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.
Hard seltzer dollar sales topped $4.14 billion in 2020, increasing 160.4% compared to 2019, according to Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), citing NielsenIQ all-outlet, plus convenience and liquor data through December 26, 2020.
Defying the predictions of many industry analysts, Monster Beverage Corporation offered no official confirmation of nor announcement for its rumored alcoholic hard seltzer product during its 2021 Virtual Investors Meeting on Thursday.
Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer, one of several major hard seltzer launches of 2021, has arrived on shelves in variety 12- and 24-packs and 25 oz. single-serve cans.
The biggest challenge the producer of popular Mexican import brands Corona, Modelo and Pacifico faced in 2020 came in March when the Mexican government ordered the shutdown of all manufacturing industries, including beer. This pause in production led to depleted inventory that was still being replenished into the third quarter and created a gap between shipments (sales to wholesalers) and depletions (sales to retailers) growth.
Cider Summit is accepting nationwide pre-orders for its latest “Festival To Go Tasting Kits.” This new version is being released in conjunction with CiderCon, the premier conference for cidermakers put on by the American Cider Association. Cider Summit’s CiderCon Tasting Kits can be ordered now at CiderSummit.com, with pick up, delivery, and shipping available the week of Feb. 1.
Alcohol distributors are dubious regarding Bang Energy’s ability to rebound from its messy, still-unfurling divorce with PepsiCo, according to a survey by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Distributors expect the hard seltzer segment to end the year with 155% growth and come close to doubling in 2021 with much of the growth coming from leading brands, White Claw (Mark Anthony Brands) and Truly Hard Seltzer (Boston Beer Company), according to a report from Goldman Sachs Equity Research arm.
Just two weeks after closing on the acquisition of Atlanta’s Sweetwater Brewing Company, Canadian cannabis company Aphria has reached an agreement to merge with Tilray, forming the world’s largest cannabis company valued at $3.8 billion.
Just in time for “Dry January,” Brooklyn Brewery will launch the next offering within its fast-growing non-alcoholic beer line Special Effects. The New York craft brewery today officially announced the addition of an IPA to the Special Effects portfolio to go along with Hoppy Amber.
With two months left in 2020, beer category sales at off-premise retailers remain elevated, as on-premise establishments continue to grapple with capacity restrictions and, in some states and cities, on-site service shutdowns. Year-to-date through November 1, beer category dollar sales are up 15.5%, to $37.4 billion, at off-premise multi-outlet grocery stores, mass retailers and convenience stores, according to market research firm IRI.
Mark Anthony Brands — the maker of White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade — plans to build a $400 million production facility in Columbia, South Carolina, according to a press release posted on Tuesday to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s website.
With the proposed acquisition of Atlanta-headquartered SweetWater Brewing Company yesterday, Canadian cannabis company Aphria believes it’s on the path to becoming a vice industry powerhouse.
Hard seltzer segment leader Mark Anthony Brands today announced plans to launch White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea “in response to tens of thousands of passionate consumer requests for new flavors.”
John Hickenlooper — a Democrat, former Colorado governor and co-founder of Denver-based Wynkoop Brewing — will become the first craft brewer to win a seat in the U.S. Senate after defeating incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner (R.-Colo.) on Tuesday. “Clearly people are saying it’s time to turn the page, it’s time for a different approach,” Hickenlooper… Read more »
