Brewbound Podcast

The Brewbound Podcast is an extension of Brewbound’s leading B2B beer industry reporting, featuring interviews with beer industry executives and entrepreneurs, along with highlights and commentary from the weekly news. New episodes are released every Thursday. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].

The Summer Scans Turned Unpretty 09/17/2025

BrewDog USA’s Eric Franco on Gaining Greater Autonomy and Getting Focused 09/11/2025

BrewDog USA’s Eric Franco on Gaining Greater Autonomy and Getting Focused Less has been more with BrewDog’s U.S. business over the last year and a half. On the latest episode of the Brewbound Podcast, BrewDog USA chief sales and marketing officer Eric Teodoro Franco explains how the business has “done fewer things better,” leading with a focus on its core brands, which helped the brand increase volume 26% last year, to 89,084 barrels of beer, according to data from the Brewers Association (BA). “We were very, very famous and very willing to be famous for throwing a lot against the wall and seeing what would stick for many, many years,” Franco shared. “We can do that in the U.K. where you have a 50-plus share and you can develop a lot of things and trial and try new things. “In this market, we did that and it didn’t work. We’ve really taken our range plan, we’ve taken our focuses down to really doing fewer and better things.” That’s led to improved wholesaler partnerships and led to a redeployment of BrewDog’s teams to better support its core markets, Franco said. Additionally, BrewDog USA has been given the opportunity to run its operations with some autonomy from its homebase in Scotland as its U.S. leadership team has earned the trust of the global team. “We’re running things the way we need to run them,” Franco said. “Same on the food side and on the retail side of our business. “For many years, we were very much driven by what the U.K. or international bars looked like, and we would apply that narrative, if you will, or business plan to the U.S. bars. That’s gone away as well.” Franco also discusses how the exits of founders James Watt and Martin Dickie have affected the U.S. business, how the company is approaching innovation and how the company has rethought both its distribution footprint and its taproom strategy. Before the interview, Brewbound’s Justin Kendall, Jessica Infante and Zoe Lica break down the impending closure of 21st Amendment Brewery, the removal of a study from the dietary guidelines process and the challenges of making an alcoholic version of better-for-you soda. They also dig into TikTok trends and the latest grousing about Generation Z’s bar habits. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/38174525

Columbia Distributing Leaders On Building a Next Gen Pipeline of Beer Leaders 09/03/2025

Lessons on Navigating California's Turbulent Craft Distribution Market with Kevin McGee 08/27/2025

Rupee Beer Poised for Indian Cuisine’s Breakout Moment 08/20/2025

Rupee Beer Poised for Indian Cuisine’s Breakout Moment Rupee Beer founders Van and Sumit Sharma believe they’re ready to meet Indian cuisine’s moment. On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, the brothers share their journey of launching the Indian American beer brand during the COVID-19 pandemic as an add-on purchase at their family’s restaurant. Today, Rupee has expanded distribution to 18 states – most recently California – and the Sharmas are readying for an “explosion” of Indian restaurants entering the U.S market. “We’re doing something that really directly ties it into the only story that we know, which is restaurants,” Van Sharma said. “That’s what we grew up in, more specifically, Indian restaurants.” Rupee’s beer has found its way onto menus in Thai, Middle Eastern, Persian, Latin American and Caribbean restaurants. “Anywhere global flavor, spice, those things hang out, that’s where we’re operating these days,” Van Sharma said. “Legacy brands out there definitely paved the way, but we’re doing something a little bit different, which also involves a little bit more of the local, craft American space as well.” Although the Shamras built Rupee’s business primarily through the on-premise channel, they’re now getting the attention of national retailers and they’re leaning into their chain business. Rupee is bringing new innovation to the Indian beer segment, which hasn’t seen an influx of new brands, Van Sharma said. Later in the episode, The Sharmas discuss their strategy for engaging consumers and gaining their attention in retail stores, as well as their approach to building their distribution network and where they want to go next. Plus, Justin, Jess and Zoe catch up on the latest headlines, including why it’s not time to panic despite the Gallup survey’s recent results on Americans drinking habits. They give a legal update on Uncle Nearest and the recipe agreement dispute between Schilling Cider and Incline. They also recap recent bev-alc experiences, from a growing dislike for black cherry flavors, to a sweaty trip to the Iowa State Fair. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/37896410

