Beer volumes are down, dollars are soft, and the usual playbook isn’t working.

We brought back Lester Jones, chief economist at the National Beer Wholesalers Association, to cut through the noise with data, plain talk, and a clear plan for getting back to growth.

Lester breaks down what’s structural—demographics, consumption occasions, and channel mix—and what’s cyclical—slower hiring, fewer hours worked, and sticky inflation—and shows how those forces collide to shape beer demand in 2025.

We unpack the Beer Purchasers’ Index and why distributor sentiment remains cautious, then dig into category dynamics where cider and FMBs stabilize, below-premium holds steady, and draft shows surprising resilience as on-premise accounts multiply.

Lester argues the rubber band of pricing elasticity finally snapped: years of CPI-tracking increases met a year with little price and falling volume.

The fix isn’t blind discounting; it’s surgical price investment, smarter pack-price architecture, and a return to safety and velocity on shelves.

We also reframe on-premise: consumers want to socialize away from home, but aggressive pricing suppresses rounds.

The antidote is occasion-first programming—happy hour value, low- and no-alcohol that extends the visit, and draft that delivers ritual, freshness, and better margins.

Demographics get a rethink too. Instead of shouting at Gen Z, empower the 60-plus cohort—the wealthiest, most social audience—and design life-stage occasions that everyone wants to join.

On competition, we sort through RTDs, seltzers, and hemp beverages, noting where shelves will rationalize and where beer’s strengths—lagers with place cues, approachable ABV, and draft experiences—can win.

We also address policy turbulence around tariffs and taxes, urging unified advocacy while businesses adapt sourcing and operations to protect margins.

If you care about winning the next quarter without losing the next year, this conversation delivers a grounded strategy: price with purpose, simplify to velocity, program the on-premise, and market to moments that bring people together.

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Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

A CFO who became a head of marketing, eliminated millions in debt, and then built a company to fix distribution blind spots—Doug Veliky’s journey is a masterclass in making beer businesses sturdier and smarter.

We dig into the decisions that actually move the needle: building an internal audit team at Reyes that focused on real compliance risk, redesigning systems at Revolution to produce market-level P&Ls, and consolidating a spaghetti bowl of loans into a revolving line that turned heavy debt into daily cash efficiency.

That financial clarity paved the way for a bold move—buying the production facility—and gave the brewery control over the investments that shape its future.

We also get honest about how teams work.

Doug shows how finance, sales, and marketing can stop talking past each other by aligning on the data each team needs: shipments, depletions, pull-through.

The result?

Better forecasts, fewer surprises, and programs that actually show up on the shelf and in the tap list.

Doug's Beer Crunchers platform ties it all together, translating the mechanics of distributors, portfolios, and pricing into stories and tactics people at every level can use.

And when the world flipped, Doug brought a finance brain to digital marketing—prioritizing audience, cadence, and measurable impact.

Looking forward, Doug sees moderation evolving beyond non-alcoholic beer into “small beers” and right-sized formats that meet the moment—2.8–3.8% ABV cores and 8.4-ounce packs that fit weekday occasions without losing the ritual.

The catch is prioritization: make it a pillar or skip it.

We close with BrightBev, where Doug helps emerging brands choose the right distributors, set expectations, and invest alongside partners to win velocity, not just placements.

If you care about brewery finance, route-to-market strategy, and building brands that last, this conversation will sharpen your plan for the next four quarters.

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Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

What if your taproom’s biggest growth lever isn’t price or new styles—but the first 15 seconds after someone walks in?

Today on the podcast we welcome back consumer insights expert Michael Varda of Craft Beer Advisory Services to unpack the data behind modern taproom behavior and why food, events, and hospitality now sit shoulder to shoulder with great beer.

The headline: beer gets guests in the door; the experience keeps them in their seats and brings them back.

We trace the post-pandemic shift from liquid-first to social-first to hospitality-first, showing how entertainment sparked the rebound and how food has become the decisive extender of “time in seat,” especially for women and families.

Michael explains why discounting erodes perceived value and how rewards-based loyalty (think “earn,” not “mark down”) protects brand equity while encouraging repeat visits.

He also breaks down the crucial differences between retail and taproom motivations—why a standout six-pack doesn’t automatically translate to a packed taproom—and how to design for the whole evening, not just the pour.

Expect practical tactics you can deploy immediately: optimize the first 15 seconds with warm greetings and clear wayfinding, train staff to scan, acknowledge, and mirror guest energy, and adopt one measurable focus at a time—like to-go prompts—to build momentum.

We highlight “time in seat” as the single most telling metric of taproom health, a simple read on satisfaction, engagement, and spend. And beyond dashboards, we make the case for pulling up a chair with a mix of regulars and new faces, asking better questions, and giving customers a voice in small decisions that build authentic loyalty.

If you’re ready to evolve from great beer to a great experience—without racing to the bottom on price—this conversation maps the path.

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