Beyond Beer

Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) is shaking up its distribution network for its spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brands. The moves are concentrated in California, where A-B told Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) it would move the Cutwater Spirits RTD family to Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS).

Are Californians over tequila? A new report indicates that Californians’ thirst for spirits has declined, fueled by a drop in agave spirit volumes. But that’s not the entire story.

With wind in its sails from accelerating grocery sales, Sapporo has set its sights on multi-channel expansion. The 149-year-old brand has been invigorated in recent years as Sapporo-Stone, the combined entity born from the former’s acquisition of the latter in 2022, takes shape.

Campari America is building on its spritzing success to pursue another trend: adult non-alc (ANA). The Italian spirits group announced today it is bringing Crodino, a zero-proof ready-to-serve spritz, to the U.S. as its first Stateside foray into the growing category.

A heat wave is hitting liquor shelves as spirit brands and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails aim to spice up sales with new fruit and hot pepper-driven flavors.

What’s the best route from online to on-shelf sales? For many intoxicating hemp brands, the solution appears to be finding space with beer and liquor distributors. Having leveraged DTC distribution to meet the unique needs of the category, hemp brands are now considering how to marry online sales with the larger opportunity within beverage-alcohol retail.

Not that long ago, the idea of buying cannabis online – especially in a drinkable format – would have seemed like an unlikely pipe dream. Now, order-by-mail has become a primary mechanism for distributing intoxicating hemp beverages.

Under new leadership for the first time in more than a decade, the Brewers Association (BA) is “relentlessly focused on members and what their needs are,” CEO and president Bart Watson said last week.

Rhinegeist is ghosting alcohol. The Cincinnati craft brewery will add its first non-alcoholic (NA) beer to its portfolio later this summer. Ghost is an “affiliated brand” that plays on the “geist” name, meaning ghost or spirit, Rhinegeist CEO Adam Bankovich told Brewbound. The NA beer is one of two big portfolio additions for Rhinegeist this year, with Cincy Light’s first line extension, Cincy Light Lime (4.2% ABV), rolling out now on draft.

Tom Holland, actor and co-founder of non-alcoholic beer Bero, discussed the brand’s growth during last week’s Beverage Forum.

Margaritas will be the order of the day on Cinco de Mayo, according to a new study from consumer insights firm Numerator. More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents who plan to purchase alcohol for the holiday told Numerator they will be drinking margaritas, followed by beer (51%).

Twisted Tea has been a positive outlier for Boston Beer Company in recent years, posting consistent growth for the company and combating declines from its sibling brands, including Truly Hard Seltzer. However, it is now Boston Beer’s spirits-based hard tea, Sun Cruiser, that is pulling the weight.

U.S. spirits exports hit a record $2.4 billion in 2024, up nearly 10% compared to 2023, according to a report released today by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

It’s not often that the genesis for a canned cocktail is a home-cooked dinner. But for friends Vishal Patel and Parit Pathak, the idea for their ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brand, Junglee, came from their mothers’ cooking.