Brewbound recently caught up with Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione on the brewery’s 2023 performance and fall beer programming.
Here are some highlights:
Citrus Squall has been Dogfish Head’s “single biggest new launch in a number of years,” Calagione said. The 8% ABV double-golden-ale-and-paloma-cocktail hybrid launched earlier this year is closing in on the $1 million revenue mark, he added.
In fact, Citrus Squall off-premise dollar sales in the 52-week period through August 12 have topped $1 million, per NIQ all outlet plus liquor and convenience data shared by 3 Tier Beverages.
Citrus Squall has been a bright spot in Dogfish Head’s beer portfolio, as dollar sales (-12.4%) and volume (-15.5%) have declined double-digits in the 52-week period. Trends have improved in the latest four-week period, with dollars nearly flat (-0.3%) and volume down mid-single-digit (-5.9%).
During Brewbound’s Brew Talks Boston meetup, Calagione shared that Citrus Squall was performing well on draft and in 19.2 oz. single-serve cans, but off to a slower star in 6-packs. Now, with the brand cycling into fall chain placements, he expects 6-packs to gain traction.
Dogfish Head’s convenience strategy of gaining placements for both Citrus Squall next to 90 Minute IPA is also gaining traction.
Singles have helped improve 90 Minute trends, as the 24-year-old brand is up +4% in off-premise dollar sales, Calagione added.
“All that growth is being driven by 19.2s,” he said.
The 2023 edition of Punkin Ale is in cans for the first time as part of Dogfish Head’s seasonal Art Series. The entire seasonal program moved from cans to bottles this year, which Calagione admitted gave his team “some anxiety,” given the beers had been offered in glass bottles for around two decades.
“But Art Series year-to-date is up almost 3%, 2.5%,” he said.
Those improved trends come as Punkin Ale – Dogfish’s largest volume seasonal release, at more than twice the scale of the brewery’s other three seasonal beers – begins to hit store shelves, Calagione said.
Tasty Traveler lager (5% ABV) is also cycling into Dogfish Head’s variety packs this fall as an exclusive, along stalwarts 60 Minute IPA, Slightly Mighty IPA and Blue Hen pilsner.
“This is kind of our Southwestern iteration of Tasty Traveler,” Calagione said. “It’s a great bridge-of-the-seasons beer.”
Calagione credited Dogfish Head brewmaster Mark Safarik with developing the beer, which is brewed with Oaxacan green corn, Baja Salicornia, sea salt and Mexican lime juice.
Dogfish’s other Squall beer, Hazy Squall IPA, will remain a year-round offering in 2024. Hazy Squall will remain a regional play in the northeast, whereas Citrus Squall is a top-three beer portfolio priority for the company, alongside 60 and 90 Minutes IPAs.
Finally, Calagione noted that Dogfish Head canned cocktails sales are up more than +20% year-to-date, and rank as the seventh best-selling spirits-based RTD canned cocktail. The Crush 8-pack is now Dogfish Head’s second biggest volume canned cocktail package behind the Bar Cart variety pack.
Calagione will be featured during Brewbound’s Brew Talks meetup in Denver on Thursday, September 21. Tickets are available now.