Brewbound Podcast

Von Ebert Brewing brewer Dashawn Agbonze sees himself as the "fun police" – a badge he wears proudly, much like the German brewers that he admires. "I'm always like, 'Why are we doing this?'" Agbonze said on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. "Ultimately, like the Germans, I don't believe in magic. I need an explanation. Let's talk it out. Part of that is, let's train people so that everyone can see the same vision and we have the same goal because we know exactly how to get there." Agbonze, a two-time Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF) scholarship awardee, shares his journey climbing the ranks of the brewing industry and why he believes education is critical for up-and-coming brewers. "The education is important because it enables you to be in a controlled space to fail," he explained. "You're not putting a business on the line. You don't have employees with families that you have to risk in order to learn that 'Hey, a clean tank would make the beer that you want,' or 'Hey, contamination via your canning line can happen,' or how to solve these problems in a safe space." Failures in a learning environment become key lessons in training the next generation of brewers, Agbonze shares. Before the interview, the Brewbound team discusses the latest news, including a major departure from Whole Foods' bev-alc team, an update on Pabst's stolen beer, the Beer Institute's latest beer supply data and FIFCO USA's new owner and new/old name. Brewbound managing editor Jessica Infante also shares highlights from her trip to Asheville for the annual business planning meetings at Highland Brewing and Sierra Nevada.

The summer selling season wraps up this weekend with Labor Day Monday, and one of the hottest segments of the summer has been hard sports drinks. Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and senior reporter Zoe Licata dive into the fast-growing segment and how their views have shifted on it over the last year. They look at who is leading the segment now and new entrants looking to fast-follow, including Boston Beer Company. The duo also recap several rounds of layoffs, including Sapporo USA's wind-down of the Stone Brewing-branded locations in Escondido, California; Mark Anthony's integration of the Finnish Long Drink and coming sales team cuts; and Diageo's ongoing $1.2 billion restructuring effort hitting its NYC headquarters. Plus, Justin and Zoe discuss low-ABV beers (and Justin cracks Sierra Nevada's new Go-Two IPA) and Pabst's viral stolen beer marketing campaign.

Fingers boozeletter author Dave Infante joins the Brewbound Podcast to deep dive Diageo's ongoing restructuring and workforce slashing under CEO Sir Dave Lewis (aka "Drastic Dave" for his reputation for making big cuts at previous stops). Infante shares insights from his reporting and conversations with Diageo employees, many of whom wondered why the Guinness and Johnnie Walker maker was so slow to adapt to the modern bev-alc competitive landscape. "The frustration that I heard from current and former Diageo employees was mostly about why weren't we doing this before we had to start laying everyone off," Infante tells Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and managing editor Jessica Infante (no relation). "You don't have to get to this point before you start pivoting to RTDs." The trio also hit recent headlines, including Garage Beer and Liquid Death tapping into the real world animosity around data centers and BuzzBallz's recent Pop-Tarts partnership. Jessica offered a theory on the BuzzBallz-Pop-Tarts team up: "Kids aren't eating Pop-Tarts. You know who's eating Pop-Tarts? Sad, elder millennials who can't afford anything else and want a tiny treat. The moms who would be out marching on the capitol up in arms against this aren't feeding that to their kids." "They're the ones who are intrigued by the BuzzBallz Pop-Tarts that they saw on Instagram," Dave adds. "That's definitely going into their Stanley tumblers," Jess says.

