This week, we have a tale of two market expansions and one is off to either a great start (selling more beer than expected) or a rough one (running into out of stocks), depending on your perspective.
We began catching wind of issues with Yuengling’s roll out in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma about a week ago. Demand was high, but supply was not. Couple that with supply chain issues getting green and clear glass bottles and you’re going to have some out-of-stocks — just weeks after launch.
The company told Brewbound that it expects “supply catching up to demand as we progress over the next couple of months, and being in a good position prior to the key summer holiday weeks.”
Due to the JV with Molson Coors, the issue isn’t as easily fixed as shipping beer from Yuengling-owned breweries in Pennsylvania and Florida. So if you’re in those new markets, expect issues finding Yuengling beers.
Speaking of Kansas and Missouri, Firestone Walker’s flagship 805 is on the way. And it’ll just be 805 to start, as the company is holding off on introducing 805 Cerveza in the market until the blonde ale gains a foothold. Look for 6- and 12-pack cans, 24 oz. single-serve cans and draft, beginning next week
This news follows recent distribution expansions to new markets for Montauk, WeldWerks, Wiseacre and many more in recent months. Time will tell how sticky those new markets are for a lot of folks.
In other news …
Lots to digest after a very positive (for the most part) California Craft Beer Summit.
Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker did what he does so well in the keynote address, which is celebrating the romance of craft brewing while acknowledging it’s tough out there. Walker also preached strength in numbers, which was an unofficial theme of the California Craft Brewers Association’s first major meeting since 2019.
Also, Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson provided some California-specific insights, while also providing an update on the national production data, which is teetering toward flat. More from Bart here.
On this week’s Brewbound Podcast, Jess, Zoe and I record live from the California Craft Beer Summit in Sacramento — and Jess is very excited about in-person recordings. Listen for free here.
Brewbound’s first Brew Talks meetup of 2023 is coming up Sunday, May 7, at Nashville Underground during the Craft Brewers Conference. Our first announced talk will examine the growing demand for higher ABV products and non-alcoholic beers — two very different styles that are driving growth within craft. Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione, Athletic Brewing’s Bill Shufelt and Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company’s Colleen Quinn will discuss. More conversations and panelists TBA. Get your tickets here.
New Belgium is adding a lot of added capacity for Voodoo Ranger (Juice Force and Fruit Force) and ready-to-drink offerings and hard seltzers with acquisition of Constellation Brands’ production facility in Daleville, Virginia. Read all about it here.
St. Patrick’s Day marked a nice rebound for on-premise retailers, per BeerBoard.
Somewhat related, e-commerce alcohol sales are expected to moderate now that the world has reopened, according to IWSR. I know you’re not surprised.
Ale Asylum is back, thanks to Karben 4 Brewing in Madison.
The juice wars are heating up, and Two Robbers in Philadelphia is entering the ring.
Mega Pacific Northwest wholesaler Columbia Distributing is ending its membership in the Nation Beer Wholesalers Association, due to the trade org filing an amicus brief in support of Olympic Eagle in its dispute with Constellation Brands, which is trying to force a move of its portfolio to Columbia. Details here.
Pernod Ricard has acquired a stake in Skrewball Whiskey.
That’s a wrap on this week. We had a great week hanging out at the California Craft Beer Summit, recording podcasts, seeing old friends, and meeting so many people. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Brewbound Studio on the expo floor.
Also, a huge thank you to Jess, Zoe and the Brewbound team (Josh, Jacqui, Bryce and Landis) for all of their support this week. Definitely a highlight of the week for me was seeing all of them in person.
Finally, thanks to all of you for reading and subscribing to Brewbound. Your support allows us to cover these events and we are so grateful for it. If you’re not an Insider, here’s how you can become one.
We’ll be back next week.