NEWS

Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) founder Phil Bannatyne joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the recent announcement that the Massachusetts brewpub will shut its doors in December after 35 years in business.

Brewbound’s annual Best Of Awards are accepting nominations for 2024! The awards celebrate beverage-alcohol companies for their achievements and impact throughout the last year and serve as an appreciation of notable industry members, trend setters, breakout brands, change agents and up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Draft beer reclaimed the volume lost during last year’s National Football League (NFL) opening weekend (September 5-8), according to on-premise data firm BeerBoard.

Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques laid out the company’s 2025 strategy in the U.S. as part of its “next chapter” as she opened the 2024 distributor convention in San Antonio Tuesday afternoon. Although the core remains a top priority, Molson Coors will put a large focus on its above premium portfolio.

Beer inflation eased slightly in August, but still remains above other bev-alc categories and the total industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.

Spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) products will face a challenge to maintain double-digit growth rates in 2025, including a decluttering of items at retail in order for the segment to remain healthy, according to Bump Williams Consulting’s (BWC) monthly report.

Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch tackled several industry issues during a fireside chat at the Barclays Global Consumer Conference last week. Koch hit on issues from beer growth and headwinds to opportunities in the on-premise channel and early returns on the company’s new premium vodka-based hard tea brand Sun Cruiser.

Bev-Alc marketplace Flaviar has acquired industry fulfillment service provider, Speakeasy Co., bolstering its B2B capabilities as it aims to become a multi-billion-dollar global bev-alc e-commerce player. Terms of the cash and stock deal were not disclosed.

Duvel Moortgat-owned Firestone Walker is staying in the beer category in 2025, and believes beer can still speak to consumer needs – even the consumers who “don’t know they like beer yet.”

Russian River Brewing co-owner Natalie Cilurzo will share how the Sonoma County craft brewery created an annual event celebrating its Pliny the Younger triple IPA release in her opening keynote address to the 2024 Brewbound Live business conference on December 11.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) could change hands again for the second time in nearly five years, according to a BizQuest listing that offers the Boonville, California-based craft brewery for sale.

Citing concerns over public health, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed heavy restrictions Friday on “intoxicating hemp products.” Through an emergency regulation, Newsom proposed removing food and beverage products containing hemp extract from stores within the Golden State.

Millennials are driving the rise of non-alcoholic (NA) adult beverages in the U.S., data firm IWSR reported.

While I usually resist Justin’s notes to me to please work more politics into this newsletter, in this case – I think it’s merited. Ladies and gentlemen, I have excellent news: The Beer Party is gaining momentum.

Production of Modern Times Beer will shift to AleSmith Brewing in San Diego as part of a new contract brewing relationship with Craft ‘Ohana, the portfolio company that includes Maui Brewing, Modern Times and Kupu Spirits.

Beverage options abound in downtown Boston: properly poured Guinness at an Irish pub, wine at an Italian restaurant in the North End, a large iced regular at one of several (several!) Dunkin’ locations. But there’s only one place you can find a pint of pineapple basil ale, and that’s Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams Boston Taproom, where head brewer Megan Parisi is brewing all sorts of interesting beers for tourists and locals alike.

Molson Coors has joined the growing list of large consumer-facing companies to disavow their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to Bloomberg.

Tilray Brands has restructured its workforce and cut “a limited number of employees across various departments,” the company confirmed to Brewbound.

Five months removed from its abrupt closure, next-gen convenience chain Foxtrot Market is preparing to reopen its doors tomorrow.

U.S. brewers shipped an estimated 12.8 million barrels of beer in July, a -2.5% decline year-over-year (YoY), and a loss of 458,000 barrels compared to July 2023, according to the Beer Institute (BI).