Editor’s note: The below news items were initially reported in the Insider version of the Brewbound Newsletter between July 2-July 8. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
TRVE Brewing to Close
Heavy metal craft brewery TRVE Brewing (Denver) is shutting down, founder Nick Nunns announced on Facebook on July 3. TRVE will officially close on July 12, Westword reported.
“It hasn’t been an easy choice, but this brewery has run its course, and for a huge number of reasons it’s the right time to send this thing off into the lake trailed by a fiery arrow,” Nunns wrote.
TRVE opened in 2011 with what Nunns described as “a mediocre business plan, no professional brewing experience, and way less money than I needed,” as well as “no grander machinations than making some good beer and listening to the music I liked.”
Nunns thanked TRVE’s staff, including Zach Coleman, who took over brewing in 2013.
“I am so sad that we are having to do this when the beer is coming out of Asheville is some of the best you’ve made in your career. I hope your continued quest for perfection in your art never ends,” Nunns wrote.
Nunns also thanked his wife for helping him and Zach “keeping the wheels on this thing through crisis after crisis after crisis” and apologized for the struggle being “so hard for so long.”
“Ultimately, this brewery has provided me with things that cannot be measured by capitalism, no matter how hard that vicious and broken machine may fumble around with spreadsheets and ledgers and trying,” he added. “I am rich beyond measure and handshakes, high-fives and hugs.
“My mantra in making this decision has been and will continue to be ‘No man is a failure who has friends.’”
TRVE operated locations in Denver, Colorado, and Asheville, North Carolina. The company produced 1,844 barrels of beer in 2024, a 13% increase year-over-year, the Brewers Association (BA) reported.
Alamo Beer Emerges From Bankruptcy with New Owner
Alamo Beer Company (San Antonio, Texas) is exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy with new ownership: Australia-headquartered private equity firm SKJ Capital, the San Antonio Business Journal reported.
SKJ’s $3.75 million bid topped Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing, which bid $3.6 million, in last week’s bankruptcy auction, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The sale process included the brewery’s real estate and is expected to close at the end of the month.
Alamo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. The 28-year-old craft brewery reported $24.8 million in liabilities and $9.3 million in assets.
Alamo Beer founder Eugene Simor told the Biz Journal that the brewery “will remain on site and continue operations.”
The end of the bankruptcy saga follows the announcement of a high-profile pop culture partnership with Mike Judge’s King of the Hill to produce Alamo Beer, which will hit H-E-B grocery stores and other select Texas retailers on July 28, ahead of the rebooted show’s August 4 premiere on Hulu.
Alamo produced an estimated 2,777 barrels of beer in 2024, according to BA data. The company’s San Antonio facility has a 40,000-barrel capacity.
Trump Delays Tariff Implementation Until August 1
The Trump administration’s proposed “reciprocal” tariffs, which were set to take hold July 8 after a 90-day negotiating period announced in April, have been pushed out again via an executive order signed July 7, according to the Associated Press.
In addition to the delay, leaders of 14 countries received letters on July 7 with updated tariff rates, most of which mark a decline from the rates laid out on April 2. Japan and South Korea – major producers of machinery, cars and electronics – were included in the July 7 letters. Japan’s tariff rate increased 1%, to 25%, while South Korea’s was flat at the 25% announced in April, according to CNBC. More letters are expected to be sent to other countries in the coming days.
The White House is leaning on tariffs as a way to offset losses from the sweeping $4.5 trillion in tax cuts signed into law on July 4, the AP reported.
Trump warned that “no extensions will be granted” after August 1 in a post on Truth Social.
Patagonia and Deschutes Update Packaging, Plan to Launch IPA
Patagonia Provisions poured new NAs and sampled canned seafood at the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show. The CPG spinoff of the outdoor apparel brand showed off a new look for its beer partnership with Deschutes Brewery.
While the previous packaging emphasized the brewery partnership and the use of ancient grain Kernza, the refreshed packaging makes the Patagonia Provisions branding bigger and bolder while highlighting the beer’s organic attribute over the grain.
Along with a revamped look, Patagonia and Deschutes are adding an NA IPA to complement the existing golden ale. The NA IPA is expected to launch in September, with an alcoholic version to follow in the spring, Patagonia Provisions head of sales Taylor Lee said: “The space in NAs is more available right now.”
Franklin, Flavor Top Drinkers’ July 4 Beer Wishes
80% of beer drinkers planning to imbibe on July 4 said they are more likely to purchase a beer if they know it has a flavor they prefer, according to a survey conducted by the Beer Institute (BI) and Morning Consult.
July 4 aside, 55% of LDA drinkers said flavor helps close a beer’s sale. Favored flavors include “fruity (33%), tropical (30%) and crisp (18%).”
Millennials were the survey cohort most likely to drink an Independence Day beer, with 28% reporting they “definitely” will, followed by LDA Gen Z (23%), Gen X (20%) and Boomers (13%).
Benjamin Franklin was the most popular founding father respondents wanted to clink pewter mugs with (34%), followed by George Washington (32%), Thomas Jefferson (15%), John Adams (9%), Alexander Hamilton (7%) and James Madison (3%).