis Guetzlaff, Director of Marketing for Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at O-I, one of the largest global producers of glass packaging. With over 15 years of experience in the packaging industry, Alexis delves into how glass is becoming the go-to packaging solution for brands aiming to offer a premium, sophisticated consumer experience. Alexis discusses the evolving consumer preferences that favor glass bottles, especially in the beer industry, highlighting how glass packaging creates a sense of class and enhances the drinking experience. She shares O-I’s latest research on consumer behavior, explaining how brands can use glass to differentiate themselves on crowded shelves and offer a variety of packaging options to meet different consumer "need states," from casual backyard barbecues to formal gatherings. She also details O-I’s innovative supply chain solutions, including their program to ensure consistent availability of stock beer bottles nationwide, allowing breweries and beverage brands to act quickly when scaling production. To learn more about O-I or connect with Alexis, visit O-I.com, or connect with Alexis on LinkedIn.

Brewers Association VP of marketing and communications Ann Obenchain joins this week’s Brewbound Podcast to discuss how the trade group reimagined the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).   The refreshed GABF takes place Thursday through Saturday in Denver, and attendees should expect a more experiential feel this year, Obenchain explained. She acknowledged that past GABF events were nearly indistinguishable in look with the blue and yellow color scheme and lines of booths serving beer.    For 2024, the geographic or alphabetical lineup of booths are gone, replaced with six experiential areas and a product lineup that goes beyond beer to include cider, hard seltzer, ready-to-drink canned cocktails and more, Obenchain said.   The meet-the-brewer area returns, but this year’s GABF will lean into the season with a Halloween-themed area called “Fright” that will include scare actors, decorations and giant LED inflatables, and a section called “Prost” with Oktoberfest vibes, including a biergarten, stein-holding contests and German oom-pah bands.    Other areas include “Score,” with live sports played on televisions and foosball; “Blast Off,” a space-themed area; and “Chill,” with live music. Adding to the experience will be Lucha Libre, the pro wrestling style originated in Mexico starring masked wrestlers.    All of this is aimed at appealing to younger, experience-seeking attendees who have been the majority of GABF goers in recent years, Obenchain said. The goal is to keep them coming back and get them interested in craft beer. She added that over the last seven years, GABF attendees have skewed younger, with the majority of attendees in the key 21- to 34-year-old demographic.     Obenchain also discusses the addition of beyond beer offerings to the GABF lineup; the Paired add-on, beer-and-food pairing event; and what’s new with the GABF Awards.

The 87th Annual NBWA Convention wrapped up earlier this week, and the Brewbound team recaps the themes of this year’s event.    Jess, Zoe and Justin break down the buzzy topics, including a push to support the on-premise channel (especially draft beer), the growing presence of intoxicating hemp beverages and how those products should get to market, and some unexpected things creating headwinds for beer companies, including online gambling and health tracking apps.

Kimberly McKinnish, SVP and chief operating officer of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), joins the Brewbound Podcast to preview Making Moves 2024, taking place October 1-2 in San Diego immediately following the NBWA’s 87th annual convention.    Making Moves, now in its third year, is a collaborative effort from the NBWA’s Building Relationships and Empowering Women (BREW) and the Alliance for Women in Beer. The two-day event includes presentations, panel discussions and networking designed to help women advance their careers in the beer industry.

Craig Purser, president and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), joins the Brewbound Podcast to preview highlights of the trade group’s upcoming 87th annual convention and product showcase, taking place September 29-October 2 in San Diego.   Purser discusses the NBWA’s legislative priorities, metamorphosis into a beer and beverage distribution group, and top concerns for the association’s members. Plus, the Brewbound team breaks down recent news, including insights for connecting with Gen Z from Zoe’s trip to the Stout Collective’s BOPP Beer Design Conference, a look at IPA’s dollar share across the country and the forthcoming non-alc Michelob Ultra Zero.

Several new high ABV offerings are on their way to convenience store doors in 2025. The Brewbound team discusses the latest slate of offerings from Molson Coors that trades on three of their established brands: Blue Moon Extra, Topo Chico Max and Simply Spiked Bold.    The team ponders the timeliness of new singles hitting convenience and the prospects for these.    Jess, Zoe and Justin also discuss the latest news, including JuneShine’s non-alcoholic kombucha play, job openings at the Brewers Association and California Craft Brewers Association and why the numbers say your brewery will likely survive.    Plus, deep thoughts on greetings and F1.    Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) founder Phil Bannatyne joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the recent announcement that the Massachusetts brewpub will shut its doors in December after 35 years in business. Bannatyne shared his thoughts on the brewpub segment, the team’s next steps and how many CBC alumni are scattered across the industry. Plus, the Brewbound team covers recent California craft beer news, including Firestone Walker’s annual business plan, Anderson Valley being up for sale, and production shifts and job cuts at Modern Times.

