Brewbound Podcast

Canadian cannabis company Aphria struck a $300 million deal to acquire Atlanta's Sweetwater Brewing Company -- the maker of the 420 Extra Pale Ale brand and other cannabis-themed products. Liz Connors, director of analytics for Headset, a firm that tracks cannabis data and analytics; Rick Maturo, associate director of client services for the cannabis practice at Nielsen; and Sean McNulty, host of...

Craft beer evangelist Julia Herz discusses breweries' needs during the pandemic, how the beer industry can become more inclusive, and what's next for her following her departure from the Brewers Association. Plus, the Brewbound team breaks down recent beer business news, including winter hibernations announced at breweries in Illinois and Massachusetts, more wholesaler moves in the Midwest and new...

3Tier Beverage's Donn Bichsel Jr., the Brewers Association's Marc Sorini and PINTS LLC's Kimberly Clements join the Brewbound Podcast to discuss wholesaler consolidation in recent weeks, including Reyes' moves in Indiana, California and Illinois, and what it means for small brewers.

On the second episode of the revamped Brewbound Podcast, a panel of three expert guests discuss hard seltzer introductions from Michelob Ultra, Topo Chico and others, as well as the recently completed acquisition of Craft Brew Alliance by Anheuser-Busch. Guests include NBWA chief economist Lester Jones, marketing and communications consultant Lisa Derus and Credit Suisse managing director of equit...

On the first episode of the revamped Brewbound Podcast, a panel of guests discuss recent beer industry news stories, including the joint venture between Molson Coors and Yuengling, the DOJ's approval of the merger between Anheuser-Busch InBev and Craft Brew Alliance, a study that found the beer industry could shed 651,000 jobs by the end of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the staying pow...

Nearly six months after the pandemic upended the beer industry, leaders from the three major beer industry trade organizations discuss how the industry is meeting challenges presented by the novel coronavirus, efforts to provide brewers with relief, the industry's legislative priorities, and much more. Guests include National Beer Wholesalers Association president and CEO Craig Purser, Brewers Ass...

Nearly six months after the pandemic upended the beer industry, leaders from the three major beer industry trade organizations discuss how the industry is meeting challenges presented by the novel coronavirus, efforts to provide brewers with relief, the industry's legislative priorities, and much more. Guests include National Beer Wholesalers Association president and CEO Craig Purser, Brewers Ass...

Leaders from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Russian River Brewing Company, Green Bench Brewing Co. and Hopewell Brewing Co. share how their breweries have operated since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the beer industry in mid-March. Panelists include Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione, Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo, Green Bench co-owner and head brewer Khris Johnson and Hopewell co-founder...

Dealmakers from Arlington Capital Advisors, Cascadia Capital, Cowen and Company, and Farlie, Turner & Co. discuss the influence of private equity money on the craft brewing industry and the current state of M&A activity in the brewing space.  Guests include Craig Farlie, Managing Director, Farlie, Turner & Co.; Townsend Ziebold, Managing Director Investment Banking, Cowen and Company; Nicole​ Nuge...

Fresh Fest co-founder Day Bracey joins to discuss the beer festival showcasing Black-owned breweries, and industry professionals share taproom staff management best practices. Bracey shares his experience organizing a cultural event in a post-COVID-19 world. Dani Babineau, CEO of Worcester, Massachusetts-based Redemption Rock Brewing, and Adam Delaura, co-founder of Manchester, Connecticut-based L...

The leaders of Ballast Point Brewing discuss their journey from running small upstart craft brewery Kings & Convicts, to making one of the biggest acquisitions of 2019. CEO Brendan Watters and COO Chris Bradley shared the challenges they faced as they were handed the keys to Ballast Point from Constellation Brands just two days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down on-premise establishments natio...

Danelle Kosmal, VP of Beverage Alcohol Practice at Nielsen, analyzes hard seltzer sales trends during the coronavirus pandemic, and leaders from hard seltzer brands Press, Nauti and Bubs discuss how their regional and national brands are competing in the fast-growing segment. Joining Kosmal on the panel are Archie Gleason, VP of sales for Bubs maker Sycamore Brewing; Amy Walberg, co-founder of Pre...

