Brewbound Podcast

After a week of good (dare we say sunny?) vibes in Philadelphia, the Brewbound team regrouped to put a bow on the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). Jess, Zoe and Justin discussed the overall feel of this year's event compared to the previous two CBCs in Indianapolis and Las Vegas, as well as the Brewers Association attempting to change the narrative around craft beer. They discuss president and CEO Bart Watson's nudge to tell some of the more positive stories around craft beer, and his own attempts during the State of the Industry speech. Plus, the trio explored RNDC's fire sale this week, as the distributors struck deals with Martignetti for 11 control state markets and Columbia Distributing for certain wine and spirits brand rights in Washington and Oregon, as well as an agreement in Alaska. Then, we bring you a trio of Pennsylvania-centric interviews, starting with a check in with Carbon Copy co-founder Brendon Boudwin on the Philadelphia brewery's less pretentious approach compared to some legacy craft brewers. After that, we shift gears with snippets of interviews recorded during Brewbound's happy hour at Love City Brewing. In the first chat, Brewers of PA executive director Hannah Ison explained the guild's work to modernize the state's malt beverage tax credit program, which would allow craft breweries that have made facility upgrades or equipment purchases to sell those credits to other Pennsylvania producers or gain extensions. The show wraps up with Love City Brewing co-founder Kevin Walter's take on modern craft drinkers and how the brewery is pulling those drinkers into its taprooms with niche events.

The Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) rolled into Philadelphia this week – and so did the Brewbound Podcast On Location Studio. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, the team shares their early reads on a week in which the vibes seem high compared to previous years. Zoe recaps the opening keynote speech by Unreasonable Hospitality author and former restaurateur Will Guidara, including his hyper-experiential approach to customer service and what a "dream weaver" is and whether you should be concerned that your server is eavesdropping on you. But first, Justin provides details on Firestone Walker and Duvel USA striking an agreement to acquire the Stone Brewing brand and four California taprooms from Sapporo USA – just under four years after the Japanese brewing giant acquired the San Diego craft brewery. Justin, Jess and Zoe dig into what the deal means for craft market share in California, how the combined company plans to approach distribution and which taprooms are on the move, as well as what this means for Sapporo in the U.S. and what happens with the Escondido production brewery. The trio also share takeaways from Brewbound's party at Love City Brewing.

Ikasu Brewing founder Masahiro "Masa" Kitano believes his Los Angeles-based, contract-brewed brand has found its niche, leaning into "weird and good beer" that taps into Japanese culinary ingredients. Kitano's history as a home brewer helped him craft out-of-the-ordinary beers, such as a matcha-infused gose. "It's a sour beer with the aroma of matcha, but it doesn't look green," he said. "You smell it and it's super unique. No one's thought about combining sour beer with matcha." Kitano's beer, as well as his story of leaving a career as a medical researcher to chase his brewing dream, coupled with his infectious personality, propelled him to victory during Brewbound's Pitch Slam competition at the 2025 Brewbound Live business conference last December. On this week's Brewbound Podcast, Kitano shares an update on the business following the win and why he believes his pitch resonated. "I tried to make the pitch as simple as possible, a little bit stupid and a little be funny – magically it worked out," he said. "I'm so glad that happened." In the months since, the draft-only brand added several bar and restaurant accounts following the win and recently signed with L.A. Distributing Co., Kitano said. Ikasu continues to operate out of Los Angeles-based Native Son, where the brand has six taps dedicated to its beer. The relationship has helped Ikasu test new offerings and connect with a built-in audience. In this episode, Kitano goes deeper into his innovation process, as well as his aspirations for Ikasu, including plans to can Larigato, Ikasu's Japanese rice lager, later this year for distribution. Before the conversation, the Brewbound team discusses craft beer's 2025 production report released earlier this week by the Brewers Association. They dive into why Sierra Nevada leapfrogging Boston Beer as the No. 2 independent craft brewery by volume highlights the successes of one brewery and the shift in focus away from beer of the other. The trio also explore Mark Anthony Brands' deal for the Finnish Long Drink, and which RTD dominos are left to fall/cash in.

How did craft close out Q1 in scans? In this episode, the Brewbound team convenes to discuss the early read on trends in off-premise retailers with the first three months of 2026 in the books. The conversation shifts to the latest platform builders, as Oklahoma City's Coop Ale Works and Dallas' Four Corners Brewing have created the Frontier Beverage Collective. Meanwhile, Abita Brewing Company is rechristening itself as the Abita Beverage Group, targeting 170,000 barrels this year, and potential mergers and acquisitions. Then the focus turns to new BrewDog owner Tilray Brands' Q3 earnings report and future plans with the Scottish craft beer brand in the fold. Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss BrewDog's identity without its "punk" ethos, which now includes a residency in the Hamptons. The show wraps with a conversation about the "Daycap," following a Business Insider story on bev-alc brands targeting daytime occasions via some creative marketing to younger LDA consumers. Is this really a thing with Gen Z?

In the wake of major shakeups in the middle-tier that will see the largest distributors getting even bigger and major manufacturers adding brands to their portfolios, Fingers newsletter author Dave Infante joins the Brewbound Podcast to recap a wild couple of weeks in the bev-alc industry. The Brewbound team and Infante cover recent distributor consolidations by the Reyes Beverage Group and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits and whether this signals a new era of mega distributors. They also discuss the effect these deals could have on small producers, especially brewers who are now competing with a variety of products outside of traditional beer in their wholesalers' books. The crew also dissect recent brand acquisitions among suppliers, including Firestone Walker's Trumer Pils pick up in the U.S. from Gambrinus and the potential fallout; Constellation Brands' deal for HOPWTR; Molson Coors' addition of Monaco; Pernod Ricard and Brown Forman's flirtation; and Phusion Project's purported interest in selling Four Loko. The show wraps with a discussion of the upcoming Craft Brewers Conference and why everyone will be vibe-checking attendees later this month.