In the latest distributor news, VT Beer Shepherd ceased operations this month, a move that caught some of the craft distributor’s supplier partners by surprise. 

Lawson’s Finest Liquids and some other partners will continue to see their beer in market with no interruption, as VT Beer Shepherd recently sold part of its portfolio. However, others – such as South Burlington’s Weird Window Brewing – are uncertain about their future. 

Brewbound editor Justin Kendall spoke with some of the involved parties, including Lawson’s and Weird Window, and has the details for Brewbound Insiders.  

Insiders are also: 

• Learning about another craft production move within Monster Brewing’s portfolio;
• Checking out highlights from Constellation’s Q4 and FY25 earnings call;
• Diving into the March Consumer Price Index and bev-alc inflation trends;
• And seeing how New York’s Talea Beer is making a mundane task more exciting.

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

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Family-owned, boutique craft distributor VT Beer Shepherd has sold part of its portfolio, including the distribution rights to Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and has ceased operations.

Baker Distributing (Colchester, VT) has acquired the distribution rights to Lawson’s Finest and other brands from VT Beer Shepherd. 

Following the transfer to Baker, Lawson’s (Waitsfield, VT) is exiting its local self-distribution business, The Beer Guy, to go statewide with Baker, Lawson’s CEO Adeline Druart told Brewbound. 

Brewbound Insiders can go deeper into the story and how it's affecting smaller Vermont craft brands. 

Monster Brewing will cease operations in Utah late next month, the company announced Thursday.

Production of its Utah-based brands Wasatch Brewing and Squatters Brewing will shift to other facilities within Monsters’ bicoastal network, according to a statement from Monster Brewing president Ray LaRue. The company has opted not to renew the lease on its Salt Lake City brewery, taproom and retail location, which will close on May 27

The brewery closure will eliminate the jobs of 25 employees, who “will be offered a separation package and have been encouraged to apply for available positions within the company. The Squatters and Wasatch portfolios will remain in distribution across a 17-state footprint. 

Insiders can read more about Monster’s recent brewery moves, the history of Squatters and Wasatch, their brewpubs (which Monster does not own) and recent scan data performance of Monsters’ bev-alc portfolio.

Highlights from Constellation’s Q4 Earnings Call: Socioeconomic Trends, Hispanic Consumers and Brand Health

Constellation Brands’ lowering of its medium-term forecasts Wednesday may not have been a total surprise to industry members given the volatility of the beer market, stacked on top of today’s tumultuous economic climate. 

However, the extent to which Constellation cut back its growth projections appears to be more of a shock, at least to many of the Wall Street analysts in attendance of Constellation’s earnings call Thursday morning. Analysts asked Constellation CEO Bill Newlands and CFO Garth Hankinson several times to explain what precisely is causing Constellation’s conservative growth expectations.

Insiders can read all the details, as well as Constellation’s expectations for Q1 FY26 and leadership’s response to recent comments from the Teamsters.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beverage-alcohol away from home continued to outpace overall inflation through the first three months of 2025, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

The CPI for all items increased 2.4% YoY in March, and 0.2% versus February. When seasonally adjusted, inflation declined 0.1% month-over-month (MoM). 

The CPI for total bev-alc was below inflation, increasing 1.9% YoY and 0.2% MoM. However, price increases for bev-alc away from home outpaced total inflation, increasing 3.2% YoY and 0.5% MoM (+0.1% MoM when seasonally adjusted). 

Insiders can read details here, along with recent price increases across beer segments, according to Circana scans.

Tariffs and economic uncertainty were hot topics during the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States’ (DISCUS) annual meeting in late March. 

BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joins this week’s Brewbound Podcast to share the scuttlebutt from the meeting, including trends to watch, distributor consolidation and supplier jumps to beer distributors. 

Plus, Justin and Zoe share their experiences attending Bell’s Oberon Day in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They also break down the latest craft-on-craft deal activity in Colorado with new partnerships between Left Hand-Dry Dock and Wilding Brands-Great Divide.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform. 

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.