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A CBC Primer with Brewers Association CEO Bart Watson

Release Date: 03/25/2026

CEO Michelle Ivey Dives Into Lake Hour’s Strategy

Brewbound Podcast

How can a new brand make a splash in the increasingly crowded ready-to-drink waters? A winning combination of differentiated flavors, artistic packaging and a willingness to work the market day in and day out. That’s what has been working for Lake Hour, according to CEO Michelle Ivey, this week’s featured guest. RTD canned cocktail brand Lake Hour launched three years ago amid the segment’s meteoric rise. Its co-founders – actor Wyatt Russell and film producer Rich Peete – had no prior beverage experience, and tapped Ivey, an industry vet, as CEO in late 2025. ...

RNDC’s Unpaid Tab, Craft’s Mid-Year Number and Boston Beer’s Rally Dog

Brewbound Podcast

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) is leaving a big unpaid tab. The distributor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, with liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion, and more than 100,000 creditors. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and senior reporter Zoe Licata dive into the bankruptcy filing, as well as the fallout, with many suppliers left wondering if they’ll ever get paid back. Justin and Zoe also catch up on the other big headlines, including the Brewers Association’s (BA) 2026 mid-year report, with...

The Magic of Airport Beers with Experience Threee’s Liz Einhorn

Brewbound Podcast

The pre-flight beer ranks high on many people’s lists of simple pleasures, but what does it take for that beer to end up in a pint glass? Experience Threee founder Liz Einhorn joins this week’s episode of the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the complexities of beer service in airport concessions. She shares the pros and cons of brewery-branded airport taprooms and what it takes to secure (and keep) a draft line in a busy airport bar. Before the interview, Justin and Jess break down the latest beer industry headlines, including a lawsuit between Ballast Point’s owners over...

Best Day’s Tate Huffard on Fitting Into Non-Alc Beer’s ‘Belonging’ Phase

Brewbound Podcast

Best Day Brewing founder and CEO Tate Huffard believes the modern non-alcoholic (NA) beer movement is now in its second wave – one characterized by “belonging.” “What we see now is that non-alcoholic beer belongs on menus, it belongs in beer sets,” Huffard said on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. Best Day was made for NA beer’s second wave in which coolers on boats in the summer are stocked with NA and alcoholic beer and fridges at parties also include both options, Huffard said. “All of these beer occasions warrant a great...

Pour One Out For Deschutes’ Kirkland Helles; Plus, World Cup, July 4 and Jersey Shore Chatter

Brewbound Podcast

Can a letter writing campaign save Deschutes’ co-branded Kirkland Signature Helles, the same way Jess saved her childhood zoo? The Brewbound team and weekend newsletter writer Sean McNulty discuss the end of the cult favorite lager on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, including an outpouring of somber reactions to the news. Justin recaps his conversation with Deschutes CEO Peter Skrbek and why he’s not sweating the decision as the company’s portfolio is growing. But could a public show of support from Costco members flip the decision? Jess shares...

Shootin’ the Breeze Ahead of the Fourth

Brewbound Podcast

On the latest Brewbound Podcast episode, the Brewbound team catches up on how Independence Day is stacking up as a heat wave sets in for much of the country. Hot Topics: U.K. beer prices vs. the U.S., and other across-the-pond observations from Zoe’s trip to London; Jersey Shore banner plane ads, which have been heavily skewed toward 1 brand, according to Jess’ on-the-ground reporting; July 4 beer promos, such as a meat-and-beer deal spotted in IA by Justin; And other quick hits, including Allagash’s new Maine-centric ad campaign, the impact of the World Cup on beer and why now...

Kilts, Bagpipes and Lots of Lagers – How Hendler Family Brewing Welcomed World Cup Fans

Brewbound Podcast

Mass Appeal Draught House and Grille opened on the eve of the kick-off of FIFA World Cup 2026 at its neighbor, Gillette Stadium. Hendler Family Brewing co-founder and CEO Sam Hendler joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss how the multi-branded taproom handled an influx of guests, what Scottish fans prefer to drink (Jack’s Abby House Lager) – and what they’re not drinking. “The majority of the audience who's been down there on game day has been the international fan base, and House Lager has been consistently the No. 1 seller, and it's not...

Athletic’s Bill Shufelt is Bullish on the Future of NA Beer – and the Beer Category

Brewbound Podcast

Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt is “the most excited” he’s felt since founding the dedicated non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand. On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, Shufelt shared what’s driving his hyped feeling, with a foundation he and co-founder John Walker laid about a decade ago. That foundation is built on a team of 300 co-workers, bicoastal brewing facilities, a strong distribution base for its core beers, a slate of new products hitting retailers and marketing campaigns beginning to ramp up. “I’m very bullish on the long-term...

F.X. Matt Brewing’s Fred Matt on Mid-Strength Beer and Generating Retail Energy; Plus, Changes Coming to GABF

Brewbound Podcast

At 138 years old, F.X. Matt Brewing isn’t slowing down. President Fred Matt joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the Utica, New York-based craft brewery’s plans for 2026 and beyond, which include Saranac Weekend Warrior Mid-Strength, a 3% ABV hazy IPA and Right Coast Spirits Italian Ice, a vodka-based RTD produced in partnership with Barrel One Collective. Plus, Jess and Zoe discuss news highlights, including changes coming for the Great American Beer Festival and 2025 production data for taprooms and brewpubs.

Revised Craft Production Data, Plus Chats with Victory and Odell

Brewbound Podcast

Was craft brewers’ 2025 less bad than we thought? The Brewers Association issued a revision to its annual production report, which places the industry at -4%, up from previously published -5.1%. In this Brewbound Podcast episode, Zoe and Jess break down what the changes mean for the challenged craft beer industry, as well as several middle-tier deals and recent scan data. This week’s featured interviews highlight Victory Brewing co-founder Bill Covaleski and director of brewing operations Joe Slavick and Odell Brewing CEO Eric “Smitty” Smith. Both conversations...

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Brewers Association president and CEO Bart Watson believes the Craft Brewers Conference works best when it’s “the big-tent event that everybody is coming to and connecting with.”

On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, Watson explained that he views the largest annual gathering of craft brewers (April 20-22 in Philadelphia) in four buckets:

Commerce via the BrewExpo trade show, where brewers connect with suppliers and learn about trends;
Education, with a host of new voices on the speaker roster this year;
Networking, with a more intentional approach and dedicated sessions;
And fun.

“CBC should be that week where you do all four of those things,” he said. “But you come back recharged, energized with new ideas, new energy.”

The BA’s membership base is primarily made up of brewpubs and taprooms, making hospitality and customer traffic “the thing that makes or breaks their businesses,” he explained.

“Craft is gonna win or lose with people wanting to come into breweries and then having a great experience or not having a great experience,” Watson continued.

As such, hospitality will be a key theme of this year’s event, and the BA has tapped restaurateur Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, to give the event’s opening keynote speech.

“He’s like a hospitality business ‘Ted Lasso,’” Watson said. “He really brings a spirit and a positivity that is going to be welcomed in craft right now as people try to lean in, do better, grow in what’s a challenging time but one where many people are still finding opportunities to thrive.”

Watson offered more insights in the interview, including the state of the industry.

Before the interview, Jess and Justin recap a wild week of M&A, including Molson Coors finally nabbing its spirts-based RTD in Monaco/Atomic Brands and a flurry of big distributor consolidations with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Reyes Beverage Group and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC).

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