Guinness is synonymous with U.S. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. National ambassador Ryan Wagner joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss preparation for the holiday, how the Splitting the G viral phenomenon has played a role in the brand’s upward trajectory and introduces it to new consumers. 

Wagner also discusses the on-premise rebound following the pandemic, what goes into creating a perfect Guinness pour and consumer learnings in recent months.

Plus, the Brewbound team discusses the latest news coming out of Constellation Brands’ Gold Network Summit with distributors, the New England Craft Beer Summit and the financial picture for the Brewers Association. 

Jess, Zoe and Justin also play Another Round or Tabbing Out on recent beyond beer innovation plays, including Constellation’s Rule of Five hard punch; Boston Beer’s Sinless vodka RTDs and Just Hard Squeezed FMB; and Barrel One’s latest crossover brand with Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform. 

One-third of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, according to the 2025 Annual Holiday Preview report from consumer research firm Numerator. 

Responses are similar to 2024, when 32% of consumers said they planned to celebrate. This year’s holiday falls on a Monday (March 17), with most celebrations taking place this weekend. Over the past two years, the holiday has fallen on Sunday (2024) and Friday (2023). 

Of the one-third of consumers planning to celebrate, 46% intend to purchase bev-alc, up slightly from 44% in 2024 and 36% in 2023. Three-fifths of those consumers (60%) plan to purchase beer, a decline versus 2024 (61%) and 2023 (70%). 

Nearly half of planned beer purchasers (46%) are going the extra mile and plan to purchase Irish beers, including Diageo-owned Guinness and Smithwicks. 

The percentage of intended beer purchasers increases to 67% when including only consumers from the Northeast. Consumers in the West are even more likely to purchase Irish beer (56% versus 46% of total respondents). 

Insiders can read more, including what else consumers plan to spend their money on, and how habits differ between generational groups.

Diageo will cease bringing new brands into its Distill Ventures accelerator program for startup drink entrepreneurs, a Diageo spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

Following more than a decade of investing in emerging spirits and adult NA brands, Diageo has “undertaken a strategic review” of its approach to early-stage, venture investments, the spokesperson said. Moving forward, Diageo will not bring new brands into the Distill Ventures program, while a smaller team will manage a reduced portfolio of existing investments.

Since its founding in 2013, Distill Ventures has invested more than $300 million in 39 founder-led brands. The accelerator has facilitated several acquisitions by Diageo, including cold brew coffee liqueur Mr Black, Japanese rice whisky Kikori, vermouth brand Belsazar, and NA spirits brands such as Seedlip and Ritual Zero Proof.

The spirits giant did not offer further details on the strategy change. Distill Ventures did not return requests for comment as of press time.

Insiders can read more, including a refresher on other brands that have come out of the accelerator program. 

🫐 BeatBox’s partnership with Shaquille O’Neal has officially launched, with his signature Blueberry Lemonade (11.1% ABV) flavor now rolling out to retailers nationwide, including Spec’s, Total Wine & More, Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B, 7-Eleven and Circle K.

BeatBox first unveiled the partnership with Shaq during its distributor meeting in August. As part of the deal, O'Neal, a prolific former athlete, television personality, DJ and businessman, will earn royalties on the sales from the new flavor, which will be reinvested for equity in the business.

0️⃣ Anheuser-Busch InBev is touting the “fast start” of Michelob Ultra Zero, the NA version of its super premium offering. 

Michelob Ultra Zero is the No. 1 innovation in the beer category in 2025, according to the world’s largest beer manufacturer, citing YTD Circana scans through February 16. The company also noted that the brand has claimed more than 7% market share in the NA beer segment in off-premise retailers for the week ending February 23. 

Michelob Ultra Zero dollar sales topped $4 million and case sales of 127,983 (9,200+ barrels) YTD through February 23 in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers. 

We're excited to unveil Nombase, powered by BevNET—a game-changing platform designed to connect CPG professionals with industry partners, AI-driven insights, and expert-driven discussions. Whether you're searching for suppliers, staying updated on industry news, or looking for job opportunities, Nombase brings it all together in one place—free to explore.

With a comprehensive partner directory, an AI-powered search tool leveraging decades of industry reporting, a centralized Press Release Wire, and an integrated job board, Nombase is built to support food, beverage, beer, spirits, and health & beauty professionals. Plus, our community conversations continue with the newly rebranded Nombase Podcast and Nombase Slack community.

📍 Check it out now at nombase.com and start exploring

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.

Was Jim Koch a part of Boston Bruins meetings ahead of the NFL trade deadlines? 

Samuel Adams has partnered with former Bruins captain and notorious spitfire Brad Marchand on a new limited-release; Marchandy. The beer release (set for March 30) is moving forward, despite Marchand getting traded to the Florida Panthers last week – a blockbuster move for Boston sports fans who have been rooting for him since he was drafted by the Bruins in 2006, or 16 seasons ago (can you tell it’s Zoe writing this?). 

Beer stats:

• 5% ABV;
• An ale with blackberry puree;
• Available March 30 at Samuel Adams Boston Brewery (Jamaica Plain) and downtown Boston Taproom (near Fanueil Hall).

Samuel Adams announced the beer release on Instagram Wednesday, with a video featuring Marchand, the “Little Ball of Hate,” teaching brewers how to fight, beating up grain bags and talking smack to cans of Marchandy.  

This is the second recent collab between Samuel Adams and a Boston sports pro. The brewery partnered with Boston Celtics star (and 2024 NBA Champion) Derrick White to release (Derrick) White Ale. The initial can release at Samuel Adams’ taprooms in November sold out in under 30 minutes.