Craft Beer

Zipline Brewing Company, Nebraska’s largest craft brewery, has ceased brewing operations and closed its taproom and beer lounge in Lincoln, “effective immediately,” the company announced Thursday on Facebook.

Icicle Brewing founders Pamela and Oliver Brulotte will retire after selling their stake in the Leavenworth, Washington-based craft brewery.The Brulottes didn’t need to look far for the brewery’s new owners. Hop farmers Shelley and Eric Desmarais – the latter of whom is Oliver Brulotte’s second cousin – will acquire the majority interest in Icicle.

As previously reported in Part 1 of our 2025 hospitality-driven brewery data dive, brewpubs recorded the smallest year-over-year (YoY) decline in 2025 production volume (-1.7% YoY) among all craft brewery types, according to the Brewers Association (BA).

Craft breweries continued to battle declines in 2025, but hospitality-focused breweries – including brewpubs and taprooms – were a “bright spot for the industry” last year, according to the Brewers Association (BA).

A leadership shakeup has happened at Pennsylvania’s New Trail Brewing. Founder and CEO David Hertwig is transitioning “into a more strategic role,” rather than daily operations, while keeping his c-suite title.

Microbreweries recorded the largest year-over-year (YoY) volume decline in 2025 among all Brewers Association (BA) defined craft brewery types, according to data from the trade group. The decline underscores microbreweries’ continued battles for space and attention on crowded retailer shelves and distributor trucks.

Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) is throwing its hat in the low-ABV ring. The Cleveland-based craft brewery has released Dort Light, a 90-calorie, 2.9%-ABV extension of its flagship Dortmunder Gold Lager.

Atwater Brewery will soon be back in familiar hands. The Detroit, Michigan-based craft brewery’s former owner Mark Rieth has signed a “definitive agreement” to reacquire Atwater from Tilray Brands.

Was craft brewers’ 2025 less bad than we thought? The Brewers Association issued a revision to its annual production report. We’ll cover that, plus, interviews with Victory Brewing co-founder Bill Covaleski and director of brewing operations Joe Slavick, as well as Odell Brewing CEO Eric “Smitty” Smith.

Craft beer continues to battle against the narrative that the segment is dying. A core adversary in that mission is that the legacy brands that helped create the segment are the ones driving declines, according to new data shared by consulting firm 3 Tier Beverages.

Small and independent craft brewers’ output declined 4% in 2025 – more than 25% less than was previously reported by the Brewers Association (BA). The BA issued a correction of its 2025 Beer Industry Production Survey (BIPS), which was published last month, after receiving “revised production figures for a small number of regional craft brewers,” a BA spokesperson said in a statement shared Tuesday with Brewbound.

Craft’s trends continued to slip ahead of Memorial Day, according to the latest monthly scans report from market research firm Circana.

Vermont craft brewers are one signature away from expanded self-distribution privileges. The state Senate approved a bill on May 21 that would allow malt beverage manufacturers to self-distribute up to 3,000 barrels of beer under their existing manufacturer licenses.

An acquisition that “just feels right to everyone” is in the works in Washington, Bale Breaker Brewing co-owner Kevin Quinn told Brewbound. Yakima, Washington-based Bale Breaker has struck a deal to acquire Seattle’s Cloudburst Brewing as its founder Steve Luke prepares to move to New Zealand, where his wife has taken a job.