Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events

Dad Grass was crowned the champion of New Beverage Showdown 31, joining an elite cohort of well-known beverage brands such as Health-Ade and Poppi that have previously claimed victory in the bi-annual pitch competition.

Day Two of BevNET Live Summer 2026 featured more insights from venture capital investors, entrepreneurs, embracing AI in branding strategies and deep dives into the relaxation and intoxicating hemp drink categories.

Icicle Brewing founders Pamela and Oliver Brulotte will retire after selling their stake in the Leavenworth, Washington-based craft brewery.The Brulottes didn’t need to look far for the brewery’s new owners. Hop farmers Shelley and Eric Desmarais – the latter of whom is Oliver Brulotte’s second cousin – will acquire the majority interest in Icicle.

As previously reported in Part 1 of our 2025 hospitality-driven brewery data dive, brewpubs recorded the smallest year-over-year (YoY) decline in 2025 production volume (-1.7% YoY) among all craft brewery types, according to the Brewers Association (BA).

Bev-alc’s year-over-year (YoY) declines carried through the end of May, including Memorial Day, according to the latest weekly scans report from market research firm NIQ.

Craft breweries continued to battle declines in 2025, but hospitality-focused breweries – including brewpubs and taprooms – were a “bright spot for the industry” last year, according to the Brewers Association (BA).

BevNET Live NYC 2026 kicked off with several sit-down interviews with entrepreneurs, including several in the low ABV and non-alcoholic beverage categories who discussed the rapidly changing consumer landscape.

At 138 years old, F.X. Matt Brewing isn’t slowing down. President Fred Matt joined the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the Utica, New York-based craft brewery’s plans for 2026 and beyond, which include Saranac Weekend Warrior Mid-Strength, a 3% ABV hazy IPA and Right Coast Spirits Italian Ice, a vodka-based RTD produced in partnership with Barrel One Collective.

Boston Beer Company claims it didn’t receive a “fair trial” due to “errors” throughout its breach of contract case with Ardagh Metal Group, which last month received a $175.5 million jury award, plus millions in pre-judgment interest.

A leadership shakeup has happened at Pennsylvania’s New Trail Brewing. Founder and CEO David Hertwig is transitioning “into a more strategic role,” rather than daily operations, while keeping his c-suite title.

Nearly three-quarters of the available booths at the reinvented Great American Beer Festival (GABF) have been claimed. As of Tuesday, June 9, 150 breweries and cideries have registered to pour at the Brewers Association’s (BA) signature consumer-centric event, scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Levitt Pavilion in Denver, Colorado, BA VP of marketing and communications Ann Obenchain told Brewbound.

Beer at home and away continued to lead year-over-year (YoY) price increases compared to the rest of beverage-alcohol in May, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Across the board, no bev-alc metric increased as much as the CPI for all items, which rose 4.2% in May. This marked the highest rate of overall inflation since May 2023, when it was 4%.

Domestic tax paid shipments fell back in the red in April, reflecting beer momentum’s post-Q1 “speed bump,” the Beer Institute (BI) reported today.

Microbreweries recorded the largest year-over-year (YoY) volume decline in 2025 among all Brewers Association (BA) defined craft brewery types, according to data from the trade group. The decline underscores microbreweries’ continued battles for space and attention on crowded retailer shelves and distributor trucks.