Plus, the latest brand to jump from RNDC to Reyes ...͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
 
 
BrewboundJune 19, 2025
DAILY BRIEFING: LITE EDITION
A preview of today's news & insights for the beer industry.

🚨 What You're Missing 🚨

🔐 Scout Rides Into the Sunset, LALO and Silver City Find New Homes

🔐 Scout Rides Into the Sunset, LALO and Silver City Find New Homes

Hand Family Companies is grabbing another piece of the Southern California distribution industry. Its subsidiary, Sunset Distributing, has acquired the LA arm of craft wholesaler Scout Distribution in a deal that adds to the roll up of Classic Beverage and Stone Distributing, which Sunset acquired earlier this spring. Brewbound editor Justin Kendall has all the details for Insiders.

In addition to that story, Brewbound Insiders are learning more about the latest tequila brand to land with Reyes in California, after jumping ship from RNDC, and checking out a rare wine-on-craft deal in Washington. 

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

Become a Brewbound Insider today!

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

 

Today's Top Story

🌅 Hand Family’s Sunset Distributing Strikes Again, Acquires Scout Distribution’s California Business

🌅 Hand Family’s Sunset Distributing Strikes Again, Acquires Scout Distribution’s California Business
Justin Kendall's profile picture

Justin Kendall

Editor, Brewbound

Hand Family Companies’ (HFC) Sunset Distribution subsidiary is adding another piece to its growing craft footprint in California with the acquisition of Scout Distribution in Los Angeles

Scout employees were informed of the deal this morning. The transaction follows Sunset’s late March acquisition of Stone Distributing and Classic Beverage in Southern California.

HFC president and CEO J.R. Hand told Brewbound that the transaction will add around 1.1 million cases to Sunset’s business, around $35 million in revenue and around 5,000 SoCal retail accounts.

Insiders can read more about the deal.

 

Brewbound Headlines

🍋‍🟩 LALO Tequila Shifts Distribution to Reyes Beverage Group

🍋‍🟩 LALO Tequila Shifts Distribution to Reyes Beverage Group
Ferron Salniker's profile picture

Ferron Salniker

Editor, Spirits

Another major spirits supplier is shifting its California distribution to Reyes Beverage Group following the announcement of RNDC winding down operations in the Golden State.

LALO Spirits and Reyes announced Wednesday a new distribution partnership in California, effective late July 2025.

Become a Brewbound Insider to read more about RNDC’s California exit that has left some suppliers scrambling for a distribution partner.

 

On This Week's Brewbound Podcast ...

🎙️From Malt to Partner Brands – Growing with Supply Chain Allies with Destihl, Briess and U.S. Beverage

🎙️From Malt to Partner Brands – Growing with Supply Chain Allies with Destihl, Briess and U.S. Beverage

How can you get the most out of your supply chain relationships? Communication is key, and not just when the headwinds hit.

Matt Potts, founder of Normal, Illinois-based Destihl, and Ron Schroder, Briess director of marketing, share how they’re navigating supply challenges and how craft brewers can mitigate issues by maintaining lines of communication. 

Potts also explains why Destihl has supplemented its own growth with partner brands, including the Wrexham Lager, Hanson Brothers’ Mmmhops IPA, an Evel Knievel-branded beer and collegiate beers, including with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.  

Plus, U.S. Beverage VP of brand development Kris Sjolander explains the importer and platform’s sales and marketing partnership program. He also dives into what opportunities U.S. Beverage’s contract brewing process offers to potential partners in the U.S. and beyond. The company’s partners include Uinta, Woodchuck Cider, Moosehead, Captain Lawerence and several others. 

Sjolander shares why he believes U.S. Beverage excels at distributor management, how the company is expanding its national accounts presence to meet its partners’ needs and what types of brands benefit the most from partnering with the firm. 

Before the conversations, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and managing editor Jess Infante break down Tilray Brands’ latest leadership shuffle and taproom closure, as well as quick thoughts on White Claw’s dominance of hard seltzer and cutting its vodka-based canned cocktail line. 

Jess and Justin play Another Round or Tabbing Out on the elders’ latest Generation Z gripe: forming a single-file line at the bar. They also talk about the Voodoo Ranger-Malört collaboration, Roulette IPA, where consumers risk getting a Malört-inspired IPA in a 6-pack.

Listen here or on your preferred podcasting platform. 

 

ICYMI

🤝 Benchmark Invests in Blake’s Beverage Co.

🤝 Benchmark Invests in Blake’s Beverage Co.

MI-based beverage-alcohol platform Benchmark Beverage Co. has taken a minority investment in Blake’s Beverage Co. and the 2 companies have launched a commercial partnership.

Benchmark (Dark Horse, Roak, Brew Detroit, Great America) and Blake’s Beverage Co. (Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, Avid Cider) aim to “accelerate growth and shake up the beyond-beer category with fresh innovation and national scale,” according to a press release. 

After nearly a decade in spirits production and importing, Benchmark began to build a cross-category bev-alc platform when it acquired Marshall, Michigan-based Dark Horse and Roak Brewing late last year. In addition, Benchmark added Great America moonshine-inspired flavored malt beverage (FMB) in late 2024 and Brew Detroit, a contract brewery that also offers its own brands, in February 2025. 

With Blake’s, Benchmark can access the company’s sales force and distribution network, which spans 35 states, according to its website

Insiders can read more about Benchmark and Blake’s production and scan data, as well as Benchmark’s expansion plans. 

 

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