Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Insider version of the Brewbound Newsletter between September 2-5. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
Tilray’s Hop Valley Seeks Central Eugene OR Space
Nearly five months after ceasing production at its hometown brewery, Tilray-owned Hop Valley (Eugene, Oregon) closed the brewery’s taproom yesterday. The company is scouting a new location, a spokesperson told Brewbound.
The company plans to open a brewpub in Eugene’s “more centrally located, downtown area” within the next year, a spokesperson told Brewbound. The closure will affect fewer than 20 employees, some of whom will transfer to the nearby pub in Springfield, Oregon.
Production of Hop Valley’s portfolio has shifted to Tilray’s other Oregon facilities in Portland and Bend.
Heineken President Americas to Exit
Heineken president Americas Marc Busain is departing the Dutch beer maker in October to become CEO of Lipton Teas and Infusions.
Busain spent three decades at Heineken, with stints in Europe, Africa and the Americas. He served in his current role for a decade, serving on Heineken’s executive team. The company credited Busain’s leadership with helping double its revenue, operating profit and net profits in the Americas region.
Heineken N.V. chairman and CEO Dolf Van Den Brink said: “[Marc] leaves behind a remarkable legacy in the Americas, where he cultivated a winning culture rooted in trust and empowerment. As a leader, Marc stood out for his commitment to building strong teams and nurturing talent, often mentoring first-time general managers who have gone on to become key leaders within Heineken. I wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
Xul Beer to Take Over Southern Grist
Xul Beer Company (Knoxville, Tennessee) is in the process of taking over Southern Grist Brewing (SGB) and its two Nashville locations, the company announced on Instagram last week.
The company wrote: “In early 2025, as fate would have it, our Southern Grist family in Nashville was figuring out their story for the next 10 years while we were in the heat of our growth phase. In a very short time, the SGB founders collectively agreed that Xul was the perfect fit to pick up the pen to write the next chapter for Southern Grist.
“We have been family for years. We have the same values. We have the same focus on quality. We have the best customers and fans any business could ask for. It was meant to be.”
In its own post, Southern Grist wrote: “Southern Grist will always be part of the story, living on in spirit as Xul brings their Knoxville-crafted liquid gold to Nashville.”
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and Xul will retain SGB’s staff, Knoxville News reported.
In February, Xul acquired Fanatic Brewing’s Knoxville facility. Xul produced 5,197 barrels of beer (+59%) in 2024, while Southern Grist’s output came in at an estimated 3,112 barrels (-5%), according to Brewers Association (BA) data.
‘This is De-Economization’
BA president and CEO Bart Watson has a new vocab word to take the throne of “omnibibulous” – and is countering claims that the industry is trending toward premiumization.
In response to a Beverage Industry report on premiumization, Watson wrote on Twitter/X last week: “We need a new word for when higher priced segments are growing share simply because they are shrinking slower than lower priced segments. To me, premiumization suggests people actively moving up market.
“This is de-economization (or whatever better word exists).”