The NA beer movement is in its “belonging” phase, Best Day Brewing founder and CEO Tate Huffard shared on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. 

Huffard believes Best Day was made for NA beer’s 2nd wave in which coolers on boats in the summer are stocked with NA and alcoholic beer, and fridges at parties include both options. 

Huffard’s Take: “All of these beer occasions warrant a great non-alcoholic beer and yet part of the magic is unpacking and uncovering these new occasions that deserve a beer. Case in point for me is a lunch beer.”

In the episode, Huffard discusses Best Day’s 30% distribution growth this year and retail expansion, finding luck in craft brewery taprooms, navigating the disruption caused by the launch of A-B’s Michelob Ultra Zero and much more. 

Listen here

Destihl Brewery Founder & CEO Matt Potts said “We’ve been able to brew award-winning beers with Briess Malt year after year”. When a brewery wins two golds and a bronze in the same year, you know the malt behind it matters. Click to hear the rest of the Destihl story. Learn more

Want to go beyond the headlines? Brewbound Insiders have full access to all our stories on Brewbound.com, including:

• Joel Gott Wines Bets on an Electrolyte-Infused Spritz for Its RTD Debut

• Hard Cider Growth Fueled by Singles, 6-packs & National Brands, per 3 Tier Beverages

Plus, the Brewbound Insider Newsletter has even more, featuring news blurbs not yet available on our site. Today’s edition details:

• The closure of Atwater Brewery’s Grand Rapids, MI taproom;

• The grand opening of The Lost Abbey’s 5th location;

• Coors Light and Patrick Mahomes’ latest solution to skirt the NFL’s bev-alc endorsement rules;

• And Peroni’s version of Italian wine windows. 

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Hard cider has continued to post YoY growth this year despite bev-alc’s Q2 slowdown, as both regional and national brands have found gains, according to new data from 3 Tier Beverages. 

Hard cider dollar sales have increased 3.8% YTD (thru June 13) in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels, recording the  largest percentage growth among all beer segments (excluding NA offerings). While growth has slowed slightly in the L13W, cider still leads percentage growth among full-strength beer segments. 

Dive deeper into top brand family, packaging and flavor trends.

Joel Gott Wines is tapping RTD and functional trends with a new release launched Wednesday.

Sauvy B, a canned Sauvignon Blanc spritz (4.5% ABV) built with electrolytes, comes from 4th-generation vintner Joel Gott and winemaking partner Sarah Gott. The offering arrives amidst a hydration-inspired RTDs trend.

Read more

Fourth of July appeared as a small blip in off-premise scans, despite the holiday’s widely promoted 250th anniversary, according to the most recent weekly report from market research firm NIQ. 

Total bev-alc off-premise dollar sales declined 3% YoY in the L4W ending July 4, while volume declined 4.9%. 

Week-over-week (WoW), Independence Day provided a big boost to bev-alc sales (+19.9% WoW, to $2.6 billion). However, YoY comparisons barely moved compared to the 4-week period leading up to the holiday. 

Dive deeper into segment- and brand-level performances across both beer and prepared cocktails. 

Brewbound Live will return to L.A. this December 9 & 10. The conference for beverage-alcohol professionals will feature 2 packed days of insights, conversations and networking at the Marina del Rey Marriott.

This Year's Keynote: Allagash Brewing Company founder Rob Tod and VP of human resources & organizational development Celine Frueh will give this year’s keynote address.

Crafting Company Culture: The duo will share how the Portland, ME-headquartered craft brewery has created and nurtured a company culture that is the envy of the industry. They'll explain how investing in and staying true to its culture has been a foundational piece in building Allagash into a top 20 craft brewery.

Tickets are available now for the gathering of founders, entrepreneurs, sales leaders, marketers, c-suite executives, retailers, distributors and suppliers from across the industry.

Register today

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