Brewbound Podcast

Was craft brewers’ 2025 less bad than we thought? The Brewers Association (BA) issued a revision to its annual production report, which places the industry at -4%, up from previously published -5.1%. In this Brewbound Podcast episode, Zoe and Jess break down what the changes mean for the challenged craft beer industry, as well as several middle-tier deals and recent scan data.This week’s featured interviews highlight Victory Brewing co-founder Bill Covaleski and director of brewing operations Joe Slavick, as well as Odell Brewing CEO Eric “Smitty” Smith. Both conversations were recorded during the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia in April.Covaleski and Slavick discussed the Downingtown, Pennsylvania-based craft brewery’s 30-year journey, from its self-distribution in its early days to the formation of its parent company Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV) 10 years ago. Victory, which Covaleski founded in 1996 with childhood friend Ron Barchet, distributed its own beer for nearly four years, Covaleski said. The experience inspired Victory to band with fellow Pennsylvania breweries to oppose a bill that would have outlawed the practice – a legislative episode that spurred the formation of the Brewers of Pennsylvania state guild.“It was phenomenally important because no one wanted to pay what they needed to pay for our beer at a wholesale level,” he said. “We had to go out and prove that there was a market for it, and then, all of a sudden, they got it.”Victory was an early trendsetter in craft breweries’ march toward mulit-brand platforms, which have become near ubiquitous. It merged with Lakewood, New York-based Southern Tier Brewing in 2016 to form ABV, backed by Ulysses Management LLC. ABV added Brooklyn, New York-based Sixpoint Brewery in 2018, and Nellysford, Virginia-based Bold Rock Hard Cider in 2019. “From a business standpoint, it hits a lot of different avenues,” Slavick said of ABV’s brand recruitment. “They did a really good job of being selective of who they brought in, when they brought them in.”In 2025, ABV was the 11th largest craft brewer by volume in the country, according to data from the BA. Its output declined 6% year-over-year (YoY), to 238,697 barrels, excluding hard cider and other non-beer offerings. Odell was the country’s 31st largest craft brewery by volume last year, declining 9% YoY, to 89,364 barrels. 2026 opened with a “good Q1” as the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered craft brewery focuses its attention on its core offerings, Smith said. “We had a pretty large portfolio and so it takes some time – you can’t cut everything at once,” he said. “It’s been that slow, methodical getting rid of brands, getting rid of packages, putting our emphasis on the right brands at the right time in the right places.”For Odell, that has meant a laser-focused on flagship Odell IPA in 6-packs, 12-packs and 19.2 oz. single-serve cans in the convenience channel. To bolster that beer, the company has also launched Mountain Standard IPA, Hazer Tag hazy IPA and MDRN IPA. 

One of the hottest beer companies in the U.S., along with a budding THC-infused beverage entrepreneur, join the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast in back-to-back interviews.Garage Beer owner Andy Sauer shares upcoming plans for the fast-growing lager brand, including the introduction of Home Depot-style buckets and stubby bottles. Garage Beer is riding a growth wave, posting 193% year-over-year gains in 2025, to 220,000 barrels of beer. Garage ranked as the 12th-largest craft brewery last year, but the company has intentionally kept “craft” out of its messaging. Sauer discusses striking the balance in marketing with celebrity owners Jason and Travis Kelce and some of the more off-the-wall campaigns the brand has deployed through its writer’s room approach to marketing. But first, Julie Rhodes, co-founder of THC-infused beverage brand Kick Fizz, explains how she’s preparing for the federal government’s November ban of most THC drinks. Rhodes, who also runs consulting firm Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, digs into creating an occasion-focused brand, the misconceptions about infused beverages and the challenges small producers face at retail. Before the interviews, Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss the Brewers Association’s 2025 production data release. They discuss the top 10 brands that posted growth last year and jockeying among them.

As middle-tier M&A dominos fall this summer, National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) president and CEO Craig Purser joins the latest Brewbound Podcast to discuss the tectonic shifts in the distribution landscape following Republic National Distributing Company’s (RNDC) fire sale.Purser is part of a double-shot of interviews this week, including Aeronaut director of programming Deepa Chungi, who shares how the Massachusetts craft brewery created a booming events business.First, Purser offers insights into what middle-tier consolidation means for small producers and distributors and how the power structure has been reshaped with mega spirits distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits picking up Anheuser-Busch InBev’s distribution rights in major markets. Purser also explains what he believes the intoxicating hemp beverage industry needs to do to help get lawmakers onboard and potentially avert the ban coming in November. Then, Chungi explores the keys for small breweries looking to add private and public events to their businesses, and why events such as “Pitch a Friend” and Dungeons & Dragons have led to packed nights in Aeronaut’s taproom. Plus, the Brewbound team discusses the demise of Schlitz, the closure of Minneapolis’ Bauhaus Brew Labs and a helluva partnership for Mike’s Dirty Lemonade. 

