Circana Weekly Scans: Labor Day ‘Sort of Delivered and Kind of Failed’

Circana Weekly Scans: Labor Day ‘Sort of Delivered and Kind of Failed’

Labor Day weekend provided a needed boost in sales for the bev-alc industry, but was yet another occasion where 2025 trends fell below 2024 comps, according to the latest weekly scans report from Circana and the market research firm’s EVP of BevAl, Scott Scanlon.

The Zero Proof Playbook: How Upscale Bars Are Approaching Adult Non-Alc

The Zero Proof Playbook: How Upscale Bars Are Approaching Adult Non-Alc

Ordering a zero-proof option at a bar or restaurant can mean anything from a soda to a non-alc beer, but how are some of the country’s buzziest bars experimenting with non-alc options? We asked the creators behind the menus of three buzzy bars and restaurants: hotspot Bar Benjamin in Los Angeles, the Tao Group’s Crane Club in New York, and Michelin-starred Esmé in Chicago.

🥨 Beer and Pretzels? It’ll Never Work

🥨 Beer and Pretzels? It’ll Never Work

Despite what shelves look like at retail this week – it’s still a little early for Oktoberfest chatter, so let’s keep this weekend’s conversation to overpaid NFL players spitting on each other in true opening week fashion. But … who could resist a little preparatory pretzel talk when it involves good ol’ Shocktop!

3 Tier Beverages: Spirits-based RTDs Becoming Bigger Thorn in Beer’s Side, Despite Slowed Growth

3 Tier Beverages: Spirits-based RTDs Becoming Bigger Thorn in Beer’s Side, Despite Slowed Growth

The growth of spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) may be slowing. However, the segment’s impact on the beer category is far from abating, according to bev-alc consulting and data firm 3 Tier Beverages.

Spirits-based RTD growth peaked in 2020, with dollar sales growth of more than 150% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. xAOC plus liquor plus convenience), 3 Tier Beverages consultant Erin McVickers shared in a webinar last week. Growth then progressively slowed, but the segment was still able to more than double dollar sales from 2021 (nearly $1.53 billion) to 2024 (nearly $3.19 billion).

Brewbound Podcast: Columbia Distributing Leaders On Building a Next Gen Pipeline of Beer Leaders

Brewbound Podcast: Columbia Distributing Leaders On Building a Next Gen Pipeline of Beer Leaders

Columbia Distributing leaders believe they’ve tapped into a pipeline for the next generation of beer industry workers. On the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast, Columbia president and CEO Chris Steffanci, VP of sales, Portland Chris Watzig and former intern Rebecca Logan share the ins and outs of the Pacific Northwest distributor’s Beer Careers Program.

CGA & Draftline Reveal Demographics of the Draft Beer Drinker

CGA & Draftline Reveal Demographics of the Draft Beer Drinker

Who drinks draft beer these days? The draft beer drinker is an older white man who is “relatively affluent” and spends around $201 monthly on dining and drinking in on-premise outlets, according to the latest “On Premise Draft Opportunity” report from CGA and Draftline Technologies.