Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events

Draft continues to claw back the share of total beer it lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting on-premise closures and consumer shifts.

Craft beer continues to battle against the narrative that the segment is dying. A core adversary in that mission is that the legacy brands that helped create the segment are the ones driving declines, according to new data shared by consulting firm 3 Tier Beverages.

A U.S. District Court has entered a $175.5 million amended final judgment – plus $15.5 million in pre-judgment interest – against Boston Beer Company for allegedly failing to purchase contracted minimums of aluminum cans from Ardagh Metal Packaging USA between 2021 and 2025, according to a June 1 8K filed by Boston Beer.

Small and independent craft brewers’ output declined 4% in 2025 – more than 25% less than was previously reported by the Brewers Association (BA). The BA issued a correction of its 2025 Beer Industry Production Survey (BIPS), which was published last month, after receiving “revised production figures for a small number of regional craft brewers,” a BA spokesperson said in a statement shared Tuesday with Brewbound.

Entering its third summer, Right Coast Spirits’ Italian Ice is riding high. The ready-to-drink (RTD) bottled cocktail more than doubled year-over-year (YoY) during summer 2025, increasing volume 101% compared to summer 2024, Right Coast director of commercial strategy Jon Schwartz told Brewbound.

It rained on many Memorial Day parades in the literal sense during the long weekend, but the less-than-ideal weather figuratively rained on the beverage-alcohol industry’s metaphoric parade too, according to the latest weekly report from market research firm Circana.

As category definitions shift and consumers reconsider what, when, and where they want to drink, BevNET Live NYC 2026 (June 10+11) will bring together some of the industry’s most consequential voices – including Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt and a panel of cannabis beverage leaders navigating a pivotal moment in the category’s future.

Columbia Distributing and Hayden Beverage are officially linking up in the Pacific Northwest. Columbia is making a “strategic investment” in Hayden, signing a letter of intent to acquire a stake in the family-owned Idaho distribution company.

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is possibly closer to new ownership after its court-appointed receiver announced today he has signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to sell nearly all of the brand’s assets to a confidential buyer.

A pair of independent red network distributors struck a deal in Central New York. Sheehan Family Companies subsidiary T.J. Sheehan Distributing is set to acquire Eagle Beverage Company, adding around 3 million cases to its business.

The parent company of Press Premium Alcohol Seltzer has entered receivership in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, with nearly $7 million owed to Constellation Brands’ venture capital arm, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported.

The first major piece of RNDC’s territory fire sale is now complete. Reyes’ mega deal for 11 RNDC markets closed at the end of business on Friday, adding 38 million cases to its more than 360-million-case business.

If the realities of the 2010s bev-alc business meant that big beer could become craft beer stalwarts, and the early 2020s beer biz realities meant that craft breweries embraced light lagers and hard seltzers – I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised that the realities of the mid-2020s restaurant business mean that HOOTERS is now looking to be … family friendly?

Check out news items initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter May 26-29, including headlines from Breakthru Beverage, Southern Glazer’s, Garage Beer, SpikedAde and more.