Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events
2026’s ‘Explosive Start’ Has Already ‘Fizzled;’ Spirits Remain Lone Bright Spot, per Circana Weekly Scans
On the precipice of the all-important summer selling season, Circana EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon reports that beverage-alcohol experts have “questioned the ability” of the industry to close 2026 “with strength,” while he believes it’s possible.
BrewDog’s James Watt to Launch Second Best Beer Brand, Offering 19% Stake to Equity Punks Investors
BrewDog co-founder James Watt’s second act in beer is Second Best – and he’s offering a percentage of the new venture to his original craft brewery’s investors, who were shut out of proceeds following BrewDog’s sale to Tilray Brands earlier this year.
RNDC to Lay Off 320 in Washington, South Dakota
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) issued WARN Act notices last week for 267 layoffs in Washington and 53 in South Dakota, as other distributors potentially prepare to take over RNDC’s distribution rights or operations across the country.
Brewers Association: 20 of Top 50 Craft Breweries Grew 2025 Volume; Total Production -6%
The top 50 Brewers Association-defined craft breweries once again posted results as diverse as their portfolio mix these days, according to 2025 production data shared Friday by the trade group.
Ex-NFL Star Micah Hyde Seeks to Bridge Beer and Hemp Drinks With Hyde’s Hail Mary
After over a decade ball-hawking in the backfield, former NFL star Micah Hyde is taking on a new position: hemp beverage entrepreneur. Following his retirement in January 2025, the Ohio native stepped into the beverage arena with Hyde’s Hail Mary, a line of Shandy-style low-dose THC drinks that’s aiming to recruit both football and beer lovers alike.
New Belgium Tops Big Beer Craft in 2025; Molson Coors Slides to No. 3 Behind A-B Portfolio; Blue Moon Down 881k Barrels in Decade
Kirin-owned New Belgium Brewing – including the Voodoo Ranger-powered New Belgium brand and Bell’s Brewery – now ranks as the largest non-Brewers Association craft beer family, overtaking Molson Coors’ craft brands, according to data released in the trade organization’s May/June edition of the New Brewer magazine.
Insider’s Week in Beer: ☹️ If You’re Outta Schlitz, You’re Outta Beer
This week’s beer naturally goes out to SCHLITZ, as it seems all of you precious beer history nerds haven’t been drinking your fair share of it. As you likely heard, PABST is putting the brand “on hiatus” like a low-rated ABC drama series, so I guess all of the late 1970s pseudo free sitcom product placement goodwill only goes so far in the end.
Press Clips: Highland Honors Oscar Wong, Memorial Day’s Importance to Beer and Hints Toward Anchor’s Future
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has rechristened a beer to honor its founder: Oscar’s Oatmeal Porter.
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Updated: 7 Of Top 10 Craft Brewers Recorded Volume Loss in 2025; Tilray, Athletic & Deschutes Growth Outliers
Seven of the 10 largest Brewers Association-defined craft breweries recorded production volume declines in 2025, according to data shared by the trade group in the May/June Issue of The New Brewer magazine.
Heat Check: Trend Tracking as Summer Begins
The summer selling season is upon us, signaling the start of the beer category’s most important stretch. Encouraging early trends this year have given way to a more cautious outlook. More recent trends “signal erosion from the stronger momentum seen in March and early April,” market research firm NIQ noted in a recent report. As the industry hopes the heat creates a summer thirst, here are eight storylines we’re tracking.
NIQ: How Moderation Is Reshaping Global Bev-Alc Sales
No/low alcohol has reached $6 billion in worldwide off-premise sales, but consumers are still reaching for water and soda over adult alternatives, according to a new moderation report from NIQ.
Numerator: Beer Leads Planned MDW Bev-Alc Buys
Beer tops the shopping list for consumers planning to imbibe during Memorial Day weekend, according to insights firm Numerator. Of the 43% of respondents who plan to purchase beverage-alcohol, 75% said they intend to buy beer, followed by spirits (45%), wine (35%), hard seltzer (31%) and ready-to-drink or pre-mixed canned cocktails (20%).
NBWA’s Craig Purser Talks Middle-Tier Hot-Button Issues; Aeronaut’s Deepa Chungi Shares the Key to a Successful Events Biz
As middle-tier M&A dominos fall this summer, NBWA president and CEO Craig Purser joins the latest Brewbound Podcast to discuss the tectonic shifts in the distribution landscape. Plus, Aeronaut director of programming Deepa Chungi shares how the Massachusetts craft brewery created a booming events business.
RNDC to Lay Off 146 in Oregon Ahead of Potential Columbia Deal
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) issued WARN Act notices on Monday for nearly 150 layoffs in Oregon, as Columbia Distributing prepares to potentially take over certain wine and spirits distribution rights from RNDC across Oregon and Washington.