Brewbound Podcast

Live from the California Craft Beer Summit, the Brewbound team catches up with Russian River’s Natalie Cilurzo on the 2023 launch of Pliny the Younger triple IPA, the brewery’s shift from sours to lagers and more. Plus, Oak Park Brewing’s Rodg Little discusses the Sacramento brewery’s mission, the People’s beer and much more. The Brewbound team also catches up on the latest news, including New Belgium’s takeover of Constellation Brands’ Virginia production facility, rumors/speculation of a Boston Beer Company sale to Heineken, and another game of “Another Round or Tabbing Out.” Listen to the interviews 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].

The Brewbound team reports live from the California Craft Beer Summit in Sacramento. The team discusses early takeaways from the first major meeting of California’s craft brewers since 2019, including thoughts on David Walker of Firestone Walker’s optimism for craft beer, Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson’s early production data and much more. 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].

Wisconsin-based contract brewery Octopi Brewing is targeting 7 million cases produced in 2023, and a lot of that product isn’t beer. So how is the overall contract brewing landscape shaping up? Octopi founder president Isaac Showaki discusses. Plus, the Brewbound team plays half-full, half-empty on new products hitting the market, including SunnyD Vodka Seltzer and New Belgium’s Wild Nectar Hard Juice, Bud Light Seltzer’s new-old ad campaign, and a St. Patrick’s Day rally. 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].

Bump Williams Consulting’s Dave Williams and Brian “B.K.” Krueger discuss the early 2023 beer category retail trends, how the competition for the cold box is shaking out, the accelerated life cycle of brands, and Dry January and Super Bowl trends. They also share the opportunities ahead for smaller craft breweries and when is the right time to expand. 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].

After a rough week for craft breweries acquired by Anheuser-Busch, the Brewbound team discusses the fallout of the world’s largest beer manufacturer shuttering operations of Platform Beer Co. in Ohio and layoffs conducted at other Brewers Collective brands. The team also dishes on the resurrection of lager brand House Beer and the executive shakeup at Molson Coors. Plus, featured guest Aaron Staples breaks down the effect the Paycheck Protection Program had on the craft beer industry. 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].

3 Tier Beverages consultant Stephanie Roatis shares the beverage alcohol segments trending up (hint, Dry January did all right) and those on the downward swing in her quarterly 3 Up, 3 Down report. In addition to soaring off-premise sales for non-alcoholic beer, imperial ciders – those clocking in at 8% ABV and above – also recorded an impressive amount of growth in scan data, as did cider producers at the regional level, Roatis said. “Cider had a super transformative 2022 – we saw a lot of the dollars shift into regional players and move away from companies like Ace and Redd’s,” she said. “Cider experienced a volume decline of about 8% last year, but regional cider saw their off-premise dollars grow 22 points since 2018. So now regional players, largely in the Pacific Northwest, are making up about 54% of the category.” On the down side of the 3 Up, 3 Down report, craft beer was flat, buoyed only by two styles: IPAs (+4.78% in the 13 weeks ending January 28) and American wheat (+1% in the same period). Eight of the segment’s top 10 styles declined in dollar sales. In addition to Roatis’ report, the Brewbound team analyzes the Drake’s-Bear Republic craft-on-craft merger, breaks down Boston Beer’s full-year earnings report, questions why one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S. isn’t making non-alcoholic beer a focus, and calls for a moratorium on the use of “drinkable.” 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].

Marketing and ad executives break down the winners and losers of this year’s beverage-alcohol Super Bowl ad battle. Deb Gabor, CEO of Sol Marketing, and Mario Natarelli, managing partner of MBLM, each share an industry insider’s view on the ads for Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, Crown Royal, Remy Martin and more. Also, Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata explains the BORG (Black Out Rage Gallon) trend of mixing water, vodka and flavor packets into a gallon jug. 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].