Cloudburst Brewing founder Steve Luke has become synonymous with the Seattle-based brewery. As he steps away to focus on a new chapter in New Zealand, that legacy has been placed in the hands of his industry friends, Bale Breaker Brewing. 

In Today’s Top Story, Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante details how Bale Breaker is handling the transition with care, with commentary from the Bale Breaker team. 

In today’s Brewbound Insider Newsletter and on Brewbound.com, Insiders are also reading about:

• Spritz Society’s answer to heath-and-wellness trends with Skinny Spritz;

• Sierra Nevada’s new beer-soda hybrid;

• Which bev-alc brands made the Axios-Harris Poll Reputation 100 list;

• Pinthouse Pizza’s new $10 million project;

• And how important Memorial Day is for bev-alc sales.

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

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An acquisition that “just feels right to everyone” is in the works in WA, Bale Breaker Brewing co-owner Kevin Quinn told Brewbound.

Yakima, WA-based Bale Breaker has struck a deal to acquire Seattle’s Cloudburst Brewing as its founder Steve Luke prepares to move to New Zealand, where his wife has taken a job.

Under Bale Breaker ownership, Cloudburst will continue self-distro and maintain its 2 Seattle taprooms, while greater availability of its Happy Little Clouds flagship could be on the horizon. 

Keep reading

Can the skinny spritz become a bar call like the skinny margarita? 1 brand is betting on it.

The spritz – sparkling wine, Aperol and a splash of soda – has become a core cocktail on U.S. menus in the past few years. Now, Spritz Society, an RTD company that has spent 5 years building equity around the spritz, is leveraging that tradition – minus the sugar.

This week, the brand is launching Skinny Spritz – a 100-calorie, no-added sugar canned take on the classic Aperol Spritz.

Learn more

Sierra Nevada is taking a cautious approach to rolling out its next new product launch.

Shred Beer Soda – a 4.5% ABV fruit-forward line akin to radlers – will debut in early June with 12 oz. can 6-packs of Grapefruit sold only in Sierra Nevada’s gift shops in Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC. A slightly expanded launch will follow later this year. 

Read more

BevNET Live NYC is just 3 weeks away, and registration is moving at record pace. Hundreds of beverage founders, investors, retailers, suppliers, and industry leaders are already signed on for June 10 & 11. Join them!

Expect 2 high-energy days built to spark ideas, connections and growth, including:

• Beverage School for startups;

• 1:1 meetings with retailers and investors;

• Dedicated networking breaks & Happy Hour conversations;

• And new product discovery through the BevNET Live sample fridges — a firsthand look at the brands, flavors, formats and trends shaping what’s next in beverage.

Time is running out to register

While off-premise bev-alc scans have been on a rollercoaster this year (one with admittedly mild drops compared to 2025), the on-premise has been more steady, trending between flat and up 1% over the last few months. 

But within bev-alc’s on-premise trends, categories have experienced their own twists and turns, according to a new report from market research firm NIQ. 

Spirits led share gains of total bev-alc dollar sales in NIQ-tracked on-premise channels over the L52W, followed by RTDs. Meanwhile, beer and wine posted identical inverse numbers. 

Learn more

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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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