With premiumization showing no signs of slowing, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s High End leaders are focusing on key import, lifestyle and craft brands in 2023.

The CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons Companies, Rodney McMullen and Vivek Sankaran, respectively, faced intense criticism from the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee during a hearing Tuesday regarding their plans to execute commitments outlined in the proposed merger agreement.

Joining the board to represent packaging brewers are Jason Perkins, VP of brewing operations at Portland, Maine-based Allagash Brewing; and Mitch Steele, co-founder and brewmaster of Atlanta, Georgia-based New Realm Brewing. Packaging brewers sell more than 75% of their volume off their premises.

The “pessimistic outlook” for beer has continued through Q4 2022, after the category recorded its sixth straight month of contraction, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) November Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI).

Hard coconut water maker Sunboy won the 14th edition of Brewbound’s Pitch Slam competition, presented by Ollie, a Next Glass company.

Following its licensing agreement with Sonic Drive-In to produce and sell Sonic Hard Seltzer, COOP Beverage Works will next partner with Chicago-headquartered juice maker Tampico Beverages to produce Tampico Hard Punch.

Six finalists have been announced in the 14th Brewbound Live Pitch Slam competition, presented by Ollie, a Next Glass company.

Brewbound announced its 2022 Award Winners and class of Rising Stars during the multimedia trade publication’s Brewbound Live business conference today in Santa Monica, California.

In two years, Loverboy has expanded distribution of its hard teas from four states to 44, partially initiated by retail partnerships with Total Wine and Kroger. To support the rapid expansion, the company is focused on “trying to grow into [its] own shoes” in 2023, founder and CEO Kyle Cooke told Brewbound.

Draft sales on the night before Thanksgiving declined -17.1% compared to the same day in 2021, on-premise data firm BeerBoard reported. Drizly reported that ready-to-drink canned cocktails increased sales nearly +40% on the e-commerce alcohol delivery platform this Thanksgiving weekend compared to the holiday in 2021.

Great Notion Brewing will open its first California taproom this year, taking over the former Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room in Berkeley, California. The move comes as the Portland, Oregon-headquartered craft brewery shifts its focus to own-premise growth, as direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales have trailed off.

With its 2022 Pitch Slam competition just days away, the Brewbound team caught up with past winners of the Shark Tank-like competition — Lunar Hard Seltzer and Crowns and Hops — held annually at the Brewbound Live business conference.

Schilling Hard Cider co-founder and CEO Colin Schilling will share how evolving from a strategy-first leadership style to becoming a people-first organization has created a better workplace culture during next week’s Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica, California (November 29 and 30).

Last week’s decision by Qatar officials to ban alcohol sales at stadiums – two days before the first 2022 FIFA World Cup match – could impact the relationship of FIFA and beer sponsor Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) through 2026.