Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events

Insider’s Week in Beer: 🤓 Nerds Save Beer

Insider’s Week in Beer: 🤓 Nerds Save Beer

Jocks – beer doesn’t need you anymore. As I’ve documented here over the past few weeks, clearly you’ve broken up with us on many fronts except to occasionally spray our product on each other a couple of times a year in locker rooms. But don’t mind us, we’ll be over here with the cool nerds!

The Lonely Generation: Gen Z is Craving Connection & Beer Can be the Conduit

The Lonely Generation: Gen Z is Craving Connection & Beer Can be the Conduit

The COVID-19 pandemic, increases in remote and hybrid work, inflation and economic uncertainty … all have contributed to many Gen Z consumers feeling lonely. In a recent survey, 15% of Gen Z said they “never” felt lonely in the past year, compared to 60% of baby boomers who said the same, David and Jonah Stillman, the co-founders and father-and-son duo behind consulting firm GenGuru.

Restaurateur to Acquire 10 Iron Hill Locations; Remaining 9 Set for Auction

Restaurateur to Acquire 10 Iron Hill Locations; Remaining 9 Set for Auction

Iron Hill Brewery may have another act coming. The mid-Atlantic brewpub chain, which abruptly shuttered earlier this fall, is set to be acquired by restaurateur Jeff Crivello, according to filings in U.S. Bankruptcy for the District of New Jersey, where the chain filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October.

Hemp Ban Goes Through: What’s Next for THC Drinks?

Hemp Ban Goes Through: What’s Next for THC Drinks?

Even for an industry born out of risk and uncertainty, hemp beverages are now officially in uncharted waters. As part of the funding bill to reopen the government signed into law last night by President Donald Trump, hemp-derived products will be required to contain less than 0.4 mg THC per container, as of November 13, 2026. Swept away like a storm in the night, the multi-billion-dollar, hemp-derived THC industry is waking up this morning to the stark reality that, barring the creation of a legal federal framework, they will be virtually extinct within a year.

Brewbound Podcast: Mark Anthony President David Barnett on White Claw’s Consistency

Brewbound Podcast: Mark Anthony President David Barnett on White Claw’s Consistency

In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, Mark Anthony Brands president David Barnett details how the bev-alc company is “doing better than most” in today’s challenged marketplace. He spoke about the company’s highlights with Brewbound editor Justin Kendall, in a conversation recorded at the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA’s) Annual Convention in Las Vegas.

Hemp Roundup: Industry Members React to Advancing Hemp Ban

Hemp Roundup: Industry Members React to Advancing Hemp Ban

The Senate advanced a spending package Monday that includes language that would effectively ban all hemp products. The package now moves to the House, which could pass it through to President Trump as early as today. Industry members for and against the ban have been vocalizing their stance online and in D.C. Below are some of the latest updates.

Beer Institute Chief Economist: Industry Volume -5.4% YTD; Losses ‘Not a Beer-Only Story’

Beer Institute Chief Economist: Industry Volume -5.4% YTD; Losses ‘Not a Beer-Only Story’

Beer industry members’ shoulders are heavy these days, weighed down by continued declines, rising costs and piling-on headwinds. But when you zoom out to see greater consumer trends, you discover the battle isn’t unique to beer, and the category is poised to have some of the greatest opportunities for growth, Beer Institute (BI) chief economist Andrew Heritage shared last week during the trade group’s Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.