The state-by-state battle to expand sales of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails continues as spirits advocates celebrated a win in North Carolina this week.

OK everyone, look classy and put on your nice flannels (and button them all the way up please, Donn) – Margot Robbie is entering our world. Yes, Barbie herself is joining the celebrity spirits gold(schlager) rush with her new PAPA SALT gin brand.

Suntory Global Spirits is continuing to bet big on ready-to-drink (RTD), announcing today Carol Robert, previously COO of Suntory Beverage and Food Great Britain & Ireland (SBF GB&I), as its new managing director of U.S. RTD.

The latest installment of Brewbound’s A Round With – a weekly Insider-exclusive Q&A series with industry leaders – features Caitlin Braam, founder and owner of Yonder Cider and The Source.

The average U.S. consumer will spend $99 on a 10-person barbecue this summer, with a significant portion of that cost coming from bev-alc and soda, according to analysts from Rabobank, a financial services company.

Beer is at the top of most Independence Day revelers’ shopping lists, according to market research firm Numerator.

Glass bottle manufacturer Ardagh will close its Houston plant in July and lay off 220 workers, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The beverage-alcohol industry is undergoing a transformative shift driven by the explosive growth of ready-to-drink (RTD) products.

The Brewbound team catches up on the latest news, including Allagash’s first foray into non-alcoholic adult beverages with Hop Water. Justin, Jess and Zoe discuss why this seems on brand for the Portland, Maine-based craft brewery, and why it may be a better entrypoint than NA beer.

BuzzBallz has made its spherical bottles an essential part of the brand – and it’s not eager to share. The wine-, spirit- and malt-based cocktail brand filed a lawsuit against The Beverage Ranch last week, alleging the rival company copied its patented packaging for its new SlamZees line.

Research from three different studies in the U.S. and Canada shows there may be more interaction between cannabis and alcohol consumption than previously believed, according to analysis of the studies by financial services firm Bernstein.

Allagash Brewing is launching its first non-alcoholic (NA) offering this week with the release of Allagash Hop Water. Hop Water will exclusively be sold in 12 oz. can 6-packs at the brewery’s tasting room in Portland, Maine, starting later this week.

Clearwater, Florida-based Big Storm Brewing closed its taproom at Orlando’s Kia Center earlier this month, bringing the former multi-taproom operator to one location, according to the Orlando Business Journal.

While it’s nice to be the official beer of a sports league … it’s apparently another thing to supply beer for player celebrations. I mean, we’re not made of money, folks. So alas, the only visibility that MICH ULTRA had in the CELTICS locker room celebration after winning the NBA Finals was … some signage in the background, as players celebrated with MILLER LITE, CORONA, HIGH NOON and even Boston’s own JACK’S ABBY.