Brewbound Industry News

(Updated) Left Hand Collective Adds Bootstrap Brewing; Production Will Move to Left Hand Facility

Longmont’s Bootstrap Brewing is the latest Colorado brewery to join Left Hand Collective, a craft brewing “alliance” formed last year with the merger of Left Hand Brewing and Dry Dock Brewing.

Breakthru Beverage Lays Off 500 Workers Amid Industry Shakeup

Breakthru Beverage Group has undergone a “strategic review” of the company’s “overall business,” according to a memo sent to employees by CEO Tom Bené on Tuesday, leading to layoffs of approximately 500 people, sources confirmed to Brewbound.

Boston Beer Top Execs Receive 3% Pay Bumps in 2026, Pull in Nearly $2.3M in Bonuses

Boston Beer Company’s top executives are receiving 3% raises, plus bonuses for 2025 performance, according to an 8-K filed Tuesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission. Those bonuses are on the lower end of the 3% to 8% bonus range allocated by Boston Beer at the start of 2025.

Brewery Closings: Barrel House Z, Angel City, Triphammer Bierwerks and More

Barrel House Z ceased operations earlier this month after nine years, the Weymouth, Massachusetts-based craft brewery announced last week.

Tilray Strikes 5-Year Licensing Deal with Carlsberg for US Market

Tilray Brands has signed a multi-year licensing deal with the Carlsberg Group to produce, market, sell and distribute the Danish brewer’s portfolio – including Carlsberg, Carlsberg Elephant, Kronenbourg 1664 and Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc – in the U.S. The partnership has an initial five-year term, beginning January 1, 2027.

Jiant Expands Portfolio with High ABV Hard Soda and NA Hop Tea; Closing Capital Raise to Fund Marketing Team & Meet Demand

In 2025, Jiant told Brewbound that it wanted to be hard tea’s Olipop – a flavor-forward, ingredient-focused functional brand that connected with new and lapsed drinkers in the category.

Surfside Adds Blueberry Lemonade, Half & Half Variety Pack

Surfside, the spirits-based iced tea category leader, is launching four new flavors as the brand continues its rise from a Northeast favorite to national ready-to-drink (RTD) powerhouse.

Hemp’s Suppliers, Distributors Face ‘Hurry-Up-and-Wait’ Moment

The future of hemp beverages remains in flux as potential legislative bills circulate on Capitol Hill, but for suppliers and distributors in the space, keeping up with demand has been business as usual. Almost.

Stability in Supply, Uncertainty in Direction: Q1 Supply Chain Report from Agrowgate

The Q1 2026 Supply Chain Snapshot dives into the critical inputs shaping beverage production - grains, hops, glass, sweeteners, packaging, and freight - highlighting where supply is abundant, where pricing remains stubbornly high, and where policy or geopolitical shifts could quickly alter the equation.

NBWA Survey: Beer Expected to be 67% of Distributors’ Portfolios in 5 Years, Down from 76% in 2025

Distributors expect beer to be a smaller part of their portfolios in the next five years, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) fall survey of 161 distributors.

Circana Weekly Scans: Super Bowl Boosts Bev-Alc Sales +10.9% WoW; YoY 1.4% Decline ‘Not So Bad,’ Scanlon Says

Super Bowl LX bev-alc sales failed to surpass 2025 levels, but the trends aren’t as bad as they may seem on the surface, Circana EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon reported with the latest off-premise scans.

Former HR VP Sues Bardstown Bourbon for Discrimination

The former vice president of human resources at Bardstown Bourbon Company has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging discrimination, retaliation and broader workplace misconduct at the prominent Kentucky-based whiskey producer.

Oregon’s Crux Fermentation, Cascade Lakes, GoodLife & Others Form Collective; Crux Sold to Cascade Lakes Owners

The latest joining of craft brewing forces occurred in Bend, Oregon last week, with the creation of the Oregon Beverage Collective (OBC).

Report: BrewDog Explores Sale as Board Taps Restructuring Firm

Scottish craft brewery BrewDog is exploring a sale, Sky News reported over the weekend. The craft brewery’s board has reportedly hired restructuring firm AlixPartners to gauge interest from prospective buyers “with a quickfire deadline for indicative offers.”

US Beer Shipments -5.9% in 2025, 8.68M-Barrel Decline; Shipments Down in All 50 States

Domestic shipments declined 5.9% in 2025, a loss of more than 8.68 million barrels of beer, according to domestic tax paid shipment data shared by the Beer Institute (BI) Friday.

Insider’s Week in Beer: 🐶 The BA Answers Who’s a Good Dog?

In our newly evolving AI world that I’m told we’ll soon be living in – or rather, you will (you’re talking to a guy who still pays his bills via the U.S. Postal Service) – we have a couple of developments this week on either side of the AI coin.

Press Clips: Georgia Self-Distribution Bill Resurfaces; On-Premise Valentine’s Boost Expected; Flix Acquires 4 Alamo Theaters

Check out news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter February 12-13, including headlines from Georgia, NIQ, Sierra Nevada and more.

Wall Street Analysts on the Keys For Nick Fink to Succeed as Constellation CEO

Nick Fink’s appointment Thursday as Constellation Brands’ CEO-in-waiting sparked takes from Wall Street analysts on what the transition means for the future of the Mexican beer importer.

CPI: On-Premise Bev-Alc Continues to Outpace Overall Inflation Through January, While Off-Premise Lags Behind

Price hikes for beverage-alcohol continue to be a tale of diverging trajectories through the start of 2026.

RTDs Lose Ground In Total Wine & More Super Bowl Sales

Bad Bunny and The Seattle Seahawks were the champions of Super Bowl LX, but who won Super Bowl sales at Total Wine & More?