Beyond Beer

Hella Cocktail Co., known for its bitters and mixers, is making a foray into bev-alc with a ready-to-drink (RTD) line debuting this week, Hella Margaritas.

Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) has concluded another round of layoffs, the fourth time the company has done so in the past 14 months.

Harley-Davidson is rolling into the non-alcoholic (NA) beer segment via a licensing deal with Wisconsin Brewing Company. Road King American Pils is rolling out now throughout the Badger State in 16 oz. can 4-packs.

If Tip Top Proper Cocktails had the resources, it would’ve released 11 new styles of canned cocktails this year. While they settled for about half that amount, the team still argues that constant innovation is what makes their brand the most in touch with cocktail culture—and helps a small company like theirs carve out a distinct position in a saturated category.

The vast majority of shoppers (82%) can’t match influencers to the brands they own, according to a new report from Numerator— but that’s not discouraging influencer or celebrity brands from trying. One BevAlc company, co-helmed by the founder of hydration drink brand Roar Organics, is even building its business model around quickly bringing influencer brands to market.

Beam Suntory is rebranding to Suntory Global Spirits, a move that both reflects back on the decade since the Japanese spirit giant acquired the maker of Jim Beam, as well as the company’s continued evolution into a global premium spirits and ready-to-drink competitor.

Firestone Walker is the latest top craft player to enter the non-alcoholic (NA) beer space by leveraging the brand equity of its biggest brand. 8ZERO5 blonde, an NA version of the Duvel Moortgat-owned craft brewery’s 805 flagship, will only be available in its home state of California following Labor Day.

FX Matt Brewing Company has made another strategic acquisition, this time in the spirits category.

Surfside, a fast-growing line of canned iced tea and vodka cocktails, is getting the summer par-tea started with five new SKUs and a distribution expansion putting the brand in over 40 states, the company announced today.

Pernod Ricard-owned Corby Spirit and Wine, Canada’s second largest marketer and distributor of spirits and wines, has agreed to purchase RTD brand Nude for $8 million ($11 million CAD).

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) was the first industry event I ever attended, so I see it as the unofficial start to a new year. It’s also a great pulse check on how the industry – and all the folks you catch up with – have changed and evolved since the last CBC.

Last week in existential musings on the spirit industry, analysts asked the question: What if growth doesn’t return after destocking is done?

America’s No. 1 cocktail is… still No. 1. The margarita retained a fifth of all cocktail sales on-premise in the last quarter of 2023.

Fewer displays in beverage-alcohol, notably in premixed cocktails, beer and cider, should be considered a warning sign for suppliers, according to a new report from Circana. The market research firm’s “State of the CPG Beverage Alcohol Industry” report explores factors driving demand and identifies key growth opportunities in the bev-alc market.