Welcome to Brewbound’s Inside Look at the Beer Business for the week that was … Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Well, we tried, Massachusetts … but apparently you just can’t be trusted with $2 off a MILLER LITE before 6 p.m., as the state has removed happy hour legislation from a $4B economic development package set for a final vote soon.

Liability and insurance factors were cited, which, having seen Boston St. Patrick’s Day footage over the years … I’m not gonna argue with. 

The practice was banned in 1984 after, well, I’m guessing we can all imagine other activities in mid-’80s Boston that may have led to the step being taken in the first place.

AND: Good news! Craft numbers got “less worse” in October! Look, folks – small victories to start, mmmkay? 

In the L4W ending Nov. 3, CIRCANA craft numbers were:

• Sales: -1.9% (vs. -3.6% in the L4W ending Oct. 6)
• Volume: -3.4% (vs. -5.4%)
• Jess has your breakdown by craft brands here.
• The 3 TIER BEVERAGES folks have your insights into craft light beer trends here in the latest 3 Up, 3 Down, as well as a look at the latest seasonals data, RTDs and more.

ALTHOUGH: Overall beer is +2.1% in sales and essentially flat in volume L4W ending Nov. 3. 

Here’s where things stand for 2024 through Nov. 3 for total beer:

• Sales: -0.5% YoY
• Volume: -2.6% YoY

Well, I guess let’s start positive?

• A-B is investing $1.6M in the GOLDEN ROAD Anaheim Brewery & Pub location, and $1.6M in the ELYSIAN Capitol Hill Brewery & Pub – reinforcing for the cheap seats that hospitality experiences are key to craft’s next era vs. just “making good beer.”
• Something that the co-founder of top NYC brewery GRIMM seconded in a Bronx Times look at the 😕 state of the city’s craft brewery scene as 2024 rounds out.

But then:

• A-B is shutting down the ELYSIAN brewery and taproom in Georgetown, WA on Dec. 31 after 13 years, which should make for a New Year’s Eve party to remember. 
• The exact number of employees affected could not be confirmed by the Seattle Times. ELYSIAN’s Teamsters members voted to strike at the location last month after over a year’s worth of negotiations were seemingly going nowhere.

And also:

• A-B is closing its North Dakota malthouse after 46 years, with RAHR taking on the production at its Minnesota location, according to Inforum. 

This all in preparation for the arrival of the next CEO in 2025 (🤞on my application). Here are the remaining folks that will report into that new TBA CEO:

• VP of events and sales Lacey Gautier;
• VP of operations Dan Goloback;
• VP of marketing and communications Ann Obenchain;
• VP of government affairs Marc Sorini;
• VP of strategy and membership Bart Watson;
• Member resources director Dr. J. Jackson-Beckham.

3 folks no longer listed on the BA website are:

• Paul Gatza, senior VP of the professional brewing division;
• Stephanie Johnson Martin, senior VP of operations;
• Ryan Farrell, VP of staff development.

NORTH PARK BEER CO.

Sales Operations Manager – San Diego, CA

STONEFACE BREWING

Massachusetts Territory Manager 

ALLAGASH BREWING

“Imagine if we were still sitting there going, 'All right, amber ales, they're coming back!’ We'd be in a tough spot.”

- NEW BELGIUM CEO Shaun Belongie at the Beer Marketer’s Insights’ seminar this week in NYC on the need to not become too rigid in one’s thinking about the industry.

STOUT COLLECTIVE founder and CEO Matt Tanaka joins the pod this week to talk all things design trends for beer in 2025, and how the company creates its annual BOPP Beer Design Conference.  

AND: The BREWBOUND crew talk all things Beer Marketer’s Insights conference, where Zoe shares her uh, insights that stood out at the event this week.

Listen here!

• Never let it be said that crime syndicates don’t listen to market forces – the most stolen alcoholic beverage has changed from hard seltzer in 2023 to liquor in 2024, with tequila being a particular focus. 
• Imports crossed the 40% share mark in CA for the first time in the 52wk period ending Oct. 6, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. 2nd in share? Domestic Premiums at … 18%.
• BOSTON BEER is expanding its production facilities in Cincinnati, spending $4M to buy up some parcels of land next to its production facility. 
• NARRAGANSETT is entering California, its 27th state.
• NEW BELGIUM is selling MI’s UPPER HAND brewery, founded by Larry Bell in 2014, to a company called SEVEN BEVERAGES … which is still securing its alcohol license in MI. 

