Kevin McGee used his law degree more than he expected when his family took over legacy California craft brewery Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC), including in legal battles over distribution rights.    Now that the family has sold the brewery,  a move announced in March, McGee is putting his degree to use full time.    On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, McGee recounts recent franchise law cases and victories in the Golden State and shares his expectations for more challenges to craft brewers’ ability to switch distributors in the future.    McGee, who acted as AVBC’s president and CEO, also shares when he and his family knew it was the right time to sell the brewery. He explains what brewery owners thinking about selling need to consider, how they should prepare and what the current buyer market looks like.   Before the conversation, Brewbound editor Justin Kendall and senior reporter Zoe Licata discuss Anheuser-Busch InBev’s sale of its New York City wholly owned distributor to Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits and why they believe more moves are on the way.   Plus, Justin and Zoe play Another Round or Tabbing Out on Spindrift pulling the plug on its spiked seltzer brand and the crossover bev-alc market.

Rupee Beer founders Van and Sumit Sharma believe they’re ready to meet Indian cuisine’s moment.    On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, the brothers share their journey of launching the Indian American beer brand during the COVID-19 pandemic as an add-on purchase at their family’s restaurant. Today, Rupee has expanded distribution to 18 states – most recently California – and the Sharmas are readying for an “explosion” of Indian restaurants entering the U.S market.    “We’re doing something that really directly ties it into the only story that we know, which is restaurants,” Van Sharma said. “That’s what we grew up in, more specifically, Indian restaurants.”   Rupee’s beer has found its way onto menus in Thai, Middle Eastern, Persian, Latin American and Caribbean restaurants.   “Anywhere global flavor, spice, those things hang out, that’s where we’re operating these days,” Van Sharma said. “Legacy brands out there definitely paved the way, but we’re doing something a little bit different, which also involves a little bit more of the local, craft American space as well.”    Although the Shamras built Rupee’s business primarily through the on-premise channel, they’re now getting the attention of national retailers and they’re leaning into their chain business.    Rupee is bringing new innovation to the Indian beer segment, which hasn’t seen an influx of new brands, Van Sharma said.   Later in the episode, The Sharmas discuss their strategy for engaging consumers and gaining their attention in retail stores, as well as their approach to building their distribution network and where they want to go next.    Plus, Justin, Jess and Zoe catch up on the latest headlines, including why it’s not time to panic despite the Gallup survey’s recent results on Americans drinking habits. They give a legal update on Uncle Nearest and the recipe agreement dispute between Schilling Cider and Incline. They also recap recent bev-alc experiences, from a growing dislike for black cherry flavors, to a sweaty trip to the Iowa State Fair.

Representatives of Uncle Nearest were in court last week fighting to retain control of the whiskey brand’s operations as its lender seeks the appointment of a receiver as the company has fallen into default on $108 million in loans.   BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joins the Brewbound Podcast to share the latest on the case, including arguments made in court last week in favor of CEO Fawn Weaver remaining in charge, a gag order on comments to the media and on social channels and the timeline for a judge’s ruling.   Plus, the Brewbound team discusses aluminum can producer Ball Corporation cutting back on beer in its mix, and Boston Beer’s plans to shut down its Truly Hard Seltzer taproom in Los Angeles and sell the Angel City craft beer brand, as well as close its downtown LA taproom.    Justin, Jess, Zoe and Ferron also play Another Round or Tabbing Out on whether the attention the Spaghett – a bottle of Miller High Life with aperol and lemon juice added – is warranted.

