Atwater Brewery Returns to Former Owner, Iowa State Expands Stadium Beer Sales in Latest Craft Beer Republic Episode

CraftBeerRepublic
Jul 8
2 min read

Craft Beer News: Brewery Acquisitions, Stadium Beer Sales, and Tilray's World Cup Promotion

The latest episode of Craft Beer Republic covers several notable stories across the craft beer industry, including Atwater Brewery returning to its former owner, Iowa State expanding alcohol sales at athletic events, and Tilray launching a World Cup promotion centered around free beer. Greg and Flex also review beers from Fidens Brewing and Definitive Brewing while sharing stories from their own week.

Atwater Brewery Returns to Former Owner

Detroit's Atwater Brewery is heading back to familiar ownership. Former owner Mark Rieth has agreed to purchase the brewery from Tilray Brands after previously selling it in 2020. The hosts discuss what the move could mean for the brewery and the continued trend of established craft beer brands changing ownership.

The acquisition also continues Tilray's effort to reshape its craft beer portfolio, which includes brands such as SweetWater, Montauk, Ten Barrel, Shock Top, and BrewDog.

Iowa State Expands Beer, Wine, and RTD Sales at Sporting Events

Iowa State University will begin selling beer, wine, and ready-to-drink beverages throughout football and basketball venues. Alcohol sales had previously been limited to premium club areas.

The discussion looks at how college athletic programs continue to adopt stadium alcohol sales as schools search for additional revenue, with examples of the significant income generated by beer sales at other universities.

Tilray Offers Free Beer During the World Cup

Tilray is using BrewDog locations in the United Kingdom to promote the upcoming FIFA World Cup with a free beer campaign. If England, Scotland, or the United States reaches the tournament final, eligible customers wearing team jerseys can receive complimentary pints following the championship match.

The promotion reflects another example of breweries using major sporting events to attract customers through limited-time beer promotions.

Episode Highlights

Outside the industry news, Greg receives another beer trade from Non-Murderer John featuring a black IPA from Fidens Brewing, while a surprisingly heated debate develops over FaceTiming people at bars, sipping tequila shots instead of taking them, and public speakerphone etiquette.

The episode also features one of the more unusual emails the show has received after an AI-generated public relations pitch mistakenly addresses "Flex and Steph" while attempting to book the president of Langers Juice as a guest.

Booze News wraps up with a Nebraska woman arrested after allegedly arriving at court with a blood alcohol content of .336.

Featured Beers

Death Awaits Black IPA from Fidens Brewing: A 7% Black IPA with Chinook, Centennial, and Cascade hops that leans brighter and more citrus-forward than a traditional roasty black IPA.
Gravity Palace from Definitive Brewing: An 11% New England Triple IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops.