Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch (A-B) InBev recorded mid-single-digit losses in revenue (-5.1%), shipments (-6.7%) and depletions (-5.4%) in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2025, the company reported Thursday.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) continues to reshuffle its craft brewing operations. The world’s largest beer manufacturer announced a $1 million investment in Wicked Weed’s Asheville, North Carolina-based operations that coincides with the winding down of operations at its 104,000 sq. ft. production facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, “over the next few months.”

2025’s drinking occasions just can’t hold a candle to 2024, it seems. In the lead up to St. Patrick’s Day (week ending March 16), off-premise bev-alc sales recorded a -3.9% decline year-over-year (YoY), market research firm Circana reported in its newest batch of weekly data. Holiday shopping delivered a +5% increase week-over-week (WoW).

Dollar sales of craft beer declined -4.2%, to more than $596.2 million, year-to-date (YTD) through February 23 in off-premise retailers tracked by market research firm Circana.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) recorded a positive Q4 in its U.S. business, marking a new “inflection point” for the company, leadership shared early this morning with the release of its Q4 and full-year 2024 financials, and accompanying earnings call with investors and analysts.

Beer category dollar sales were roughly flat (-0.3%) to start the year at off-premise retailers tracked by market research firm Circana. Sales reached $2.854 billion at multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C) in the first four weeks of 2025, through January 26.

Non-alcoholic (NA) beer claimed a record 4.2% share of beer category grocery sales during Dry January, according to an analysis by Bump Williams Consulting chief strategy officer Dan Wandel. NA beer recorded double-digit year-over-year (YoY) increases in dollar sales (+23.5%) and volume (+20.2%) in U.S. food stores tracked by market research firm NIQ for the four-week period ending February 1.

Just like the Kansas City Chiefs, draft beer also took an L in Super Bowl LIX. Draft beer volume declined -4.6% nationwide on Super Bowl Sunday, according to on-premise insights firm BeerBoard.

Total Wine & More shared its list of the top brands sold in its Kansas City and Philadelphia area stores for the Super Bowl. Home-market brand families – Boulevard in Kansas City and Surfside in Philly – topped the lists in their respective cities.

Super Bowl LIX attendees will have a choice of “American” lagers – as opposed to “domestic” beers at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. The switch follows Anheuser-Busch InBev U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth’s call for “domestic” beers to be reclassified as “American” beers in a 600-word missive to distributors earlier this week, first reported by Beer Business Daily.

Ball Corporation’s full-year earnings call proved eventful, with the world’s largest can manufacturer announcing plans to build a new dual-line can manufacturing facility in Oregon, as well as acquire a Florida manufacturer in a $160 million deal.

Resealable packages, smaller sizes and non-carbonated beverages are among the hot bev-alc trends Total Wine & More’s senior leadership team are watching in 2025.

After years of concern that cannabis and THC products could cut into bev-alc occasions, some of the bev-alc industry is starting to view THC-infused beverages as an opportunity. But not everyone is completely on board.

Anheuser-Busch is still gunning for a share of the energy drink segment, announcing today a new partnership with sports nutrition business 1st Phorm to launch a RTD energy line.