Brewbound Podcast

How does an ready-to-drink (RTD) brand that was built on the beach translate to other seasons? Surfside, Stateside Vodka’s hard iced tea and lemonade canned cocktail brand, is betting big on sports this fall. Stateside co-founders CEO Clem Pappas and president Matt Quigley joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the brand’s meteoric rise, its partnerships across college football and professional hockey and baseball and the newly rechristened Stateside Live!, an entertainment hub at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex where the city’s professional sports teams play. Year-to-date through mid-September, Surfside’s depletions (sales to retailers) reached nearly 8 million cases, about a 150% increase over last year. “We budgeted to be up about 100% on the Surfside brand, and so we’re doing a little bit better than that,” Pappas said. “As we’ve gone through the year and started to lap some bigger and bigger comps, the percentages have slowed down, but the case and the dollar gains have continued to increase, so I think overall, we’ve exceeded expectations.” Surfside rolled out in 2022 and made a bigger splash in 2023 in the brand’s hometown of Philadelphia and at the nearby Jersey Shore. With 100 calories, no carbonation and real iced tea or lemonade blended with premium vodka, Surfside stood out in a sea of hard seltzers. Strong sales trends and positive feedback in the brand’s early days gave the team the confidence it needed to ignore standard bev-alc practices of “go slow on your expansion” and “one territory at a time,” Pappas said. ​​”We really felt like we had a tiger by the tail, and we foresaw that this could be one of the next big things,” he continued. Inspiration struck during rejected sales pitches for Stateside’s vodka soda RTD, which is “extremely popular in our home market,” but failed to gain traction beyond Philadelphia because there was so much competition, Pappas said. Surfside was unlike anything other brands were introducing. “We felt like, ‘Hey, we got something, and opportunity is not a lengthy visitor, and so let’s go out and push this,’” he said. “It’s been an ambitious strategy, and it’s been difficult at times, and it hasn’t been without its stumbles, but ultimately, I think we made the right decision. “We’re in a position where everybody’s pouring into this category, it’s the hot category,” Pappas continued. “We’re in that gold rush phase of the life cycle of this category, and I’m glad we went as fast as we did, because we’d probably be boxed out of a lot of places at this point if we hadn’t.” Prior to the interview, Zoe and Jess break down recent news stories, including the abrupt shutdown of brewpub chain Iron Hill and storied cider maker Martinelli’s pivot to bev-alc. Listen here or on your preferred podcasting platform.

Rupee Beer founders Van and Sumit Sharma believe they’re ready to meet Indian cuisine’s moment. On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, the brothers share their journey of launching the Indian American beer brand during the COVID-19 pandemic as an add-on purchase at their family’s restaurant. Today, Rupee has expanded distribution to 18 states – most recently California – and the Sharmas are readying for an “explosion” of Indian restaurants entering the U.S market. “We’re doing something that really directly ties it into the only story that we know, which is restaurants,” Van Sharma said. “That’s what we grew up in, more specifically, Indian restaurants.” Rupee’s beer has found its way onto menus in Thai, Middle Eastern, Persian, Latin American and Caribbean restaurants. “Anywhere global flavor, spice, those things hang out, that’s where we’re operating these days,” Van Sharma said. “Legacy brands out there definitely paved the way, but we’re doing something a little bit different, which also involves a little bit more of the local, craft American space as well.” Although the Shamras built Rupee’s business primarily through the on-premise channel, they’re now getting the attention of national retailers and they’re leaning into their chain business. Rupee is bringing new innovation to the Indian beer segment, which hasn’t seen an influx of new brands, Van Sharma added. Later in the episode, the Sharmas discuss their strategy for engaging consumers and gaining their attention in retail stores, as well as their approach to building their distribution network and where they want to go next. Plus, Justin, Jess and Zoe catch up on the latest headlines, including why it’s not time to panic despite the Gallup survey’s recent results on Americans drinking habits. They give a legal update on Uncle Nearest and the recipe agreement dispute between Schilling Cider and Incline. They also recap recent bev-alc experiences, from a growing dislike for black cherry flavors, to a sweaty trip to the Iowa State Fair. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