Brewing education is expensive, and it's often difficult for entrepreneurs who are Black, indigenous and people of color to secure capital. These hurdles often keep women and people of color out of beer, an industry that's long been dominated by white men. This week's panelists are working to provide scholarships, hands-on experience or business loans to people who want to enter the beer industry....

Border X Brewing co-owners David and Carmen Favela and Mujeres Brew Club co-founder Esthela Davila discuss the upcoming Mujeres Brew House, a taproom and community space for women in San Diego to learn about brewing and the beer industry. Dan Kopman, the CEO of Maryland-based Heavy Seas, discusses the current state of the beer industry and the regulatory assistance needed to help craft brewers get...

Legal experts Nichole Shustack of McDermott, Will & Emery and Shauna Barnes of Kaleo Legal joined Brewbound Frontlines to discuss recent privileges extended to brewers and retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the finer points of operating within the three-tier system. Jim Peters, director of the Responsible Hospitality Institute, discussed expansion of open container policies to create socia...

Leaders of Massachusetts craft breweries Jack's Abby Craft Lagers, Wormtown Brewery, Castle Island Brewing and Vitamin Sea Brewing discuss their 2019 volume growth and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation turned to the measure of success in the volume growth-obsessed craft beer industry. Panelists discussed what indicators they check to measure the health of their companies, such...

Weathered Souls Brewing co-founder Marcus Baskerville and marketing and sales manager Kimberly Machado discuss the Black is Beautiful collaboration, which aims to raise money and awareness to end police brutality and racism. So far, 635 breweries have signed up to participate. Buffalo Wild Wings beverage innovation manager Jason Murphy shares the sports bar chain's reopening plans post-COVID-19 sh...

Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson and National Beer Wholesalers Association chief economist Lester Jones discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumers' beer-buying patterns, what the road back might look like for the beer industry and what's needed in the interim as breweries attempt to recoup losses from a shuttered on-premise channel.

In Episode 21 of the Brewbound Podcasts's third season, leaders of Stone Brewing, Rogue Ales & Spirits and Revolution Brewing discuss how their companies are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Stone Brewing CEO Dominic Engels, Rogue Ales & Spirits president Dharma Tamm and Revolution Brewing CFO Doug Veliky share updates on their breweries' business, how they've pivoted and what they're doing to ma...

In Episode 20 of the Brewbound Podcast's third season, experts from leading e-commerce platforms Drizly and GoPuff, as well as beverage analysts from Rabobank discuss the success of the e-commerce channel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drizly director of consumer insights Liz Paquette, GoPuff director of alcohol Randy Ornstein and Rabobank analysts Bourcard Nesin and Jim Watson share how breweries...

Cinder Block's Bryce Schaffter, 2nd Shift's Libby Crider, Creature Comforts' Chris Herron and Monday Night's Jeff Heck discuss how they plan to ease back into on-premise service, safety precautions they're adding to their breweries and the emotional aspect of how it feels to weigh business conditions against the health and safety of staff and customers.

In Episode 18 of the Brewbound Podcast's third season, guild leaders from California, New York and Illinois, as well as Brewers Association senior VP Paul Gatza discuss challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Gatza, along with Illinois Craft Brewers Guild executive director Danielle D'Alessandro, California Craft Brewers Association executive director Tom McCormick and New York State Brewers Ass...

In Episode 17 of the Brewbound Podcast's third season, Harpoon Brewery co-founder Dan Kenary and Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish discuss the survival mode thousands of craft brewers find themselves in. They would know -- Kenary and Fish's companies have ridden out many storms during their 30-plus years in business. They discuss leadership, what it's like to be an employee-owned company and wha...

In Episode 16 of the Brewbound Podcast's third season, the founders of Other Half, Trillium and WeldWerks discuss how they're adjusting their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trillium's JC and Esther Tetreault, Other Half's Matt Monahan and WeldWerks' Colin Jones discuss how their businesses have pivoted, how they're approaching innovation, the future of the on-premise and much more.

Representatives from Iowa's Exile Brewing, Oklahoma's COOP Ale Works and North Dakota's Six Shooter Hospitality share what it's like to operate in states that haven't issued statewide stay at home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nick Cervine, Sean Mossman and Angie Pelton share safety measures they're taking, their experiences applying for government assistance programs and more in the first...