Beyond Beer

Party punch maker BeatBox hosted its first national sales meeting in Houston, which had the feel of a Meow Wolf, with a faux convenience store decked out in neon, a trippy giant mushroom-covered hard tea garden, a Las Vegas-themed area with casino games, a lab for new innovations with “scientists” that looked strikingly like Rick of Rick and Morty Adult Swim fame and the usual presentations about the coming year.

Music festival season is in full swing, and this year it’s seeing more than just psychedelic costumes and light shows. The music industry is nothing if not eager to tap into youth trends; in this case, it’s the rising popularity of non-alcoholic beverages from across categories that’s manifesting at concert venues nationwide.

The adult non-alc industry was rocked in April when pioneering retailer Boisson shut its nine physical stores and filed for bankruptcy. Now, many non-alc (NA) brands are still asking questions about the closure, while others are finding opportunity in a growing landscape.

Hard seltzers remain down double-digits through mid-July in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers. Hard seltzer declined -11.8% in dollars and -16.1% in volume through the rolling 52-week period ending July 14.

Marking its first annual sales loss since 2020, Diageo reported a -1.4% decline in net sales for fiscal year 2024 during its earnings call Tuesday morning.

Twisted Tea accounts for the majority of Boston Beer’s volume and has become the company’s “only meaningful source of growth,” Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat wrote in a report focusing on the brand’s sustainability.

After being stuck in limbo for much of July following the passage of regulations on THC-infused beverages in Iowa, Iowa City-based Climbing Kites is pushing new products into retailers this week.

With crossover products gaining shelf space, more guidance is emerging from trade associations and states to steer how brands, retailers and regulators define and treat these offerings.

Fast-growing whiskey company Uncle Nearest has launched a unique trade mentorship program, leveraging a brand advocacy strategy its creator said is centered on investing in bartenders and building long-term relationships.

Ever since Diageo’s acquisition of Casamigos made George Clooney an overnight billionaire, there’s been a race to the shelf from celebrity-backed brands. But with the wider spirits downturn, how have these business models evolved and where do they have an edge, if at all?

Flavor-forward innovations are driving beer category growth and this trend is accelerating, according to the most recent report from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC). Of the top 25 growth brands at total U.S. off-premise outlets year-to-date (YTD) through June 15, 13 were “flavor-centric” or ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings, BWC founder Bump Williams noted, citing data from market research firm NIQ.

There were many ways entertainment venues aimed to keep the lights on during the pandemic— for a Hamptons bar that regularly hosted musical acts, creating a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail was one solution.

Popular and controversial social media platform TikTok recently opened advertising on its platform to beverage-alcohol brands in the United States, due in part to its user base aging up.

The state-by-state battle to expand sales of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails continues as spirits advocates celebrated a win in North Carolina this week.