New Belgium-owned Bell’s Brewery has hit a home run with Oberon Light, the lower-calorie, lower-ABV version of its beloved summer seasonal Oberon wheat ale. CEO Shaun Belongie detailed the new product’s success for Brewbound editor Justin Kendall, who has all the info, plus an update on New Belgium’s production status after Hurricane Helene knocked its East Coast brewing HQ offline last fall.

In addition to that, the full version of the Brewbound Newsletter is helping Insiders:

• Catch up on post-July 4 weekly scan data from Circana;
• Learn about a brewery sale in CT that will help expand one long-time New England brewery’s capacity by 50%;
• Seeing which Tilray exec is getting promoted;

Checking out a dill-icious highlight from Zoe’s trip to Chicago.

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New Belgium is still feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene almost 1 year after the deadly storm devastated western North Carolina.

Even as the company's Asheville production facility has come back online, New Belgium is dealing with tough decisions made in the aftermath. Its East Coast brewery temporarily went offline and leadership chose to prioritize top brands such as Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA and Juice Force hazy IPA while deprioritizing others, leading to shortages and distribution losses.

New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie explained: “When you don't produce and ship Voodoo Ranger IPA and Fruit Force for a couple months, you're going to lose a lot of distribution.” 

🌞 Bell’s Oberon Light ‘Lights Out Innovation’

Oberon Light, Bell’s Brewery’s extension of its seasonal Oberon citrus wheat ale, has been the company’s “lights out innovation” and “a home run” this year, Belongie said.

Oberon Light has been the No.1 craft launch in the Midwest, and a top-7 debut nationally, even with distribution limited to Michigan and some surrounding Great Lakes markets, he added.

Insiders can read more here.

Fans of New England Brewing Co. (NEBCO) will soon be able to enjoy the brewery’s offerings in its new waterfront taproom, it announced last week.

The Woodbridge, CT-based brewery has acquired Stony Creek Brewing’s facility, which sits 13 miles away on the banks of the Branford River in the CT town of the same name. The sale includes the property, brewery, taproom, event space and kitchen trailer, according to a press release

With the move, NEBCO will shift its main production operations and headquarters to Branford, which will increase its capacity by 50%. NEBCO produced 20,700 barrels last year (+2% YoY), according to BA data. With the addition of the Branford brewery, NEBCO expects its volume to reach 30,000 barrels. 

Insiders can read more about NEBCO’s search for a second location and check out stats on Connecticut’s craft beer industry.

Post-Independence Day beverage-alcohol dollar sales declined 2.3% year-over-year (YoY) and 21% week-over-week (WoW) “as expected,” according to the latest weekly report from market research firm Circana, which included data for the week ending July 13.

Total bev-alc dollar sales reached $1.377 billion, of which the beer category accounted for $909.5 million. Beer posted YoY declines in dollar sales (-2.8%) and volume (-4.3%). 

With the July Fourth hurdle in the rearview mirror, bev-alc data should be stable as the calendar marches to Labor Day, Circana EVP of bev-alc Scott Scanlon wrote.

Insiders can read more about brand-level performance in the beer and RTD categories.

Calicraft Brewing (Walnut Creek, CA) is on pace to grow 80% in 2025, after 30% growth in 2024. The craft brewery has been able to buck national craft trends by cleaning up production, making key hires and refocusing its portfolio.

Now, the company plans to expand that growth into RTDs, launching in 2026. 

The addition follows Calicraft’s 2024 acquisition of Heretic Brewery and Distillery in Fairfield, California. Calicraft has maintained some of Heretic’s portfolio, including its line of high ABV RTDs. 

Landberg said: “What acquiring Heretic did was really made us pay attention to the other categories, because now you're in it. Understanding how you could pivot and continue to stay strong in beer, while understanding that there is a glut of it. And then take what you've learned over the years from creating interesting craft products and start to execute them into categories that maybe you haven't thought about.”

Insiders can read more about key additions to Calicraft’s leadership team, how the brewery slayed the “zombies” dragging down its core beer portfolio and upcoming changes to its stable of taprooms. 

Brewbound Live takes place in Marina del Rey, CA on December 10+11, and the official Marriott hotel block is now available. Staying on-site means you’re just steps away from panel discussions, beer tastings, and connection-building with top industry leaders.

Secure your spot early, register now to access the room block and save $100 with early registration.