Brewbound Podcast

The first round of interviews from the Brewbound Podcast On Location at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Las Vegas are here. Breeze Galindo, the director of operations on the Michael J Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling, discusses the foundation’s work, evolution and scholarship awards for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color professionals in the bev-alc industry. Galindo also dishes on her brewery in-planning, MiLuna Brewing Company, which she will open in New York. Then, Icicle Brewing owner Pam Brulotte chats about her journey into the brewing industry, being married to a hop farmer and starting a brewery in Leavenworth, Washington. She also discusses her work with the Brewers Association (BA), including co-chairing the trade group’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee. Plus, Jess, Justin and Zoe recap Day 2 of CBC, including BA chief economist and VP of strategy Bart Watson’s state of the industry speech. Listen here or on your podcast platform of choice.

BevPort, a self-described three-tier compliant digital distribution portal, launched in Florida earlier this year. Co-founder Phil Guana joins the Brewbound Podcast to explain how BevPort works, its focus on helping “the little guy” gain market access in the Sunshine State and the partnerships the startup has in the market. Guana also shares future expansion states for BevPort. But first, the Brewbound team reviews the latest news, including a sibling company of Bevana Partners filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the on-premise opportunities with 10,000 tap handles for the taking, increased efficiency at retail and The Bruery’s plans for an Idaho outpost. This week’s Another Round or Tabbing Out focuses on the future of sour houses following the announcement that Vermont’s Hermit Thrush is ceasing operations. Listen here and on all popular podcast 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.

Crooked Hammock director of brewing operations Larry Horwitz shares his vision for portfolio reinvention and why he is the “light lager whisperer.” Horwitz also offers insights into brand creation and consumer trends. Plus, Justin and Zoe review the latest earnings for Boston Beer and Molson Coors, discuss leadership changes in the industry, and play Another Round or Tabbing Out with greywater beer and aliens. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Google Play and Spotify. Have questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast? Email [email protected].

Rhinegeist co-founder Bryant Goulding and interim CEO Adam Bankovich explain the change in leadership at the Cincinnati craft brewery that led to Bankovich’s promotion. They share their vision for the brewery’s next phase and how to tap into its full potential. Goulding shares his experience in trying to step back from the day-to-day operations of the brewery and let others take the brewery to the next level. Bankovich, who joined Rhinegeist as chief commercial officer in October 2022, dives into what he’s learned during his first six months at the brewery and why it’s OK to be vulnerable. “We’re a much larger company than we were 10 years ago, stating the obvious, so some of the things really do need to have a little more rigor and discipline behind them,” Bankovich said. “That being said, it’s always been important to me to add a level of transparency and understanding so people understand the why behind what we’re doing, so that’s been my focus over the past six months. “This complex, diverse company that we have here, everybody needs to take a pause and know that what we did for the past 10 years isn’t what’s going to take us to the next 10, and it’s worth re-evaluating things and asking questions and figuring out what else we can do together,” he continued. Goulding and Bankovich also define “geistiness,” a word used to describe the Rhinegeist spirit of embracing individuality, ambition and creativity. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Have questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast? 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].

Nearly four months after the completion of the sale of Stone Brewing to Sapporo, Stone CEO Maria Stipp joins the Brewbound Podcast to share how the integration process is progressing, when the first Sapporo beers produced at Stone’s U.S. facilities will hit the market, the expansion of the Buena family into spirits-based canned cocktails, and what’s next in 2023. Stipp told Brewbound that the two companies got off to a “fast start” with the integration process, which started with sales and marketing. Stone will begin brewing Sapporo beers at its facilities in Escondido, California, and Richmond, Virginia, in December. Stipp said the brewery has achieved flavor match with the Sapporo’s beers imported from Japan, and she expects the first Stone-produced Sapporo beers to begin hitting retail shelves by Q3 2023. Although wholesaler alignment is typically a next step following the sale of a brewery, Stipp reaffirmed that the craft brewery’s beer will continue to be distributed by Stone Distribution in Southern California. (Stone Distribution was carved out of the sale of the brewery operations.) Stipp added that in markets like Chicago and Florida, the Stone brand has been traded for the rights to Bell’s Brewery’s brands, as New Belgium works to align distribution of those two brands. Stipp stressed that continued growth for the Stone beer brands outside of the combination with Sapporo remains important moving forward. “We’re looking at continued growth for Stone,” Stipp said. “We’ve got a solid three-year plan on what we’re looking to do and how to accomplish that. We have focused on our core brands … over the last couple of years, which is somewhat different from how Stone has operated in the past. We’re putting in a lot of time and effort on our brand families, with Delicious and with Buena. And it’s working, and we’ve been very disciplined in our pricing approach as well.” Stipp added that Stone has had to acknowledge that there are consumers who have either never tried its beer or who have not had it recently. “We know that by adding Buenaveza [Salt & Lime Lager], we brought in new fans,” she said. “And that’s good news, and so we want to continue to do that, but we also want to make sure that we don’t forget about our core consumer, the people who have been there for us for years. Among the priorities for Stone in 2023 are a refreshed Delicious brand family and the Buena family, which has been extended beyond the lager brand to include Buenavida Hard Seltzers and Buenafiesta, a line of spirits-based canned cocktails recently launched in the Southern California market. Those brands are about opening the Stone brand up to “new fans.” “We’re really being thoughtful about what we’re bringing in that’s new, to not only have the craft beer drinker be excited but to maybe people who don’t drink IPAs or other kinds of craft beer,” she said. “We’ve made Buenaveza our No. 1 priority for the last few years, and it’s become our No. 3 brand overall and our No. 1 draft brand,” she continued. “This coming year, we’ve pivoted to refreshing our Delicious IPA brand with new packaging, a new look, and a mix pack with two additional flavors. And that will be a big driver for us in 2023.” 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].