Book your room for BREWBOUND LIVE at the Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel on Dec 11 & 12 is now open! Justin said I could finally attend this year if I agree to dress up as Santa 🎅! 

All I gotta do is wear the full red velvet suit, hat & beard all day and carry around a 50 lb. sack full of tallboys to handout to the attendees in the warm Southern California weather. Thanks, boss! I won’t let you down.

Quite a lineup here folks – all in one place! 

DOGFISH HEAD founder Sam Calagione recently joined the already stellar lineup of speakers:

• Jessica Fierro, ATREVIDA Beer Co owner and head brewer; 
• Christian McMahan, SUNTORY RTD Company North America chief growth officer;
• Satoru Shimizu, SUNTORY RTD Company North America , president;
• Scott Selix, CLIMBING KITES co-founder;
• Aaron Vargas, BACKPOCKET Brewing managing director;
• Amy Cartwright, INDEPENDENCE BREWING co-founder;
• Chris Herron, BEVSTRATEGY LLC and CREATURE COMFORTS co-founder;
• Rebecca Maisel, GULF DISTRIBUTING SVP legal and government affairs;
• Lauren Doll-Sheeder, DOLL DISTRIBUTING managing partner;
• Jennifer Grant, MARKSTEIN Sales general manager and VP;
• Zech Francis, BEATBOX Beverages SVP of global marketing;
• Rob Tod, ALLAGASH Brewing founder
• Karen Hertz, HOLIDAILY Brewing founder
• Paul Verdu, WISCONSIN Brewing Co. president
• Day Bracey, BARREL & FLOW Fest founder
• Lindsay Kunkle, FORESIGHT FACTORY director, head of U.S. Consultancy;
• Rebecca Dye Yonushonis, NEW BELGIUM BREWING CMO;
• Mary Mills, consultant for 3 Tier Beverages;
• Julie Rhodes, consultant, NOT YOUR HOBBY MARKETING SOLUTIONS
• Arthur Moye, owner and CEO of FULL CIRCLE Brewing;
• Kaleigh Theriault, director of thought leadership, beverage alcohol vertical at NIQ;
• Brian “BK” Krueger, VP of business development and portfolio strategies at Bump Williams Consulting;
• Natalie Cilurzo, RUSSIAN RIVER co-owner;
• Peter Skrbek, CEO Deschutes Brewery;
• Lester Jones, NBWA chief economist and VP of analytics; 
• Jennifer Hauke, DRAFTLINE TECHNOLOGIES founder and president; 

This week’s beer does not go out to Zoe, who was in NYC this week and didn’t say hello 😏, but rather it does go out to the real unsung heroes of the beer business –   marketing departments.

Sure, the distribution folks may need to consistently navigate increasingly worse street traffic in huge trucks and figure out ways to get 160 lb. kegs up and down tight, scary staircases -- but the marketing team needs to sit around the office all day and find new, creative ways to take credit for agency work ... uh, I mean get folks to want to order a beer from that keg!

First up is the local play, with the new SAM ADAMS (Derrick) White Ale, now available at SAMUEL ADAMS’ taprooms in the Boston area. It’s made in partnership with Derrick White from the BOSTON CELTICS, and comes with a video featuring “Your Cousin from Boston,” with a nice nod to local favorite The Town. Plus – $1 of every pint sold in the taproom locations will go to the Greater Boston Food Bank 👏. 

Next up is BUD LIGHT, who continues to show that Shane Gillis is probably their smartest spokesperson idea since the Dilly Dilly guy (sorry Peyton), with this new parody ad. I have high hopes for “the big game” spot this year (if they even do one for BL), although I think if we just avoid any mention of corn syrup … we all come out ahead.

So – see folks? Marketing does matter! I have no doubt that SAM ADAMS and BUD LIGHT sales will go through the roof this holiday season as a result. 🤝

Slainté!  

-Sean McNulty