News

Sazerac offered to acquire Brown-Forman for about $15 billion, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

With recent warmer weather comes an uptick in bev-alc dollar sales, which flipped to positive (+0.5%) in the two-week period ending April 4 – a sequential improvement from -0.8% in the four-week window and -1.2% in the 12-weeks, according to the latest analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Ikasu Brewing founder Masahiro “Masa” Kitano believes his Los Angeles-based, contract-brewed brand plans to lean into “weird and good beer” that taps into Japanese culinary ingredients.

Total bev-alc dollar sales accelerated 6.8% week-over-week (WoW) in off-premise channels in the first week of April as consumers celebrated Easter early, according to NIQ’s latest weekly report.

Check out these news items, initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter April 13-15, including headlines from Constellation Brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Garage Beer and more.

Over the last two years, 1,072 craft breweries have shuttered, while 817 new breweries opened. Speaking to Brewbound following Tuesday’s release of the Brewers Association’s (BA) Industry Production Report, staff economist Matt Gacioch zeroed in on the brewery opening number.

An upset happened off the court during the final weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Michelob Ultra (13.81% share) edged Constellation Brands’ Corona Extra (13.8% share) for the top volume spot among packaged products at bars and restaurants tracked by on-premise data firm BeerBoard.

Beneath the surface of craft beer’s 2025 production decline (-5.1%, to nearly 21.86 million barrels) were power moves, usurpings and stumbles among the industry’s top 50 breweries, which the Brewers Association (BA) released today.

Craft brewers’ production volume fell a collective 5.1% in 2025, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Industry Production Report, published today.

Brooklyn Brewery’s non-alcoholic beer line is getting a rebrand and dropping the Special Effects moniker used since the line’s 2019 launch. Moving forward, the NA beer brand family will be Brooklyn Brewery Non-Alcoholic.

Nearly every beer segment recorded year-over-year (YoY) dollar sales growth in Q1, as 2026 continues to produce improved trends compared to a soft 2025, according to market research firm Circana’s latest monthly report.

Spirits and wine may have had a few more eggs in their baskets this Easter compared to beer’s holiday haul, according to an early read of off-premise performances from market research firm Circana.

Mark Anthony Brands announced it has struck a deal to acquire the Finnish Long Drink, the popular gin-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail. The company expects the transaction to close in the coming weeks.

New Belgium Brewing’s portfolio is craft’s top share gainer through Q1, CEO Shaun Belongie shared recently. The Kirin-owned New Belgium craft portfolio, which includes New Belgium’s offerings (Voodoo Ranger, Fat Tire and more), and Bell’s Brewery (Two Hearted, Oberon and more) snagged share by growing volume 3.2% year-to-date.