Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter between September 24-26. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
A-B Terminates Wicked Weed Brewer for Social Media Comments
Wicked Weed (Asheville, North Carolina) production brewer Alex Weatherhead was terminated from his role after making comments on his personal social media accounts following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month, according to a report in Dave Infante’s Fingers newsletter.
Weatherhead told Fingers he was informed his posts were considered to be “celebrating violence,” which clashed with the employee social media policy of Wicked Weed parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B). His Facebook profile did not mention his workplace or connect to it in any way, Weatherhead said.
A military veteran and West Point graduate, Weatherhead declined a severance payment of four weeks’ salary ($2,200) in order to forgo signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), he told Fingers.
Weatherhead said: “I think there’s a belief among [conservative activists] who are trying to get people to lose their jobs over criticism of Charlie Kirk, that that is limited to rich liberals. I don’t make much money, I’m not a political elite, I’m a nobody.
“I’m a working-class person who lost their job [f]or expressing their beliefs on social media, and I think there are people who would otherwise support Charlie Kirk or conservative media’s interpretation of events who would be surprised to hear that,” he continued.
Similar terminations pepper the country, including teachers at all levels of education. Some have filed wrongful termination lawsuits.
A-B has not returned a request for comment.
35%
^ That’s the percentage of consumers who have tried a new drink in the on-premise after seeing it in a movie or TV show, according to a recent report from CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.
Additionally, more than half of surveyed respondents (53%) said they have tried a new drink category after seeing it in a movie or TV show. Among that 53%, cocktails were the No. 1 new category, tried by 58% of respondents, followed by beer (46%), wine (39%) and spirits (32%).
Of the 35% that have tried a new drink, 47% tried a new brand within a category they typically purchase. Beer brands were the most popular (63%), followed by wine and spirits (each 43%).
Among all respondents, 40% said they would be very likely or likely to try a new drink category in the future if they saw it in a movie or TV show, while 41% said they’d be very like or likely to try a new brand in a category they usually drink.
The youngest legal-drinking-age (LDA) consumers (21-34) overindexed in both areas (61% and 63%, respectively), as did 35-54 year olds (57% for both questions). Meanwhile, only 13% of consumers 55+ said they’d try a new drink category and 14% said they’d try a new brand.
The survey results came ahead of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) announcement Monday that it had signed a multi-year global partnership with the streaming and production platform Netflix, which will include international “co-marketing campaigns,” as well as “consumer activations, title integrations, limited-edition packaging, digital promotions and more.”
There have been several other beer and TV crossover news in the past few weeks. Yesterday, Netflix premiered its new show, House of Guinness, inspired by the power struggle and family dynamics that played out after the death of third-generation brewery owner Benjamin Guinness. The series premiered Thursday. Watch the trailer here.
And as previously reported, Boston Beer Company recently partnered with The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney in a series of ads promoting Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The ads were released ahead of the hit Amazon show’s series finale last week.
In a recent interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Boston Beer founder and CEO Jim Koch said he found out through his daughter that Samuel Adams beers were already “all over the show,” which is primarily set in a fictional town inspired by New England beaches. Koch said after he learned this, he instructed the craft brand’s marketing team to coordinate a collaboration ASAP.
Big Grove Opens Omaha Taproom
Iowa’s Big Grove Brewery opened its Omaha, Nebraska taproom in the city’s EDGE District Thursday, September 25.
The 11,000 sq. ft. space is located near the University of Nebraska Medical Center and includes a 6,500 sq. ft. outdoor patio. The location will initially serve locally brewed Big Grove beers, as well as Climbing Kites THC-infused sparkling waters, mocktails and other non-alcoholic (NA) beverages.
During peak season, the location will employ more than 130 workers.
Big Grove co-founder and CEO Matt Swift said in the announcement: “Whenever Big Grove opens in a community, our goal is always to make it an even better place with a welcoming space. We plan to bring that same energy and growth mindset to the Catalyst building and neighborhood.”
Big Grove’s next taproom will open in spring 2026 in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Outlaw Enters Memphis
Tivoli Brewing’s Outlaw Light Beer is adding distribution to Memphis, via Athens Distributing Company.
Tivoli CEO Ari Opsahl said in the announcement: “This launch is a big milestone for us – the city’s spirit of freedom, adventure and good times aligns with exactly what our brand stands for.”
Outlaw, a 4.2% light beer brand, is working to complete its national distribution map, adding Iowa and Northern California over the summer.
‘We Have No Interest’
^ That was Heineken N.V. chair and CEO Dolf van den Brink’s response to why the Dutch brewing giant did not take on FIFCO’s U.S. business unit when acquiring the company’s operations in Costa Rica and Mexico.
“Our strategy in the U.S. is focused on premium, and we have no interest in getting exposure to the mainstream segment in the U.S.,” he said during a call with analysts Tuesday morning.
van den Brink added that the U.S. business has been the “biggest part” of the softness in FIFCO’s business.
FIFCO USA is the 12th largest beer category vendor year-to-date (YTD) through September 7. The company’s dollar sales ($227.13 million) and volume are both in double-digit decline, -12.3% and -12.5%, respectively, in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers. FIFCO holds a 0.73% share (-0.08 percentage points) of beer category dollar sales.
FOBAB Returns to Chicago
The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB) will return to Chicago on November 7-8, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild announced earlier this month.
The event, returning for its 23rd iteration, showcases more than 300 aged beers, ciders, meads and perrys and serves as a fundraiser for the guild.
Crowns & Hops’ Creature Comforts LA Residency Winds Down with Dopetoberfest
Crowns & Hops’ months-long residency at Creature Comforts’ Downtown Los Angeles taproom will conclude this weekend with Dopetoberfest, the brand’s Oktoberfest-inspired event. Dopetoberfest takes place from 12-8 p.m. on Sunday and features DJs, vendors, exclusive merch, stein hoisting and a bespoke menu from Overall BBQ.
Catch up on Crowns & Hops’ residency with a Marketplace interview featuring co-founders Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter.