Draft

A bipartisan bill is reigniting the fight to give a tax dedication to bars and restaurants with draft beer systems.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Bud Light was dethroned by Michelob Ultra as the country’s best-selling draft beer on Super Bowl Sunday as drinkers watched the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, according to on-premise data firm BeerBoard.

Consumers poured themselves more than 126.9 million oz. of beer, wine, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and more from PourMyBeer self-serve walls in 2023, according to the beverage technology company’s latest impact report.

While Colorado remains one the largest and most developed craft beer markets, its breweries have struggled to bring back their draft beer business post-pandemic. Many breweries, wholesalers and retailers alike have focused their attention on combating off-premise declines, but “as a beer community, we’ve got to fight for draft,” Holidaily Brewing founder Karen Hertz said on stage in Denver last month during Brewbound’s Brew Talks meetup.

Fresh back from Denver, Justin and Zoe recap their experiences at the Great American Beer Festival. Jess quizzes them on the beers, the booths and the vibe of this year’s fest. Plus, stick around for a Brew Talks replay of our conversation on the health of national draft beer.

A new non-profit organization is attempting to promote draft beer as the industry’s “most-ownable, differentiated weapon” in the on-premise channel, as well as the most sustainable choice in bars and restaurants.