Brewbound Podcast

When should you refresh your packaging? Or do a total rebrand? Or should you just stand pat? CODO Design’s Isaac Arthur explains the choose-your-own-adventure decision tree beverage-alcohol companies should consider when tweaking the look of their products or the feel of their brand. Arthur walks through the gut check breweries need to do on each of these decisions and what they should know going into the process. Arthur also gets into whether there are some products that are too iconic to touch, how nostalgia may factor into redesigns and what CODO might do for a certain San Francisco brewery rising from the ashes. Plus, the Brewbound team talks Labor Day and muted post-pandemic wholesaler beer purchasing in August. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

What legal issues should be on brewers’ radar? Nichole Shustack and Isabelle Cunningham from the bev-alcohol practice team at law firm Nutter, McClennen and Fish join the Brewbound Podcast to share what to watch out for this year and beyond. The team discusses the impact of non-alcoholic brands crossing over into bev-alc, direct-to-consumer sales, potential regulations on adult non-alcoholic beverages and other state legal updates. Plus, the Brewbound team reconvenes to break down the latest headlines, including Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing’s efforts to raise money for a brewery platform, another sale of San Francisco’s Magnolia Brewing and BeatBox Beverages’ big deal with Shaquille O’Neal. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

Beverage-alcohol’s growing “fourth category” of flavor-first offerings are quickly becoming a “mega category,” NIQ VP of alcohol industry thought leadership Jon Berg shared on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. Berg explains how the collective of ready-to-drink offerings such as flavored malt beverages, canned cocktails, hard seltzers and other flavor-forward offerings have shifted the fortunes of bev-alc for the year, while the best case scenario for beer, wine and spirits is likely a flat year. He also dishes on the tension between value and volume, slumping craft sales, channel outlooks and brand life cycles. Plus, Zoe is back with a beer report from the Bahamas. She and Justin discuss their travel schedules, the decline in attendance for this year’s Craft Brewers Conference and Monster’s bev-alc struggles. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

Following a long July 4 holiday weekend, the Brewbound team shares how they celebrated Independence Day. Jess provides a Jersey Shore report, including whether there was enough Surfside supply. Zoe shares the results from her July 4 darty on how newer beverages such as Surfside, Sun Cruiser, The Beast Unleashed, and Happy Thursday performed with the under 30 crowd. She also notes the prevalence of High Noon in Boston’s party districts. Then the conversation turns to social media platform TikTok opening its platform to beverage-alcohol advertisements. Jess explains why now and what bev-alc companies should consider. The team also discusses non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing’s $50 million equity financing round and rumored valuation.   Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform. And please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and hit the notification bell to make sure fresh episodes keep hitting your feeds.

The Brewbound team catches up on the latest news, including Allagash’s first foray into non-alcoholic adult beverages with Hop Water. Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss why this seems on brand for the Portland, Maine-based craft brewery, and why it may be a better entry point than NA beer. Jess then shares why some cannabis users say they are drinking less, with a lot of caveats. Zoe shares her experience at the Boston Celtics victory parade and thoughts on C’s guard Derrick White’s duck boat adventures. Zoe also breaks down her feature on the state of hard kombucha. The show wraps with a conversation on whether the spicy trend has fully taken hold in bev-alc. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

Donn Bichsel Jr. and Mary Mills, leaders from beverage consultancy 3 Tier Beverages, share why data with the top 15 brewers removed can reveal true market opportunities and pitfalls, why brewers should also have a total-beverage alcohol perspective and which packages are trending. Then, New Belgium Brewing lead research and development brewer Kelly McKnight explains the Voodoo Ranger maker’s strategy for new products, why new IPAs flow under the Voodoo umbrella and much more. Plus, Justin and Zoe review the latest headlines, including people moves at Sierra Nevada, BrewDog and Great Lakes. They also discuss how Wisconsin Brewing is carving a niche within the non-alcoholic beer space with a Harley-Davidson branded beer.   Listen here or on your podcast platform of choice.

Ray Latif of the Brewbound Podcast interviews Andy Diacetis, North American Sales Manager for Lallemand Brewing. He discusses Lallemand’s role as a global manufacturer of yeast and bacteria for various industries. Andy highlights industry trends, including a focus on non-alcoholic beverages and juicy double IPAs. He discusses Lallemand’s commitment to innovation, citing the successful launch of Elona, a yeast strain for low and non-alcohol beer production. He teases a new product to be unveiled at an upcoming industry event, the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), showcasing Lallemand’s collaboration with brewing partners. Andy expresses his passion for his job, which involves visiting breweries, collaborating with partners, and innovating in the industry. He invites those interested in Lallemand Brewing to visit their website or contact him directly. Andy Diacetis graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Fermentation Science in 2001. He spent six years working at BridgePort Brewing Company – three years as a brewer and three years as the Brewery Microbiologist. In 2007 he started selling filtration equipment which led him to starting a mobile wine filtration business which was sold in 2023. Andy also co-founded 503 Distilling which was one of the first RTD cocktail companies in Oregon. During this time, he was the Technical Sales Rep for Enartis for four years selling enological products to wineries in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. In 2022 he started his most recent position as the Regional Sales Manager in North America for Lallemand Brewing. Supported by decades of long-standing industry experience, an extensive support network, and strong technical expertise, Lallemand Brewing is positioned to help your brewery achieve its growth and quality goals. Beyond unparalleled global technical support and expertise, we offer an extensive range of products, services, and education. Whether you are a startup, a global leader in beer production, or anywhere in between, we have something for you. At Lallemand Brewing…We Brew With You™ !