Brewbound Podcast

Brewbound
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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. Long Drink Face & Brand Soul: CEO Evan Burns on Winning the US Market

    1D AGO

    Long Drink Face & Brand Soul: CEO Evan Burns on Winning the US Market

    How did a drink that was concocted for the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games find relevance in the U.S. today?    Finnish Long Drink co-founder and CEO Evan Burns explained on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast how the gin-based ready-to-drink (RTD) brand has connected with modern consumers through sampling, storytelling and authentic celebrity partnerships.     Burns shared that first-time Long Drink consumers often get "Long Drink Face" – a range of emotions that start with confusion for what the product is, to surprise after they try it, to ultimately delight. That starts a domino effect with the newfound fan turning their friends and spouses on to the product, Burns said. It also opens them up to the story of the cocktail made from gin, grapefruit juice and water more than half a decade ago for Finland's Olympic moment.   During a conversation with Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata, Burns emphasized how the Long Drink has stayed true to its citrus roots and isn't a product to be spun off into 30 flavors.    "It's about building brands with soul," he said.   Burns also discussed how a celebrity partnership with actor Miles Teller led to other celebrities organically signing on with the brand, how the Long Drink leverages social media and tips for any CPG brands seeking growth.

    48 min

  2. 3D AGO

    A Decade of Craft and Community: Inside the 10th Annual New England Craft Brew Summit

    In this Brewbound Podcast interview, host Jess Infante sits down with Sarah Bryan, Executive Director of the Maine Brewers Guild, to preview the 10th Annual New England Craft Brew Summit, taking place Friday, March 6 in Portland, Maine. The one-day conference, New England's largest B2B gathering for the craft brewing industry, brings together brewers, brewery owners, suppliers, and industry partners for a jam-packed day of education, collaboration, and connection. Bryan describes the summit as a distinctly New England event: independent, no-nonsense, and intentionally designed to deliver maximum value in a short amount of time for busy operators. Bryan highlights what's new for the milestone year, including an expanded and modernized trade floor, longer educational sessions, and a keynote address from Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Company. Anchored by the theme "The Brewer's Compass: Finding Focus, Crafting with Purpose," the program reflects an increasingly mature craft beer landscape, with advanced sessions covering topics like AI in the brewing workplace, modern PR and earned media, supplier innovation, employee wellness, and navigating today's complex market conditions. Beyond the conference floor, the summit also features a full slate of networking events, brewery collaborations, and celebrations throughout Portland, reinforcing the event's reputation as both a business-critical conference and a cornerstone gathering for the New England beer community. For more information and registration details, visit the New England Craft Brew Summit website.

    11 min
  3. Monday Night Brewing Founders on Knowing the Right Time to Make a Leadership Change

    FEB 4

    Monday Night Brewing Founders on Knowing the Right Time to Make a Leadership Change

    Monday Night Brewing co-founder and CEO Jeff Heck had an Office Space moment a couple of years ago after returning from a three-month sabbatical in the South of France.    "When I came back, I realized the company was generally doing great," he said, adding he had a moment straight from the movie's famous meeting-of-the-Bobs scene and asked himself: "What is it that you say you do here?"   "If you can leave your job for three months and things are generally fine, it's worth asking what would you do here," Heck explained. "I've just never wanted to be the old guy who comes in with a newspaper and puts his feet up on the desk because he's 80 years old and just wants to be at the office. I like working. And I like having something meaningful to do."   That moment spawned the beginning of a succession plan for the CEO role, which transferred to Monday Night co-founder Joel Iverson last month.    On the latest Brewbound Podcast, Heck and Iverson shared that their eventual succession plan was a reflection of Monday Night leaders' overarching cultural philosophy of working to make their jobs irrelevant and identifying the coworkers next in line to take the reins.    "That's true for everyone – from our general managers at each of our six locations to our production team – 'Hey, if someone gets hit by a bus tomorrow, who is it that's ready to step into your role?'" Heck said. "And the answer is not always clear, but if there's not a clear answer, your job is to start working on that.    "The reality is that we've never had a concrete, explicit plan for what transition looked like," he continued. "But the core was how do we make sure we're culturally and missionly aligned across our leadership team so that in the event that Joel, Jonathan and I all went down in a plane crash that there would still be torchbearers for what we want to be as a company and a brewery if we're long gone."   Getting there took Monday Night 12 years, Heck and Iverson shared. In the episode, they discussed how they eventually arrived at a transition plan, the importance of the culture they're built at the brewery and their vision for the future.    Before the interview, Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss the latest bev-alc news, including the re-emergence of hard sodas, the Great American Beer Festival's move outdoors and surprisingly positive scans to open the year.

