Brewbound Podcast

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™ !

Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo joins the Brewbound Podcast On Location at the California Craft Beer Summit to discuss the 20th anniversary release of Pliny the Younger triple IPA, with festivities starting this weekend. Cilurzo discusses creating an experience that brings back repeat customers, its economic impact and Pliny babies. She also shares the strategy behind the Pliny for President quarterly releases, the growth of lager in the Russian River portfolio and much more. Calicraft founder and CEO Blaine Landberg and marketing director and brewmaster Thomas Vo share how the brewery is expanding beyond beer with the Bloom line of fruit-forward offerings. They also explore their own-premise expansion strategy and share a wild pre-pandemic story. Plus, the Brewbound team breaks down the latest news, including layoffs at Cigar City, a new CMO at New Belgium and Deschutes’ national plans for non-alcoholic beer. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out on a pricey Voodoo Ranger and Tombstone collab and Hard MTN Dew’s attempts to be abducted by aliens. Listen here and on all popular podcast platforms.

Firestone Walker CMO Dustin Hinz and brand director Hannah Barnett explore the marketing approach to the Paso Robles, California-based craft brewery’s biggest brand, 805, as well as its portfolio of other brands, including Cali Squeeze, Mind Haze and the F Brands. Hinz and Barnett break down Firestone Walker’s Authenticos partnership program and how the black-and-white film work the brand does with its ambassadors plays with wholesalers. Plus, the Brewbound team reviews the latest news, including Iowa’s Big Grove Brewery taking a majority stake in non-alcoholic, THC-infused sparkling water brand Climbing Kites and the union strike at Molson Coors’ Fort Worth facility. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out on the Brewers Association’s decision to pause Homebrew Con and shift activities to the Great American Beer Festival. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.

MikMak founder and CEO Rachel Tipograph joins the Brewbound Podcast to analyze what’s next for beverage-alcohol e-commerce in a post-Drizly world. MikMak is a software analytics company that helps alcohol companies funnel their business to retailers in compliance with regulations. Tipograph shared that bev-alc companies found out about Uber shutting down Drizly at the same time as the general public. In the aftermath of Drizly, Tipograph believes Uber Eats, Instacart and ReserveBar will absorb Drizly’s market share. As for alcohol companies, many have quickly transitioned away from the platform, she added. In addition to this conversation, the Brewbound team talks about the latest headlines, including lawsuits against Boston Beer over its employee non-compete clause, independent craft brewers’ growth in the convenience channel, and Two Robbers’ shift from hard seltzer to spirits-based canned cocktails. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out on 1990s hip-hop nostalgia permeating RTDs. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.

Drizly will be no more as of March. The week started with Uber announcing plans to shut down the e-commerce alcohol delivery platform. Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and weekend newsletter writer Sean McNulty discuss the decision and why it’s another blow for brewers. (Co-hosts Jess Infante and Zoe Licata are on the road this week.) Plus, the duo discuss full-year 2023 craft beer scan data, the narrative (or lack thereof) for craft heading into 2024, and why the early read isn’t great. Other topics include New Jersey finally giving the state’s craft breweries a break, Tilray wilding out with new products and Lawson’s trying to get the low-ABV Beach Party started. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.

Meagen Anderson, the founder and CEO of AFicioNAdo (AFNA), joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the formation of the training and certification program for professionals in the adult non-alcoholic beverage space. Anderson shares her own journey to NA, how retailers are strategizing around the products and what it means for future generations. The Brewbound team also looks back at the big headlines of the last couple of weeks, including Asahi’s planned acquisitions of Octopi Brewing, the latest on the Tree House shareholder lawsuit, Flying Fish Brewing’s bankruptcy filing and leadership changes at Allagash. The team also plays Another Round or Tabbing Out. Listen here and on all popular podcasting platforms.