Columbia Distributing chief strategy officer Jesse Ferber, Bump Williams Consulting president Dave Williams and Hand Family Companies president and CEO J.R. Hand graced the Brewbound Live stage last month to discuss the state of beer, how to strengthen relationships between suppliers and distributors and what industry members are prioritizing in 2026.

Bosque Brewing, New Mexico’s largest craft brewery, abruptly closed all of its taprooms last week after 13 years in operation.

We’ve compiled our most read stories of the past year, and one company dominated the headlines (with not the sunniest lineup of news): Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B).

Last week, “holiday magic” delivered positive off-premise bev-alc trends in mid-December scans, suggesting the industry might just have a bountiful Christmas and end to 2025. However, in the latest report, “the Grinch stole the green,” according to Circana EVP of BevAl, Scott Scanlon.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re looking back on a year’s worth of the Brewbound Podcast and all the acquisitions, distribution shakeups and innovation plans we chatted about, as well as all the wonderful guests that joined us.

Five months after placing a winning bid for Alamo Beer Company, Australia-based private equity firm SKJ Capital has finalized its acquisition of the San Antonio-based craft brewery, SKJ announced today.

Many bars and restaurants close their doors December 25, but the Christmas holiday still historically provides a boost for bev-alc sales in the on-premise, according to CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.

The on-premise has provided some bright spots for bev-alc in 2025, with consumers still willing to spend their dollars at bars and restaurants despite curtailing purchasing more drastically in the off-premise.

Von Ebert Brewing has spent the past five years playing catch up with demand. The Portland, Oregon-based company began in 2018 as a family-founded brewpub seeking to bring fresh German-inspired beers to the Pacific Northwest.

“Barring a drastic change in the last few weeks” of 2025, craft will likely record its third consecutive year of volume declines and second consecutive year in which brewery closings outpaced openings, according to the Brewers Association (BA) in the trade group’s annual Year in Beer report.

Total bev-alc dollar sales fell 23% week-over-week (WoW) in an expected post-Thankgiving dive, Circana EVP, BevAl Scott Scanlon shared in the market research firm’s latest week report (data ending December 7).

Sycamore Brewing co-founder Justin Brigham may be divesting of the company, but industry members are not separating him and his legal charges from the Charlotte, North Carolina-based brewery so quickly.

Pabst Brewing may be in hot water following the company’s sales restructuring and ensuing layoffs, with the company potentially facing a class action lawsuit.

Beverage packaging manufacturer Ball Corporation will acquire an 80% stake in Benepack’s European can manufacturing businesses, including two production facilities in Belgium and Hungary, the company announced Wednesday.