A Look at Uncle Nearest’s Fight to Retain Control of Operations 08/14/2025

Bump Williams Consulting on the Importance of Defending Display Space, 1st Half 2025 Trends 08/06/2025

Bump Williams Consulting on the Importance of Defending Display Space, 1st Half 2025 Trends While defending shelf space remains important, suppliers need to make sure they’re also retaining lucrative display, floor, promotional and feature space, Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) president Dave Williams and VP of business development and portfolio strategy Brian “BK” Krueger shared in the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. “That’s what really multiplies anything that you have on the shelf,” Krueger said. Beer brands’ display losses aren’t just coming from competitors within the category – they’re coming from other mega alcohol categories and even non-alcoholic (NA) beverages. “If you look at what’s on the floor on display now, it’s less alcohol across the board,” Krueger said. “You’re seeing more of the sodas, more of the flavor, more of the Olipops, more of the Poppis that are getting that space that used to be 50-, 60-case stacks of beer or seltzer or craft or domestic or import. “Now, it’s gone, it’s out of the mix,” he continued. “And the frequency has also eroded away as well.” Williams stressed that suppliers need to maintain alignment with their wholesaler and retailer partners to protect that space, which will be key to winning in the future. That alignment comes from being present in the market to maintain those relationships. In their conversation with Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata, Williams and Krueger also discuss first-half 2025 trends in detail with a few reality checks along the way. “It hasn’t gotten notably worse, but it hasn’t also gotten markedly better,” Williams said of early year trends. “The reality [is] that beer and malt in particular based products, that consumer isn’t coming back around in large droves. “I don’t expect volume to come back in any meaningful way,” he continued. “There are certainly some individual winners … I think a lot of behaviors from consumers right now are drawing people outside of the beer/malt world. They’re slowing down their frequency of consumption or volume that they’re consuming when they do go out and make a purchase at the package store. Krueger and Williams also share how craft brewers are leveraging other areas of bev-alc for growth, what’s contributing to flavored malt beverages’ (FMB) struggles this year and whether consumers are making pricing-based decisions. Plus, the Brewbound team reconvenes to discuss Jim Koch’s return as CEO of Boston Beer and Michael Spillane’s forthcoming exit after 16 months. Justin, Jess and Zoe explain why the CEO change felt out of left field, what it means for Koch to return to power after 24 years and how the conversation around internal candidates is being framed. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/37709185

Berkeley Alley Beer’s New Owners on Being ‘Crazy and Strategic’ 07/30/2025

How Almanac Embraced Its Tiniest Taproom Guests and Their Parents 07/23/2025

The Future is Hoppy: HPA's Record-Breaking Harvest 07/17/2025

How Worth Brewing’s Airbnb Earns Its Keep 07/16/2025

How Hard Slushies Became 10% of Red Bus Brewing’s Summer Beverage Sales 07/09/2025

Learning Lounge: How Coffee Fortified Death of the Fox’s AM/PM Business 07/02/2025

