Brewbound Insiders are taking a virtual trip to CA courtesy of a fireside chat with Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone, recorded earlier this month during Brewbound Live. Firestone discusses how a more focused plan brought “a big shift” to the company’s thinking and portfolio.

In addition to that conversation, Insiders are checking out these news items on Brewbound.com and in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter:

• How hemp brand leaders are prepping for 2026;
• Total Wine & More’s new CEO;
• An Insider-exclusive data report from CGA;
• And one of the wackier craft beer and food pairing lists we’ve seen, courtesy of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

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

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Brewbound Live: Nick Firestone on SKU Rationalization, Returning to the Family Business and 805’s Next Phase

As the leader of CA’s 2nd-largest craft brewery – and one that sells more than 80% of its volume in its home market – Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone is uniquely qualified to discuss how trends in craft’s largest market are affecting its biggest suppliers.

Firestone joined Brewbound managing editor Jessica Infante for a fireside chat during the Brewbound Live business conference earlier this month in LA. 

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Firestone Walker arranged its annual business plan strategy around the theme of focus and execution, which represented a “big shift” for the craft brewery, Firestone said.

He said: “For 25 years, it was ‘throw whatever we can at the wall and see what sticks, and if that doesn't work, then just do it again next year.’ It was a timely strategy for us to really be focused – a lot of SKU rationalization. We went from over 130 SKUs down to 60, but really meaningfully only a handful."

Insiders can hear more from Firestone, including how he came to rejoin the family brewery after gaining outside business experience, how the 805 brand family offerings interact with each other and how Firestone Walker approaches mergers and acquisitions. 

Total Wine & More has named retail veteran Ryan Ross its new CEO, concluding a 4-month search.

Ross’s predecessor Troy Rice stepped down in August after 3.5 years leading 1 of the country’s major bev-alc retailers.

Insiders can read more here.

Amidst all the fast-growing beverage categories and trends, there’s only 1 that’s facing a ticking clock towards extinction.

The future of the thriving cannabis beverage industry, specifically hemp-derived THC drinks that can be sold outside of adult-use regulated channels, is under intense pressure following November’s decision by Congress to effectively ban all hemp-derived products even with trace levels of intoxicating THC. 

That topic was the subject of a discussion at BevNET Live LA earlier this month. Just weeks after Congress’ momentous decision, 4 brand leaders – Jake Bullock (Cann), Mikey Mohr (Houseplant), Justin Tidwell (Nowadays) and Whitney Stevenson (JuneShine) – shared their diagnosis of the current challenge, their thoughts on what happens next, and what they are doing to ensure this isn’t the end of cannabis drinks’ journey to the mainstream.

Insiders can watch the full panel discussion here.

The on-premise beer landscape is no longer shrinking evenly – it’s fragmenting. 

In our Q4 On-Premise Report – part of a Brewbound-exclusive quarterly series with NIQ-powered CGA – data reveals a market where growth is increasingly concentrated in specific outlets, formats and styles, while once-reliable channels quietly lose ground. 

Beneath the topline declines are clear signals of where momentum still exists. The report explores where beer is still winning, where it’s losing ground and why the next phase of on-premise success will be defined less by scale and more by precision.

Insiders can check out the full report here.

It may be that weird time of year where you’re full of cookies and unsure of the date, but the Brewbound Newsletter marches on (also full of cookies but a little more attuned to the date). Expect us in your inbox every day this week but Thursday, when we’ll pause to welcome 2026. 

We like to use this time to revisit Brewbound Live stage content, so you’ll see recaps of speakers and panel discussions, including keynote speaker Leah Wong Ashburn, president of Highland Brewing (Asheville, NC). We’ll also have regular data reporting from Circana and Numerator, and we’ll keep an eye out for any breaking news.

There is no rest for the weary this holiday season, including Insider’s Week in Beer newsletter writer Sean McNulty, who slung out another edition Saturday for anyone else looking to recharge from the post-Christmas haze with a little bev-alc news. 

Sean has all the deets on news that hit over Christmas week – with plenty of GIFs to help keep things light in the final push of 2025. 

Insiders can check it out here.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re looking back on a year’s worth of the Brewbound Podcast and all the acquisitions, distribution shakeups and innovation plans we chatted about, as well as all the wonderful guests that joined us. 

The podcast also took us on the road again this year, with Brewbound Podcast On Location recordings held at the Craft Brewers Conference in Indianapolis, the NBWA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, the New England Craft Brew Summit in Portland, ME and the CA Craft Beer Summit in Irvine.  

To help us reminisce, we’ve tallied up the most listened to episode of each month of 2025, with links in case you want to catch up.

Check out the full list here (along with 1 honorable mention).

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Interested in other beverage coverage? 👀 Check out the BevNET Daily Briefing covering the broader beverage industry, including energy drinks, cannabis and other non-alcoholic beverages. Want to stick to the hard stuff? Subscribe to our Spirits Newsletter (published every 2 weeks). 

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