Beyond Beer

Truly Hard Seltzer boosted Boston Beer Company’s 2020 revenue to $1.74 billion, but production of the popular bubbly beverage remains a drag on the company’s gross margins, the company reported during its full-year and fourth quarter earnings report Wednesday.

Hard seltzer dollar sales at convenience stores are increasing at nearly double the rates of the rest of the off-premise retailers tracked by market research firm NielsenIQ. Over the last four weeks(ending February 6), off-premise dollar sales of hard seltzers increased 105% at convenience stores compared to the same period last year, while sales increased 55.9% in food (+55.9%) and 59.9% in drug stores.

Ten hard kombucha makers are linking up to launch a national campaign to drive awareness and education of the emerging segment over the next five days in the lead up to “World Kombucha Day” on February 21.

The lemonade seltzer competition is picking up, as White Claw maker Mark Anthony Brands announced today that its Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer brand extension is now hitting retail shelves nationwide. Meanwhile, RBC Capital’s Nik Modi recently shared a study that found the hard seltzer segment “is far from its peak and could grow another 150% by 2025.”

Anheuser-Busch InBev will invest $1 billion over the next two years in its U.S. facilities, with part of the investment directed at improving its hard seltzer production capabilities.

Oregon breweries looking to cash in on the $4.1 billion hard seltzer market need to consider the ingredients they choose to produce it, as the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s (OLCC) classification of the bubbly beverage varies by base ingredients.

Like countless other beverage companies, XED (pronounced “crossed”) Beverages saw its growth plans for 2020 turned upside down with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring. Now — one year, one rebrand and one reformulation later — co-founders Zeke Bronfman and Nate Medow are looking to pick up from where they never got a chance to start.

Hard seltzer dollar sales topped $4.14 billion in 2020, increasing 160.4% compared to 2019, according to Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), citing NielsenIQ all-outlet, plus convenience and liquor data through December 26, 2020.

Defying the predictions of many industry analysts, Monster Beverage Corporation offered no official confirmation of nor announcement for its rumored alcoholic hard seltzer product during its 2021 Virtual Investors Meeting on Thursday.

Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer, one of several major hard seltzer launches of 2021, has arrived on shelves in variety 12- and 24-packs and 25 oz. single-serve cans.

The biggest challenge the producer of popular Mexican import brands Corona, Modelo and Pacifico faced in 2020 came in March when the Mexican government ordered the shutdown of all manufacturing industries, including beer. This pause in production led to depleted inventory that was still being replenished into the third quarter and created a gap between shipments (sales to wholesalers) and depletions (sales to retailers) growth.

Alcohol distributors are dubious regarding Bang Energy’s ability to rebound from its messy, still-unfurling divorce with PepsiCo, according to a survey by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.