2023 was a sea-change year for several craft breweries who underwent leadership changes. Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Rhinegeist Brewery were among the companies who underwent CEO transitions that year. Lawson’s CEO Adeline Druart and Rhinegeist CEO Adam Bankovich discuss entering Year 3 of their respective tenures at the top of those companies in separate featured interviews on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.In the first conversation, Druart dives into the “ongoing conversation” at the Vermont brewery of “what makes a Lawson’s Finest beer a Lawson’s Finest beer” and defines what makes a Sunshine brand.“Really for us, it’s IPAs – clear IPAs using Citra hops, and with a very bold flavor profile,” she said. “The more conversations we have like those – defining who we are, the more I’d say clear we are moving forward what’s on brand, what’s off brand.”Druart also discusses the impact of Lawson’s community giving programs, accelerating business by moving distribution to Baker Distributing in its home state, the launch of Hop Wired hazy and juicy IPA and much more.Then, Bankovich explores the anniversary of launching the Cincinnati craft brewery’s first NA beer line Ghost, with new offerings to follow. He also explains why launching Fuzzy Bones, a sparkling THC drink, has been a challenging and educational “crash course,” following Ohio’s ban on intoxicating hemp beverages.Fuzzy Bones launched in six states, with three additional states expected to follow. Rhinegeist is “trying to stay nimble with it,” as a federal ban looms in November. “I wish that our government officials could learn enough from the past to act quickly because this industry developed so quickly, seemingly out of nowhere,” he said. “We just really need a chance to not fall into the trap of Prohibition and instead write proper regulation now and in real time as consumers want these products instead of prohibiting them for years and years and years.”Bankovich also dishes on Rhinegeist’s daily hospitality efforts to make guest experiences’ special, the growth of the company’s core Truth and Cincy Light brand families and several expedited new additions: Half Truth session IPA, limited-time summer offering Cincy Light Watermelon and Sea Salt and Cincy Vodka Soda, the company’s first spirit-based offering.Before the interviews, the Brewbound team reviews that latest news, including:A recent Bump Williams Consulting report on long-tail craft brands finding success;Leadership changes at the American Cider Association;And Boston Beer’s 15% ABV Lytt beyond beer creation in glow-in-the-dark, lightbulb-shaped 6.8 oz. containers.Zoe also catches us up on the drinks scene during the Miami F1 race.

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) continues to unwind, so BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joined the Brewbound Podcast to break down the latest.RNDC, once the country’s second-largest wine and spirits distributor, has been selling-off markets piecemeal to competitors from coast to coast. Announced deals have included 11 markets to the Reyes Beverage Group, brand rights and some assets to Columbia Distributing, operations in 17 control states to Martignetti. (Note: this conversation took place before Breakthru announced it would acquire RNDC operations in Kentucky and Indiana or that it was revealed Quality Beverage would buy RNDC assets in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.)RNDC’s current state can be traced to the butterfly effect of a host of suppliers leaving its California operations over the last several years, resulting in the company exiting the state.“It’s no surprise that if your biggest suppliers leave your biggest state and beyond, then the rest of your business is going to be affected,” Salniker said. “What’s happening now is no surprise, but it feels like it’s happening all of a sudden.”In addition to her analysis, the episode features conversations with Eco Beverages co-founder Anna Nadasdy and Russian River Brewing co-owner Natalie Cilurzo. Nadasdy discusses her organization’s push to help craft beverage manufacturers navigate Extended Producer Responsibility laws.Cilurzao recapped her brewery’s recent Pliny the Younger launch and Russian River’s latest push to share its sustainability work.Justin and Jess also break down recent beer news, including Lord Hobo and Lone Pine’s pivot to contact production and Q1 earnings from Boston Beer and Molson Coors. 

After a week of good (dare we say sunny?) vibes in Philadelphia, the Brewbound team regrouped to put a bow on the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). Jess, Zoe and Justin discussed the overall feel of this year’s event compared to the previous two CBCs in Indianapolis and Las Vegas, as well as the Brewers Association attempting to change the narrative around craft beer. They discuss president and CEO Bart Watson’s nudge to tell some of the more positive stories around craft beer, and his own attempts during the State of the Industry speech.Plus, the trio explored RNDC’s fire sale this week, as the distributors struck deals with Martignetti for 11 control state markets and Columbia Distributing for certain wine and spirits brand rights in Washington and Oregon, as well as an agreement in Alaska. Then, we bring you a trio of Pennsylvania-centric interviews, starting with a check in with Carbon Copy co-founder Brendon Boudwin on the Philadelphia brewery’s less pretentious approach compared to some legacy craft brewers.After that, we shift gears with snippets of interviews recorded during Brewbound’s happy hour at Love City Brewing. In the first chat, Brewers of PA executive director Hannah Ison explained the guild’s work to modernize the state’s malt beverage tax credit program, which would allow craft breweries that have made facility upgrades or equipment purchases to sell those credits to other Pennsylvania producers or gain extensions. The show wraps up with Love City Brewing co-founder Kevin Walter’s take on modern craft drinkers and how the brewery is pulling those drinkers into its taprooms with niche events. 

The Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) rolled into Philadelphia this week – and so did the Brewbound Podcast On Location Studio. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, the team shares their early reads on a week in which the vibes seem high compared to previous years. Zoe recaps the opening keynote speech by Unreasonable Hospitality author and former restaurateur Will Guidara, including his hyper-experiential approach to customer service and what a “dream weaver” is and whether you should be concerned that your server is eavesdropping on you. But first, Justin provides details on Firestone Walker and Duvel USA striking an agreement to acquire the Stone Brewing brand and four California taprooms from Sapporo USA – just under four years after the Japanese brewing giant acquired the San Diego craft brewery. Justin, Jess and Zoe dig into what the deal means for craft market share in California, how the combined company plans to approach distribution and which taprooms are on the move, as well as what this means for Sapporo in the U.S. and what happens with the Escondido production brewery. The trio also share takeaways from Brewbound’s party at Love City Brewing.