Beyond Beer

Tattersall Distilling has added its name to a growing list of craft distillers expanding into THC-infused beverages. The Wisconsin-based distiller announced today the launch of Tattersall Functional Beverages, two THC-infused drinks blended with adaptogens and electrolytes.

A pair of new ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings are coming from New Belgium in 2026, including Kirin’s top-selling canned cocktail and a vodka cocktail with a “subtle nod” to the Voodoo Ranger franchise.

Longtime brewers Spencer Guy and Max Myers have acquired Atrium Brewing (Louisville, Kentucky) from founders Princeton Hurst and Mark Rubenstein, the brewery announced this week. Casamigos co-founders George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman are launching a non-alcoholic (NA) beer in March, according to Page Six.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) business continues to be primarily driven by its core traditional beer brands, but the company believes it can also be a leader in non-alcoholic (NA) and beyond beer, CEO Michel Doukeris shared Thursday during the company’s Q3 earnings call with investors and analysts.

Consumers’ on-premise spending may be strong, but volumes of draft beer and packaged goods declined at bars and restaurants during Q3, according to on-premise insights firm BeerBoard. Draft beer volume declined 1.8% between July 1 and September 30 year-over-year (YoY). Cans and bottles fared even worse, dropping 5.1% compared to Q3 2024.

Bars, restaurants and social gathering spaces are beer’s “moneyball” opportunity, National Beer Wholesalers Association VP of analytics and chief economist Lester Jones shares during the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast. Jones is the first of two interviews this week. Adam and Amanda Kroener, the founders of spirits-based cocktail brand Carbliss, also join this week’s podcast.

One constant in beverage-alcohol’s rollercoaster 2025 has been growth in the spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail segment. Spirits and cider sales stayed broadly stable in the two-week period ending October 18, while trends for flavored malt beverages (FMB) and seltzer worsened, according to analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

As major retailers Target, Circle K, Total Wine & More and others add intoxicating hemp beverages to their shelves, attorneys general from 37 states and two U.S. territories are asking Congress to ban the sale of unregulated, intoxicating THC products and “shut down this industry before it metastasizes further.”

Heineken is building on its non-alcoholic (NA) 0.0 franchise in 2026. The company will add two fruit-forward Heineken 0.0 line extensions, as well as Heineken 0.0 Ultimate in more than a dozen markets.

The founders of BeatBox are hoping 2026 will bring them their second hit brand aimed at a new generation of consumers. BeatBox parent company Future Proof will launch Chillitas in February, a new-to-world, flavored malt beverage outside of the company’s flagship party punch brand.

Boston Beer’s transformation from a craft brewer to an adult beverage company, which began in earnest about a decade ago, is looking like an even better bet as traditional beer’s declines outpace those of the beyond beer segment.

Japan’s Kirin Holdings is looking to unload bourbon brand Four Roses for $1 billion, as part of a shift toward healthcare.

Boston Beer Company’s third-quarter shipments (sales to wholesalers) and depletions (sales to retailers) declined 13.7% and 3%, respectively, the company shared today.

If you thought Skimmers, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) entrant into the vodka-based tea segment, looked a bit too similar to the space’s lead brand Surfside, you’re not alone. Philadelphia-based Stateside Brands LLC, the parent company of Surfside hard tea and lemonade, filed a complaint against A-B in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.