The end of Deschutes Brewery’s partnership with Costco may have come as a surprise to the general public, but the Bend, OR-headquartered craft brewery and its key partners were planning for this “off-ramp moment,” CEO Peter Skrbek told Brewbound. 

Skrbek announced the winding down of the partnership in a distributor memo last week, and with it, the discontinuation of Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale by the end of 2026.  

Although Helles’ future is uncertain, Skrbek sees “multiple paths” forward for the beer and appears determined to keep it alive in some form. 

Keep reading for more on the path forward, including big growth for Boneyard, non-alc Fresh Squeezed’s crossover appeal and FMB Party Bomb’s philosophical shakeup.

In addition to Today’s Top Story, Brewbound Insiders are reading more on Brewbound.com, including: 

• Top Dog Cocktails Fuels RTD Expansion, Caribbean Distribution with $1.3M Investment In Flamboyant Water

• Off-Premise Bev-Alc Sales Reverse Course Before 4th; Spirits, RTDs Remain Bright Spots, per Circana Weekly Scans

Beyond those headlines, the Brewbound Insider Newsletter features details of a Denver craft brewery’s attempt to close with “dignity,” Sapporo’s big investment in its Carlsberg JV and a hunk slinging hard soda.

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Top Dog Cocktails (PA) is investing $1.3 million in a new JV with St. Croix-based Flamboyant Water to launch a rum RTD line across the Caribbean and select U.S. markets this fall.

Read more

Bev-alc off-premise dollar sales plunged back into red in the week ending June 28, according to Circana’s latest weekly report. 

Total dollar sales reached $1.505 billion, marking a 1.8% YoY decline, an acceleration compared to the L4W (-0.5%), L12W (-1.3%), L26W (+0.4%) and L52W (-1%). Volume declined 4.6% in the latest week.

Dive deeper

The bev-alc industry is experiencing a bit of déjà vu heading into the 2nd half of 2026, despite a hot start, according to the latest monthly report from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC). 

Beer, wine and spirits have each recorded near identical trends YTD through June 20, compared to losses recorded in the same period in 2025, BWC reported, citing NIQ-tracked off-premise data.

So far, there has not been a significant uplift from the World Cup, which kicked off June 11 and concludes July 19 – at least not in the off-premise, as reports of “beer shortages” in U.S. host cities have been driven by increased on-premise traffic. 

Learn more, including details on the top growth beer brands bucking trends. 

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