In a special bonus edition of the Brewbound Podcast, National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) executive director Kevin Asato explains how obstacles have mounted for the trade group’s members as diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have come under fire during the Trump administration. “The beautiful thing is, I was Black yesterday. I’m Black today. And god willing I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be Black tomorrow,” he said. “The point being, just because there isn’t a tagline like DEI available, doesn’t mean our challenges and our need for diversity and our need to help our Black brewers in this space has gone away. Nothing has changed. Not a single thing has changed for our space here.” Asato shares with Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante how the NB2A is supporting its 86 Black-owned brewery members and its nearly 400 overall members. He also explains why equipment donations have been key for up-and-coming Black breweries, teases ancient grain fonio’s potential inclusion in Volume 3 of the Black is Beautiful collaboration efforts and talks about why some retailers are doubling-down on diverse brands. Following the conversation with Asato, Yonder Cider founder Caitlin Braam joins Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata to explain how experimenting with events at her taprooms has broadened her hard cider brand’s consumer base. A shared taproom partnership with craft beer brand Bale Breaker has also helped Yonder breakthrough with new audiences, she explains. It’s all about “not being exclusive” and “making spaces and places for various audiences, not just one.” “There isn’t just one audience for your brand. There are many. And you have to find ways to talk to them each individually,” she said. Both conversations were recorded during the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference in Indianapolis. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

MikMak founder and CEO Rachel Tipograph joins the Brewbound Podcast to analyze what’s next for beverage-alcohol e-commerce in a post-Drizly world. MikMak is a software analytics company that helps alcohol companies funnel their business to retailers in compliance with regulations. Tipograph shared that bev-alc companies found out about Uber shutting down Drizly at the same time as the general public. In the aftermath of Drizly, Tipograph believes Uber Eats, Instacart and ReserveBar will absorb Drizly’s market share. As for alcohol companies, many have quickly transitioned away from the platform, she added. In addition to this conversation, the Brewbound team talks about the latest headlines, including lawsuits against Boston Beer over its employee non-compete clause, independent craft brewers’ growth in the convenience channel, and Two Robbers’ shift from hard seltzer to spirits-based canned cocktails. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out on 1990s hip-hop nostalgia permeating RTDs. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.

Meagen Anderson, the founder and CEO of AFicioNAdo (AFNA), joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the formation of the training and certification program for professionals in the adult non-alcoholic beverage space. Anderson shares her own journey to NA, how retailers are strategizing around the products and what it means for future generations. The Brewbound team also looks back at the big headlines of the last couple of weeks, including Asahi’s planned acquisitions of Octopi Brewing, the latest on the Tree House shareholder lawsuit, Flying Fish Brewing’s bankruptcy filing and leadership changes at Allagash. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.

