When Braxton Brewing co-founder and CEO Jake Rouse first participated in the inaugural Startup Brewery Challenge -- held during the 2013 Brewbound Session on December 5 in San Diego -- his company was still in planning mode. But earlier this month, Rouse made his return to the Brewbound Session in Chicago with a much more seasoned pitch and a Braxton brand that had been commercially available for nine weeks.

Seven years ago, Michael Kiser became obsessed with beer. As a brand strategist who led large-scale innovation platforms for companies like Nike, Hewlett-Packard and Samsung, Kiser was incredibly drawn to how upstart craft brewers were presenting themselves when he first encountered their products.

It’s Throwback Thursday and we’re tossing it all the way back to last week, when we hosted nearly 200 beer industry professionals for a jam-packed day of learning and networking at Brewbound Session Chicago. Held on June 11 at the Moonlight Studios in Chicago, the 2015 Brewbound Session highlighted the growing challenges of scaling a brand in today’s ultra-competitive craft landscape.

Bookending Brewbound Session Chicago last week, the high end portfolio chiefs from both Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors were on hand to discuss their view of the craft space and their respective approaches to acquisition.

Drizly isn’t here to disrupt the three-tier system. Rather, as Cory Rellas, the COO of the booze-to-your door delivery app tells it, the company operates in the name of “accelerating the status quo.”

The empire has sprung a leak. That was the first message First Beverage Group managing partner Townsend Ziebold had for a crowd of nearly 200 beer industry professionals at last week’s Brewbound Session business conference in Chicago. But the familiar narrative of a rapidly evolving beer landscape and the image of the “leaky bucket” served... Read more »

We’re less than 24 hours away from Brewbound Session Summer ’15, being held on June 11 at Moonlight Studios in Chicago, and we’ve still got a few program notes to announce.

We’re less than 48 hours away from Brewbound Session Summer ’15 in Chicago, and it’s time to introduce a quintet of judges for this year’s Startup Brewery Challenge, our bi-annual business pitch competition. Presented by Craft Brew Alliance, the Startup Brewery Challenge gives U.S. craft breweries who have been on the market for less than two years a chance to show off their business plans, sample one core product offering and receive immediate feedback from our panel of expert judges.

Three prominent craft brewing executives from across the country will take the stage at next week’s Brewbound Session in Chicago, Ill. to talk portfolio strategy and how they execute behind their brands in the marketplace.

A trio of industry's most knowledgeable executives will take the stage during next week’s Brewbound Session business conference to discuss the robust and ever-evolving craft beer segment and share critical information that will help shape future craft brewery businesses.

Need another excuse to join the June 11 Brewbound Session in Chicago? How about plenty of free beer and face time with the industry's most knowledgeable and innovative entrepreneurs and executives. Indeed, the Brewbound Session Chicago is less than 10 days away and, in addition to assembling one of our most diverse programs yet, we’ve has also organized plenty of social activities around the conference so attendees can network and enjoy Chicago’s craft beer scene.

Calling all new brewery owners! This is your LAST CHANCE to apply for the Startup Brewery Challenge, Brewbound’s business pitch competition taking place during the full-day Brewbound Session business conference on June 11 in Chicago. Presented by Craft Brew Alliance, the Startup Brewery Challenge gives U.S. craft breweries who have been on the market for... Read more »

Brewbound Session Summer ‘15, taking place on June 11 at Moonlight Studios in Chicago, is less than two weeks away! If you haven’t already registered to attend this full-day business conference, now is the time to reserve your seat and join more than 200 beer industry professionals for a jam-packed day of inspiring craft-focused business discussions.

Brewbound has invited Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis and marketing director Chad Melis to share how the company has maintained its identity throughout periods of high-growth and rapid expansion during the upcoming Brewbound Session on June 11 in Chicago.

How does Anheuser-Busch InBev analyze the country’s fastest-growing and most dynamic beer segment? What does the world’s largest beer company look for when acquiring a craft brewery? Those are just a few of the many questions we’ll be asking Andy Goeler, A-B InBev’s CEO of Craft, during the June 11 Brewbound Session, being held at Moonlight Studios in Chicago.

Brewbound has invited Cory Rellas, the chief operating officer of Drizly Inc., a leading on-demand alcohol delivery app, to present at the upcoming Chicago Brewbound Session on June 11. Since launching in 2013, the company, led by Rellas, has raised more than $17 million in funding, expanded into 15 major metropolitan markets and grown its staff to to 42 full-time employees.

The preliminary agenda for Brewbound Session Chicago, which takes place on June 11 at Moonlight Studios in Chicago, is now available. The full-day business conference, which will kick off with an evening welcome reception at Revolution Brewing’s Kedzie production facility on June 10, will feature a wide array of speakers and topics, including presentations on merger & acquisition activity, the latest retail trends, and inspiring discussions with industry leaders.

As an expert storyteller, Good Beer Hunting founder Michael Kiser has built a reputation -- and a career – by helping beverage companies bring their brands to life in ways that resonate with today’s promiscuous consumer. Having served clients as large as MillerCoors and as small as Solemn Oath Brewing, Kiser has developed a knack for helping brewers find their voice and worked to create compelling communication that builds long-term value brands.

Early registration for the June 11 Brewbound Session in Chicago ENDS FRIDAY. Combining the best in business information and networking, the Brewbound Session offers an unmatched strategic learning opportunity for craft brewers, wholesalers, investors and other industry professionals.

Brewbound is pleased to announce that the Startup Brewery Challenge, our bi-annual business pitch competition, will return for a fourth edition at the June 11 Brewbound Session in Chicago, IL. Presented by Craft Brew Alliance, the Startup Brewery Challenge gives U.S. craft breweries who have been on the market for less than two years a chance to show off their business plans, sample one core product offering and receive immediate feedback from a panel of expert judges.