Read the latest beyond beer news relating to companies involved with RTD cocktails, hard cider, hard seltzer, hard kombucha, spirits, cannabis, and non-alcoholic products. Take a comprehensive look at developments in these evolving sectors, offering valuable insights into the innovations, trends, and market forces shaping the world of beer and beyond.
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Former Angry Orchard head cider maker Ryan Burk has joined Blake’s Beverage Company as VP of quality and innovation. Burk has been advising Blake’s and its portfolio of brands – Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders and AVID Cider Co. – for a couple years, including through the launch of its most recent innovations.
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.
The once-booming flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment is “showing some concerning declarations over recent weeks,” Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) founder Bump Williams noted in a recent report. FMB volume gains dropped by half – from +2.2%, to +1.1% – from the four-week period to the one-week period ending May 18, according to NIQ retail measurement data cited by BWC.
Dogfish Head’s canned cocktails are gaining traction in the fast-growing spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail market. Dollar sales of the Dogfish Head brand family (+92.3%) are outpacing the overall segment (+56.5%), according to NielsenIQ total U.S. all off-premise data, shared by Bump Williams Consulting.
Global spirits conglomerate Diageo has acquired premium cold brew coffee liqueur brand Mr Black, in which it previously held a minority stake, the company announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Topo Chico’s fated move into hard spirits is coming in 2023, via Molson Coors. On the heels of the fast-growing Topo Chico Hard Seltzer brand, Molson Coors will launch a spirit-based version of Topo Chico in key markets, such as the southwest and southeast and parts of the Midwest.
Cannabis beverage producer Cann announced today it has acquired Toronto-based CBD drink maker Sweet Reason, marking the company’s first acquisition as it seeks to build out a platform for alcohol alternatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hard seltzers ended the summer season down -5.5% year-to-date through September 10 in multi-outlet plus convenience channels, as the segment continues to battle tough comps of years past, financial services firm Jefferies reported, citing NielsenIQ data.
Dollar sales of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits at off-premise retailers have more than doubled in the last three years, according to market research firm NielsenIQ. In 2019, non-alc versions of traditional beverage-alcohol products earned $178.7 million at off-premise retailers. In the 52 weeks ending August 20, their dollar sales reached $395.2 million, according to IRI.
Ready-to-drink beverage-alcohol (RTDs) has crossed into every alcoholic-beverage category, with spirits-based and wine-based RTDs, hard seltzers, flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and more.
As consumers continue to cut their alcohol intake and embrace zero proof alternatives, startup retailer Sèchey is working to ensure that shoppers looking for non-alc beer, wine and spirits don’t get hung out to dry.
On-premise sales over Labor Day weekend received “an uplift in velocity” on Sunday (+16%) and Monday (+54%) compared to the previous week, NielsenIQ’s on-premise tracking arm, CGA, reported today.
Total beverage-alcohol dollar sales increased +9.3% during Labor Day weekend compared to the prior week, market research firm IRI reported.
A group of investors has acquired Willie’s Superbrew after a tumultuous several months for the Boston-based hard seltzer brand. The acquiring group, Superbrew Acquisition Corporation (SAC), is led by Amos Beason, managing director of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Seward Capita
Ashland Hard Seltzer is on pace to double its volume in 2022, with expectations to exceed 500,000 cases (around 36,300 barrels).
Light lager (+9%) and American lager (+19%) both grew share of sales on e-commerce alcohol delivery platform Drizly over Labor Day weekend compared to the holiday weekend in 2021, the company reported.
Legal restrictions and a complicated path to purchase are two of the reasons why spirit brands can be slower to hop on social media.
