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Remember when football and beer was a thing? Yeah, I don’t either. Anyone recall seeing any beer ads in the big NFL Super Wildcard weekend games?

Welcome to Brewbound’s Inside Look at the Beer Business for the week that was … Saturday, January 13, 2024. Where I have good news for any pregnant readers who are looking to publicly shame their significant others on social media! #finally

The beer industry’s chief economists discussed beer’s data, challenges and opportunities. Bart Watson and Lester Jones, chief economists of the Brewers Association and the National Beer Wholesalers Association, respectively, shared the stage to provide an update on beer industry trends and the trajectory heading into 2024.

Brewbound Live wraps up today. Registered attendees can access all live presentations, networking and on-demand content through the virtual venue.

Forbidden Root founder Robert Finkel and 5 Rabbit Cervecería founder Andres Araya will discuss the state of innovation in craft brewing and their experiences operating highly-differentiated craft breweries. A second discussion with Donn Bichsel, Revolution Brewing’s director of sales and marketing, will examine current marketplace trends, increasing competition and struggles that mid-size craft regional brewers are facing as they look to scale their brands.

Constellation Brands is officially entering the craft beer category, and in a big way. The Corona and Modelo maker today announced it would acquire San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing for a whopping $1 Billion. “The purchase price values the acquisition multiple of the projected calendar 2016 Ballast Point EBITDA in the mid-to-high teens range,” Constellation said in a press statement.

Craft Brew Alliance today announced its first quarter financial results, highlighting depletion volume growth of just 1 percent and a net sales decrease of 5 percent across its core family of brands, including Widmer Brothers, Redhook, Kona and Omission. Total beer shipments decreased 8 percent during the quarter. In a release, CBA attributed the sluggish first quarter results to “higher-than-average” sales during the first quarter of 2014 as it “adjusted” for out-of-stocks that hampered the company toward the end of 2013.

Less than nine months after selling at least a 40 percent stake in Harpoon Brewery, the country’s 15th largest craft beer company, co-founder and former CEO Rich Doyle is back in the game. Backed by an investment from San Francisco-based private equity firm Friedman, Fleisher & Lowe, Doyle has launched Enjoy Beer LLC, a consortium aimed at providing back-office support to independent craft brewers.