Sake is a staple of drinking culture in Japan, but in the U.S. bringing the category to new consumers takes a variety of approaches. Arkansas-based Origami Sake is attempting to make the traditional rice wine more approachable to American drinkers by pairing its premium-positioned products with transparent packaging callouts and a new non-alc variety that caters to moderating consumers.
Beer’s battle for shelf space is nowhere near over, according to data from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), shared by president Dave Williams earlier this month during Beer Business Daily’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Summit in Palm Beach, Florida.
This week’s beer goes out to one of beer’s all-time greatest pitchmen, Mr. Bob Uecker, who died this week at the age of 90 … and they just don’t make ‘em like Bob anymore. He’s of course known for the Major League movies and Mr. Belvedere in the ’80s, and to an older demo as one of the top Tonight Show guests ever (with 100+ appearances). Plus, he also called BREWERS games in Milwaukee for 54 seasons. 🤯
Total bev-alc retail sales reached $112 billion in 2024 but, excluding ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, no category saw growth in dollars or volume, according to market research firm NIQ.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has proposed new rules for nutrient and alcohol content labeling on wine, beer, and spirits.
As many drinkers take a break from craft beer and other alcoholic beverages in January, craft breweries such as Notch are using the month and its lighter traffic to close taprooms temporarily as they undertake renovation projects.
On-premise sales velocity declined -6% for the two-week period ending December 28 and was flat through the New Year’s holiday for the week ending January 4, according to the latest report from CGA, NIQ’s on-premise division.
The Mindful Drinking Fest returned to Washington, D.C. this past weekend, bringing together over 1,200 attendees and nearly 220 adult non-alcoholic products in a Dry January celebration that has grown 10 times since its first iteration three years ago and 40% since just last year. Brewbound’s sibling publication BevNET stopped in for the second year in a row and saw the energy and acceleration brought by the sober curious crowd firsthand.
The American Cider Association (ACA) has named its next CEO. Monica Cohen, a former executive for Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), has been appointed CEO of the hard cider trade association, taking over less than a month ahead of the ACA’s largest annual industry event, CiderCon (February 4-7).
New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the comeback in Asheville, the company’s still-unfolding contingency plans and the road ahead.
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.
Dick and Jake Leinenkugel have gone public with their efforts to buy back their family’s namesake brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from Molson Coors, which plans to cease operations at the facility on Friday, January 17, and lay off 56 workers.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer at home increased +2.5% year-over-year (YoY) in December 2024, before seasonal adjustment, increasing below total inflation, but outpacing the rest of the bev-alc industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).