Hella Cocktail Co., known for its bitters and mixers, is making a foray into bev-alc with a ready-to-drink (RTD) line debuting this week, Hella Margaritas.

Our latest distribution roundup finds Berczy getting in on the hard tea race in the Northeast and Woody Harrelson’s spirits heading into Massachusetts, while prepared cocktails Tequio and DIO sign deals with new distributors as they go deep in California and New York respectively.

If Tip Top Proper Cocktails had the resources, it would’ve released 11 new styles of canned cocktails this year. While they settled for about half that amount, the team still argues that constant innovation is what makes their brand the most in touch with cocktail culture—and helps a small company like theirs carve out a distinct position in a saturated category.

With changing demographics and drinking habits, and as inflation and desire for convenience shifts shopping patterns, suppliers should view ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings as a unique mega category, according to a new report from NIQ.

The vast majority of shoppers (82%) can’t match influencers to the brands they own, according to a new report from Numerator— but that’s not discouraging influencer or celebrity brands from trying. One BevAlc company, co-helmed by the founder of hydration drink brand Roar Organics, is even building its business model around quickly bringing influencer brands to market.

Beam Suntory is rebranding to Suntory Global Spirits, a move that both reflects back on the decade since the Japanese spirit giant acquired the maker of Jim Beam, as well as the company’s continued evolution into a global premium spirits and ready-to-drink competitor.

Surfside, a fast-growing line of canned iced tea and vodka cocktails, is getting the summer par-tea started with five new SKUs and a distribution expansion putting the brand in over 40 states, the company announced today.

Pernod Ricard-owned Corby Spirit and Wine, Canada’s second largest marketer and distributor of spirits and wines, has agreed to purchase RTD brand Nude for $8 million ($11 million CAD).

Last week in existential musings on the spirit industry, analysts asked the question: What if growth doesn’t return after destocking is done?

America’s No. 1 cocktail is… still No. 1. The margarita retained a fifth of all cocktail sales on-premise in the last quarter of 2023.

Fewer displays in beverage-alcohol, notably in premixed cocktails, beer and cider, should be considered a warning sign for suppliers, according to a new report from Circana. The market research firm’s “State of the CPG Beverage Alcohol Industry” report explores factors driving demand and identifies key growth opportunities in the bev-alc market.

Adult non-alc retailer Boisson will be restructuring the company under chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial challenges amidst an “overly aggressive expansion plan” and the “inefficient deployment of capital.”

Leading adult non-alc (NA) retailer Boisson is shuttering its retail outlets and “restructuring,” according to the founder of one NA brand that was informed of the news by a former Boisson employee.

What makes a spirit company a good target for acquisition? That’s the question a panel of experts answered at the DISCUS annual conference in San Diego last month.