• 💸 Challenges Stacking Up From Tech to Gambling
• 💔 Jolly Pumpkin Founder Ron Jeffries Has Died
  
• 📑 Subpoena Issued for Docs in DGA Research
• 🏭 Sierra Nevada Still Assessing Brewery Damage
  
• 👩🏻 BA Hires New Events & Meetings Lead
• 🗣️ NBWA CEO: ‘We Had a Rough Summer'
• 🚨 Distributor One-to-Ones at Brewbound Live
  

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Heineken USA CEO Maggie Timoney laid out several contributing factors that she sees chipping away at the beer category during a fireside chat on Day 2 of the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s Annual Convention in San Diego. 

Those challenges include Generation Z’s desire for new and next, which led to a “churn and burn” that has put “a ton of pressure on suppliers” and distributors, and a litany of new products taking up shelf space and mindshare. 

The encroachment of ready-to-drink spirits into traditional beer occasions, which Tmoney credited to hard seltzers guiding the way. 

Also, cannabis. And online gambling ads. And consumers’ conflicting desires for indulgence and health and wellness, mixed with technology, which helps remind consumers that their night out affected their recovery. 

Timoney said: “All of this data coming in is just chipping away at our revenues.”

All of this is part of a “new Olympic sport competing for the share of wallet,” Timoney said. 

“People have food to put on the table, gas in the car. They go out maybe once for a bite to eat. Alcohol is way down their list now,” she said.

Zeroing in on online gambling, Timoney noted that for many young people, they’re being force fed ads through their smart devices. 

“That $5 or $10, which doesn't seem like a lot in the big scheme of things – it is a big deal. It's a 6-pack of beer. It's a couple of pints on a night out in the on-premise.”

Read more from Timoney here, including caution on letting “the enemy inside our walls.”

Craft beer pioneer Ron Jeffries, who founded Dexter, Michigan-based Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, has died, his family announced Monday.

Daemon Jeffries, Ron’s son, wrote on Facebook: “It is with heavy hearts that we remember Ron Jeffries, a loving husband and father, who touched the lives of many with his passion and creativity.” 

Jeffries and his wife Laurie Jeffries founded Jolly Pumpkin in 2004 as the country’s first “all wild, oak-aged brewery.” The same year the brewery opened, Jolly Pumpkin’s Oro de Calabaza won the gold medal in the Belgian- and French-style Ale category in the Brewers Association’s (BA) Great American Beer Festival competition.

Jolly Pumpkin and Traverse City, Michigan-based North Peak Brewing merged to form craft platform Northern United Brewing in 2008, nearly two decades before the practice became common. 

In 2021, Northern United Brewing tapped Bryan Wiggs as director of brewing operations, which allowed Ron and Laurie Jeffries to eventually move to Hawaii, where the family launched Holoholo Brewing. 

Daemon Jeffries wrote: “In his final year, Ron fulfilled the lifelong dream of moving to Hawaii where he eagerly worked on his family brewery. He was excited about what the future was bringing and what he would be bringing to the world with Hilo Brewing Company/Holoholo Brewing. He cherished moments spent on his lanai, soaking in the Hilo rain with a pint in hand.”

Read more about Ron Jeffries’ legacy in the Michigan craft beer community.

More transparency may be coming to the process by which federal government agencies are examining the inclusion of alcohol in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). 

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability subpoenaed documents on Tuesday from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary Tom Vilsack. Both agencies collaborate every five years on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). 

For the 2025 iteration, the DGAC has commissioned the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, which is being undertaken by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), which aims “to generate evidence on weekly alcohol consumption thresholds to minimize health risks.” Revisit past Brewbound coverage here.

The Committee on Oversight and Accountability requested additional information from the DGAC in April, but has received “only 31 non-publicly available documents,” chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) wrote.

Industry advocates and leaders applauded the subpoena.

Beer Institute (BI) president and CEO Brian Crawford said: “It’s especially telling that HHS and USDA continue to duck legitimate Congressional inquiry into their duplicative and biased alcohol research efforts. I’m pleased to see that the House Oversight Committee is as concerned as we are about this improper exercise of authority assumed by the agencies. 

“It’s crucial that this process is informed by a preponderance of scientific evidence so Americans are given unbiased advice on moderate alcohol consumption.”

