Brewbound Podcast

Brewbound
  • 3.7 (3)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

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 podcast@brewbound.com.

  1. 2 days ago

    The Beer Industry's New Era of Competition

    The decade-long consent decree that allowed Anheuser-Busch InBev's (A-B) MegaBrew merger with SABMiller to go forward expired in July, removing guardrails that had been placed on the world's largest beer manufacturer by the Department of Justice to ensure competition in the marketplace.    Chris Jones, managing director of Central Market Strategies, joins this week's Brewbound Podcast to explore what competition looks like in a post-consent decree beer industry.   Jones argues the consent decree did its job, creating a competitive environment that allowed new brands over the last decade such as Athletic Brewing, Mark Anthony Brands' White Claw and Boston Beer's Truly Hard Seltzer to become category leaders in non-alcoholic (NA) beer and hard seltzer, respectively, while also preventing A-B "from using its massive size as the world's largest brewer to disrupt the market."    WIth the consent decree's guardrails down, including the removal of an independent monitor who maintained compliance by handling claims of interference and coercion, there now exists "a lot more risk in the system of this market power and abuses of market power that could result from the size and scale of the largest brewer," Jones said.   Going forward, it will be important to track national market share in an already "highly concentrated market" and middle-tier consolidation in the years ahead, he added.   Listen to the full conversation with Brewbound managing editor Jessica Infante here.    Before the conversation, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and senior reporter Zoe Licata join Jess to run through the latest news, including Lawson's Finest Liquids' first NA beer, what distributors say is on their cut lists, a distributor territory swap in the Northeast and "warm beer takes" on the latest NFL beer marketing.

    The Beer Industry's New Era of Competition

  2. 5 Aug

    CEO Michelle Ivey Dives Into Lake Hour's Strategy

    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.   "Once I tried it, I realized it was one of those, 'actually' brands that when you take a sip, you're like 'Wow, actually, this is great. This tastes so good,'" Ivey said. "And so, I was so impressed with what they did and what they built two years in as startup founders that have had no experience in the industry."   Before the interview, the Brewbound team discusses recent headlines, including a proposed reprieve for intoxicating hemp beverages, how many retailers sold out of various bev-alc products during the World Cup and how Anheuser-Busch InBev views itself relative to spirits giants.

    CEO Michelle Ivey Dives Into Lake Hour's Strategy

  3. 29 July

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

    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 projected craft volume declines of 4%. They discuss why the news isn't all bad – with a majority of respondents reporting growth – and  why it's not all good.    The conversation shifts to Boston Beer's second-quarter results and Sun Cruiser's growing importance to the company's bottomline. They also explore Boston's growing fast-follower innovation strategy, including Rally Dog, a potential hard sports drink challenger brand. Plus, they touch on if beer companies might be walking back their opposition to the spirits industry's equalization efforts.   Finally, seasonal creep is here and real as pumpkin beers are already popping up on store shelves.    It's a quick, fun recap of the latest news.  Listen here.

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

  4. 22 July

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

    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 allegedly ill-gotten business loans, new leadership at the National Black Brewers Association and James Watt's second attempt to buy back BrewDog.

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

  5. 15 July

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

    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 non-alcoholic beer and yet part of the magic is unpacking and uncovering these new occasions that deserve a beer," Huffard said. "Case in point for me is a lunch beer."   The first wave – driven by the rise of Athletic Brewing Company – helped normalize NA beer and remove the penalty box elements of old-school offerings, Huffard explained.    "I give those guys an incredible amount of praise for creating an environment where people could participate in the category and it wasn't weird," he said. "And the concept of non-alcoholic craft beer was born in that first wave."   The second wave is about growing the pie, expanding grocery baskets and taking NA beer's share upward from 2% to 10% and beyond, Huffard said.    In the episode, Huffard discusses Best Day's 30% distribution growth this year and retail expansion, finding luck in craft brewery taprooms, navigating the disruption caused by the launch of Anheuser-Busch InBev's Michelob Ultra Zero and much more.    But first, the Brewbound team also catches up on the latest news, including July 4 scans, exec moves at New Belgium and a Jersey banner plane and patio tent update.

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

  6. 8 July

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

    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 that it worked for her hometown zoo.    The team also shares their personal July 4 experiences, including a view from the Jersey Shore, and the mixed results by channel for the World Cup and surge of imported beer.    Zoe also explains why quality is a default expectation for consumers now, and shouldn't be a marketing talking point in 2026.

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

  7. 1 July

    Shootin' the Breeze Ahead of the Fourth

    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 is the time for hot RTD brands to explore a sale.

    Shootin' the Breeze Ahead of the Fourth

  8. 25 June

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

    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 particularly close," Hendler said. "We're selling 6 or 7x the House Lager than we are of the top-selling IPA in that taproom right now."   Hendler shared insights into the World Cup-driven boost at the company's Night Shift taprooms and beer gardens and how they prepared their brands (Jack's Abby, Wormtown, Masshole Light and Sloop) to stand out in the trade during this high visibility time.   In the Boston area, hosting the World Cup and thousands of spectators who have come to support their teams has been a boon for the hospitality industry, particularly beer distributors and breweries.   "On the ground, the atmosphere has been fantastic. People have been showing up, people are having a great time, and they're drinking a lot of beer as it goes on," Hendler said. "There's been so much talk in beer about winning occasions that are beyond what the beer occasion has always been, and the industry still obviously needs work to do on that, because the World Cup, unfortunately, won't last for 365 days a year forever. But it's clear that beer is a winner for this occasion, and it's been absolutely fantastic."   Before the interview, Justin and Zoe discuss the results of the Brewers Association's annual Harris Poll of consumers' views on craft beer, recent developments in the ongoing collapse of Republic National Distributing Company and a first impression of Keystone Light Apple.

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

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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 podcast@brewbound.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Brewbound
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    394
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Brewbound Podcast

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