Pure Project has always been one of the most thoughtful breweries in San Diego, and Rewild — built around their ingredient-first, ecosystem-connected ethos — feels like exactly the kind of intentional core beer the market needs right now. Less trend-chasing, more identity. Worth seeking out if you're in SoCal.
If Sazerac — makers of Buffalo Trace, Pappy, and a hundred other labels — absorbs Brown-Forman's portfolio (Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester), you're looking at a concentration of American whiskey power that should make every bourbon lover nervous. Antitrust regulators will have serious questions, but the fact that this conversation is even happening tells you where spirits consolidation is headed.
Getting California distribution is the make-or-break moment for emerging spirits brands — it's the biggest market and the most competitive shelf space in the country. Outlaw landing both big-box and craft cocktail bar placements suggests someone believes in the juice, not just the branding. One to watch.
Trinchero already owns FRE, the biggest NA wine brand in the country, and now they're locking up exclusive US distribution for Libby's $16 sparkling lineup. This is a company betting that non-alcoholic wine is about to have its Athletic Brewing moment — and with real distribution muscle behind it, they might be right.
Athletic continues to operate like the category leader it is — seasonal releases, cause marketing, mainstream retail presence. If you're still sleeping on NA beer, this is the brand that keeps proving the segment isn't a fad; it's a permanent fixture of the American beverage landscape.
GBH wasn't just a beer publication — it was the only independent outlet consistently holding the industry accountable with real journalism, not cheerleading. This indefinite hiatus leaves a massive void in critical craft beverage media, and if you ever shared one of their pieces, you should be asking what fills that gap now.
Beer led all beverage-alcohol categories in March price increases, and that 2.9% on-premise jump means your $8 pint is inching toward $9 everywhere, not just Manhattan. In a segment already losing volume, pushing prices further is a dangerous game — craft breweries without fierce brand loyalty are the ones who'll feel this first.
Wine has had DTC shipping for years, and the data now shows overwhelming consumer and brewer demand for beer to follow. If your state still blocks brewery-to-door shipments, this is the stat to send your legislator — it's not a niche ask anymore, it's a mainstream consumer expectation that could be a lifeline for small breweries.
Vermont — one of the most brewery-dense states per capita in America — now has only two beer wholesalers. If you're a small Vermont brewery, your negotiating leverage just evaporated, and your route to market just got narrower. This is what distribution consolidation looks like in real time, and other small states should be paying close attention.
While US kombucha growth has plateaued amid competition from prebiotic sodas and functional beverages, Brazil is booming with brands in 24 of 26 states. The global functional beverage wave is real, and anyone thinking kombucha peaked hasn't looked south of the equator.