In her fireside chat during the NBWA annual convention, Heineken USA CEO Maggie Timoney called the subpoena “great news” and said “well done to everyone.” 

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In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company company is focused on ensuring its employees in Mills River, North Carolina, “are safe and accounted for,” while “still assessing” the damage sustained at the brewery, president and CEO Pryce Greenow told the company’s distributor partners on Tuesday.

“Communication in our  area remains poor, and many are still without power, water, phone/Internet, or fuel,” he wrote. 

Although the “Mills River brewery did not experience major flooding, it did sustain damage that we are still assessing,” Greenow added. 

Greenow wrote: “The site was inaccessible for several days due to surrounding flooding and road conditions, and a skeleton crew worked tirelessly through the storm to maintain our systems as well as possible. 

“The impact on many others in the area has been devastating, and our  hearts are with them as we all work to identify a path to recovery.” 

Insiders can read more about Sierra Nevada's shift in production to its Chico, California brewery

A week before the Brewers Association’s (BA) largest consumer-facing event kicks off in Denver, the trade organization has hired the person who will shape the future of its events with the appointment of Lacey Gautier as VP of meetings and events.

Gautier will succeed Nancy Johnson, who is retiring from the BA at the end of the year after three decades. Her first day with the BA was Tuesday, and she is based in Boulder, Colorado.

She will be tasked with taking the reins of the BA’s signature events, including the Great American Beer Festival, which takes place next week (October 10-12); the Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo, which will take place in Indianapolis on April 28-May 1; the World Beer Cup; and the National Homebrew Competition. 

Gautier brings more than 15 years of experience in building and executing events, including serving as VP of events for Informa Markets, whose portfolio of executive summits and trade shows includes the Natural Products Expo, which attracts more than 70,000 attendees and 3,000 exhibitors. 

She said: “The BA has a longstanding history of highly successful events, and I look forward to joining a team committed to curating highly transformative and exciting experiences. With the Great American Beer Festival right around the corner, I am excited to start my career with the BA during such a fun and festive time.” 

Insiders can read more, including the upcoming deadline for its next president.

– National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) president and CEO Craig Purser told media during a press briefing at the NBWA Annual Convention in San Diego.

While the NBWA shared optimism for beer and the category’s growth opportunities throughout this week’s event, Purser said members acknowledged in meetings that “there's some difficult time out there as it relates to industry trends.”

“We're not trying to candy coat it, we're not trying to be Pollyanna and put our head in the sand, but we are trying to remind people that perspective is important,” Purser said.

This December 11 + 12, Brewbound Live returns to Marina del Rey, CA, offering beer and beverage alcohol companies a unique opportunity to engage in One-to-One meetings with top industry leaders including retailers, distributors, and wholesalers. 

Joining Whole Foods and ExtraMile Convenience will be Reyes Beverage Group, one of the nation’s largest and most experienced beverage-alcohol distributors, and Breakthru Beverage, a leading North American beverage wholesaler representing a portfolio of premier wine, spirit and beer brands totaling more than $8.5 billion in annual sales.

Joining Brewbound Live One-to-One meetings will be:

• Jessica Muskey, VP of Craft and Innovation, Reyes Beverage Group
• Sinead Carey, Director of Beer, Breakthru Beverage
• Kevin Day, Director of Trade Development – Beer, Breakthru Beverage

The One-to-One meeting experience at Brewbound Live allows founders and executives of attending companies to connect directly with these executives for private, pre-scheduled 10-minute meetings. These targeted sessions provide invaluable face-to-face time for forging new retail partnerships and expanding distribution networks.

To be considered for a meeting, you must be registered for Brewbound Live. Upon registering, attendees will receive detailed instructions on how to sign up for the One-to-One experience.

Register for Brewbound Live 2024 >>

This year’s event promises to be packed with industry-leading speakers, innovative insights, and hands-on opportunities. Attendees can also watch the Brewbound Live Pitch Slam, sample the latest products, and network with industry peers during dedicated breaks and the Brewbound Live Official Party. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available.

Brewbound’s annual "Best Of" Awards commend companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas and trends from across the ever-changing beer industry. Submit nominations for yourself or others through November 1st.