Learning Lounge: How Coffee Fortified Death of the Fox’s AM/PM Business When Death of the Fox Brewing Company opened eight years ago, co-founder Chuck Garrity wanted to make sure its Clarksboro, New Jersey-based taproom stayed busy day and night. So to “maximize” Death of the Fox’s taproom investment and utility, the company launched by also offering coffee service, Garrity shared during the first edition of the Brewbound Podcast’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series. Offering coffee was part of a total beverage mindset that covered an overlap between beer drinkers and coffee connoisseurs, while adding a revenue stream in one of the strictest operating environments for craft brewery taprooms. “My goal was to always have an on-site coffee roastery,” Garrity explained. “So to be able to produce and roast the coffee in the same way that we produce fresh beer for the brewery. In the same respect, we’re doing that with the coffee. To me it just made sense in terms of a business model.” Building an on-site roastery during the COVID-19 pandemic was “a game changer” for the business due to taproom shutdowns. It’s now become the dominant portion of the brewery’s business. “When we first opened, beer was about 75%, 80% of our sales,” he said. “Now, flash forward eight years later, coffee, in terms of the total company, is about 70% of our sales. Beer is about 20% to 25%.” Garrity added that the brewery’s beer sales are still strong, and he’s confident that “beer’s not going anywhere.” But his philosophy is to “follow where the river takes you, don’t fight against the current,” and Death of the Fox’s customers were telling him that while they liked the combination of beer and coffee, they really loved the coffee. Listen for more from Garrity on Death of the Fox’s mix, growing the coffee side of the business amid strict restrictions on beer and advice for adding an attractive coffee menu. Before this week’s featured interview, Jess, Zoe and Justin break down what Barrel One Collective’s acquisition of Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company brings to the platform. And the trio play Another Round or Tabbing Out on 1990s nostalgia seeping into CPG, with more waterbed and Jelly shoes talk than you’d expect. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/37263245

Deep Diving California’s Distribution Shakeup and the RNDC Fallout 06/25/2025

From Malt to Partner Brands – Growing with Supply Chain Allies with Destihl, Briess and U.S. Beverage 06/18/2025

From Malt to Partner Brands – Growing with Supply Chain Allies with Destihl, Briess and U.S. Beverage How can you get the most out of your supply chain relationships? Communication is key, and not just when the headwinds hit. Matt Potts, founder of Normal, Illinois-based Destihl, and Ron Schroder, Briess director of marketing, share how they’re navigating supply challenges and how craft brewers can mitigate issues by maintaining lines of communication. Potts also explains why Destihl has supplemented its own growth with partner brands, including the Wrexham Lager, Hanson Brothers’ Mmmhops IPA, an Evel Knievel-branded beer and collegiate beers, including with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. Plus, U.S. Beverage VP of brand development Kris Sjolander explains the importer and platform’s sales and marketing partnership program. He also dives into what opportunities U.S. Beverage’s contract brewing process offers to potential partners in the U.S. and beyond. U.S Beverage’s partners include Uinta, Woodchuck Cider, Moosehead, Captain Lawerence and several others. Sjolander shares why he believes U.S. Beverage excels at distributor management, how the company is expanding its national accounts presence to meet its partners’ needs and what types of brands benefit the most from partnering with the firm. Before the conversations, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and managing editor Jess Infante break down Tilray Brands’ latest leadership shuffle and taproom closure, as well as quick thoughts on White Claw’s dominance of hard seltzer and cutting its vodka-based canned cocktail line. Jess and Justin play Another Round or Tabbing Out on the elders’ latest Generation Z gripe: forming a single-file line at the bar. They also talk about the Voodoo Ranger-Malört collaboration, Roulette IPA, where consumers risk getting a Malört-inspired IPA in a 6-pack. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/37063575

BevBoost’s Secret to Fresher Beer 06/11/2025

Inside Rhinegeist’s Merch Strategy – Emotional Hooks, Limited Drops and Loyal Fans 06/04/2025

