iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

We need to replace the committee who names generations. Each name once tried to capture something salient - Lost, G.I., Silent, Boom. Even "Gen X" at least tried to capture their perceived anonymity. But then it became a template: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, no doubt followed by Gen Beta. We can do better!

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Jeff Alworth @beervana.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Quick, what’s the most iconic ‘90s-era Wisconsin beer, launched by a craft brewery that is the inheritor of the state’s famous local brewing tradition? If you said Spotted Cow, you got the right brewery, but I’m talking about an even more influential beer.

beervanablog.com

The Origins of American Wild Ales — Beervana

Quick, what’s the most iconic ‘90s-era Wisconsin beer, launched by a craft brewery that is the inheritor of the state’s famous local brewing tradition. If you said Spotted Cow, you got the right brewe...

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Gen Z's moderation reputation is debunkable, but this data doesn't do it. (1) No previous 20-something generation has consumed "only" at the same rate as their elders. (2) The apparent criterion was "Had a drink in the last 6 months," conflating those who had 1 drink with those who drink daily.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

As Dave points out, this offer translates to the price of a single buzz ball each month. And you just might get a better buzz by reading Fingers. Insightful, well-written, valuable, and often hilarious stuff.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Great piece. One point worth emphasizing: Those viewers who are "white and male will see themselves in these spots, too—hell, I’m a writer and I see myself in these ads." Beer marketers once recognized that viewers identify with values, often more so than demos. Today, fewer seem to get this.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

I’ve always felt that many of the best innovations seem obvious in hindsight. Imperial stout aged in Irish cream barrels? How had no one thought of this before? But this is no car bomb wannabe. Strong flavor, sure, but plenty of interesting, subtle notes.

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Brian Alberts @brewedculture.org · 03/05/2026

This is great, and I agree. Shifting the scope of success away from market share could play to craft's strengths. Focus more on vibes. By vibes I mean the cultural intangibles that *can* make craft breweries great for their communities. The BA could help integrate outreach and business models. 1/

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I have tremendous respect for Bart and the difficulty of his task. Please don't interpret this in any other way. But I also feel Jeff's take is spot on. I'm a numbers guy myself, but there are more ways to gauge impact than numbers alone.

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Brewbound.com @brewbound.com · 30/03/2026

Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling has acquired Milwaukee RTD producer SoulBoxer Cocktail Co., expanding its RTD lineup with new canned cocktails launching April 2 statewide.

brewbound.com

Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling Acquires SoulBoxer Cocktail Co.

MILWAUKEE (March 30, 2025) – Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling, one of Wisconsin’s most innovative ...

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Got an email offering help getting a book published. A scam. But it offered comments on a recent article of mine that made it seem he must have read it. It took a minute to realize that this had to be an AI, which probably did read my article and then wrote the email. This stuff is getting weirder.

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Brian Alberts @brewedculture.org · 07/03/2026

Still open spots in my upcoming @newberrylibrary.bsky.social virtual seminar on Chicago's Lager Beer Riot of 1855, and its roots in broader European food riot patterns! Classes will be recorded, so you can attend asynchronously if you want. www.newberry.org/calendar/bee...

Promo poster for my upcoming online seminar, "The 30-Year Journey of Chicago's Lager Beer Riot," scheduled for Tuesdays, 4/7 - 4/28/26, all virtual.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

I agree, especially with the comments on marketing. Breweries used to be among America’s best brand builders, mostly via TV, but they started prioritizing entertainment decades ago (with a few exceptions). There’s a whole new media landscape, but the primacy of brand-building hasn’t changed.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Do yourself a favor and follow Dave's advice.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

The times we live in are insane, but as a guy working in the alcohol beverage industry, this particular bit of insanity hits home. I can only hope they find a way to help their employees hang in there somehow. www.kentucky.com/news/busines...

kentucky.com

Major Kentucky bourbon maker Jim Beam shuttering distillery for 2026

The move comes as Kentucky’s $9 billion bourbon industry is dealing with a glut of supply and slipping sales.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

I wrote this intending it as the last word (as in "definitive") on Gallup's beer numbers. The way the timing worked out it may be the last word chronologically. But thanks to @beervana.bsky.social for inspiring the thinking and very helpful comments on the manuscript.) firstkey.com/the-gallup-n...

firstkey.com

The Gallup Number We Should be Focusing On - First Key Consulting

The most notable finding in the recent Gallup Poll is the dramatic rise in adults viewing moderate drinking as harmful, suggesting a shift in public perception and potential actions for the alcohol in...