While defending shelf space remains important, suppliers need to make sure they’re also retaining lucrative display, floor, promotional and feature space, Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) president Dave Williams and VP of business development and portfolio strategy Brian “BK” Krueger shared in the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.    “That’s what really multiplies anything that you have on the shelf,” Krueger said.    Beer brands’ display losses aren’t just coming from competitors within the category – they’re coming from other mega alcohol categories and even non-alcoholic (NA) beverages.    “If you look at what’s on the floor on display now, it’s less alcohol across the board,” Krueger said. “You’re seeing more of the sodas, more of the flavor, more of the Olipops, more of the Poppis that are getting that space that used to be 50-, 60-case stacks of beer or seltzer or craft or domestic or import.    “Now, it’s gone, it’s out of the mix,” he continued. “And the frequency has also eroded away as well.”   Williams stressed that suppliers need to maintain alignment with their wholesaler and retailer partners to protect that space, which will be key to winning in the future. That alignment comes from being present in the market to maintain those relationships.   In their conversation with Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata, Williams and Krueger also discuss first-half 2025 trends in detail with a few reality checks along the way.    “It hasn’t gotten notably worse, but it hasn’t also gotten markedly better,” Williams said of early year trends. “The reality [is] that beer and malt in particular based products, that consumer isn’t coming back around in large droves.    “I don’t expect volume to come back in any meaningful way,” he continued. “There are certainly some individual winners … I think a lot of behaviors from consumers right now are drawing people outside of the beer/malt world. They’re slowing down their frequency of consumption or volume that they’re consuming when they do go out and make a purchase at the package store.   Krueger and Williams also share how craft brewers are leveraging other areas of bev-alc for growth, what’s contributing to flavored malt beverages’ (FMB) struggles this year and whether consumers are making pricing-based decisions.    Plus, the Brewbound team reconvenes to discuss Jim Koch’s return as CEO of Boston Beer and Michael Spillane’s forthcoming exit after 16 months.   Justin, Jess and Zoe explain why the CEO change felt out of left field, what it means for Koch to return to power after 24 years and how the conversation around internal candidates is being framed.

After years working at various breweries and hosting their own craft beer podcast, Chelsea Rhoads and Liz Hess finally decided to take the plunge and buy a brewery. 

The pair, who co-host the Body By Beer podcast, acquired Denver’s Berkeley Alley Beer Company earlier this summer and have put their own spin on the beloved local spot. They joined Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante for a conversation about why now was the time to become brewery owners and how they plan for Berkeley Alley to be a community gathering hub.

The brewery, which opened as De Steeg before being sold and rechristened Berkeley Alley in 2021, has a four-barrel brewhouse, which Hess runs. 

“We get a chance to really play and learn and really get our feet wet, so I'm looking forward to that,” she said. “I'm not saying it's not scary times, as far as expense goes, because it is, right? But we think that we can push people to come in and expand that by offering more than just beer.”

Ahead of the interview, Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata chats about the latest headlines, including Boston Beer’s tale of two teas and the Brewers Association’s midyear survey results. Plus, she details a recent taproom visit that blew her away.

Almanac Beer got lots of people (including the hosts of this podcast!) talking earlier this summer when it announced it was ditching the word “taproom” and rechristening its Alameda, California-based location as Alameda Adventureland.   There was a lot more than alliteration and snappy branding behind the move. Eschewing the “taproom” part of its name made way for Almanac to embrace all the other things it had become: a gathering space for all members of the community, whether or not they drank beer.   In the fourth and final installment in the Brewbound Podcast’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series, Almanac EVP of sales Kevin Scoles details the brewery’s transformation of its own-premise location from a taproom to a full-blown, family-friendly entertainment space.   In addition to Scoles’ conversation with Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante, this episode highlights news from Calicraft Brewing and New England Brewing Company, as well as Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata’s trip to Chicago, and remembers New Albion Brewing co-founder Jack McAuliffe.

Ray Latif spoke with Chris Swersey of Hop Products Australia (HPA) and Mitch Steele of New Realm Brewing about the 2025 Australian hop crop. Swersey reported a bountiful harvest for HPA, with total production up 10% and yields increasing by 30% despite reduced acreage. This success stems from favorable weather and significant investments in productivity and technology. Their new HPA HOP Central pellet plant, which processed popular varieties like Galaxy, Ella, and Eclipse, recently achieved FSSC food safety certification.

Mitch Steele praised HPA's Galaxy hops, highlighting its consistent tropical fruit intensity. After extensive evaluation, Steele found the 2025 Galaxy crop to have a complex aroma and taste, featuring classic passion fruit, lime, and a developing peach mango character. New Realm Brewing is showcasing this hop in a "less-coast pilsner," a crisp, light beer with an intense hop aromatic profile.

