About this episode

The episode discusses the potential impact of consumer support on the fate of Deschutes' Kirkland Helles lager, alongside personal July 4 experiences and insights on the World Cup and beer quality expectations.

Can a letter writing campaign save Deschutes' co-branded Kirkland Signature Helles, the same way Jess saved her childhood zoo? The Brewbound team and weekend newsletter writer Sean McNulty discuss the end of the cult favorite lager on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, including an outpouring of somber reactions to the news. Justin recaps his conversation with Deschutes CEO Peter Skrbek and why he's not sweating the decision as the company's portfolio is growing. But could a public show of support from Costco members flip the decision? Jess shares that it worked for her hometown zoo. The team also shares their personal July 4 experiences, including a view from the Jersey Shore, and the mixed results by channel for the World Cup and surge of imported beer. Zoe also explains why quality is a default expectation for consumers now, and shouldn't be a marketing talking point in 2026.

People in this episode

Host: Brewbound team

Guest: Sean McNulty

Topics covered

• Deschutes Brewery
• Kirkland Helles
• World Cup
• July 4
• consumer expectations
• imported beer

Keywords

• Deschutes
• Kirkland Helles
• July 4
• World Cup
• imported beer
• consumer expectations
• Costco
• beer industry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Deschutes, Costco

Products: Kirkland Signature Helles

Places: Jersey Shore

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