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

"Every brewery that was once cool will someday not be, and it will still have bills to pay. Or, to dip back into metaphor: You can’t go Rogue forever." I regularly remind my class that yesterday's rebel is today's establishment - it's almost inevitable. Great piece by Dave.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

It's sad that this is happening, yet it still left me feeling optimistic about the future of Siebel and brewing more generally. Siebel's 150-year role in the development of the beer business can't be overstated. mailchi.mp/08d844f49e24...

mailchi.mp

Press Release: Strategic Relocation to Montreal

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Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 13/10/2025

This op-ed isn't the worst thing I've read about beer in the @nytimes.com, but it relies on some very facile ideas about how the craft beer market works that don't hold up to basic scrutiny.

nytimes.com

Opinion | How to Save Beer

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

"Beer is the answer." I feel as though a lot of the people I follow here could have told them that. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEF_...

youtube.com

Can Vermont Win Back Canada's Trump-Averse Tourists? Jordan Klepper Investigates | The Daily Show

YouTube video by The Daily Show

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Bourcard Nesin's "The real reasons Gen Z is drinking less alcohol" got a lot of deserved attention. So instead I pondered a different question: When they do drink why do they choose beer less often? Maybe because they have fewer opportunities to acquire a taste for beer. firstkey.com/why-does-gen...

firstkey.com

Why Does Gen Z Choose Beer Less Often? - First Key Consulting

Brewers are adapting to Gen Z’s slower beer adoption by diversifying into RTDs, hard seltzers, and flavored beers. IPAs’ bitterness deters some drinkers, but educating consumers on diverse beer styles...

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Brian Alberts @brewedculture.org · 28/08/2025

We cannot allow Woke™ subversion to continue to sap and impurify our precious bodily fluids.

Screenshot of General Buck Turgidson, a character from the movie Dr. Strangelove, from the scene where he delivered his absurd and hilarious speech about precious bodily fluids.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Mr. Infante is never less than perceptive (and he often makes me laugh when I should be crying), but this time he's really connecting the dots in a way few others have. I think he might be on to something.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Yes. Yes, you are. Or Wisconsin is now in you.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Most (but not all) ads using celebrities are a waste of money. The good: Corona's pitch-perfect capture of Snoop's laid back attitude and letting it effortlessly halo onto the brand. The bad: T-Mobile, turning Snoop into just another huckster (looks into the camera and says "What a deal!")

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Very saddened by the passing of Bob Uecker. I admire him and Al McGuire greatly, because it's hard to think of two men more comfortable in their own skin (so much so that they built careers on essentially being paid to be themselves). Milwaukee was lucky to have been home to both. RIP Mr Baseball.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

This spring marks the 50th anniversary of the most important beer marketing paper you’ve probably never heard of. Brand building in beer wouldn't be the same today without the influence of Ackoff and Emshoff. (Free sign up may be required to read.) firstkey.com/the-godfathe...

firstkey.com

The Godfathers of Beer Consumer Insights - First Key Consulting

Russell L. Ackoff and James R. Emshoff's paper "Advertising Research at Anheuser-Busch, Inc. 1968-1974" revolutionized beer marketing by categorizing drinkers into types, such as Reparative and Social...

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Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Mixing tequila and a Labatt in a cocktail shaker and calling it a Tariff. That’ll be $24.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

No surprise that @beervana.bsky.social has written one of the better post mortems on this whole state of affairs (though probably not the last).

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Today I cast my votes for the first ten inductees into the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. I was both pleasantly surprised and incredibly proud to have been chosen as an elector. This is a great initiative. www.americancraftbeerhalloffame.com

americancraftbeerhalloffame.com

ACBHOF

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 18/10/2024

In my view, it's no coincidence that the list of friendliest cities is dominated by beer meccas.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 26/09/2024

Should craft beer be brewer-directed or consumer-directed? The consensus was once the former, but it seems to be transitioning to the latter. But what if it's a false choice? My latest from the First Key Insights blog (free sign-up may be required): firstkey.com/when-it-come...

firstkey.com

When it Comes to Innovation, Patience is Not a Luxury - First Key Consulting

Exploring the balance between brewer-driven and consumer-driven innovation in the beer industry, suggesting that true innovation addresses consumers’ unrecognized needs and requires patience, rather t...

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 02/08/2024

Drinkers' definitions of "authentic" are in transition. There's a lot going on here. But it seems to me that authenticity may be transitioning from something inherent in the brand to something the drinker wants to see in themselves (not that these are unrelated).

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

I'm excited for today's soft opening of a Milwaukee bar that evolves a local institution. When Mike Romans passed away last year, Romans' Pub shut down after 30+ years as one of the US's best craft beer bars. New owner Rob Zellermayer is reopening it as Busby's. Stay tuned.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 03/05/2024

As much as sports and beer go together, craft brands weren't always an ideal fit for sports sponsorships. That has been changing rapidly. My latest from the First Key Insights blog (a free sign-up may be required): firstkey.com/craft-beer-h...

firstkey.com

Craft Beer Has Arrived on the Sponsorship Playing Field - First Key Consulting

The association between beer and sports in global culture is long-standing, and even profound. For many, rooting for a favorite team and enjoying a pint of a favorite beer are two sides of the same ex...

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 19/04/2024

I hope to see many of you at the Craft Brewers Conference next week. My extended transition from the other site has resulted in me posting far less on either site, but I'm hoping the CBC will inspire me to get back in the game.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 17/12/2023

I still can't read "Bluesky" without hearing "BLU-skee," as if it's a Russian surname.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 01/12/2023

Insight and inspiration, weaving together small bits of many bigger things.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 29/11/2023

I suspect the potential desertion of Elon's platform is delayed by the very fact that there are multiple alternatives. We want everyone we follow to move to the same platform. I've opened my account here, but I miss so many posters I still visit X daily.

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Mike Kallenberger @mkallenberger.bsky.social · 24/11/2023

And I repost this every year as well.

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