Worth Brewing co-owner Peter Ausenhus has some advice for fellow craft brewers looking to become innkeepers (or just short-term rental hosts): digital keypad locks and a reliable cleaner.   “It's absolutely hands-off for me,” he said of Worth’s two-bedroom apartment, which is available for rent on Airbnb.    In Episode 3 of the Brewbound Podcast’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series, Ausenhus discusses the ins and outs of adding on-site accommodations to the Northwood, Iowa-based brewery.    Since listing it for rent last summer, the apartment pulls in roughly $1,000 in monthly revenue. Guests have included people visiting family in the area or passing through during work trips.   In addition to this week’s featured interview, Justin, Jess and Zoe recap the latest headlines, including Barrel One Collective’s new CEO, Sloop Brewing’s strategic partnership with Hendler Family Brewing, the legal drama surrounding Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer, and an interview with the national director of Ales for ALS.   Listen here or on your preferred podcasting platform.   And catch up on the prior episodes in Brewbound’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series:

• How Coffee Fortified Death of the Fox’s AM/PM Business
• How Hard Slushies Became 10% of Red Bus Brewing’s Summer Beverage Sales

Red Bus Brewing owner Erik Schmid is candid about what changed his mind about adding hard slushies to the Folsom, California-based craft brewery’s summer menu: “bottom line.”   In Episode 2 of the Brewbound Podcast’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series, Schmid shares that since Red Bus purchased a slushie machine, the fruity drinks have become 10% of Red Bus’ beverage sales and 5% of its overall business. He described their popularity from May through September as a “pleasant surprise,” attracting consumers who wouldn’t otherwise visit the brewery and offering others an alternative to beer.   Schmid walks through pricing, margin and profitability, production and the flavors that work best, plus how long the slushie machine took to pay for itself.    Plus, Justin, Jess and Zoe recap the latest headlines, including RNDC’s planned layoffs in California ahead of its September exit and recent brewery closures and acquisitions.    The trio also play Another Round or Tabbing Out on the trend of hard sports hydration drinks.    Catch up on Episode 1 of the Learning Lounge with Death of the Fox co-founder Chuck Garrity sharing how coffee has become the dominant part of the brewery’s business.

When Death of the Fox Brewing Company opened eight years ago, co-founder Chuck Garrity wanted to make sure its Clarksboro, New Jersey-based taproom stayed busy day and night.    So to “maximize” Death of the Fox’s taproom investment and utility, the company launched by also offering coffee service, Garrity shared during the first edition of the Brewbound Podcast’s Learning Lounge: Taproom Tactics series.    Offering coffee was part of a total beverage mindset that covered an overlap between beer drinkers and coffee connoisseurs, while adding a revenue stream in one of the strictest operating environments for craft brewery taprooms.    “My goal was to always have an on-site coffee roastery,” Garrity explained. “So to be able to produce and roast the coffee in the same way that we produce fresh beer for the brewery. In the same respect, we’re doing that with the coffee. To me it just made sense in terms of a business model.”   Building an on-site roastery during the COVID-19 pandemic was “a game changer” for the business due to taproom shutdowns. It’s now become the dominant portion of the brewery’s business.   “When we first opened, beer was about 75%, 80% of our sales,” he said. “Now, flash forward eight years later, coffee, in terms of the total company, is about 70% of our sales. Beer is about 20% to 25%.”   Garrity added that the brewery’s beer sales are still strong, and he’s confident that “beer’s not going anywhere.” But his philosophy is to “follow where the river takes you, don’t fight against the current,” and Death of the Fox’s customers were telling him that while they liked the combination of beer and coffee, they really loved the coffee.   Listen for more from Garrity on Death of the Fox’s mix, growing the coffee side of the business amid strict restrictions on beer and advice for adding an attractive coffee menu.    Before this week’s featured interview, Jess, Zoe and Justin break down what Barrel One Collective’s acquisition of Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company brings to the platform. And the trio play Another Round or Tabbing Out on 1990s nostalgia seeping into CPG, with more waterbed and Jelly shoes talk than you’d expect.