Brewbound Podcast

On the heels of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States’ annual convention in Austin, Chris Swonger, the trade group’s president and CEO, joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the growth of ready-to-drink spirits-based canned cocktails, and the organization’s efforts to even the tax rates for RTD products with beer, as well as efforts to add direct-to-consumer sales privileges and much more. Swonger outlines the trade group’s priorities heading into 2022 and dishes on the organization’s recently released Luxury Brand Index, which tracks top shelf products that retail for $50 or more for a 750 mL bottle. Also in this edition of the podcast, the Brewbound team analyzes Boston Beer Company’s Q3 earnings report, including the $133 million in costs the company took due excess and out-of-code Truly Hard Seltzer. The team also hits the top headlines, including Deschutes’ planned closure of its tasting room in Roanoke, Virginia; Reyes’ acquisition of Powers Distributing in Michigan; and a proposed excise tax increase on alcoholic beverages in Massachusetts. 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.

With national sales meetings and annual business plan presentations ongoing, the Brewbound team reconvenes to discuss new products on the way from major craft producers Sierra Nevada and Firestone Walker — including a lifestyle tea brand, fruit beers and a hard seltzer. The team also discusses a recent report from Goldman Sachs’ Bonnie Herzog following the c-store focused NACS trade show that highlighted seltzers and beyond beer offerings from Constellation Brands, Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors and Boston Beer. The conversation then turns to the closing of Due South, the acquisition of Catawba and a bunch of openings. Dusty Rhodes also makes a squeaky appearance (apologies). 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 almost weekly. Email [email protected] with questions and feedback.

The Brewbound team recaps the 2021 Craft Brewers Conference, which focused on health, wellness, diversity, inclusion and equity. They share why there may be good reasons for craft brewers to be optimistic heading into 2022, as craft is expected to return to growth by year’s end. The team also discusses the recent slowdown of hard seltzer sales and Boston Beer’s beyond beer moves that on the surface look like swimming against the current. 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.

Can the hard seltzer segment outsmart the seasonal slump it typically goes through every fall? Two-thirds of the Brewbound team discuss in the newest episode of the Brewbound Podcast. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light Seltzer is betting on it with its new Fall Flannel Variety Pack featuring such autumnal flavors as Apple Crisp, Toasted Marshmallow, Maple Pear and — of course — Pumpkin Spice. Boston Beer Company’s Truly Hard Seltzer will roll out the Truly Holiday Party Pack on November 1 including cocktail-inspired flavors such as Cran Orange Sparkler, Pom Ginger Fizz, Holiday Sangria Style and Spiked Apple Spice. The team also discussed COVID-19 protocols in place at upcoming fall beer industry conferences, including the Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference (which will not require attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result) and the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s annual convention (which will require attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result). 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.

Expect drastic shifts in off-premise sales data from week to week moving forward as we begin to cycle the pandemic-driven stock-up period from 2020, NielsenIQ VP of beverage alcohol practice Danelle Kosmal cautioned during the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. Kosmal joined the Brewbound team to discuss why 2019 might be a fairer comparison for 2021 numbers, what she’s watching for moving forward, and when the numbers might begin to normalize. On that last point, don’t expect normalization until 2022 and even then, it’ll be a “new normal.” “It’s going to take us a good year or two to figure out what that balance is going to be,” Kosmal said. “How much of the old life of bars and restaurants are we going to go back to? And how much of the new habits that we’ve learned to embrace over the past year will continue?” Kosmal also discusses trends in hard seltzer, where seltzer consumers are coming from, and the growth of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. 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 Brewbound Podcast is back. After taking a hiatus from new episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brewbound Podcast returns with a new format, moving away from how-I-built-this-style interviews to bring you fresh takes and context on the latest news stories from executives, entrepreneurs and experts. In our first roundtable discussion, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and reporter Jess Infante are joined by: Tomme Arthur, the co-founder of the Lost Abbey, the Hop Concept, Port Brewing and now Tiny Bubbles in San Diego; Caitlin Braam, founder of Yonder Cider and co-founder of the Source Cider in Seattle; And Bourcard Nesin, a beverage analyst at Rabobank and the co-host of the Liquid Assets podcast. On this week’s episode, the crew discusses the joint venture between Yuengling and Molson Coors; the U.S. Department of Justice approving Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of Craft Brew Alliance; a bleak report on the state of the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the reality of e-commerce sales trends. Listen to the first episode of the revamped Brewbound Podcast 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.

Atlanta Brewing Company marketing director Cameron Davis knows what it’s like to deconstruct and rebuild a legacy beer brand. That’s what Davis and her colleagues did in 2018, taking Georgia’s oldest beer brand, the former Red Brick Brewing Company, and transforming it into Atlanta Brewing Company, a moniker the company had used until 2010, just in time for the company’s 25th anniversary. Davis recalled that the idea to return to the brand’s roots was born out of “Tuesday Dream Time” brainstorming sessions. “We’d sit in a room for 20 minutes and just say all of the stuff that if you could imagine anything for this company, what would it be?” she said. Those conversations led the brewery’s leaders to wonder what if they went back to the Atlanta Brewing name. “It didn’t make any sense to us why we weren’t already Atlanta Brewing,” she said. There also wasn’t a lot to lose. “We were kind of at the point where we’re rebranding or we might not be around,” Davis said. “Honestly, we had those conversations about ‘If we don’t do this, will we be around in two years? I don’t know?’ I think that’s a question that a lot of breweries ask themselves.” In episode seven of the Brewbound Podcast’s third season, Davis shared the process for blowing up a brand, the advantages of working with an agency such as CODO Design (who recently partnered with Brewbound on a four-part Voices series on when to rebrand or refresh a craft brand) and the risk-reward of alienating existing consumers. “You have to do what you feel is best for your company,” Davis acknowledged. “And if some people aren’t happy with it, sorry.” Davis also shares the realities of rebranding, including the wait for seeing a sales bump. “We’ve just now started to see those sales go up,” she said, adding that core beer sales increased 28% after the changeover and merchandise sales exploded. “It took longer than we expected but now we’re starting to get that payoff, which is great.” Listen to the latest episode of the Brewbound Podcast above, or find it on popular podcast platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Look for new episodes of the Brewbound Podcast on Thursdays. For questions, comments or suggestions, please email [email protected].