Craft Beer News: Regional Brewery Declines, Atrevida Beer Closure, BrewDog Fallout, and Whale Testicle Beer

Craft Beer News, Brewery Closures, and One Very Icelandic Beer

Craft Beer Republic returns with a new episode covering several corners of the beer industry, including regional craft brewery production trends, the closure of Atrevida Beer Company in Colorado Springs, James Watt's post-BrewDog venture, and an Icelandic beer made with whale testicles smoked over sheep dung.

Greg and Flex also talk through fresh beer at Total Wine, the continuing problem of old craft beer sitting on retail shelves, Drecker Brewing's Emotional Support Demon, Kern River Brewing's Chuuuurch, and why Yuengling remains the most all right beer on the planet.

Regional Craft Breweries Are Still Shrinking, But the Decline Is Slowing

The episode looks at new Brewers Association data showing that regional craft breweries are still facing production declines, though the numbers appear slightly better than the previous year.

Greg explains that regional craft breweries are generally independent brewers producing more than 15,000 barrels annually, often with distribution across multiple states. Breweries like Firestone Walker and Lakefront Brewing come up as examples of the kind of larger independent brands that fit the regional craft beer conversation.

The main takeaway is not that regional craft beer has rebounded. It is that the decline may be easing. For an industry that has spent the last few years dealing with contraction, shifting consumer habits, and changing distribution realities, even a smaller decline is worth paying attention to.

Atrevida Beer Company Announces Final Pour in Colorado Springs

Atrevida Beer Company in Colorado Springs is closing after eight years in business. Founder Jess Fierro gained national attention after winning Beerland, the brewing competition series created by Golden Road Brewing founder Meg Gill, before opening Atrevida with her husband, Rich Fierro.

The brewery became Colorado's first Latina-owned craft brewery and built its identity around more than beer, including nonprofit partnerships, cultural education, events, and community-focused hospitality.

Greg and Flex also note the national attention surrounding the Fierro family after Rich Fierro helped stop the gunman during the 2022 mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs. The closure is treated as a real loss for the Colorado craft beer community, not just another brewery closing headline.

James Watt Launches Second Best After BrewDog Sale

Former BrewDog co-founder James Watt is back in the beer business with a new brand called Second Best. The episode covers Watt's plan to offer free equity in the new company to former BrewDog Equity for Punks investors.

According to the discussion, the offer applies to eligible investors who previously held ownership in BrewDog through its crowdfunding program. Those investors were largely left out when BrewDog was sold to Tilray earlier this year.

Greg and Flex do not exactly greet the news with open arms. Given BrewDog's history with crowdfunding, investor disappointment, and James Watt's reputation, Second Best enters the craft beer industry with plenty of baggage before the first beer is even judged.

Total Wine, Old Beer, and the Case for Brown Bag Mystery Packs

Bryan from Madison leaves a voicemail explaining how old beer can sit on shelves at major retailers like Total Wine. As a former beer sales rep and someone with liquor store experience, Bryan explains that unsold beer often creates a standoff between stores and distributors.

If a retailer asks a rep to take back old craft beer, the rep may lose money. If the beer stays on the shelf, the store risks selling stale product to customers. Greg and Flex use the voicemail to talk through why better clearance systems could help move aging beer before it becomes a five-year-old shelf fossil.

Greg also brings up a former Trader Joe's mystery beer bag system, where older or mixed singles were sold in brown paper bags at a low price. It turns the stale beer problem into something closer to a low-risk craft beer grab bag, which sounds a lot better than paying full price for dusty IPA.

Whale Testicle Beer Smoked Over Sheep Dung

The episode's strangest beer story comes from Iceland, where a brewery once made a smoked ale using fin whale testicles cured and smoked over dried sheep dung. Greg and Flex spend exactly as much time on whale testicle logistics as the story deserves.

The conversation quickly moves into whale ball math, whether each testicle weighs around 1,100 pounds, how large the smoker would need to be, and whether a crane is required per ball. It is technically a beer discussion, but only because the beer industry occasionally insists on producing sentences like that.

The beer was connected to a traditional mid-winter Icelandic food festival, but the takeaway is simpler: some brewery origin stories are built for search engines, and some are built because someone looked at smoked ale and decided it was not Icelandic enough yet.

Episode Stories: Yuengling, Badgers, Casa Agria, and Cemetery DUI News

Outside the beer industry headlines, Greg and Flex spend time on the kind of specific beer conversations that make Craft Beer Republic feel like a real craft beer podcast instead of a clean press release.

Flex talks about giving a local brewpub another chance after years of declining food, service, and prices, only to leave surprised by a solid Beach Bod IPA, a good Nashville hot sandwich, and a cheese pizza that worked much better than expected.

Yuengling gets a full and fair evaluation as the most all right beer on the face of the planet. Flex orders one in a frosted glass, texts Greg about it, and the conclusion is clear: Yuengling is not offensive, not exciting, and maybe the most successful act of beer mediocrity in America.

Greg also talks about Casa Agria recipes showing up again at Rincon Brewing after Casa Agria's brewer joined the brewery. For Ventura County beer fans, that means some of the Casa Agria beers people missed are still being brewed, while Rincon's overall beer quality has improved.

Flex gets corrected by listeners after saying Wisconsin does not have badgers, which leads to listener feedback from Bryan and Tim. The correction is accepted, although Flex still maintains that he has never seen a badger in Wisconsin, which is apparently enough to question the entire state identity.

The episode closes its news run with an Iowa man arrested for drunk driving in a cemetery again. Not just drunk driving. Not just a cemetery. Again.

Featured Beers Mentioned in the Episode

• Drecker Brewing Emotional Support Demon: A hazy IPA with Azacca and Simcoe Cryo hops, candied pineapple, cantaloupe, and classic Drecker can art.

• Kern River Brewing Chuuuurch: A West Coast IPA brewed with Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops, described as clear, citrusy, lightly dank, and easy to drink at 7.6% ABV.

• Beach Bod IPA: A lighter hazy IPA from Flex's local brewpub that stood out during a surprisingly successful return visit.

• Yuengling Lager: The episode's official example of a beer that is completely fine and possibly proud of it.

• Hot Butcher Double Saaz: An Italian pilsner with crisp, light drinking character and hop notes built around Saaz-style hops.

• Lazy Dog POG Hazy IPA: A fruited hazy IPA that Greg expected to dislike but found surprisingly balanced because the fruit stayed restrained.

• Casa Agria Oxnard: A hazy pale ale Greg found in his kegerator after about two years, still cold, not fresh, but drinkable.

Listen to the New Craft Beer Republic Episode

The new Craft Beer Republic episode is available now, with Greg and Flex covering craft beer news, regional brewery trends, brewery closures, stale beer shelves, featured IPAs, Icelandic whale beer, and one cemetery DUI story that somehow needed a sequel. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.