Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events

Rising gas prices may be bad for consumers’ wallets, but increased costs and their impact on shopping habits may actually be good for the beer industry, according to National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) chief economist and VP of analytics Lester Jones.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) proposed legislation last week that would allow states to respectively determine the future of hemp-based product sales within their own borders.

The 2026 edition of the Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference (in Philadelphia (April 20-22) arrives amid turbulence for the trade association’s membership and an evolution of its marquee event. The craft brewing industry has now recorded three consecutive years of declines as craft brewers fight for relevance in a crowded total beverage marketplace.

Now, what I’ve never seen in my decades of sitting in dive bars … is someone sticking a pickle spear into a beer. But, the folks at PABST are apparently swearing that’s a thing in the PR push for its new PBR x Grillo’s Pickle Beer collab.

Check out news items initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter April 16-17, including headlines from Gambrinus, Numerator, Ash & Elm, Harpoon and more.

Headed to Philadelphia in the next few days for the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC)? We’ve compiled a list of the top Brewbound stories and podcast episodes attendees should revisit ahead of the Brewers Association’s (BA) big event.

The 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) is just days away. This year’s CBC may be shorter than previous incarnations, but it’s still a packed three days of education, networking and deal seeking. Beyond the main stage presentation, there are plenty of education sessions that should be on your radar. Here are 10 sessions that caught our attention.

Philadelphia’s Evil Genius Beer Co. has acquired the 21st Amendment (21A) brand, reviving its offerings after the 25-year-old San Francisco brewery shut down last year.

Non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand BERO has secured placements at major off-premise retailers, giving it nationwide presence at brick-and-mortar stores. BERO, which was co-founded by A-list actor Tom Holland and CEO John Herman, has rolled out at Kroger, Publix and Walmart, the company announced. “These expansions represent an exciting moment for BERO and the category as… Read more »

In the latest RTD news, SunnyD brings back “purple stuff,” Chandon takes a six-year swing at reinventing the spritz and espresso martinis go decaf.

Sazerac offered to acquire Brown-Forman for about $15 billion, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

With recent warmer weather comes an uptick in bev-alc dollar sales, which flipped to positive (+0.5%) in the two-week period ending April 4 – a sequential improvement from -0.8% in the four-week window and -1.2% in the 12-weeks, according to the latest analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Ikasu Brewing founder Masahiro “Masa” Kitano believes his Los Angeles-based, contract-brewed brand plans to lean into “weird and good beer” that taps into Japanese culinary ingredients.

Early registration pricing for BevNET Live NYC 2026 expires on Friday, April 24. The event takes place June 10–11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Register before the deadline to save $100 off standard pricing.