For today’s Top Story, Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante spoke with Downeast Cider COO Max Keilson. Brewbound Insiders are getting all the details on Downeast’s 2023 performance and 2024 strategy, including the Boston-based cider company’s “big bet” for this year. 

Insiders are also:

• Diving into 2023 self-pour trends from PourMyBeer;
• Learning about Dr. J Jackson-Beckham and Crafted For All’s next chapter;
• Getting details on Tröegs’ new seasonal offering;
• Watching Coors Light’s 90-second Super Bowl ad, which includes a competitor cameo;
• And checking out new packaging and beers from 28-year-old Silver City.

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

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Boston-based Downeast Cider is following the more-is-more philosophy when it comes to innovation in 2024.

Chief operating officer Max Keilson told Brewbound: “We see very clearly the trend of high ABV. Looking at the data this past year, overall cider grew modestly as a segment, but if you really look at what drove that growth, it was entirely ciders at or above 8% [ABV].”

The cidermaker’s big bet for this year is the Overboard family, an 8% ABV line of unfiltered ciders in three flavors: Overboard (apple), Tropical (pineapple and sweet mango) and Mixed Berry. The Overboard line will roll out in 12 oz. can variety 9-packs and 12 oz. can 4-packs of Overboard across the company’s distribution footprint, and in 19.2 oz single-serve cans of Overboard in Massachusetts. 

Insiders can read more about Downeast’s double-down focus on its flagship Original Blend and its runaway summer hit, its Slushie flavored malt beverage line.

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Consumers poured themselves more than 126.9 million oz. of beer, wine, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and more from PourMyBeer self-serve walls in 2023, according to the beverage technology company’s latest impact report.  

PourMyBeer operated more than 12,600 self-serve tap handles in 43 states and 29 countries in 2023, an increase of +13.5% tap handles year-over-year (YoY). More than 2.6 million consumers were served (+2.4% YoY), generating $59.73 billion in revenue for participating operators (+18.6% YoY). 

Insiders can read more, including the top brands poured in 2023 and of all time.

Super Bowl LVIII kicks off Sunday, and to celebrate, the Brewbound team chatted with Breakthru Beverage Nevada beer division VP Deacon Nauslar for this week’s episode of the Brewbound Podcast. 

Nauslar chats about how his team is prepping for an influx of fans and beer drinkers heading to Las Vegas – either to watch the game in person at Allegiant Stadium, or to watch at the various venues across the strip – and shares his expectations for what the package mix will look like.

Look out for the episode later this week.

The Brewbound Team was deep in the data last week, starting with a look at full-year 2023 craft price and style trends in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels. The average case price of craft beer increased +3.6% year-over-year (YoY), to $42.41. That’s a +$1.49 increase from 2022 and +$4.35 increase from 2020. 

Goldman Sachs also released the results of its Q4 2023 survey of c-stores. Retailers reported a beer dollar sales increase of +7% YoY in both Q4 and the full-year. C-store retailers expect beer dollar sales to increase +5% YoY in 2024. 

And the National Beer Wholesalers Association released its first Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) of 2024. Beer inventory levels are starting out stronger this year than 2023, but are still in contraction as wholesalers start the year in a “cautious” manner. 

In craft beer news:

• Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Brewing’s future is in question after it defaulted on its lease. The brewery was served notice that its landlord had terminated its lease on January 26;
• North Carolina’s Edward Teach has filed two defamation lawsuits following a Facebook post which the brewery claims falsely defames the company and its owner Gary Sholar;
• New Belgium has closed its San Francisco taproom after nearly three years in business. The company announced the news on February 1, the same day the taproom closed, saying the location “suffered financially in recent years;”
• Several craft brands announced distribution expansions, including Métier Brewing, SingleCut BeerSmiths, Rupee Beer and more. Check out the full roundup in the link. 
• And Two Roads announced an extension of its Flavortown Spiked flavored malt beverage line with Guy Fieri. The extension includes three new flavors, including Tiki Town Tropical Punch, Fidddy Fidddy iced tea/lemonade and Tangerine-N-Tea hard tea. 

Two investment stories dropped last week: 

• Asahi Group Group Beverages & Innovation, the U.S.-based venture arm of Asahi Group Holdings, led a Series A funding round for The Zero Proof, a non-alcoholic adult beverage online retailer and importer;
• And JuneShine received a 7-figure investment from private equity firm InvestBev. The firm’s previous investments include THC-infused beverages, spirits, canned wine, and multiple e-commerce platforms. 

Last week, Brewbound also debuted a new series: “A Round With.” The first installment of the weekly feature is a chat with Earth Rider Brewing founder and CEO Tim Nelson. The Wisconsin-based craft brewery recently hosted several politicians, including President Joe Biden, for a press conference on a local bridge project. 

And Allagash Brewing’s Naomi Neville joined the Brewbound Podcast for an exit interview, following her announcement that she will be leaving the Portland, Maine-based craft brewery after more than 14 years.