Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) outperformed the U.S. beer industry in the first quarter of 2026, the company reported Tuesday. In the U.S., A-B’s Q1 depletions (sales to retailers) increased 0.3% year-over-year (YoY), which the company credited to “beer and beyond beer share gains and an improved industry.” Shipments (sales to wholesalers) declined 3.2%.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ ambitions for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s portfolio aren’t limited to New York. The wine and spirits juggernaut has struck another deal for a red network distributor, this time for the assets of Eagle Rock Distributing Co. in Colorado.
A pair of big red network distribution deals were announced in the last 24 hours. Anheuser-Busch InBev has agreed to purchase the distribution rights of its brands, as well as “certain craft/NA brands,” from Advance Beverage Company in Bakersfield, California. Meanwhile, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits inked a deal for independent A-B distributor Clare Rose on Long Island.
Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Miami marks the first major beer-drinking occasion of 2020. In 2019, U.S. consumers spent $1.2 billion on beer at off-premise retailers in the two weeks leading up to the game between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, according to market research firm Nielsen. Those sales were roughly flat, though, down 0.5%, compared to 2018.
Long-time brewmaster Andy Schwartz has landed the top brewing job at Milford, Connecticut-based Dockside Brewery. Milford, Delaware-based Mispillion River Brewing has hired Claus Hagelman as its new director of sales. Non-alcoholic craft brewery Athletic Brewing has hired Rosalie Kennedy as its first marketing manager.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: A New York bill would double the state’s excise tax; the Indiana cold beer sales effort will resume; U.S. cider trade group changes name; Silver Eagle distributes 1 million cases of Karbach beer in Houston; C Squared moves; and Backlash exits taproom.
Alabama’s Straight to Ale and Druid City Brewing merge. Truly Hard Seltzer will be offered on American Airlines flights. Kombucha brewer Local Roots acquires Latitude 33’s production facility. Anheuser-Busch InBev returns as official beer sponsor of the NHL and launches larger partnership with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.
Samantha Roth left her post as director of corporate communications for Anheuser-Busch InBev in November to become the vice president of communications for the National Football League. North Coast Brewing has hired longtime wine executive Jeffrey Ottoboni as its next CEO.
Former Boston Beer CMO joins Courvoisier. Jester King head brewer departs to start new brewing project in Chicago. Lawson’s Finest Liquids hires first marketing director.
White Claw maker Mark Anthony Brands plans to spend $385 million — $135 million more than the previously projected $250 million — to build production facilities in New Jersey and at a still-undisclosed location in the western United States, founder and CEO Anthony von Mandl shared during the Beer Insights Seminar conference in New York on Monday.
BrewDog launches a third funding round in the U.S. HUB offers mug club memberships to drinkers of closed Portland breweries. Santa Rosa’s Shady Oak Barrel House faces backlash for beer name.
A number of members of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s corporate affairs team have left the company since early 2019. Cider strategist Caitlin Braam parts ways with Angry Orchard. Beverage operations manager Jonny Stringer departs CraftWorks.
Over the last eight weeks, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) have been working together to finally complete a merger of the long linked together beer companies. The culmination of that work came Monday with the announcement that A-B, which owns 31.2% of CBA, would acquire the remaining stake in the publicly traded Portland, Oregon-headquartered craft brewing company.
Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned 10 Barrel Brewing’s 3-year-old Bend, Oregon-based headquarters is listed for sale for $19.7 million on a commercial real estate website. According to the listing and an accompanying video on the Compass Commercial website, 10 Barrel will remain as a tenant in the space for seven and a half years.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Drake and Canopy Growth partner to launch More Life Growth Company; Walmart offers curbside pickup of alcohol in 29 states; JetBlue to offer Truly Hard Seltzer; and more news bites.
Anheuser-Busch InBev reported today global revenue growth of 2.7% for the third quarter of the year, driven by an increase of 3% in revenue per hectoliter due to premiumization and strong growth in Mexico, South Africa and Colombia. Volumes worldwide decreased 0.5%; A-B’s own beer volumes were down slightly more with a 0.9% decrease. However,… Read more »
Anheuser-Busch filed two motions Tuesday night in its ongoing lawsuit with MillerCoors in an effort to unseal its heavily redacted counterclaim accusing its top competitor of stealing its trade secrets and receive a summary judgement.
