Craft Beer

How can craft brewers expect to win away games if they’re not winning at home? That’s the sports analogy pFriem Family Brewers co-founder and CEO Rudy Kellner used to describe the Hood River, Oregon-based brewery’s strategy when it comes to expanding its distribution footprint.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth’s take on intoxicating hemp; non-alc Bero receives private equity investment; Otherlands Beer shares tariff impact; taproom closures; people moves; and more.

It may be time for beer to finally address its pricing issues. That was one of the main takeaways from Day 1 of the Beer, Wine and Spirits Summit Sunday, hosted by Beer Business Daily and Wine & Spirits Business Daily in Coronado, California.

A former Rogue Ales & Spirits employee has filed a lawsuit against the now-shuttered craft brewery’s parent company, Oregon Brewing, for allegedly violating the WARN Act.

After three years, Leinenkugel’s will once again be led by someone with the Leinenkugel surname. Leinenkugel’s president Tony Bugher is stepping down from his leadership role, passing the baton to his cousin, Katie Leinenkugel

In the post-pandemic era of off-premise reliance, total beverage consumer habits and inflated costs of goods, craft brands have had to reevaluate their business strategies and band together to help return the segment to growth.

The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling (MJF) has awarded scholarships to seven bev-alc industry members, making up the 10th cohort of awardees from the nonprofit group.

December sales reversed trends in different directions – mostly positive – among the top 30 craft brands tracked by market research firm Circana. While overall craft sales were squarely in the red in the multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C) and grocery channel last month, the segment eked out growth in the convenience channel in both dollar sales (+3.7%) and volume (+1.8%) for the four-week period (L4W) ending December 28.

Monday Night Brewing (MNB) co-founder and CEO Jeff Heck has stepped down from his c-suite role, passing the baton to fellow co-founder Joel Iverson, he announced on LinkedIn this week.

Thanks to significant social media investments, the name of Willie’s Remedy+ often precedes it in new markets. “You can literally walk into a market with no POS, no nothing – we haven’t launched at all – and because of the investment that we made on social, people know about us before we even get there,” said Whitney Stevenson, president and CCO of Willie’s parent company JuneShine Brands.

Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter December 29 through January 2. Not an Insider? Become one today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry. Numerator: Fewer New Year’s Resolutions in 2026 Fewer consumers are planning to make resolutions in 2026 compared to 2025,… Read more »

Bosque Brewing, New Mexico’s largest craft brewery, abruptly closed all of its taprooms last week after 13 years in operation.

We’ve compiled our most read stories of the past year, and one company dominated the headlines (with not the sunniest lineup of news): Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B).

Earlier this year, wine industry veteran Jason McConnell acquired 38-year-old Anderson Valley Brewing Company [AVBC] (Boonville, CA). Now he is focused on maintaining AVBC’s cherished traditions, such as its annual fest and its celebrated disc golf course, while adding his own flair.