America Cider Association Elects 2 New Members to Board of Directors
Two new members have been elected to the American Cider Associations (ACA) board of directors, the hard cider industry trade group announced last week.
Beyond Beer
Read the latest beyond beer news relating to companies involved with RTD cocktails, hard cider, hard seltzer, hard kombucha, spirits, cannabis, and non-alcoholic products. Take a comprehensive look at developments in these evolving sectors, offering valuable insights into the innovations, trends, and market forces shaping the world of beer and beyond.
Submit News
Involved in the beyond beer space and have company or product news? Submit your news.
Featured Beyond Beer Content
Hard Cider in a Chapter Primed for Growth, But Needs to ‘Claim the Throne’
The 15th annual CiderCon took place in Chicago earlier this month, drawing about 850 attendees and cider industry members to the Windy City for the American Cider Association’s (ACA) annual industry conference and trade show.
Non-Alcoholic Beer Grabs 4.2% Share of Beer Grocery Sales in January; Sales +23.5%, Volume +20%
Non-alcoholic (NA) beer claimed a record 4.2% share of beer category grocery sales during Dry January, according to an analysis by Bump Williams Consulting chief strategy officer Dan Wandel. NA beer recorded double-digit year-over-year (YoY) increases in dollar sales (+23.5%) and volume (+20.2%) in U.S. food stores tracked by market research firm NIQ for the four-week period ending February 1.
Additional Content
FIFCO USA to Launch Lipton Hard Iced Tea via PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud Distribution
PepsiCo and FIFCO USA have struck a licensing agreement to allow the latter to produce a hard iced tea using the Lipton brand, which will roll out next year through Pepsi’s Blue Cloud Distribution.
Dogfish Head Canned Cocktails Outpacing RTD Spirits Segment; Slate of Fall Beers Hitting
Dogfish Head’s canned cocktails are gaining traction in the fast-growing spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail market. Dollar sales of the Dogfish Head brand family (+92.3%) are outpacing the overall segment (+56.5%), according to NielsenIQ total U.S. all off-premise data, shared by Bump Williams Consulting.
Diageo Acquires Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur Brand Mr Black
Global spirits conglomerate Diageo has acquired premium cold brew coffee liqueur brand Mr Black, in which it previously held a minority stake, the company announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Topo Chico Spirited: Spirit-Based Offering Coming From Molson Coors in 2023
Topo Chico’s fated move into hard spirits is coming in 2023, via Molson Coors. On the heels of the fast-growing Topo Chico Hard Seltzer brand, Molson Coors will launch a spirit-based version of Topo Chico in key markets, such as the southwest and southeast and parts of the Midwest.
Cann Acquires Sweet Reason, Targeting Mainstream Alcohol Alternative Space
Cannabis beverage producer Cann announced today it has acquired Toronto-based CBD drink maker Sweet Reason, marking the company’s first acquisition as it seeks to build out a platform for alcohol alternatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Jefferies: Hard Seltzers Are Losing Battle to Tough Summer Comps Despite Growth of Spirits-Based Subsegment
Hard seltzers ended the summer season down -5.5% year-to-date through September 10 in multi-outlet plus convenience channels, as the segment continues to battle tough comps of years past, financial services firm Jefferies reported, citing NielsenIQ data.
NielsenIQ: Non-Alc Beer, Wine and Spirits Doubled Since 2019; Beer Accounts for 85.3% of Non-Alc Category
Dollar sales of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits at off-premise retailers have more than doubled in the last three years, according to market research firm NielsenIQ. In 2019, non-alc versions of traditional beverage-alcohol products earned $178.7 million at off-premise retailers. In the 52 weeks ending August 20, their dollar sales reached $395.2 million, according to IRI.
Cross-Category Purchases Now ‘the Norm Rather Than the Exception,’ Says Bump Williams Consulting
Ready-to-drink beverage-alcohol (RTDs) has crossed into every alcoholic-beverage category, with spirits-based and wine-based RTDs, hard seltzers, flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and more.
High End Dry: Retail Startup Sèchey Promotes Non-Alc Category with Boutiques
As consumers continue to cut their alcohol intake and embrace zero proof alternatives, startup retailer Sèchey is working to ensure that shoppers looking for non-alc beer, wine and spirits don’t get hung out to dry.
Last Call: Labor Day Weekend Velocity Gets a Bump; Ska to Distribute WeldWerks; Black Project Closes
On-premise sales over Labor Day weekend received “an uplift in velocity” on Sunday (+16%) and Monday (+54%) compared to the previous week, NielsenIQ’s on-premise tracking arm, CGA, reported today.
IRI: Labor Day Weekend Off-Premise Beer Sales +3%, Total Bev-Alc +9.3%
Total beverage-alcohol dollar sales increased +9.3% during Labor Day weekend compared to the prior week, market research firm IRI reported.
Investor Group Acquires Willie’s Superbrew, Aims to Return to Market in 2023
A group of investors has acquired Willie’s Superbrew after a tumultuous several months for the Boston-based hard seltzer brand. The acquiring group, Superbrew Acquisition Corporation (SAC), is led by Amos Beason, managing director of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Seward Capita
Ashland Hard Seltzer Closes in on 36K Barrels; Sets 1 Million Case Goal for Wings & Arrow Portfolio in 2023
Ashland Hard Seltzer is on pace to double its volume in 2022, with expectations to exceed 500,000 cases (around 36,300 barrels).
Light Lager and American Lager Gain Share on Drizly; RTDs Surpass Hard Seltzer in Share
Light lager (+9%) and American lager (+19%) both grew share of sales on e-commerce alcohol delivery platform Drizly over Labor Day weekend compared to the holiday weekend in 2021, the company reported.