Brewbound Podcast

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) has taken a minority stake in non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing Company, following a $50 million investment in the brand. Athletic co-founder Bill Shufelt shares why KDP was the right partner, what the investment will go toward, and how the company is pacing toward the end of 2022. The Brewbound team discusses Athletic’s KDP deal, as well as the sale of Montauk Brewing to Tilray, and the closing of Maui Brewing’s acquisition of Modern Times and the shuttering of the San Diego brewery’s Anaheim taproom (the one with the pool). 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? Email [email protected].

Following the Winking Lizard Tavern’s annual announcement of its beer menu for 2023, founder John Lane shares how the event shook out, who left the day happiest, the one beer that is untouchable on the Winking Lizard’s menus, the inflationary pressures on draft beer, changes to its Tour of Beers program and much more. During the interview, Lane described draft pricing as “scary right now.” “Craft and the yellow fizzy stuff are only a penny cheaper than in a package,” he said. “And draft is our lifeblood. “We’ve had to take some price hikes on food, a little more than we’ve had to on beverage,” he continued. “We want to continue to be in that value area, and so if you want to be in that value area, then you’re a lot more sensitive when you get a price hike twice a year.” The Brewbound team also runs down the latest news, including the Lost Abbey downsizing its operations, the raid on Southern Glazer’s Bay Area office 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? Email [email protected].

Chicago brewery incubator Pilot Project recently acquired the former Milwaukee Brewing Company (MKE) facility in Wisconsin. Pilot Project’s Dan Abel and Glenn Allen share their plans for the production facility and how the expansion will affect the bev-alc producers they work with and open the door to additional suppliers. Plus the Brewbound team discusses Boston Beer’s Q3 earnings call, including the company’s fourth category ambitions, the $27.1 million non-cash impairment charge on the Dogfish Head trademark, and the company’s focus shifting from fuller-flavor hard seltzers to lighter flavors. 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? Email [email protected].

National accounts managers from Odell Brewing, Athletic Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing and JuneShine share how they’ve built their teams and grown sales through chains. This conversation took place in Denver during a live Brew Talks event prior to the Great American Beer Festival. Joining the conversation are: Athletic’s Becca Kieffer Toft, Odell’s Billy Clayton, Dry Dock’s Ryan Call and JuneShine’s Elizabeth Isenbart. They share tips and tricks and discuss the current state of play in the post-COVID-lockdown world. Plus, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and reporter Zoe Licata review the latest news, dish on the Alliance For Women and Beer Institute meetings, and touch on why a Kroger-Albertsons supermarket mega merger matters for beer suppliers. 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? Email [email protected].

How do you innovate at scale beyond the IPA juggernaut? With the various IPA sub-styles accounting for nearly half of off-premise craft beer sales, leaders from Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada, Atrevida Beer Co. and 3 Tier Beverages explore where the opportunities for growth are in other beer styles and how they’re building their product mix during a Brew Talks conversation in Denver. Plus, we break some news. The Brewbound team checks in from the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s Annual Convention and shares their thoughts on the 2022 edition of the Great American Beer Festival. The team also dives into the latest news, including another deal for Reyes, this time in Hawaii, and a challenge to Hard MTN Dew’s route to market in Virginia. 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? Email [email protected].

Ahead of several industry gatherings in the Windy City, Chicago Brewseum executive director Liz Garibay discusses the importance of preserving beer and bar history and how the stories in those spaces are really oral histories of neighborhoods and cities. Garibay shared that she’s always felt a connection to bars. “Not in the college way but I really just felt comfortable being in them,” she shared. “In spending time in these places, you meet a lot of the old timers who have been sitting there for 40, 50, 60 years hanging out, drinking and the stories they’re sharing become really interesting and you realize they’re valuable oral histories,” she continued. “It’s the history of the neighborhood. The history of the city.” Plus, the Brewbound team discusses Reyes’ Texas acquisition and New Belgium’s next Voodoo Ranger Juice Force beer. 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? Email [email protected].

The California Craft Brewers Association’s Lori Ajax and Chris Walker discuss a pair of bills awaiting the governor’s signature that would benefit the state’s craft brewers. Those bills — expanding the number of satellite locations and bonafide eating places, and adding on-sale privileges — were among the CCBA’s priorities this year. Ajax and Walker also dish on middle tier consolidation, direct-to-consumer sales, supply chain issues and much more. “Over the last 10 years, the growth in the industry has really doubled,” Ajax said. “For small and mid-sized brewers that’s what they really excel at: being community gathering spaces – even with all of the crazy things that go on in California with fires and whatnot, being that community gathering place where people can enjoy their neighbors and talk about things and also enjoy great beer.” The Brewbound team also discusses supply chain updates, Sierra Nevada’s termination of three California wholesalers and Dogfish Head’s closure of its Miami taproom. In addition, the team shares news about speakers added to line ups of the upcoming Brew Talks meetup in Denver and Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica. 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? Email [email protected].