Brewbound Podcast

Modern Times is on the edge of entering receivership to begin a court-ordered sale process. Jack O’Connor, a partner with Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Helsinger in Chicago, joins the Brewbound Podcast to explain the process. “Banks are in the ‘getting paid business.’ They want to recoup the investment that they’ve made,” O’Connor said. “In this case, generally speaking, if you’re looking to conduct a going concern sale, your bank is there being supportive, hopefully saying this is a management team that can take us forward as long as we can find a buyer. What it does mean is that they don’t necessarily trust the company to repay its loan or make it whole on terms that it likes.” The Brewbound team also discusses the latest news, including the latest Stone legal wranglings, CBC 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].

From left: Greg Williams, Rich Bloomfield and Zach Day The Brewbound team reunited with the founders of Funkytown Brewery, winners of Brewbound Live 2021’s Pitch Slam competition. Childhood friends Rich Bloomfield, Greg Williams and Zach Day founded Funkytown in Chicago after homebrewing led to meeting other beer-lovers and Black brewery owners at the Fresh Fest (now Barrel and Flow) craft beer festival in Pittsburgh. “We know that the industry lacks diversity so we got out to Fresh Fest and it just seemed like, I don’t know, diversity wasn’t an issue,” Bloomfield said. “And we got to see so many Black people and women in craft and it was like, this is very inviting.” Funkytown launched in October 2021 through the Pilot Project – a Chicago-based brewery incubator – and sold out of its initial canned product run (about 100 cases) within two days. “For us, we’re trying to introduce more Black people into beer, but Chicago doesn’t have the bottle shops or the craft beer shops in the Black neighborhoods,” Bloomfield said. “It’s going to be a process. We’re not here to make money and leave.” Since its Pitch Slam victory, the brewery has partnered with Whole Foods in Chicago, and is planning new beer releases launching this summer. 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].

A jury awarded Stone Brewing $56 million in its trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors for its Keystone Light rebrand last Friday. Courthouse News Service reporter Bianca Bruno joins the Brewbound team to discuss what it was like inside the courtroom and where the case goes from here, including post-trial motions. “Stone’s already indicated that they’re going to ask for treble damages, which in California is something a judge can award and it’s basically triple the damages award that is supposed to be punitive and a deterrence,” Bruno told the Brewbound team. “So there’s going to be several post-trial motions.” The jury verdict document, which was made public earlier this week, showed that while the jury found that Molson Coors infringed upon Stone’s trademark and offered an eight-figure award, the jurors did not find that Molson Coors has willfully infringed upon the trademark. Plus, Harris Beach partner Brendan Palfreyman returns to discuss the future of the case, if there could be a settlement, what else Stone might seek from Molson Coors, and actions Molson Coors might take. 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].

Craig Purser, president and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, previews his trade organization’s agenda for its upcoming Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Purser breaks down the NBWA’s 2022 legislative priorities, discusses the U.S. Treasury Department’s report on competition in the alcoholic beverage industry, and shares his thoughts on what will be on beer wholesalers’ trucks in the next five years. “I’m still bullish on beer,” Purser said. “I said this just last fall, beer pays the bills. Beer gets it done. And I think that’s going to be essential and central to what we do. But as the beer category expands — and I’m talking seltzers and I think you can include ciders in that and as we’re looking at other products that are looking for a better way to go to market — that may include wines and spirits. I think we’re going to see that.” 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].

Four years after Stone filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors over its Keystone Light rebrand, the case has finally reached the courtroom. Harris Beach partner Brendan Palfreyman joins the Brewbound team to discuss the latest development. “It never gets this far. This is the Super Bowl for me,” Palfreyman said during the episode. “This is the biggest, I think, craft beer lawsuit in like the last 50 years, probably. And that encompasses all of craft beer, so it’s probably the biggest of all time.” The Brewbound team also discusses the Resolve open-source collaboration beer to support the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, brewery expansion stories, and St. Patrick’s Day data from Numerator. 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 Brewbound team discusses the latest news, including a law making its way through the Utah Legislature that will require several hard seltzer brands to be sold in state-run liquor stores. The team also discusses the launch of Athletic Lite, a 25-calorie non-alcoholic beer, distribution moves in Minnesota and Vermont, and fundraising efforts for Ukraine. Plus, Jess goes to a tap takeover. 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].

In the wake of several brewery closures, Kelly Meyer, host of the How Not to Start a Damn Brewery podcast, discusses his experience with starting and selling a struggling brewery. He also shares insights from other brewery owners who shuttered their businesses. Kate Bernot also joins the podcast to discuss her story on Modern Times’ willingness to entertain a buyer or investor. Plus, Brewbound’s Zoe Licata shares her Hard MTN Dew field research study. 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].