Beyond Beer

Selling “more moderation” is as tricky as it sounds according to the founders of Bar Nuda, a Mexican-inspired drinks pop-up and Los Angeles’s first completely adult non-alc (ANA) experience.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order mandating age restrictions on the sale of hemp-derived THC products, roughly three months after he vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the intoxicant entirely in the Lone Star State.

Sazerac and Coca Cola’s bev-alc subsidiary are embarking on a new partnership.

Celsius Holdings, which was tapped by PepsiCo last week to be the company’s “strategic energy lead,” has appointed seasoned marketing executive Rishi Daing as CMO, effective today.

Boston Beer Company is willing to fail fast with new fourth category products in order to find its next big brand, founder and CEO Jim Koch shared during last week’s Barclays’ Global Consumer Staples Conference.

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.

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).

Consumers’ interest in single-serve and other “alternatives to the norm” in package sizes could be a sticky trend across not just beer, but other bev-alc categories as well, according to the latest monthly report from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).

Pernod Ricard is shaking up its distribution partnerships as it plans to triple its ready-to-drink (RTD) footprint in the U.S. over the next three years.

One of Japan’s best-known business leaders and the head of Suntory Holdings has resigned after a police investigation into the purchase of supplements that may have violated the country’s strict drug laws.

Check out these news items, initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter between August 27-29.

The thriving partnership between Celsius and PepsiCo is entering a new phase. The two companies announced an expansion of their long-term strategic alliance this morning that positions Celsius Holdings as PepsiCo’s “strategic energy lead in the U.S.”

Craft wasn’t the only segment to record some improvement in recent scans, according to the latest monthly report from market research firm Circana.

Korean soju is one of the top selling spirits in the world, but can that popularity transfer to canned cocktails? Several emerging brands are aiming to find out.