Inside Rhinegeist’s Merch Strategy – Emotional Hooks, Limited Drops and Loyal Fans Merchandise remains an important piece of Rhinegeist Brewery’s business, and the Cincinnati brewery is leveling up under the guidance of merchandise director Jenny Morrissey. Morrissey and Rhinegeist VP of marketing Tracey Ireland share the evolution of the company’s merch strategy from “marketing tool,” to an individual business unit. After hitting its peak in the late 2010s, Rhinegeist’s merch business started to decline. Morrissey, who joined the company a year ago, has brought a fashion background and a new approach to the business, from assortment planning to limited-time offerings. Morrissey and Ireland share how they’re working to engage Rhinegeist’s diverse customer base, from out-of-town visitors to the brewery’s Cincinnati taproom, to its home market “super fans.” “We’re trying to get as many skull drop T-shirts on as many people as possible for every occasion,” Morrissey said. Morrissey and Ireland discuss efforts to re-engage fans with new products via event-driven and limited-time offerings and monthly product drops. “We’re exploring doing a lot more illustration, a lot more nods back to Cincinnati heritage and just having a lot more fun with it, a lot more humor,” Morrissey said. “And then driving sales with scarcity, essentially, and keeping our assortment fresh. It’s such a good lever to pull to just keep things fresh, keep people coming back to check what we have that’s new.” The conversation covers trend spotting, sourcing inspiration, partnering with brands and tapping into a collector community. Morrissey and Ireland also share why creating emotion is key to breaking through with consumers. Plus, they share when to cut bait on slow-moving inventory. Ahead of the interview, the Brewbound team talks through Republic National Distributing Company’s (RNDC) exit from California. Plus, the trio play Another Round or Tabbing Out on the creation of family-friendly spaces, and Almanac CEO Damian Fagan’s distaste of the word “taproom.” /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/36853950

3 Tier Beverages on Key Bev-Alc Trends for Summer 2025 05/28/2025

NB2A’s Kevin Asato on Supporting Black Brewers in Tough Times; Yonder Cider’s Caitlin Braam Speaking to Many Audiences 05/27/2025

NB2A’s Kevin Asato on Supporting Black Brewers in Tough Times; Yonder Cider’s Caitlin Braam Speaking to Many Audiences National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) executive director Kevin Asato explains how obstacles have mounted for the trade group’s members as diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have come under fire during the Trump administration. “The beautiful thing is, I was Black yesterday. I’m Black today. And god willing I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be Black tomorrow,” he said. “The point being, just because there isn’t a tagline like DEI available, doesn’t mean our challenges and our need for diversity and our need to help our Black brewers in this space has gone away. Nothing has changed. Not a single thing has changed for our space here.” Asato shares with Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante how the NB2A is supporting its 86 Black-owned brewery members and its nearly 400 overall members during a special bonus edition of the Brewbound Podcast. He also explains why equipment donations have been key for up-and-coming Black breweries, teases ancient grain fonio’s potential inclusion in Volume 3 of the Black is Beautiful collaboration efforts and talks about why some retailers are doubling-down on diverse brands. Following the conversation with Asato, Yonder Cider founder Caitlin Braam joins Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata to explain how experimenting with events at her brand’s taproom has broadened her hard cider brand’s consumer base. A shared taproom partnership with craft beer brand Bale Breaker has also helped Yonder breakthrough with new audiences, she explains. It’s all about “not being exclusive” and “making spaces and places for various audiences, not just one.” “There isn’t just one audience for your brand. There are many. And you have to find ways to talk to them each individually,” she said. Both conversations were recorded during the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference in Indianapolis. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/36695470

Lagers, IPAs and National Parks with Sierra Nevada and New Trail at CBC 05/21/2025

The Future of Hops: New Varieties and Technologies from Clayton Hops 05/21/2025

Live from CBC – Right Proper’s Leah Cheston and Hi-Wire’s Adam Charnack 05/14/2025

