👑 Crowns & Hops Claims Another Crown

Brewbound Insiders are catching up on what’s new with Crowns & Hops, the winners of the 13th annual Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing & Business Experienceship. Crowns & Hops was also the winner of the 2019 Brewbound Live Pitch Slam, and was a 2023 Brewbound Rising Star. 

Insiders are also:

• Getting details on the legal battles Big Storm Brewing is facing;
• Diving into the May Consumer Price Index;
• And checking out the trio of beers that arrived at Justin’s doorstep. 

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

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Crowns & Hops Brewing Company has been selected as the winner of the 13th annual Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing & Business Experienceship. 

The Black-, woman- and veteran-owned, Inglewood, California-based craft brewery will receive support and mentorship from Boston Beer Company leaders, including founder Jim Koch. Crowns & Hops will also have the opportunity to co-create a specialty beer with Boston Beer’s brewing team and receive a trip to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. 

Crowns & Hops was selected by a group of expert judges and by an audience vote during the Crafting Dreams Beer Bash in Boston last week.

Insiders can read more about Crowns & Hops’ start and rise. 

Clearwater, Florida-based Big Storm Brewery is in the crosshairs of two different legal battles, one accusing the company of embezzlement and money laundering from an organization that has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Big Storm investor Dr. David Wenk filed a lawsuit this month against the brewery, its parent company Seaboard Craft Beer Holdings and co-founder Leo John (LJ) Govoni. Wenk, who met Govoni as fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holders, invested $3 million in exchange for a 7.5% share of the company. 

Wenk claimed he was told his investment was to fund an “upscale steakhouse and spirits room” at Big Storm’s Clearwater facility, but this was a “misrepresentation” by Govoni, according to Wenk’s complaint.

In his complaint, Wenk accused Big Storm of laundering more than $4 million from the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (SNT), information that began to come to light when SNT filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 2024. 

Govoni said in a statement: “Mr. Wenk knows full well that I have absolutely nothing to do with the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration,” he continued. “I want to make it unequivocally clear that I have never engaged in any fraudulent activities or wrongdoing as alleged. These accusations are not only unfounded but also defamatory, and I am committed to fighting them vigorously.” 

Insiders can read more about the lawsuit and Big Storm’s upcoming closure of its Ybor City taproom.

Burial Beer Company’s Doug Reiser discusses the culmination of a three-year project to open a rooftop wine bar for the company’s Visuals wine brand in Asheville, North Carolina. 

For Burial, it’s about creating “immersive experiences” at its venues, Reiser explains. He discusses reviving once-abandoned spaces, how the company got into beer and then moved into the wine space and how much overlap there is between the company’s beer drinkers and wine consumers.

But first, Jess, Zoe and Justin also discuss the news, including the key pieces Anchor Brewing is going to need in its resurrection. They also discuss the effectiveness of Brooklyn Brewery’s European ad campaign, and pour over Voodoo Ranger’s scans trends, with some brands in decline and others still on the ascent.

Listen here or on your podcast platform of choice.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer at home increased +3.1% year-over-year (YoY) in May, increasing just enough to end six consecutive months of the category posting a CPI reading at or below +3%, before seasonal adjustment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

The CPI for beer at home remained just below inflation for all items, which increased +3.3% before seasonal adjustment. When seasonally adjusted, the CPI for all items was flat, after increasinging +0.3% in April and +0.4% in March. 

Dive further into the numbers, including the CPI for bev-alc categories at and away from home.

Day 2 of BevNET Live started live streaming at 9 a.m. ET. If you missed Day One, catch up here.

Watchalong for chats with Lowes Foods, Gopuff, Mom Water, Tip Top Cocktails, 3 Tier Beverages, Suntory and several others. See the agenda here.

Watch today's stream here.

Brewbound is excited to announce three additional speakers for the Brewbound Live business conference December 11 and 12 in Marina del Rey, California. 

The two-day conference will bring together leaders from all three tiers for business-focused conversations on driving the bev-alc industry forward, data presentations, networking and brand building at the Marina del Rey Marriott. 

Joining the speaker roster are:

• Arthur Moye, owner and CEO of Full Circle Brewing;
• Kaleigh Theriault, director of thought leadership, beverage alcohol vertical, NIQ;
• Brian “BK” Krueger, VP of business development and portfolio strategies, Bump Williams Consulting.

They join previously announced speakers include: 

• Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner, Russian River Brewing;
• Peter Skrbek, CEO, Deschutes Brewery;
• Lester Jones, chief economist and VP of analytics, National Beer Wholesalers Association;
• Jennifer Hauke, founder and president, Draftline Technologies.

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Interested in speaking? Follow this link to see our speaker guidelines. 

In addition to the mainstage programming and networking parties, Brewbound Live will feature opportunities for one-to-one conversations between brewers and bev-alc brands and retail buyers from chains such as Whole Foods Market. Registered attendees will be considered for meetings with buyers, as space is limited. Find out more details here.

Brewbound Live tickets are available now.