Beyond Beer

Constellation Brands has reached an agreement with spirits giant Sazerac to offload its Svedka Vodka brand, the company announced today. The sale, which is expected to close “in the coming months,” is part of Constellation’s plan to premiumize its wine and spirits business, which have not kept pace with the gains its beer portfolio of Mexican imports has delivered.

Spirits giant Sazerac manages approximately 500 brands across beer, wine and spirits, yet president and CEO Jake Wenz insists the company is still “focused.”

After 18 months of learning about the U.S. bev-alc market, California-based hard kombucha brand Mate Maker is ready to expand its portfolio and its distribution, and wants consumers to come along for the ride.

If you’re looking for Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila, you might be out of luck thanks to an Oceans 13-level heist that disappeared two truckloads of tequila last week. If only it were George Clooney’s Casamigos, then this would be one meta story.

More than a decade after the first states legalized recreational cannabis, the interaction between it and craft beer remains as nebulous as ever. Plus, ss intoxicating hemp beverages proliferate, the Beer Institute recently clarified its positions on the segment.

Ready-to-drink cocktails are now allowed at more retailers and restaurants in Pennsylvania, but that doesn’t mean drinkers in the Keystone State are cracking open an array of canned cocktails.

Molson Coors has acquired a majority stake in energy drink brand ZOA in a $53 million cash transaction, expanding its growing non-alcoholic beyond beer portfolio and adding to rising M&A interest across the energy space.

American Cider Association (ACA) CEO Michelle McGrath will depart from her role at the trade association at the end of the year, the ACA announced Wednesday.

Spotted: Nate Archibald with a new job and a hard tea in his hand. Actor Chace Crawford has joined hard tea and kombucha maker Jiant as chief creative officer and part-owner. Crawford is best known for his TV roles on Gossip Girl (Nate Archibald) and The Boys (Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep).

Boston Beer Company’s Q3 financials were described by one analyst, Bernstein’s Nadine Sarwat, as “a messy set of results.” The company’s portfolio – including Samuel Adams, Dogfish Head, Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard, Sun Cruiser and Hard MTN Dew – reported a -1.9% year-over-year (YoY) decline in shipments (sales to wholesalers) and -3% decline in depletions (sales to retailers) in the quarter.

Monster-owned Oskar Blues is taking it easy for its 2025 innovation slate. The brewery’s two newest offerings are Dale’s Easy IPA (4.9% ABV) and Designated Dale’s NA Pils, the brand’s first-ever non-alcoholic (NA) beer. Both are rolling out this month, and mark a continuation of Oskar Blues’ transformation of Dale’s into a brand family. “After… Read more »

Non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand Best Day Brewing has added another $12.5 million in investment as part of a Series B round, bringing its total fundraising to $22.5 million this year.

Duvel USA-owned Boulevard’s beyond beer offshoot Quirk is tea-ing up a 2025 innovation slate that touches on hot trends in the fourth category. Quirk Hard Tea (4% ABV) will roll out in early 2025 with a standalone lemonade tea offering and a variety pack, executives announced to wholesalers during Duvel USA’s virtual wholesaler summit last week.

Hollywood star Tom Holland’s new non-alcoholic (NA) beer brand Bero debuts today with three styles, backed by consumer product-centric investment firm Imaginary Ventures and led by CEO John Herman, an energy drink veteran with 20 years of experience.