Does every beer need a non-alcoholic (NA) analog? The Brewbound team discusses on the latest episode of the Brewbound Podcast. As Molson Coors prepares to launch an NA version of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall questions whether the product is trend chasing or if consumers are clamoring for it. Managing editor Jessica Infante gets White Claw Zero flashbacks, while senior reporter Zoe Licata offers a different perspective after exploring NA ciders. The trio also analyze recent headlines, including: Samuel Adams taproom workers' plans to unionize and Boston Beer's response, so far; And B3 Beverage's "complicated" partnerships, with a deal for Yards Brewing going forward and others falling through.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt is "the most excited" he's felt since founding the dedicated non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand. On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, Shufelt shared what's driving his hyped feeling, with a foundation he and co-founder John Walker laid about a decade ago. That foundation is built on a team of 300 co-workers, bicoastal brewing facilities, a strong distribution base for its core beers, a slate of new products hitting retailers and marketing campaigns beginning to ramp up. "I'm very bullish on the long-term health and growth of the category and our part in growing that," Shufelt said. "It was very hard to get non-alcoholic beer from zero to 2% of beer, but there are actual retailers in the U.S. [where] non-alcoholic beer is touching up against 20% of their beer sales." Those retailers lend credence to Shufelt's belief that NA beer can be a much bigger part of the beer category. Shufelt explained that consumers are very early in the NA beer discovery curve, with the vast majority unaware how the product has changed in the last decade. Even with the stage set for growth, Shufelt acknowledged that Athletic still has work to do for the company and the segment to reach some of his loftier goals. For Athletic in particular, which holds around 22% of the NA beer segment, distribution remains its biggest opportunity. "In independents, no matter how much our distributors smile at us and tell us we're a priority, we're in like 10% of their independents," Shufelt said. "And I can go into stores in almost any state in the country and look at a shelf that is controlled by our distributor that has five-plus non-alcoholic beer products on it, and Athletic will have none. There's just such untapped distribution out there still." For now, Shufelt is focused on driving Athletic and NA beer forward. But could the future include an IPO? An Athletic led by someone else? Shufelt said it's possible, but he doesn't want to be on the outside looking in on an opportunity he was one of the few people to see. Before the interview, Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss the latest headlines, including the mixed results craft brewers are seeing from the World Cup, the American Cider Association co-locating its 2027 CiderCon conference with the Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference, the closure of Nebraska's largest craft brewery and the top new products of so far this year.

At 138 years old, F.X. Matt Brewing isn't slowing down. President Fred Matt joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the Utica, New York-based craft brewery's plans for 2026 and beyond, which include Saranac Weekend Warrior Mid-Strength, a 3% ABV hazy IPA and Right Coast Spirits Italian Ice, a vodka-based RTD produced in partnership with Barrel One Collective. Plus, Jess and Zoe discuss news highlights, including changes coming for the Great American Beer Festival and 2025 production data for taprooms and brewpubs.

Was craft brewers' 2025 less bad than we thought? The Brewers Association issued a revision to its annual production report, which places the industry at -4%, up from previously published -5.1%. In this Brewbound Podcast episode, Zoe and Jess break down what the changes mean for the challenged craft beer industry, as well as several middle-tier deals and recent scan data. This week's featured interviews highlight Victory Brewing co-founder Bill Covaleski and director of brewing operations Joe Slavick and Odell Brewing CEO Eric "Smitty" Smith. Both conversations were recorded during the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia in April.

One of the hottest beer companies in the U.S., along with a budding THC-infused beverage entrepreneur, join the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast in back-to-back interviews. Garage Beer owner Andy Sauer shares upcoming plans for the fast-growing lager brand, including the introduction of Home Depot-style buckets and stubby bottles. Garage Beer is riding a growth wave, posting 193% year-over-year gains in 2025, to 220,000 barrels of beer. Garage ranked as the 12th-largest craft brewery last year, but the company has intentionally kept "craft" out of its messaging. Sauer discusses striking the balance in marketing with celebrity owners Jason and Travis Kelce and some of the more off-the-wall campaigns the brand has deployed through its writer's room approach to marketing. But first, Julie Rhodes, co-founder of THC-infused beverage brand Kick Fizz, explains how she's preparing for the federal government's November ban of most THC drinks. Rhodes, who also runs consulting firm Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, digs into creating an occasion-focused brand, the misconceptions about infused beverages and the challenges small producers face at retail. Before the interviews, Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss the Brewers Association's 2025 production data release. They discuss the top 10 brands that posted growth last year and jockeying among them.

As middle-tier M&A dominos fall this summer, National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) president and CEO Craig Purser joins the latest Brewbound Podcast to discuss the tectonic shifts in the distribution landscape following Republic National Distributing Company's (RNDC) fire sale. Purser is part of a double shot of interviews this week, including Aeronaut director of programming Deepa Chungi, who shares how the Massachusetts craft brewery created a booming events business. First, Purser offers insights into what middle-tier consolidation means for small producers and distributors, and how the power structure has been reshaped with mega spirits distributor Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits picking up Anheuser-Busch InBev's distribution rights in major markets. Purser also explains what he believes the intoxicating hemp beverage industry needs to do to get lawmakers onboard and potentially avert the ban coming in November. Then, Chungi explores the keys for small breweries looking to add private and public events to their businesses, and why events such as "Pitch a Friend" and Dungeons & Dragons game nights have packed Aeronaut's taproom. Plus, the Brewbound team discusses the demise of Schlitz, the closure of Minneapolis' Bauhaus Brew Labs and a helluva partnership for Mike's Dirty Lemonade.