    49 min
  4. Minneapolis' Insight Brewing on Supporting a Community in Crisis

    JAN 28

    Minneapolis' Insight Brewing on Supporting a Community in Crisis

    Minneapolis has dominated national headlines for weeks as area residents protest the Department of Homeland Security's heightened crackdown on Minnesota's large immigrant population. Tensions have intensified as agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have killed two American citizens in shootings that have been recorded by observers.    Local businesses such as Insight Brewing have taken a stand against ICE's occupation of the city. Insight marketing manager Joey Steinbach joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss how the brewery has stepped up as a community hub by collecting food and other donations to distribute to mutual aid groups, supporting neighbors who participated in last week's general strike and emphasizing its role as a friendly third space.   Before the interview, Zoe and Jess discuss recent news, including takeaways from the Beer, Wine & Spirits Summit and a sneak peek at Budweiser's upcoming Super Bowl commercial.

    41 min
  5. How pFriem Family Brewers and New Trail Win the Home Games

    JAN 21

    How pFriem Family Brewers and New Trail Win the Home Games

    How can a craft brewer 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.    This week's Brewbound Podcast highlights a stage conversation from Brewbound Live featuring Kellner and New Trail Brewing (Williamsport, PA) COO and partner Mike LaRosa. Both breweries have secured impressive volume growth within footprints that don't stretch far beyond their neighboring states.    Before the featured conversation, Justin – freshly returned from parental leave – and Jess discuss recent headlines, including the return of Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World, and whether or not nostalgia can bring in new beer drinkers.

    51 min
  6. What the New Dietary Guidelines Mean for Bev-Alc

    JAN 14

    What the New Dietary Guidelines Mean for Bev-Alc

    After a lengthy delay that included much fretting among industry insiders, the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were unveiled earlier this month. Any fears that anti-alcohol activists had infiltrated the quinquennial process were eased, as the new guidelines preach moderation over specific daily drink allowances.    Beer Marketer's Insights senior editor Christopher Shepard, who has followed the process closely, joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the DGA, the fraught path to publication and what this could mean for brewers.    Before the featured interview, Zoe and Jess discuss recent beer industry headlines, including a proposed deal between the Reyes Beverage Group and Republic National Distributing Company, 2 Towns Ciderhouse's acquisition of Seattle Cider and the somewhat heartening data Circana published in the past month.

    56 min
  7. The Year in Booze News

    JAN 7

    The Year in Booze News

    A new year means it's Brewbound's annual roundtable conversation with our peers in beer industry journalism.  This year, the Brewbound team is joined by Kate Bernot, lead analyst for Feel Goods Insights, and David Steinman, VP and executive editor of Beer Marketer's Insights. The discussion covers the biggest bev-alc news stories of 2025, including middle-tier consolidation, overall category health and consumer sentiment.

    44 min
  8. Anderson Valley Brewing's Jason McConnell on Taking the Reins of a Beloved Brand

    12/30/2025

    Anderson Valley Brewing's Jason McConnell on Taking the Reins of a Beloved Brand

    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.   McConnell chatted with Brewbound editor Justin Kendall during the California Craft Beer Summit in November about AVBC's beer park and several new Japanese-inspired offerings, as well as his observations as a newcomer to craft beer.    "The beer world is a lot more laid back and a lot more fun to promote than the wine world," McConnell said. "It's different, and it's awesome."   Before the interview, senior reporter Zoe Licata and managing editor Jessica Infante discuss Brewbound's most-read news stories of 2025, as well as recent headlines, including Stateside's new Super Lyte and data about consumers' plans for New Year's Eve and Dry January.

    35 min
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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
    366
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Brewbound Podcast

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