Paul Verdu is the vice president and head of Tenth and Blake, which is the craft focused arm of its parent company, Molson Coors. Under this umbrella, Coors, then later MillerCoors, and now MolsonCoors, have each sought to launch, develop, and promote flavorful beers. Its portfolio has shifted over the years, once including Blue Moon until it outgrew the group and moved onto the bigger leagues. It has also been an active buyer of craft brands. As it stands today, Tenth and Blake includes the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Saint Archer, Terrapin, Hop Valley, Revolver, AC Golden, as well as relative newcomers Atwater and TRU Colors. It also houses a host of imported brands, including the much beloved Pilsner Urquell. 

We talk a lot about craft beer on this podcast but we rarely delve into the world of big beer. Today we’re fortunate to speak with Paul Verdu, whose career in the beer business has taken him around the world and offered him a rare view of both the craft and big beer spheres. He’s long worked in the CPG space, originally selling bug killers and air fresheners before moving on to work for Miller. We go through his background and what got him into the beer industry, the pains of the failed launch of Saint Archer’s Gold in the face of a pandemic, and Tenth and Blake’s intriguing investment into a brewery that employs active gang members in an attempt to quell gang violence. 

We also talk about my favorite subject, pilsner, discussing the future of Pilsner Urquell in the US, and why Barmen Pils is secretly one of the best lagers in the states.

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Host: Andy Crouch
Guest: Paul Verdu
Sponsors: Arryved