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| DAILY BRIEFING: LITE EDITION | | A preview of today's news & insights for the beer industry. |
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| 🚨 What You're Missing 🚨 | | | What’s the status of Denver’s craft beer industry as the city prepares for the 43rd iteration of the Great American Beer Festival? We checked in with local leaders about summer traffic and events during craft’s biggest party.
In today’s Brewbound Insider Newsletter and on Brewbound.com, Insiders are also: - Checking out InvestBev’s latest cohort of bev-alc brands participating in its accelerator program;
- Diving into positive on-premise data from CGA;
- Learning about membership dues changes at the Maine Brewers Guild;
- Catching up on new craft brewery allowances in Delaware;
- And getting a look at the Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Tanker, seen live in-person by Brewbound editor Justin Kendall.
Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content. Become a Brewbound Insider today! Or, be in the know on all food and beverage news from Brewbound, BevNET and NOSH with Insider All Access. |
| | Today's Top Story | | | | As thousands of beers – and eventually, people to drink them – make their way to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), it feels apt to check in with the craft scene on the ground. In a year where once-thriving brewpub chains and decades-old craft stalwarts have or are preparing to go under, what’s the state of things in one of craft’s most important cities on the eve of one of its most important weeks? Colorado is home to 456 craft breweries – down from a peak of 468 in 2023 – ranking 4th nationwide in 2024, according to the Brewers Association (BA), which hosts GABF. Insiders can read more from Colorado Brewers Guild executive director Shawnee Adelson and Full Frame co-founders Alyssa Hoberer and Jacob Kemple about their experience running the business and find out more about events Full Frame is hosting for festival attendees and visiting industry professionals. Look for further GABF coverage in the coming days. |
| | Brewbound Headlines | | | | Spirits-based RTDs is one of the more fragmented segments in bev-alc, but independent brands with discipline and an eye for the right occasion can still break through, according to Gustavo Aguirre, VP of brand innovation at private equity firm InvestBev.
That theory will be put to the test as InvestBev’s Accelerator welcomes 18 brands into its fall 2025 cohort, counting innovations across canned cocktails, wine, spirits, adult NA and THC. The makeup of the cohort provides a microcosm of an adult-beverage industry in flux – and gives insight into how the firm is betting on each category’s future winners. Insiders can read more here about the latest cohort and InvestBev’s investment strategy. |
| | | | Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante recently paid a visit to the Taste Radio studio – home of Brewbound’s sibling publication BevNET’s bi-weekly food and beverage podcast – to co-host a conversation with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif and Hurray’s Girl Beer founder Ray Biebuyck.
Brewbound Insiders and 2024 Brewbound Live attendees may remember Hurray’s Girl Beer as the winner of last year’s Brewbound Pitch Slam competition. Biebuyck’s pitch highlighted the light beer brand’s attempt to reclaim the term “girl beer” through satirical marketing. Listen to the episode for free here. ⏮️ Plus, check out Biebuyck’s winning pitch and our January Brewbound Podcast episode featuring the founder. |
| | Data Dive | | | | Consumers continue to flock to the on-premise, despite economic uncertainty, according to the latest report from CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.
In the last week (data ending September 20), on-premise sales velocity was up 2% compared to the same period in 2024. Sales were also up 4% compared to the previous week (ending September 13). Insiders can read more, including key state performances and what's driving the latest uplift. |
| | ICYMI | | | AleSmith is celebrating its 30th anniversary with momentum behind new products – in and out of beer – and a growing contract brewing business. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, AleSmith president Brandon Richards shares how the San Diego craft brewery has evolved to meet drinkers’ needs with new products while fortifying its business by brewing for others. Richards explains how the Party Tricks IPA line and addition of Sun Path fruited lager line have driven growth for the company. AleSmith is also expanding its flagship Speedway Stout brand with its first spirit-based offering with Speedway Espresso Martini, and adding a 2nd spirit-based RTD line with Hoptails, a hard hop water cocktail. Richards also gives insights into what AleSmith is looking for in a contract partner, what he believes the brewery offers its clients and how much volume the company has earmarked for co-packing in 2026. AleSmith expects to double its contract volume in 2025, with plans for more in 2026. Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.
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| | Save the Date | | | Highland Brewing owner, president and CEO Leah Wong Ashburn will give the keynote address at the Brewbound Live business conference in Los Angeles this December.
Wong Ashburn will share her story as a 2nd-generation brewery owner, guiding her Asheville, NC-based craft brewery through the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and building for the future. The brewery served as a community gathering space in the wake of the natural disaster, and Highland has raised thousands of dollars to support local hospitality workers. Brewbound Live will take place December 10 & 11 at the Marina del Rey Marriott.
Tickets are available now for the 2-day gathering of founders, entrepreneurs, sales leaders, marketers, c-suite executives, retailers, distributors and suppliers from across the industry. The event will include on-stage conversations with industry leaders, networking and pre-arranged 1:1 conversations with retailers and distributors. Check out other speakers and register here. |
| | Now Hiring | | | | | | 👋 That's all for today's Brewbound Newsletter | |
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