Insiders are reading all the details on BREAKING distributor deal news out of California, which will see Stone Distributing and Classic Beverage rolled into Sunset Distributing, a new subsidiary of Hand Family Companies.

Insiders are diving into the deal, including comments from Sunset, Stone and Classic leadership and a breakdown of the volume and brands involved. 

Insiders are also:

• Getting an overview of the biggest conversation had at DISCUS’s annual spirits conference;
• Finding out where Tom Holland’s NA beer brand Bero is headed next;
• Learning about big moves at Crux Fermentation;
• And checking out this year’s Craft Brewers Conference collaboration beer.

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

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Hand Family Companies (HFC) has made a blockbuster deal to add Stone Distributing Company and Classic Beverage in Southern California to its newly formed Sunset Distributing subsidiary, the multistate independent Anheuser-Busch distributor announced today.

The transaction is expected to close in around 60 days. Arlington Capital Advisors represented Stone Distributing in the deal, with financing provided by Wells Fargo and Overland Advantage.

The creation of Sunset via the Stone and Classic acquisitions will take Hand’s total case sales volume to more than 50 million cases. HFC operates existing branches in Illinois (Lakeshore Beverage), Kentucky (Bluegrass Beverage) and Tennessee (TriStar Beverage).

Insiders can go deeper into the deal, including comments from Sunset, Stone and Classic, portfolios and history of the acquired distributors. 

Advocating for the federal government to untangle distilled spirits from tariff policy was the major theme at the annual Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) conference in Washington, D.C., last week.

With the spirits industry going into another year of soft sales, the focus of the conference dove into navigating moderation trends and possible changes to the alcohol consumption recommendations in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Concerns over another difficult year ahead come against a backdrop of a trade war that may escalate next week.

Insiders can read more about potential tariffs as well as the latest on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

This week, look for a fresh Brewbound Podcast episode featuring 3 conversations stemming from Zoe and Jess’s trip to the New England Craft Brew Summit earlier this month in Portland, Maine. You’ll hear from Orange Bike Brewing co-founder and CEO Tom Ruff, The Thirsty Pig owner Allison Stevens and Maine Brewers’ Guild executive director Sarah Bryan. 

The Beer Institute plans to release its February 2025 economic reports toward the end of the week, which will detail domestic shipments and import volume.

Carrie Yunker ended her more than two-decade run at Bell’s Brewery on a high note Monday – Oberon Day, the annual release of the company’s spring-summer seasonal wheat beer. 

Yunker kicked off the festivities at the brewery’s Kalamazoo taphouse and event space by raising an Oberon flag. Hundreds of Michiganders and fans from neighboring states, many wearing costumes, lined up and waited for hours for the taphouse to open and to drink this year’s Oberon and several special variants. 

For Yunker, who started at the Michigan craft brewery as a part-time receptionist and ended up leading the company as founder Larry Bell’s handpicked successor, Oberon Day was a fitting way to say goodbye as employee No. 50.

In the conversation, Yunker discusses taking over for Larry Bell and how their leadership styles differed, guiding the brewery through several milestones and her favorite moments and what led to her decision to walk away. 

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

Full Disclosure: Bell’s Brewery covered airfare and hotel accommodations for the Brewbound team to record this interview during Oberon Day.

The Brewbound team is hitting the road and heading to the Craft Brewers Conference on April 28 – May 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Brewbound trio will be on the ground, covering all the latest news and presentations coming out of the conference, as well as hosting live podcast interviews at the Brewbound booth (#512).

Make sure to stop by our booth #512, where Brewbound will be chatting with brewery founders and owners, beverage entrepreneurs and c-suite leadership across the industry. Whether you’re a business vet or just starting out, we’d love to meet you and hear what’s new.

How to Connect with Us:

• Stop by our booth (#512): We’re excited to set up our Brewbound Podcast studio at BrewExpo America and engage with brewery leaders and industry suppliers. Swing by to meet our team, watch a podcast interview recording, participate in social content, and walk away with a T-shirt.
• Submit your news: Have news or updates from your brewery? Our team is covering the event and would love to hear from you. Submit your news here.
• Contact us to set up a time to chat: Want to schedule time to connect or be part of our coverage? Reach out to us at news@brewbound.com.