Brewbound Podcast

Rabobank beverage analyst Bourcard Nesin joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss his report breaking down e-commerce alcohol sales in 2021 and the opportunities that await brewers in the space and tips for how to succeed. The Brewbound team also discusses the latest headlines, including a leadership change at the top for Deschutes Brewery, 2021 off-premise sales, the postponement of Russian River’s Pliny the Younger release and more. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Have questions, feedback, or ideas for podcast guests or topics for the new year? Email [email protected].

Midway through Dry January, three craft brewers discuss their new non-alcoholic offerings and why these new products make sense both this month and the rest of the year. Deschutes’ Veronica Vega, AleSmith’s Brandon Richards and Notch’s Chris Lohring join the Brewbound team to talk about their N/A beers and the development behind them. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Have questions, feedback, or ideas for podcast guests or topics for the new year? Email [email protected].

What were beer writers thinking, talking and writing about in 2021? Beer Marketer’s Insights’ Craft Brew News senior editors Chris Shepard and David Steinman join the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the biggest beer industry stories of 2021. These include the sale of Bell’s Brewery to Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages, the parent company of New Belgium Brewing; ongoing fallout from the revelation of widespread instances of sexual harassment, assault and discrimination; and shifting perceptions of craft beer among consumers. “Folks that have turned 21 — call it in the last five years, and that are about to — reportedly, according to surveys, are much more likely to be interested in where things come from, what the ingredients are, so on and so forth. And that’s driving much bigger change,” Shepard said. “You can open this up way broader than who is a craft brewer, what is a craft brewer,” he continued. “That’s driving a lot of activity in consumer packaged goods these days and certainly in beer and alcohol.” Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published about every week. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

On one of the final Brewbound podcasts of 2021, Jeff Carroll, general manager of Avalara for Beverage Alcohol, joins the Brewbound team to discuss his predictions for 2022, from e-commerce growth and evolution to state DTC shipping changes (or lack thereof). Carroll predicts continued growth in the e-commerce channel as online shopping for alcohol becomes more normalized across generations of 21+ adults. In particular, marketplaces such as Drizly and Instacart that connect consumers to licensed retailers will continue to expand their reach. “Not only do you see the spikes in volume and sales, but you also see the spikes in investment – Drizly being one of the the recipients – but there’s been billions of dollars that have poured into some of these companies,” Carroll said. More than half (54%) of online alcohol shoppers in the U.S. made their first purchase during the pandemic, Carroll said, citing drinks research firm IWSR. “That tells me that the attitudes and behaviors are changing, and there’s new buyers out there to be had,” he said. The team also runs down recent beer news, and shares an exciting Brewbound team announcement! Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published about every week. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.  

On the heels of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States’ annual convention in Austin, Chris Swonger, the trade group’s president and CEO, joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the growth of ready-to-drink spirits-based canned cocktails, and the organization’s efforts to even the tax rates for RTD products with beer, as well as efforts to add direct-to-consumer sales privileges and much more. Swonger outlines the trade group’s priorities heading into 2022 and dishes on the organization’s recently released Luxury Brand Index, which tracks top shelf products that retail for $50 or more for a 750 mL bottle. Also in this edition of the podcast, the Brewbound team analyzes Boston Beer Company’s Q3 earnings report, including the $133 million in costs the company took due excess and out-of-code Truly Hard Seltzer. The team also hits the top headlines, including Deschutes’ planned closure of its tasting room in Roanoke, Virginia; Reyes’ acquisition of Powers Distributing in Michigan; and a proposed excise tax increase on alcoholic beverages in Massachusetts. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published about every week. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

After an eventful National Beer Wholesalers Association annual convention in Las Vegas, the Brewbound team debriefs on all of the middle tier issues discussed over the last week. The team also hits the latest news, including a big wholesaler acquisition in Ohio, comments to the Department of the Treasury by Reyes and others, lawsuits over terminations in New York, and questions over PepsiCo’s entry into alcohol distribution. The conversation then turns to Constellation Brands’ lack of reliance on hard seltzer. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday. Check Brewbound’s upcoming events schedule for future podcast episodes and streaming video programming. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

From left: Bourcard Nesin and Donn Bichsel The Brewbound team breaks down the new partnership between Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo to produce Hard MTN Dew in a conversation featuring guests 3Tier Beverages founder and CEO Donn Bichsel and Rabobank beverage analyst Bourcard Nesin. The deal marks the second time this summer that the maker of Samuel Adams, Dogfish Head, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea and Truly Hard Seltzer has formed a partnership with a major player outside of the beer category, following its joint venture with Beam Suntory to produce Truly-branded spirits, among other crossover offerings. Hard MTN Dew, scheduled to launch in early 2022, is the newest of several collaborations between non-alcoholic beverage producers and beer companies. It will join products such as Topo Chico Hard Seltzer from Molson Coors and Coca-Cola, and SunRise Hard Seltzer from Heineken USA and AriZona Iced Tea maker Hornell Brewing. “The bigger story here is the appetite for soft drinks players to move into beverage alcohol, as well as bigger players moving into spirits, and spirits players moving into hard seltzer and, really, what does that mean for everyone else in the industry and consumers as well,” Nesin said. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday. Check Brewbound’s upcoming events schedule for future podcast episodes and streaming video programming. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.