When should you refresh your packaging? Or do a total rebrand? Or should you just stand pat? CODO Design’s Isaac Arthur explains the choose-your-own-adventure decision tree beverage-alcohol companies should consider when tweaking the look of their products or the feel of their brand. Arthur walks through the gut check breweries need to do on each of these decisions and what they should know going into the process.    Arthur also gets into whether there are some products that are too iconic to touch, how nostalgia may factor into redesigns and what CODO might do for a certain San Francisco brewery rising from the ashes once more.   Plus, the Brewbound team talks Labor Day and muted post-pandemic wholesaler beer purchasing in August.

What legal issues should be on brewers’ radar? Nichole Shustack and Isabelle Cunningham from the bev-alcohol practice team at law firm Nutter, McClennen and Fish join the Brewbound Podcast to share what to watch out for this year and beyond.   The team discusses the impact of non-alcoholic brands crossing over into bev-alc, direct-to-consumer sales, potential regulations on adult non-alcoholic beverages and other state legal updates.    Plus, the Brewbound team reconvenes to break down the latest headlines, including Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing’s efforts to raise money for a brewery platform, another sale of San Francisco’s Magnolia Brewing and BeatBox Beverages’ big deal with Shaquille O’Neal.

Tilray cemented its place as a top five U.S. craft brewery by volume last week with the acquisition of four brands from Molson Coors’ Tenth & Blake division: Atwater, Hop Valley, Revolver and Terrapin.    Zoe, Jess and Brewbound weekend newsletter author (and GIF-wielding genius) Sean McNulty break down the deal. The crew also discusses Jess’ and Zoe’s recent trips to New Trail and Sierra Nevada, respectively, as ABP season gets underway, plus Cambridge Brewing’s impending closure and the National Black Brewers Association’s most recent equipment donations.

Beverage-alcohol’s growing “fourth category” of flavor-first offerings are quickly becoming a “mega category,” NIQ VP of alcohol industry thought leadership Jon Berg shared on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.    Berg explains how the collective of ready-to-drink offerings such as flavored malt beverages, canned cocktails, hard seltzers and other flavor-forward offerings have shifted the fortunes of bev-alc for the year, while the best case scenario for beer, wine and spirits is likely a flat year. He also dishes on the tension between value and volume, slumping craft sales, channel outlooks and brand life cycles.   Plus, Zoe is back with a beer report from the Bahamas. She and Justin discuss their travel schedules, the decline in attendance for this year’s Craft Brewers Conference and Monster’s bev-alc struggles.

World of Beer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in an effort to reorganize. Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante shares details of the filing and what it means for craft breweries.    Jess and Brewbound editor Justin Kendall also review the latest earnings reports, including Anheuser-Busch InBev cycling the anniversary of the Bud Light boycott, how A-B is faring in the U.S. a year later, and the fallout being felt by one of its top competitors, Molson Coors, and one of its biggest supply chain partners, Ball Corporation.    Jess and Justin also reveal how little they know about soccer, and discuss car trips with toddlers and adjusting to a new puppy.

How is beer doing at the halfway point of 2024? Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata shares highlights from not one, but two mid-year beer reports. Zoe breaks down the Brewers Association’s mid-year craft report, as well as a total beer overview from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and Fintech halfway through 2024.    Plus, Zoe and Brewbound editor Justin Kendall discuss the latest earnings reports from Boston Beer and Tilray Brands, including nuggets on Twisted Tea and Truly’s hold on Boston’s portfolio and improvements in Shock Top’s trends.   Justin also relays his experience on the Voodoo Ranger pirate ship and spotting Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch’s graphic novel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Almost Friday Media, the comedy meme account turned digital media empire that has long celebrated the vaunted opening of a beer at the closing of the workweek, had a drinker base long before it had a beer brand. The media network reaches more than 800 million accounts across more than 30 channels on seven different media platforms, and launched its eponymous light lager Friday Beers late last year.   Almost Friday co-founder and CEO Jack Barrett and Corestone Capital founder and CEO Will McDonough joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the beer, its fans and the strategy behind it.   Plus, the Brewbound team discusses global hop production and inventory, regulatory changes for THC-infused drinks in Iowa and a makeover for Cigar City’s Jai Alai IPA.