Brewing a New Look: Prairie Malt’s Bold Refresh 05/13/2025

Brewers Association CEO Bart Watson on the State of the Craft Beer 05/07/2025

Brewers Association CEO Bart Watson on the State of the Craft Beer Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bart Watson entered the Brewbound Podcast studio last week fresh off stage from giving his State of the Industry speech at the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). Watson discussed key takeaways from his speech, including why the 4% volume decline for craft last year wasn’t everyone’s experience, as 43% of craft breweries found growth last year. “You can have a number where yes, the middle it is negative, but there’s still lots of people on the positive side,” Watson explained during a conversation with Brewbound’s Jess Infante and Justin Kendall on the Brewbound Podcast. Watson also discussed why the growing number of closures has hit the long-tail of craft breweries – those making fewer than 500 barrels of beer – the hardest. “Running a small business is hard,” Watson said. “They’re just on the smallest line of, ‘OK, the landlord changes the rent when our lease is up.’ … Main Street gets torn up because the city is doing construction. It disrupts our traffic.’ “A 2,000-barrel brewery is going to have resources and options to weather that; a 500-barrel brewery might not,” he continued. “Those are members that we’re trying to think about how we help, how we drive foot traffic and what we can do to improve their conditions.” The conversation touches on several topics, including: How the BA is advocating for its members with the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., and why it’s important for brewery owners to connect with lawmakers; Why full-strength spirits are being added to the Great American Beer Festival and how that’s manifesting in a way to support BA members; Whether the event could move away from Denver in the future; Why there is a perception versus reality issue with consumers when it comes to the flavors that craft offers beyond IPA; And his overall read on the vibe of CBC. Ahead of the interview, the Brewbound team also discusses recent headlines, including Rhinegeist’s NA beer venture and Tilray CEO Irwin Simon’s honest thoughts on the company’s stock price. Plus, the team plays Another Round or Tabbing Out on the commercialization of B.O.R.G.s, and Zoe dishes on her motorsport adventures. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/36472485

CBC Week is Here; Plus, Drawdown Founder Liz Nicol 04/30/2025

Brewers Association Staff Economist Matt Gacioch on Craft Brewers’ ‘Realistic’ Mindsets, Industry Trends, Headwinds & CBC 04/23/2025

Brewers Association Staff Economist Matt Gacioch on Craft Brewers’ ‘Realistic’ Mindsets, Industry Trends, Headwinds & CBC When Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch is asked whether craft brewers are optimistic or pessimistic, his response is “brewers are realistic.” “They are understanding that this is a new environment that they are operating in,” Gacioch said during the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. “Mid-April 2025 is very different than mid-April 2015.” Gacioch, who is in his first year as a full-time employee of the BA, described a maturing and challenging craft beer market for a variety of factors, from consumer consumption shifts to increased competition and variety to economic pressures and tariffs. “The way that consumers and markets don’t like uncertainty, small business owners really don’t like uncertainty,” he said. “That is the environment that we’re in right now. There’s a lot of products that go into beer making and [the] operating of a brewery [that] can be bought from within the U.S., but the supply chain is so complex and so global that certain tariffs are going to have an impact on pricing of brewery inputs. “So not being able to plan too far into the future because of how things have been changing so quickly has made it really tough for brewery owners to make great beer and feel like they can make a solid business plan for the year and years ahead,” he continued. Which brings us to the 2025 edition of the Craft Brewers Conference taking place in Indianapolis next week (April 28-May 1). Gacioch anticipates that many of the conversations inside and outside of the Indiana Convention Center will center on those factors and strategies for pushing forward, including his own seminar (1:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 29) discussing case studies from breweries who tapped into growth drivers in 2024. Gacicoh also touches on new breweries making this year’s top 50 craft list, potential opportunities and challenges for breweries adding food service and why he’s excited for CBC. Plus, more conversation about kicking field goals than you’d expect. But first, the Brewbound team recaps the latest news, including the BA’s recent webinar on tariffs and the NBWA and Fintech’s Q1 2025 webinar on beer category sales trends. Justin, Jess and Zoe play Another Round or Tabbing Out on copycat designs infiltrating the hard lemonade and iced tea space, with a hat tip to Fingers’ Dave Infante. /episode/index/show/brewbound/id/36279390

Top 50 Breweries, a California Craft-on-Craft Merger and a Conversation with Ibotta 04/16/2025

Crafting Tech for Craft Makers: Arryved’s All-In-One POS and Capital Solution for Breweries 04/14/2025

The Latest Spirits News, Plus Colorado Craft-on-Craft Brewery Deals 04/09/2025

Exploring the Future of Hops: Hop Products Australia’s Latest Harvest & Innovations 04/08/2025

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