Brewbound Podcast

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.

More signs of the times keep coming in the beer industry, with consolidations, expansions, production shifts and IP sales. Jess, Zoe and Justin reconvene to discuss the latest industry shakeups at Made by the Water, Young Lion, Other Half, RiverWalk, Ipswich and Anchor. Plus, the team shares whether they’ll be participating in Drinksgiving/Blackout Wednesday and looks at the latest Circana convenience store scans, with New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA passing Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White. The show wraps with a game of Another Round or Tabbing Out on the influx of new non-alcoholic beer brands from regional breweries and large-scale marketing activations in the wake of Heineken’s big F1 spend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Listen above and on all popular podcast platforms.

Hard tea and spritzer brand Loverboy is getting into the non-alcoholic space with a pair of 6-packs: lemon iced tea and white tea peach. Loverboy SVP of sales Derek Hahm and SVP of commercial strategy Todd Anderson discussed the launch of the brand, and how it will be incorporated into the Bravo reality series. Hahm and Anderson also discuss Loverboy’s goals in the hard tea category, the advantage of working with a Bravolebrity and Loverboy’s strategy of working with beer wholesalers. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Google Play and Spotify. Send questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast to [email protected].

Bernstein Autonomous analysts Nadine Sarwat and Trevor Stirling share what they know so far about Ozempic, Wegovy and other diet/diabetes drugs’ effect on alcoholic beverage consumption. Sarwat and Stirling break down why these drugs have entered popular culture conversations, what users are saying about their cravings, comparisons to past diet trends and much more. Also, Jess, Zoe and Justin discuss the latest news, including promotions at Rhinegeist, the failed union effort at Creature Comforts and non-alcoholic beer reaching its limit at retail. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Google Play and Spotify. Send questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast to [email protected].

Mass. Bay Brewing is hitting the reset button on its partnership with Dunkin’ for beverage-alcohol products in Year Six. Mass. Bay co-founder and CEO Dan Kenary, CMO Val Toothman and chief growth and ventures officer Nathaniel Davis share why they moved from beer centric releases to the Dunkin’ Spiked line of hard coffees and hard teas in 2023, the opportunity they see with flavored malt beverages and expansion plans for the brand. Plus, Justin and Zoe discuss the latest news, including more leadership shakeups at craft breweries, Russian River’s new canned brands and play Another Round or Tabbing Out on hysteria over supposed two-beer-per-week limits. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Google Play and Spotify. Send questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast to [email protected].

As Brewbound’s next Brew Talks event in Denver approaches, this week we replay a Brew Talks Boston conversation exploring what’s next for hazy IPAs. Vitamin Sea Brewing founder Dino Funari, Wormtown Brewery president and general manager Kimberly Golinski, Mighty Squirrel Brewing co-founder Naveen Pawar and Samuel Adams taproom head brewer Megan Parisi share where they believe the style is going, how New England craft breweries are approaching hazies and what maturity means in the market where it originated. Plus, Justin and Zoe recap Firestone Walker’s annual business planning meeting. They also play a game of Another Round or Tabbing Out, discussing White Claws entry into non-alcoholic seltzer. Listen to the conversation on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Google Play and Spotify. Send questions, feedback or ideas for the podcast to [email protected].

Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. president and CEO Chris Swonger joins to break down the opportunities canned cocktails are creating for beverage-alcohol companies. Swonger also pushes back against the beer industry’s stance against expanded market access and lower excise taxes for these products. Also, Justin and Zoe recount the latest Anchor Brewing news, including brewery workers’ bid to buy the company and the response from Sapporo’s spokesperson. Zoe recaps July 4 data in both the on-premise and off-premise channels. Finally, Justin and Zoe close out the show with a game of Another Round or Tabbing Out on Walmart’s unique UPC mandate for seasonals and variety packs, and an e-commerce platform’s marketing target of tallboys. 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].