2023 was a sea-change year for several craft breweries who underwent leadership changes. Lawson's Finest Liquids and Rhinegeist Brewery were among the companies who underwent CEO transitions that year. Lawson's CEO Adeline Druart and Rhinegeist CEO Adam Bankovich discuss entering Year 3 of their respective tenures at the top of those companies in separate featured interviews on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. In the first conversation, Druart dives into the "ongoing conversation" at the Vermont brewery of "what makes a Lawson's Finest beer a Lawson's Finest beer" and defines what makes a Sunshine brand. "Really for us, it's IPAs – clear IPAs using Citra hops, and with a very bold flavor profile," she said. "The more conversations we have like those – defining who we are, the more I'd say clear we are moving forward what's on brand, what's off brand." Druart also discusses the impact of Lawson's community giving programs, accelerating business by moving distribution to Baker Distributing in its home state, the launch of Hop Wired hazy and juicy IPA and much more. Then, Bankovich explores the anniversary of launching the Cincinnati craft brewery's first NA beer line Ghost, with new offerings to follow. He also explains why launching Fuzzy Bones, a sparkling THC drink, has been a challenging and educational "crash course," following Ohio's ban on intoxicating hemp beverages. Fuzzy Bones launched in six states, with three additional states expected to follow. Rhinegeist is "trying to stay nimble with it," as a federal ban looms in November. "I wish that our government officials could learn enough from the past to act quickly because this industry developed so quickly, seemingly out of nowhere," he said. "We just really need a chance to not fall into the trap of Prohibition and instead write proper regulation now and in real time as consumers want these products instead of prohibiting them for years and years and years." Bankovich also dishes on Rhinegeist's daily hospitality efforts to make guest experiences' special, the growth of the company's core Truth and Cincy Light brand families and several expedited new additions: Half Truth session IPA, limited-time summer offering Cincy Light Watermelon and Sea Salt and Cincy Vodka Soda, the company's first spirit-based offering. Before the interviews, the Brewbound team reviews that latest news, including: A recent Bump Williams Consulting report on long-tail craft brands finding success; Leadership changes at the American Cider Association; And Boston Beer's 15% ABV Lytt beyond beer creation in glow-in-the-dark, lightbulb-shaped 6.8 oz. containers.

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) continues to unwind, so BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joined the Brewbound Podcast to break down the latest. RNDC, once the country's second-largest wine and spirits distributor, has been selling-off markets piecemeal to competitors from coast to coast. Announced deals have included 11 markets to the Reyes Beverage Group, brand rights and some assets to Columbia Distributing, operations in 17 control states to Martignetti. (Note: this conversation took place before Breakthru announced it would acquire RNDC operations in Kentucky and Indiana or that it was revealed Quality Beverage would buy RNDC assets in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.) RNDC's current state can be traced to the butterfly effect of a host of suppliers leaving its California operations over the last several years, resulting in the company exiting the state. "It's no surprise that if your biggest suppliers leave your biggest state and beyond, then the rest of your business is going to be affected," Salniker said. "What's happening now is no surprise, but it feels like it's happening all of a sudden." In addition to her analysis, the episode features conversations with Eco Beverages co-founder Anna Nadasdy and Russian River Brewing co-owner Natalie Cilurzo. Nadasdy discusses her organization's push to help craft beverage manufacturers navigate Extended Producer Responsibility laws. Cilurzao recapped her brewery's recent Pliny the Younger launch and Russian River's latest push to share its sustainability work. Justin and Jess also break down recent beer news, including Lord Hobo and Lone Pine's pivot to contact production and Q1 earnings from Boston Beer and Molson Coors.

In this Brewbound Podcast Interview , Justin Kendall sits down with Mitch Wedemeier, Director of Planning at Octopi Brewing, live from the Brew Expo floor at the Craft Brewers Conference. Now just over two years into its acquisition by Asahi (January 2024), Octopi has refined its strategic vision under the leadership of Paul Verdu. The company is pursuing two parallel paths: continuing as a best-in-class mid-range co-packer while also growing the Asahi Super Dry brand in the U.S. market. Mitch shares that Octopi's co-packing business is currently a 50/50 split between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with strong demand for non-alcoholic beer (using their award-winning membrane filtration process) and rapidly growing categories like healthy sodas, prebiotics, protein sodas, and mocktails. On the format side, he's seeing real momentum in 19.2 oz single-serve cans, variety packs, and the emerging 7.5 oz "mini" can format, which Octopi is adding to its line by mid-summer. Rather than chasing volume with dozens of clients, the team is focused on partnering with 10–20 brands in the ~15,000-barrel range that have meaningful growth potential. CPG founders interested in co-packing with Octopi can visit AsahiBeerUSA.com and connect directly with Mitch through the contract manufacturing section.