The Brewbound Podcast this year featured conversations with industry leaders on hot topics to strategies for navigating craft brewing’s mature era. The Brewbound team of Justin Kendall, Jess Infante and Zoe Licata discussed the closure of Anchor Brewing, data trends in craft and non-alc, leadership changes and refocused strategies. Those stories and more were reflected in the most listened to Brewbound Podcast episodes of 2023. Here’s a look at the most popular episodes of the year, in reverse order. 10. Jester King Speaks Out About Anti-Drag Bill in Texas As the controversy around Bud Light’s partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney heated up, craft breweries came under fire for hosting drag shows. Jeffrey Stuffings, co-founder of Austin, Texas’ Jester King, shared why his brewery was encouraging its fans to oppose a bill in the Texas Senate that would fine businesses $10,000 for hosting “sexually oriented performances” – which includes drag events, if people under age 18 are present or on public property. Dave Infante, editor of independent drinks newsletter Fingers and VinePair columnist, joined the conversation to share why brewery owners hosting similar events need to be prepared for potential backlash. 9. Tomme Arthur on Growing The Lost Abbey By Scaling Down The Lost Abbey’s Tomme Arthur explained why his revered brewery is in process of scaling down in order to secure its future. The conversation was especially pertinent given smaller craft breweries’ struggles in 2023. 8. Farewell to Anchor (For Now) A week after Sapporo announced plans to shut down historic Anchor Brewing and liquidate the business to pay off creditors, the Brewbound team and Dave Infante discussed the effect on the brewery’s union workforce and what’s next for the San Francisco institution, including how likely it is to be saved as a turnkey operation. Plus, Justin and Zoe chatted with Paradox Brewery’s Devon Hamilton and Katie Etherton about the 10-year-old New York craft brewery’s brand refresh and reinvention. 7. The Aftermath of Dry January, Plus CiderCon Road Report Partake Brewing founder and CEO Ted Fleming and then-Lagunitas CMO Paige Guzman discussed what’s next for adult non-alc offerings following the 2023 Dry January, as competition increases and more retailers adopt NA products. Also, Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata provided a field report from the 2023 CiderCon conference in Chicago. 6. Sarah Bettman on the DEI Topics Facing Beverage Alcohol Companies Leadership development speaker, coach and consultant Sarah Bettman explored the diversity, equity and inclusion topics facing beverage alcohol companies and how they can avoid just “checking off boxes.” 5. Rhinegeist Leaders Discuss Leadership Shakeup, Path Forward In a year of leadership changes, Rhinegeist co-founder Bryant Goulding and interim CEO Adam Bankovich discussed the leadership overhaul at the Cincinnati craft brewery. They shared their vision for the brewery’s next phase, which would later be fully fleshed out when Bankovich was officially named CEO and keynoted the 2023 Brewbound Live business conference. 4. What’s Up – and What’s Down – in Beverage Alcohol to Start 2023? Following Dry January, 3 Tier Beverages consultant Stephanie Roatis shared how the month of abstinence performed in this episode. Roatis also discussed the rise of imperial ciders and the upward trajectory of regional cider brands. The Brewbound team also dished on the Drake’s-Bear Republic craft-on-craft merger, broke down Boston Beer’s full-year earnings report and called for a moratorium on the use of “drinkable.” 3. A Rough Week For Acquired Craft Brands, Plus, How PPP Funds Helped Breweries The Brewbound team discussed the fallout of Anheuser-Busch InBev shuttering operations of Platform Beer Co. in Ohio and laying off employees at other Brewers Collective brands. The episode also featured economist Aaron Staples, who broke down the effect the Paycheck Protection Program had on the craft beer industry. 2. Octopi Has 8 Arms in the Contract Brewing Game Contract brewing no longer carries the stigma it does in the craft brewing industry. Isaac Showaki, founder and president of Wisconsin-based contract brewer Octopi Brewing, shared that his facility is targeting 7 million cases in 2023, and a lot of that product isn’t beer. 1. Early 2023 Beer Trends with Bump Williams Consulting Data is tops with Brewbound Pod listeners. After the first quarter of 2023, Bump Williams Consulting’s Dave Williams ad Brian “BK” Krueger joined the pod to discuss early year retail trends, how competition was playing out in the cold box, the accelerated life cycle of brands and how Dry January and the Super Bowl shook out. Worth a re-listen as we head into 2024 to look back at what changed over the course of the year.

With another Dry January in the books, how do non-alcoholic beer producers keep up the momentum? Partake Brewing founder and CEO Ted Fleming and Lagunitas CMO Paige Guzman share what’s next for the growing segment and discuss increased competition and what growing retailer support means for NA beer and similar offerings such as hop water. “To see these other companies come in is a testament to what Partake has done and some of the other early companies in non-alc of proving there is a market here,” Fleming said. “For the long-term, it’s good. For the short-term, there’s going to be a lot of noise. There’s definitely some concerns about whether some products are pasteurized and some are not. We’re definitely 100% of our product is pasteurized.” Over time, Fleming anticipates a “weeding out” of brands. “Right now, it’s a bit of a noisy category but in the long-term it’s going to be good to have that variety on shelf and that choice for consumers,” he added. “Any company that puts consumers first is going to do well.” Meanwhile, Guzman noted a growing interest among retailers this January. “In our category, it’s kind of hard to do anything until the retailers are on board, and we saw more non-alc, Dry January portfolio programs or industry-wide programs than we’ve seen before,” she said. “We saw a lot of major retailers putting big space in their ad circulars and displays as well.” All of those efforts, plus marketing investments from suppliers, are helping build awareness for non-alc producers. “As you invest in awareness and visibility tactics with consumers, you’re solving a problem that’s out there, and that’s where the magic happens,” Guzman said. Also in this episode, Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata provides a field report from the 2023 CiderCon conference in Chicago. Listen to the full interview in 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? Email [email protected].