• 🏎️ CBC Heads to Indy Amid Headwinds
• 💰 A Round With Audra Gaiziunas
• 🎙️ BA Staff Economist Matt Gacioch
• 🧔🏻‍♂️ BA Names New Federal Affairs Manager
• 📖 Pre-Conference Reading List
• 💸 Boston Beer Q1 Results & Call Highlights
• 7️⃣🎂 Von Ebert x Russian River

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We’re headed to Indianapolis for the Brewers Association’s (BA) Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and BrewExpo America (April 28 to May 1). To celebrate, we’ve dedicated our coverage over today and Monday to headlines that can best prepare you for the annual event. 

Welcome to Brewbound’s 2nd annual CBC site takeover!

Around 10,000 industry members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 2025 CBC and BrewExpo America. The gathering takes place against a backdrop of growing headwinds for craft breweries and an overhaul of CBC’s host organization, the Brewers Association (BA).

When Bart Watson takes the stage for this year’s state of the industry address inside the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday, April 30, he will do so for the first time as CEO of the trade organization where he previously served as chief economist and VP of strategy. 

Watson assumed the reins from long-time CEO Bob Pease, who retired on January 3. The organization is in transformation with several key retirements and departures. 

Further change is on the horizon as the BA plans to peel off its consumer-centric subsidiary the American Homebrewers Association, which is working toward independence.

The BA will now be shaped under Watson’s vision as a “ruthlessly member-centric,” problem-solving organization.

The changeover comes as industry growth has given way to volume declines over the past 2 years, with craft volume down 4% in 2024 and 1% in 2023. Craft is now a decade removed from the double-digit growth of the mid-2010s, making the past few years a crash course in navigating choppy waters. 

Craft brewers find themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace, with limited shelf space, increasing costs (including 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel) for aluminum cans and raw materials and financial cliffs that have led to partnerships for survival, bankruptcies and closures. The latter outpaced openings last year for the first time since 2005 (501 versus 434).

Insiders can read more about what to expect next week in Indianapolis, including key talks, awards and more.  

Audra Gaiziunas wears so many hats she could open a Lids. She is the CFO and co-owner of Asheville’s DSSOLVR, founder of Brewed for Her Ledger management consulting firm and treasurer of the Brewers Association’s (BA) board of directors. There is almost no one better to feature in our pre-Craft Brewers Conference edition of A Round With …, the Brewbound Insider-exclusive Q&A with industry leaders.

We checked in with Audra to discuss financial smarts, time management and how to have your best CBC yet. Here’s a snippet of Part 1 of our conversation with Audra, which has been lightly edited for clarity. Look for Part 2 next week:

How can Craft Brewers Conference attendees make the most of their time during the event?

Audra: Define your personal game plan before you go. Set a few major goals. Are you there to explore new innovations offered with equipment? Learn about finance? Network with other brewers? 

Pick your tracks to align with those goals. While on the trade show floor, be sure to ask vendors specific questions such as:

• What are your minimums?
• What sort of lead times are you seeing right now?
• And do you work with breweries my size?

Network with intent. Introduce yourself to the speakers. They are accessible and love to engage after delivering their session. Some of my most uplifting and rewarding interactions have been in the hour following a talk I've given. Attend the after-hours events, such as the collabs and tap takeovers. 

But most importantly, balance your learning and networking with taking time to breathe and rest in between. Go play with the rescue puppies. Recharge in the quiet room. Drink plenty of water, and try to get some sleep. I personally view the Craft Brewers Conference as a family reunion-meets-Christmas week, and it brings me so much joy to return year after year. 

Insiders can read more from Audra about her experience as treasurer of the BA’s board of directors and wisdom gleaned from attending 15 CBCs. Look for Part 2 next week, which will feature Audra’s sharp financial insights and a post-Helene update from Asheville, North Carolina.

When Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch is asked whether craft brewers are optimistic or pessimistic, his response is “brewers are realistic.”

“They are understanding that this is a new environment that they are operating in. Mid-April 2025 is very different than mid-April 2015,” Gacioch said during the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.

