Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter between September 15-16. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
Moosehead Eliminating Bottles
Moosehead Breweries will cease packaging its beer in glass bottles in early 2026, the Canadian brewery announced Tuesday. The family-owned company cited shifting consumer preferences toward cans and draft as the reason for the change.
Just 7% of beer in Canada is sold in bottles, Moosehead said in the press release. Cans account for 85% of the Canadian beer market.
President and CEO Andrew Oland said: “This decision to move away from bottles hasn’t been taken lightly – after all, the Moosehead green bottle has been an iconic symbol of our brewery for generations. But ultimately, we’re following the lead set by Canadians, who have made it clear that cans are their preferred way of enjoying not just our beer – but every beer across the category.”
To celebrate the change, Moosehead is launching a consumer contest that will award the last-ever bottle of its beer to a winner whose story shows why “their Moosehead fandom stands above the rest.”
Bottles have taken a larger volume share of Canadian beer imported into the U.S. year-to-date (YTD) in 2025 (38.4%) compared to the same time in 2024 (22.6%), according to data from the Beer Institute (BI). However, this is driven by an overall decline in Canadian imports, due to production of key brands moving over the border.
Call to Arms Brewing to Close
Denver-based Call to Arms Brewing will close its doors in December after a decade, co-founder Chris Bell announced on Instagram, with help from Yupi, a juggling, unicycle-riding clown.
In a video that cited declining alcohol consumption, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs, Bell pointed out “there’s no single group to blame.”
He said: “It’s just difficult to keep on going, but I don’t mean to complain. It’s been a hell of a run, but we’re not done yet.”
The brewery plans to host several farewell parties and install its noteworthy Halloween and Christmas decorations before it shuts down on December 23.
Call to Arms produced 1,410 barrels of beer in 2024, according to Brewers Association (BA) data.
East Brother to Open SF Taproom
Bay Area brewer East Brother Beer Co. (Richmond, California) will open its first San Francisco taproom, The Rec Room, on September 26.
The 3,500 sq. ft. (2,200 sq. ft. indoor, 1,300 outdoor) space features 15 taps, pool tables and dart boards inside Metreon, a four-story shopping and entertainment center.
In addition to SF, East Brother operates its original taproom in Richmond, along with the Tam Tavern in Mill Valley.
Ryan Lake Departs Arlington Capital Advisors for J.P. Morgan
Former Arlington Capital Advisors managing director Ryan Lake has departed the company to lead the beverage M&A team at J.P. Morgan.
Lake announced the news on LinkedIn Monday, writing: “I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined JPMorgan’s mid-cap investment banking team where I’ll be leading our beverage M&A and capital raising advisory practice!
“Many thanks to my friends, colleagues and clients at Arlington Capital Advisors. It was a great season working with all of them to expand and advance Arlington’s beverage efforts and I wish them all the best.”
Lake spent more than six years at Arlington Capital, helping oversee capital raises and M&A activity across all three tiers of bev-alc, including the acquisition of Stone Distributing and Classic Beverage by Sunset Distributing earlier this year. Lake previously held roles at OMAC Beverage Advisors, First Beverage Group and GE Capital.
Samuel Adams is Team Conrad
Samuel Adams latest celebrity partnership answers the hottest question of the summer: Are you team Conrad or Jeremiah?
Boston Beer’s craft beer brand has partnered with The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney, who plays Conrad Fisher on the hit Amazon series, which will conclude Wednesday after three seasons.
Samuel Adams posted a video of Briney on social media Monday promoting Samuel Adams Boston Lager. In the video, Briney is seen grilling (and actually drinking the beer?!), with the narration: “Some things take time. You wait. You put in the work. And sometimes it actually pays off. Not everything’s worth the wait, but this is.”
The video is a nod to Briney’s character’s storyline, which includes waiting for his childhood crush to choose him (and dump his brother – yes, that’s really the plot).
Briney posted a separate video on TikTok, which includes the line “some things don’t need changing – this is one of them,” – an interesting line considering Samuel Adams “remastered” Boston Lager in 2022. The video has 1.4 million views and has received positive responses from fans as of press time (noon Tuesday).
Twisted Tea’s Football-Themed Tea Drops
With Twisted Tea’s trends going from black to red this year (-3.6% dollars, -5.5% YTD), Boston Beer is leaning into college football with a trio of new ads.
Boston Beer is highlighting tailgating, block parties and in-stadium “Tea Drops” with Twisted Tea’s spokesman Billy and canine mascot Tank. The spots will air weekly on ABC, ESPN, CBS and streaming, along with semi-final and championship game ad buys.
Certain Twisted Tea 12-packs will also feature team logos, both college (Georgia, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Michigan State, North Carolina, Texas A&M) and pro (Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills).
The football ads come on the heels of Boston Beer launching its first Spanish-language ads for the hard tea brand (15 and 30 second).
Earlier this month, Boston Beer founder and CEO Jim Koch addressed Twisted Tea’s slowdown, pinpointing an overreach on price on Twisted Tea 12-packs and pressure on Hispanic consumers.