Big Beer

Constellation Brands has reached an agreement with the Mexican government to construct a brewery in southeastern Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Brewers Collective West (BC West) — the western division of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) craft business unit — will continue to focus on innovation as it transforms into more of a “beverage company” in 2022, Christine Perich, general manager of BC West, detailed to Brewbound.

After decades of steady increases, the U.S. beer industry’s volume has plateaued for the last 10 years, Beer Marketer’s Insights senior editor Christopher Shepard reported during the trade publication’s seminar last week. “In the 1970s, U.S. beer volume grew by almost 50% — 56 million barrels,” he said. “That’s almost two-thirds of the growth between 1970 and 2020, [and it] happened in 10 years right at the beginning.”

The rumored interest in a deal between Constellation Brands and energy drinks maker Monster has led to Wall Street analysts hypothesizing scenarios in which the two companies could potentially come together. The latest analyst to run through the hypothetical tie-up scenarios comes from RBC Capital Markets’ Nik Modi.

The lines between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages continue to blur. Bloomberg broke the news Sunday evening that Constellation Brands and energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. are considering a deal.

Molson Coors has begun selling Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in the brand’s iconic 12 oz. glass bottle in seven markets, the company announced.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s U.S. shipments and depletions both declined -4.7% in the third quarter of 2021, the company reported today. The declines were “driven by a lower industry, segment shift and supply chain disruptions resulting in out-of-stocks,” the world’s largest beer manufacturer wrote in a press release detailing its third quarter earnings.

Molson Coors Beverage Company CEO Gavin Hattersley opened today’s third quarter earnings call by reciting what he said are the seven “headlines” of the company’s last three months.

As headwinds hit the hard seltzer segment, Boston Beer Company executives reiterated their confidence in Truly Hard Seltzer’s ability to perform during a conference call to discuss the company’s third quarter earnings with investors and analysts on Thursday evening.

Boston Beer Company’s second quarter earnings call in July set the stage for a tumultuous third quarter that saw the company pull its financial guidance and anticipate write-off costs related to excess hard seltzer inventory, which was followed by a rush of investor lawsuits. Although the Q2 earnings report left analysts flummoxed and disappointed, the company’s third quarter earnings report came with less of a jolt but more of the residual sting of the slowdown in hard seltzer growth and lowered expectations.

Anheuser-Busch continues to restructure its commercial leadership team, announcing Wednesday the appointment of a new president of its AB ONE division of wholly owned distributors

Truly Hard Seltzer will say g’day to a new market in February 2022. Boston Beer Company will partner with the Campari Group to bring Truly to Australia next year, the company announced today.

The Voodoo Ranger franchise now accounts for 65% of New Belgium’s business. CEO Steve Fechheimer again highlighted the shift in the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered craft brewery’s priorities during the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) annual meeting last week.

Canadian cannabis operator Canopy Growth Corporation has entered a definitive agreement to acquire cannabis edibles maker Wana Wellness for $297.5 million, which will go into effect upon federal legalization of THC in the U.S.