📣 A-B’s 4 Pronged Approach to Winning Consumers
A-B Believes in the Strength of Total Portfolio; A Round With PR Expert Kevin York; BI: October Beer Supply Nearly Flat; Massachusetts’ Redemption Rock to Close; CinBev to Acquire Taft’s Brewing; Yuengling Adds Illinois; and Craft Gains Share of On-Premise Dollars.
A Round With … Kevin York of Kevin York Communications
When is a marketing strategy not a marketing strategy? Can social media alone sustain a brewery? What makes public relations different from other tactics in the marketing toolkit? Kevin York, founder of the eponymous craft beer-centric communications agency, tells it all after a decade in business.
Brown-Forman Beats Expectations; CEO Warns of “Painful” Tariffs
Brown-Forman, the leading exporter of U.S. spirits to the world, beat analysts’ expectations in its latest quarterly earnings report, thanks to a jump in demand from its more premium whiskies. But the president and CEO of the Jack Daniels Whiskey maker cautioned that with potential tariffs looming it was facing “so many potential scenarios and unknowns.”
Beer Institute: October Beer Supply Nearly Flat as Tax Paids and State Shipments Grow YoY; Import Declines Accelerate
Total U.S. beer supply was nearly flat in October, after state shipments and domestic tax paids rebounded and increased volume versus October 2023, according to the Beer Institute (BI) in the trade group’s latest round of economic reports.
Report: Spindrift Close to $650M Sale to Private Equity
Spindrift is in advanced talks to be acquired by a private equity firm for north of $650 million, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
BWC: Beer Loses Share in Total Beverage; 3 Tiers Align on Goals of Rationalization, Differentiation
The total beer category lost the most share of overall beverage dollars at off-premise retailers year-to-date through late September, according to NIQ data shared by Bump Williams Consulting (BWC). Beer – which includes flavored malt beverages (FMB), hard seltzer and hard cider – lost -0.5 sharepoints for the 39-week period ending September 28.
Brewbound Podcast: Molson Coors Buys a Brewery’s IP, the BA Elects New Board Members and Krampus Talk
The Brewbound team returns from Thanksgiving breaks to discuss the pre-turkey day news dump, including Molson Coors’ agreement to purchase the intellectual property of Cruz Blanca and why the Mexican-inspired, Chicago-produced brand is now on the clock.
Constellation Brands Considers ‘Levers’ to Pull Should Proposed Tariffs Materialize
Constellation Brands its weighing its options in the face of proposed 25% tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada under the incoming second Trump administration. CFO Garth Hankinson discussed the company’s position during a fireside chat with managing director Dara Mohsenian at the Morgan Stanley Consumer and Retail Conference on Tuesday.
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BeerBoard: Thanksgiving Eve Draft Volume Declines for Third Straight Year
Draft beer recorded its third consecutive year-over-year (YoY) volume decline on Thanksgiving Eve, according to on-premise, draft-centric data firm BeerBoard.
Molson Coors Leadership on Blue Moon, Simply Spiked, Price Increases and M&A Approach
Molson Coors measures Blue Moon against the total industry, not just craft, CEO Gavin Hattersley explained Tuesday during the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference. “We don’t measure it on craft because craft’s really struggling at the moment. And so we’re measuring success with Blue Moon on the total industry,” Hattersley said. “And on… Read more »
💸 Svedka Sold: Constellation & Sazerac Make a Deal
Brewbound Insiders are reading details of Constellation Brands’ latest divestment in its wine and spirits division, with the sale of Svedka Vodka to Sazerac. Insiders are also diving into the latest weekly scan data from Circana; reading about the closure of Cisco’s Portsmouth taproom; and catching up on several job changes.
Brewbound Live 2024: Enjoy Beer, Booch + Business Conversations at 2 Beer Industry Networking Parties Next Week
We’re just 8 days away from the 2024 Brewbound Live business conference in Marina del Rey, California. Industry leaders will gather for two days of business conversations, networking and relationship building on December 11 + 12. To foster networking time in a casual setting, we’re hosting two Brewbound Live parties filled with beer, booch and business conversations.
Sazerac to Acquire Svedka Vodka from Constellation Brands
Constellation Brands has reached an agreement with spirits giant Sazerac to offload its Svedka Vodka brand, the company announced today. The sale, which is expected to close “in the coming months,” is part of Constellation’s plan to premiumize its wine and spirits business, which have not kept pace with the gains its beer portfolio of Mexican imports has delivered.
Cisco Brewers Portsmouth Pub Closes; Brewing to Continue On-Site
The pub at Cisco Brewers’ complex in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has closed, the brand announced last week.