Ferron Salniker

Ferron Salniker

Spirits Editor

Ferron Salniker is the Spirits Editor, guiding our coverage of the spirits and RTD cocktail space. She reports for BevNET.com and Brewbound.com on everything from new subcategories in established liquor types to the growth of the craft spirits business.

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Posts by Ferron Salniker

Margarita RTDs Outpacing Hard Tea

Margarita RTDs Outpacing Hard Tea

The ready-to-drink (RTD) margarita is outpacing some of the industry’s hottest new RTD segments, with high ABV and spirit-based versions picking up steam, according to a new report from Bump Williams.

NIQ: Adult Non-Alc Needs to ‘Move Beyond Flavor Extensions’

NIQ: Adult Non-Alc Needs to ‘Move Beyond Flavor Extensions’

Non-alcoholic (NA) wine, beer and spirits still account for less than 1% of total alcohol category sales – leaving a runway for brands that innovate with popular functional ingredients, according to a new report from market research firm NIQ.

Former SGWS Employees Indicted For Bribery Scheme in California Grocery Chains

Former SGWS Employees Indicted For Bribery Scheme in California Grocery Chains

A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme that prosecutors say ran for nearly a decade and earned favors from California’s largest grocery retail chains.

Sun Cruiser, Cutwater Power RTDs In Latest NIQ Scans

Sun Cruiser, Cutwater Power RTDs In Latest NIQ Scans

Spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) posted another blowout two-week period, up more than 30% in dollar sales, as brands such as Cutwater and Sun Cruiser continued to pull consumers away from former leaders, according to an analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

How Store Brands are Reshaping the Spirits Industry

How Store Brands are Reshaping the Spirits Industry

Private label products saw a banner year in 2025, with spirits ranking as one of the top growing categories. As some distillers aim to take advantage of the opportunity, will brands feel the squeeze?

Young Americans Trade Drinking At Home For Bars, Fitness

Young Americans Trade Drinking At Home For Bars, Fitness

Younger Americans aren’t just drinking less – they’re funneling their social spending into fitness rather than alcohol, according to a new report from the Bank of America Institute.

How Adult Non-Alc Brands Are Cracking Retail Alternatives

How Adult Non-Alc Brands Are Cracking Retail Alternatives

From yoga studios to luxury fashion houses to corporate campuses, a diverse ecosystem of alternative channels has quietly emerged as a small but meaningful growth opportunity for adult non-alcoholic (ANA) drinks – and mostly through organic discovery.

Breakthru Beverage Lays Off 500 Workers Amid Industry Shakeup

Breakthru Beverage Lays Off 500 Workers Amid Industry Shakeup

Breakthru Beverage Group has undergone a “strategic review” of the company’s “overall business,” according to a memo sent to employees by CEO Tom Bené on Tuesday, leading to layoffs of approximately 500 people, sources confirmed to Brewbound.

Former HR VP Sues Bardstown Bourbon for Discrimination

Former HR VP Sues Bardstown Bourbon for Discrimination

The former vice president of human resources at Bardstown Bourbon Company has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging discrimination, retaliation and broader workplace misconduct at the prominent Kentucky-based whiskey producer.