Beyond Beer

Constellation Brands’ beer portfolio recorded another period of growth in shipments, depletions and net sales, the Victor, New York-headquartered beer, wine and spirits company announced today during its fiscal year 2020 third quarter earnings report.

Saint Archer co-founder Josh Landan is launching a new hard seltzer brand today in California. Ashland Hard Seltzer is Landan’s play into the more than $2.5 billion hard seltzer segment. The Ashland brand will launch in more than 250 points of distribution, including national chain commitments from major big box and grocery retailers.

Boston Beer Company has reformulated yet another of its top offerings. The company announced today the reformulation of its Samuel Adams Cold Snap spring seasonal release. The recipe tweak follows changes made last year to the formulas for Samuel Adams Summer Ale and every Truly Hard Seltzer flavor.

Three former beer executives now in the cannabis industry discussed differences between the two industries during last month’s Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica.

Flavored malt beverages have delivered more dollar sale growth in the off-premise retail channel than any other segment in the beer category in 2019, according to market research firm IRI. Innovation leaders from Molson Coors, Deschutes Brewery and beer-driven on-premise chain Taco Mac discussed the shifting beer category during the Brewbound Live business conference.

Off-premise dollar sales of hard seltzers are on pace to hit $1.5 billion by the end of 2019, Nielsen’s beverage alcohol practice team shared earlier this month during the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica. Nielsen’s beverage alcohol practice team members Danelle Kosmal and Caitlyn Battaglia shared that hard seltzers now account for 5% of all beer category dollars.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Sycamore Brewing added distribution to Virginia this month, vice president of sales Archie Gleason told Brewbound. Night Shift Brewing will begin distribution to New Hampshire in 2020, according to a Facebook post from Amoskeag Beverages.

Alabama’s Straight to Ale and Druid City Brewing merge. Truly Hard Seltzer will be offered on American Airlines flights. Kombucha brewer Local Roots acquires Latitude 33’s production facility. Anheuser-Busch InBev returns as official beer sponsor of the NHL and launches larger partnership with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

Canadian Cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation announced today the appointment of David Klein as CEO, effective January 14, 2020. Meanwhile, Constellation Brands has named Garth Hankinson as Klein’s replacement.

The tidal wave of hard seltzers shows no signs of slowing down, market research firm Nielsen’s beverage alcohol practice team shared Thursday during the Brewbound Live business conference in Santa Monica.

White Claw maker Mark Anthony Brands plans to spend $385 million — $135 million more than the previously projected $250 million — to build production facilities in New Jersey and at a still-undisclosed location in the western United States, founder and CEO Anthony von Mandl shared during the Beer Insights Seminar conference in New York on Monday.

Fermented Sciences, the maker hard kombucha brand Flying Embers, announced this week it has raised $25 million in a Series B round co-led by PowerPlant Ventures and Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF). Also, Austin, Texas-based spiked seltzer maker Shotgun Seltzer announced today it has received a $1 million investment from Unorthodox Ventures.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: Drake and Canopy Growth partner to launch More Life Growth Company; Walmart offers curbside pickup of alcohol in 29 states; JetBlue to offer Truly Hard Seltzer; and more news bites.

Phusion Projects officially rolled out its first Four Loko branded hard seltzer to retailers today, after going viral on social media over the summer. A-B announced today that Bud Light Seltzer will launch in the first quarter of 2020 in four flavors: Black Cherry, Lemon Lime, Strawberry and Mango.