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Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ ambitions for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s portfolio aren’t limited to New York. The wine and spirits juggernaut has struck another deal for a red network distributor, this time for the assets of Eagle Rock Distributing Co. in Colorado.
Molson Coors has struck a deal to acquire spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail pioneer Atomic Brands, whose Monaco Cocktails entered the then-nascent space in 2012. The deal should come as no surprise, as it aligns with Molson Coors’ goals to expand its beyond beer portfolio, part of the Horizon 2030 plan CEO Rahul Goyal outlined earlier this year.
A pair of big red network distribution deals were announced in the last 24 hours. Anheuser-Busch InBev has agreed to purchase the distribution rights of its brands, as well as “certain craft/NA brands,” from Advance Beverage Company in Bakersfield, California. Meanwhile, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits inked a deal for independent A-B distributor Clare Rose on Long Island.
Boston Beer Company’s big first quarter in 2021 as it built hard seltzer inventories is coming to roost a year later. The company reported declines in depletions and shipments of -7% and -25.1%, respectively in the first quarter of 2022.
The Stone-Molson Coors trademark infringement legal saga continues to play out in a series of post-trial motions. This week, each side has filed motions, with Stone seeking additional damages on top of its $56 million jury award, and Molson Coors attempting to block Stone’s request for a preliminary injunction earlier this month.
Another independent canned cocktail maker boarded the “mother ship” last week when Constellation Brands announced the full acquisition of Austin Cocktails. It’s a move that’s in-step with the other global beverage companies picking up fast-growing RTD producers — but observers in the industry caution that the deal may not be the harbinger future RTD acquisitions.
Molson Coors’ craft beer division leader, Paul Verdu, has exited the company, president of emerging growth Pete Marino announced in a company email yesterday. Verdu’s last day at Molson Coors was Monday.
Constellation Brands executive vice president and beer division chair Paul Hetterich died yesterday at age 59 following “a series of health issues in recent years,” the company announced to wholesalers today.
Constellation Brands’ beer business recorded an +11% increase in net sales growth, to $6.75 billion, for the company’s 2022 full fiscal year. FY 2022 marked the company’s 12th consecutive year of volume growth, with +8.8% shipments (sales to wholesalers) growth and +8.9% depletions (sales to retailers) growth – amounting to an additional 30 million case equivalents, CEO Bill Newlands said during a conference call with investors.
The Sands family, the largest shareholder of Constellation Brands stock, has proposed declassifying the company’s common stock and transitioning to a single-class common stock structure.
San Diego-headquartered JuneShine released its first commercial campaign today, promoting its recently launched ready-to-drink, spirits-based canned cocktails with the tagline of “Dodge the Sugar.” Beer buyers’ behavior has “continued to revert to pre-pandemic trends” for the third consecutive month, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) March Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI).
Molson Coors is in the process of a packaging refresh for Keystone Light, chief legal officer Anne-Marie D’Angelo shared with the company’s distributor partners in a memo Tuesday afternoon. The company shared plans for the packaging refresh just days after a jury awarded Stone Brewing Company $56 million in its long-simmering trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors.
Citing shock and sadness due to Russia’s intensifying war on Ukraine, Heineken N.V said today that it will exit its business in Russia and no longer have a presence in the country. “Following the previously announced strategic review of our operations, we have concluded that Heineken’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer… Read more »
The Modelo brand family tree sprouted some new branches this month as the top-selling beer in Constellation Brands’ portfolio pushes further into the beyond beer segment and seeks to expand its consumer base. Modelo has added one new flavor – Naranja Picosa – to its Chelada line extension nationwide, added 12-packs of Limón Y Sal… Read more »
Boston Beer Company senior VP of supply chain Quincy B. Troupe will exit the company on April 1, according to a separation agreement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fort Bragg, California-headquartered North Coast Brewing Co. has named Chris Hudson its national key accounts director. Detroit, Michigan-based, Molson Coors-owned Atwater Brewery has appointed Katy McBrady as its president, effective April 4, following the departure of former president and owner Mark Rieth in December.
Boston Beer Company and Sauza tequila-maker Beam Suntory launched Sauza Agave Cocktails Thursday – a line of Mexican-inspired, ready-to-drink canned cocktails (RTDs).
Boston Beer replaced the two flavors in its Truly Extra Hard Seltzer line with Pineapple Orange Punch and Berry Blast.