Gacioch also touches on new breweries making this year’s top 50 craft list, potential opportunities and challenges for breweries adding food service and why he’s excited for CBC. Plus, more conversation about kicking field goals than you’d expect.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform. 

The BA has tapped Samuel Beaver to lead federal government affairs, the trade organization announced Thursday. 

Beaver joins the BA from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), where he served as director of government relations for nearly six years. Before that, Beaver spent almost a decade on Capitol Hill. His first day at the BA was Wednesday, April 23.

Prior to joining the NAM, Beaver’s most recent role on Capitol Hill was policy advisor in the Senate Republican whip office, which was held by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). 

Insiders can read more about Beaver’s background and career. 

Headed to Indianapolis for the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and looking for some light reading? We got you.

Ahead of the Brewers Association’s (BA) big event, we’ve put together a list of some of the trade group’s biggest stories from the past few months that will help you prepare for the week. 

Follow the links for deeper reading (and listening):

• Brewers Association Taps Bart Watson as Next CEO
  
• Tariffs Webinar Recap: ‘Sticky’ Aluminum Tariffs, Consumer Sentiment a ‘Dumpster Fire’
• Brewers Association Predicts 2025: Draft, Differentiation, Adaptation and More Closures
• American Homebrewers Association to Split From Brewers Association

Check out more (or just read our CliffsNotes version). 

Of course, the news does not stop:

Boston Beer Company had a more positive start to fiscal year 2025 compared to the company’s recent quarterly performances, according to Q1 financial results released after trading ended on Thursday.

The company’s shipments (sales to wholesalers) grew 5.3% year-over-year (YoY), to 1.7 million barrels, primarily due to increases from Twisted Tea, Hard MTN Dew and vodka-based hard tea Sun Cruiser, which partially offset declines from Truly Hard Seltzer. 

Q1 depletions (sales to retailers) declined 1% YoY.

The Q1 figures are a continued improvement over previous Q1 performances for the company, which have been steadily improving over the past few years:

• Q1 2024 shipments +0.9%, depletions flat;
• Q1 2023 shipments -7.6%, depletions -6%;
• Q1 2022 shipments -25.1%, depletions -7%.

Boston Beer is maintaining its FY25 projections of low-single-digit shipments and depletions declines, to low-single-digit growth. However, the company noted that projections “do not include any impact from tariffs.” 

Dive deeper into the Q1 figures and FY25 guidance here.

Twisted Tea has been a positive outlier for Boston Beer in recent years, posting consistent growth for the company and combating declines from its sibling brands, including Truly. 

However, it is now Boston Beer’s spirits-based hard tea, Sun Cruiser, that is pulling the weight, while Twisted Tea’s growth has slowed significantly, according to the company’s Q1 earnings call, held with investors and analysts Thursday evening. 

Meanwhile, Twisted Tea growth in Q1 was lower than Boston Beer anticipated, leadership admitted. The FMB increased dollar sales 1% YoY in the quarter, caught in the crossfire of a “more than anticipated” slowdown in the total beer and FMB segments and increased competition from new hard tea entrants. 

Insiders can read other highlights from Thursday’s call, including further context on tariffs impacts and updates on Truly, Hard MTN Dew, Samuel Adams, Dogfish Head and Angry Orchard.

Von Ebert Brewing (Portland, OR) is celebrating its 7th anniversary with 2 collaborative releases with Russian River (Santa Rosa, CA). 

The beers – available on draft and in 16 oz. cans at Von Ebert locations in Oregon and Mississippi, and at various Northwest retailers – include:

• 7th Anniversary Pilsner (5% ABV), with “floral and citrus notes;”
• And 7th Anniversary West Coast IPA (6.8%), with lime, guava passionfruit and strawberry. 

Von Ebert brewmaster Sam Pecoraro joined the Brewbound Podcast last year during CBC to discuss Von Ebert’s innovation strategy and increased focus on lagers. Listen to the conversation here. 

We’ll be back on the BrewExpo floor recording podcast interviews next week, so stay tuned for new conversations!

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.

If you’re interested in discussing advertising and sponsorship opportunities to reach our audience of beer executives, our sales team will also be present and happy to chat with you at the Brewbound booth. Reach out in advance to sales@brewbound.com to set up a time to talk.