The beer industry is bullish on flavor. Leaders from BeatBox, Boston Beer and Atomic Brands shared why they believe flavor-forward trends will stick with consumers over the next decade. Brewbound editor Justin Kendall recaps several of the soundbites and highlights from last week’s Beer Marketer's Insights spring meeting in Chicago. 

In today’s full version of the Brewbound Newsletter, Insiders are also: 

• Diving into DoorDash data on a spike in adult-beverage orders;
• Getting details of Diageo’s cost-saving measures;
• Finding out which Molson Coors c-suite exec is departing the company;
• Seeing which Texas brewery is ending self-distro;
• And looking at Tilray’s new 10 Barrel NA beer.

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

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Or, be in the know on all food and beverage news from Brewbound, BevNET and NOSH with Insider All Access.

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Bev-alc’s embrace of flavor and craft beer’s shifting distribution trends were among spotlighted issues during last week’s Beer Marketer’s Insights Spring Conference in Chicago.

Leaders from BeatBox Beverages, Boston Beer, Atomic Brands, Columbia Distributing and Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) shared where their business and the beer category is heading. Here are a few soundbites from the conference. 

And if you missed part 1, catch up here: Hot New Brands, NA Beer Steals Soda Drinkers & Molson Coors Adds Headcount: Beer Marketer’s Insights Spring Meeting Notebook Pt. 1

🤑 BeatBox on Pace to Generate $260M in 2025

Party punch maker BeatBox has grown from a $2 million business in 2018, to $176 million in 2024, co-founder and CEO Justin Fenchel shared. In 2025, the company is expected to reach $260 million after an “outstanding” start to the year.

👉 Become a Brewbound Insider to read more from BeatBox, Boston Beer and Columbia, as well as hear from leaders at Atomic Brands and A-B on fourth category and craft beer trends. 

Consumers want more beverages delivered to their doorsteps – alcoholic and otherwise – according to a recent survey by food and beverage e-commerce delivery platform DoorDash.

DoorDash, which allows consumers to order delivery from local restaurants and retailers, surveyed more than 1,500 consumers between February 25 and March 3, with results shared in the 2025 DoorDash Delivery Trends report, released last week. Respondents were 50% male, 50% female, with an average age of 40 and average household income of $81,000.

Insiders can dive into the report, including bev-alc, NA and intoxicating hemp beverage insights, ordering frequency and gifting.

CBC interviews continue this week on the Brewbound Podcast. The next conversations on the docket – recorded live on the BrewExpo floor in Indianapolis – include:

• Sierra Nevada CCO Ellie Preslar and chief brewing officer Brian Grossman;
• And New Trail co-owner and chief operating officer Mike LaRosa. 

The Brewbound team will also recap the latest headlines. Look for the episode midweek. 

Also on tap this week is a roundup of various legislative moves across the country impacting THC beverage sales. Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante will have updates from Alabama, Delaware, Massachusetts and more.

Plus, look for several data reports, including weekly Circana scans and a pre-Memorial Day weekend dive from Numerator.

CBC conversations continue on the Brewbound Podcast with a pair of interviews featuring Right Proper Brewing co-owner and Brewers Association board chairwoman Leah Cheston and Hi-Wire Brewing co-owner Adam Charnack.

Cheston and Brewbound managing editor Jessica Infante discuss Executive Order Me a Beer – Right Proper’s pay-it-forward program to support laid off federal employees with beers and networking – and the unique experiences of parents in the beer industry. 

Cheston also discussed life as a brewery-owning parent and the division of labor between her and her husband and Right Proper co-owner Thor Cheston. Due to a now-defunct quirk in Washington, D.C.’s licensing laws, the licenses for the brewery’s two locations needed to be split up between the Chestons, so one was listed as Leah’s and the other was Thor’s, meaning their children thought their parents – and everyone else’s – just had their own breweries.

Then, Charnack discusses the recovery process of Hi-Wire’s flagship location in Asheville in the wake of Hurricane Helene with senior reporter Zoe Licata. The brewery’s facility in the city’s River Arts District is “back in full swing and we’re fully operating,” he said.

Charnack explained: “This is what Asheville is like, generally. Everything looks fully functional and back to normal, but under the surface is six months of pain that is a real deep wound.”

In addition, Zoe and Jess discuss the last gasp of Q1 earnings season, the cooler selection at Zoe’s parents’ most recent gathering and Instacart’s new party platform, Fizz.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast app.

Talk about high visibility retail: With more than 50,000 concerts and festivals last year, Live Nation events brought in more than 150 million thirsty customers, and concert attendance keeps rising.

Recently, Live Nation started investing in rising CPG brands, and attendees of BevNET Live on June 11 & 12 in New York City will have the chance to learn about the way these partnerships work through the lens of JOLENE Coffee, a brand co-founded by celebrities Anthony Kiedis and Shane Powers with investment by Live Nation, Global Brand Equities, and the h.wood group.

In this conversation, Russell Wallach, the architect of Live Nation’s global brand ecosystem, will sit down with Anthony Kiedis, co-founder of JOLENE and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman, and Jackie Atlas, the veteran CPG executive tasked with scaling the new ready-to-drink coffee. They’ll unpack JOLENE’s ties to Live Nation and that organization’s approach to investment, marketing, and brand positioning, while sharing the best ways to develop connections within Live Nation as their partnership approach evolves, as well as the broader role of concerts and festivals as brand acceleration opportunities.

The panel is part of the excitingly varied program that BevNET Live offers this summer. Tickets are still available for the event, which also includes Beverage School, the New Beverage Showdown, retailer one-to-one meetings, and extensive sampling and networking opportunities.

There are less than 30 days until the conference!

Register for BevNET Live >>