There’s the version of the beverage industry most people see from the outside… and then there’s the version insiders actually live in every day.

In this first episode of Thirsty Business Podcast, hosts Jen Hauke and Phil Thomas sit down with Jenn Litz-Kirk, Director of Content at Beer Business Daily and host of Beer Net Radio, to unpack what’s really driving beer, RTDs, and beverage alcohol right now.

From Beer Summit takeaways to distribution pressure, regional brand power, and the rise of RTDs like vodka tea and Surfside, this conversation breaks down how trends actually form, and why most “winning brands” don’t win because of strategy decks… but because something just clicks in the market.

At its core, this episode is about an industry that is still deeply human. Relationships matter more than systems. Timing matters ...