Brewbound Podcast

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].

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is scrutinizing sports sponsorships struck by bev-alc producers and distributors. How can brewers play in this space without running afoul of the government agency? McDermott Will & Emery’s Alva Mather and Nichole Shustack offer their opinions on the Brewbound Podcast. “There’s a reason the TTB is focused on sponsorship deals at large venues,” Mather, the head of McDermott Will & Emery’s Alcohol Regulatory & Distribution Group, said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I will tell you from where I sit that is absolutely going to continue to be an area of focus for them.” Shustack, legal counsel with McDermott Will & Emery, added that suppliers and wholesalers really should be wary of “pouring rights.” “So there’s pouring rights and then there’s advertising rights,” she explained. “And where we’re seeing suppliers and wholesalers get tripped up is when those two kind of cross over.” 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 for the new year? Email [email protected].

On the final Brewbound podcast of 2021, managing editor Jess Infante and reporter Zoe Licata discuss the top 10 most-read Brewbound stories of the year, including several stories on the incidents of misconduct, sexual harrassment and discrimination reported throughout the year, and related fallout and resignations. Other stories include the launch of some beyond beer brands (Coop Ale Works’ Sonic Hard Seltzer, Happy Dad Hard Seltzer and Truly Hard Punch), and the sunsetting of others (Coors Seltzer), as well as the world’s largest aluminum can manufacturer, Ball, announcing an increase in its minimum quantity for printed cans per SKU. The duo also discuss current industry news (which refuses to take a holiday break), and their plans (or lack thereof) for New Year’s Eve. 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 for the new year? Email [email protected]. The Brewbound Podcast will return in 2022. Happy New Year!

Agustin Ruelas and Ray Ricky Rivera join the Brewbound Podcast to discuss how the SoCal Cerveceros homebrew club is helping build a pipeline of professional brewers. Ruelas and Rivera share their own aspirations, including Ruelas’ Brewjeria Company in Pico Rivera and Rivera’s contract brewed Norwalk Brew House brand and self-distribution business. The Brewbound team also dishes on Halloween Drizly sales, the closure of Stone Brewing’s Napa outpost, and Chicago’s Pilot Project helping entrepreneurs break into the beer business. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published about every week. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

After an eventful National Beer Wholesalers Association annual convention in Las Vegas, the Brewbound team debriefs on all of the middle tier issues discussed over the last week. The team also hits the latest news, including a big wholesaler acquisition in Ohio, comments to the Department of the Treasury by Reyes and others, lawsuits over terminations in New York, and questions over PepsiCo’s entry into alcohol distribution. The conversation then turns to Constellation Brands’ lack of reliance on hard seltzer. Listen to the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday. Check Brewbound’s upcoming events schedule for future podcast episodes and streaming video programming. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

The wholesaler landscape has been shaken up in several states, as industry giants Reyes and Anheuser-Busch continue to merge, acquire and swap wholesaler businesses and distribution rights in major markets such as Chicago, California, and Indiana. This week’s edition of the Brewbound Podcast brings together industry experts to share their perspectives on what it means for smaller craft breweries and if there’s an end in sight to the disruptions. Joining this week’s panel are: Marc Sorini, general counsel for national trade group the Brewers Association Kimberly Clements, co-founder and managing partner of Pints LLC, a beverage advisory firm based in Tucson, Arizona; And Donn Bichsel, the founder of 3 Tier Beverages, a consulting firm based in Chicago. The panel weighs in on the ramifications of Reyes’ acquisition of 16.1 million cases from Monarch Beverages, merger of Windy City and Chicago Beverage Systems and other moves in California. Additionally, they weigh in on think tank pieces calling for the end of the three-tier distribution system, the role of independent wholesalers, and ways the distribution system could be evolved to better meet market demand. Listen to the episode above, or find it on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday. Email [email protected] with questions, comments or suggestions for future shows and guests.

Large beer and CPG companies are trading on the equity of their top brands to try to get a piece of the $3.49 billion hard seltzer segment. The latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast brings together industry experts to discuss new introductions from Anheuser-Busch InBev (Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer, Bud Light Lemonade Seltzer), Mark Anthony Brands (Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer), and New Belgium (Fruit Smash), as well as Molson Coors’ partnership with Coca-Cola on Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. This week’s panel features: Lester Jones, chief economist of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA); Lisa Derus, communications consultant and certified Cicerone; And Kaumil Gajrawala, managing director of equity research at Credit Suisse. The panel shares their thoughts on if these products can be incremental to existing products, potential for cannibalization and how regional players can gain a foothold in the segment. Additionally, the panel discusses the completion of Anheuser-Busch’s acquisition of Craft Brew Alliance and what it means for the world’s largest beer manufacturer’s 23 craft beer brands, the NBWA’s 83rd Annual Convention, the shortage of aluminum cans and Molson Coors’ flurry of partnerships. Listen to the episode above, or find it on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. New episodes of the Brewbound Podcast are published every other Thursday. Email [email protected] with questions, comments or suggestions for future shows and guests.