Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events

Check out new products initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter March 9-11, including offerings from Samuel Adams, Blake’s Beverage, Stateside and more.

George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman’s non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand has been among the beer business’ worst-kept secrets. The Casamigos founders teased getting into beer’s fast-growing space last October. However, whispers about their involvement started long before.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is running in the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, weaved local and national politics into her roughly 15-minute speech, drawing a direct line from the White House’s impact on universal issues such as affordability, tariffs and sustainable energy to the struggles felt across the Pine Tree State.

Total bev-alc dipped back into the red year-over-year (YoY) through the last week of February, after two consecutive weeks of growth in Circana-tracked off-premise channels, the market research firm reported this week.

Tilray Brands continues to acquire pieces of Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog’s global business. The Canadian cannabis, beverage and wellness firm today announced it has closed a deal to purchase BrewDog’s brewery and taprooms in Australia.

A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme that prosecutors say ran for nearly a decade and earned favors from California’s largest grocery retail chains.

Folks often ask me, Sean – what’s it like living the glamorous life of a weekend beer biz columnist in New York City? Is it just like Sex and the City? Well Zoe, some days it is for sure (although with far fewer brunches), but it does come at a price. Thus, I give you this week’s dispatch from a bar in my neighborhood, which may give some insight into the volume issues the industry continues to see.

Uncle Nearest founders Fawn and Keith Weaver have made their final courtroom arguments to take back ownership of the troubled bourbon company after it defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and went into receivership.

Job cuts at Diageo; Michelle St. Jacques’ landing spot; Victoria and Pacifico’s new lead; Sierra Nevada’s next Little Thing; Modelo’s new creative; and Allagash and Russian River’s enduring friendship.

Reyes Beverage Group is expanding the number of territories that it will acquire from Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), while dropping a previously announced state from the transaction.

Craft’s trends leveled out slightly in February after a strong January, according to the latest monthly report from market research firm Circana. The segment’s dollar sales are now about flat (+0.3%) year-to-date (YTD) through February 22.

New Trail Brewing (Williamsport, Pennsylvania) has expanded distribution to Western New York via Wright Beverage, marking its sixth state. Dedicated gluten-free craft brewery Holidaily Brewing (Golden, Colorado) has entered the Utah market with Salt Lake City-based General Distributing and Ogden-based Wasatch Distributing, both Anheuser-Busch InBev-aligned houses.

Phusion Projects is exploring a potential sale of its infamous Four Loko brand, which could carry a $400 million value, Reuters reported.

New York’s 42 North Brewing has entered its second decade with a new mindset about what it means to be a craft brewer, founder John Cimperman said on the latest episode of the Brewbound Podcast.