Constellation Brands

E-commerce retail sales are approaching $400 billion dollars, but a mere 0.2 percent of beer — or about 3.5 million cases — was purchased online last year, according to Heineken CEO Ronald den Elzen. Den Elzen, presenting to more than 200 beer industry professionals attending yesterday’s Beer Marketer’s Insights seminar in New York City, called the shift away from brick-and-mortar purchases a “retail revolution.” By 2021, den Elzen projected that online beer sales will grow to 2.4 percent, to 53 million cases.

Those that tuned into to watch the Houston Astros capture their first World Series title by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night were treated to a barrage of alcohol ads during the three-and-a-half-hour affair. Two beer companies — Constellation Brands and Boston Beer — sprung for multiple Game 7 spots, marketing a wide variety of beer, cider, and flavored malt beverage brands to more than 28 million viewers.

Constellation Brands (STZ) is shrugging off the stigma surrounding marijuana and further diversifying its buzz. The New York-based company, which makes and markets a variety of beer, wine and spirits products, today confirmed plans to become the first major alcohol manufacturer to formally expand into the marijuana business via the purchase of a 9.9 percent stake in Canada’s Canopy Growth Corporation (WEED).

Lyft, the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S., and Ballast Point Brewing Company, one of the nation’s leading craft breweries, have teamed up to present Football Sundays. Now through February 4, Lyft is offering 20 percent off up to four rides to and from all California Ballast Point locations every Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the tasting rooms in Miramar, Scripps Ranch, Little Italy, Home Brew Mart, Long Beach and Temecula.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Apocalypse Now … a Trademark Dispute; Speakeasy and Modern Times issue tasting room updates; Modelo Especial becomes the official beer sponsor of the UFC; Dogfish Head gets extreme; and more.

Constellation Brands announced its second quarter fiscal 2018 earnings Thursday morning, which were highlighted by a 12.8 percent increase in net sales over the same three-month period the year before.

Following a proprietary review of the craft beer segment, and its own positioning within it, Constellation Brands has re-launched a number of its Ballast Point offerings with a new look in an attempt to “tell its story more effectively” to consumers. In an interview with Brewbound, Constellation CMO Jim Sabia and Marty Birkel, the president of the organization’s craft and specialty division, said an initiative to better understand consumer-purchasing behavior provided the company with some key takeaways that helped shape its overall craft strategy moving forward.

In our latest edition of People Moves: Caitlin Braam, the president of Seattle Cider Company and Two Beers Brewing, will depart the organization at the end of the month. Constellation Brands also confirmed that Dave Mills, chief sales officer of the company’s Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits brand, will depart the organization at the end of August.

Constellation Brands has acquired fast-growing Florida-based craft beer producer Funky Buddha and, in the process, formed a new “High End Craft and Specialty” business group specifically tasked with overseeing the company’s present and future craft brewery purchases. Financial terms of the deal, which closed yesterday, were not disclosed. The structure is similar to Constellation’s 2015 purchase of San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing, which was worth $1 billion, Brewbound understands. A sale price was not disclosed, but the all-cash deal is for 100 percent of the company, according to KC Sentz, who co-founded the brewery with his brother Ryan Sentz.

Farlie Turner & Co., a leading investment bank serving middle market clients, is pleased to announce the sale of Funky Buddha Brewery to Constellation Brands, Inc., a leading beverage alcohol company.

Constellation Brands today announced the acquisition of Florida-based Funky Buddha Brewery. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In this edition of Press Clips: Heineken reports earnings; Buffalo Wild Wings explores beer delivery; Indiana lawmakers review Prohibition-era laws; and more.

An already competitive craft beer scene in Chicago is about to get even more crowded. Constellation Brands – a beer, wine and spirits producer that makes popular import beer labels such as Corona, Pacifico and Modelo — yesterday announced plans to open a Ballast Point outpost in Chicago early next year.

Constellation Brands today reported its first quarter fiscal 2018 earnings results, which were highlighted by 8 percent net beer sales growth.