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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.
The awkwardness between Craft Brew Alliance and Anheuser-Busch InBev didn’t end last Friday when the world’s largest beer manufacturer passed on making a qualifying offer to purchase the company. CBA CEO Andy Thomas told Brewbound that the awkwardness has shifted from a will-they, won’t-they-get-married scenario, to one in which the question is if the two companies still want to live together now that they’re no longer engaged.
Call it a scoop. Call it a shill. Either way, Adam Schefter made news today about the relationship between the NFL and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Schefter, the ESPN NFL insider known for breaking the league’s biggest scoops via his Twitter account — including last weekend’s retirement of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck — announced this morning that Anheusr-Busch InBev-owned Bon & Viv is now the “Official Hard Seltzer Sponsor of the NFL.”
The deadline for Anheuser-Busch InBev to make a qualifying offer to acquire the remaining stake of Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) came and went today without an offer. The world’s largest beer manufacturer, which already owns 31.3 percent of the smaller Portland, Oregon-headquartered craft beer maker, had until today, August 23, to either make an offer for the remaining stake in the company at a minimum of $24.50 per share (about $328 million) or pay a $20 million fee.
Truly Hard Seltzer-maker Boston Beer Company announced today the nationwide launch of “Truly on Tap,” a new product that the company is calling ”one of the first hard seltzers available on draft” across the country. Boston Beer founder Jim Koch first teased the product, then called “Pure” — a name that competing brand White Claw also announced for a similar product — in January as an alternative for vodka soda drinkers in bars and restaurants.
In this week’s Last Call: Breakside Brewing Implements Employee Stock Ownership Plan; The Brewers Association Shares Brewery Employee Diversity Data; Guns N’ Roses and CANarchy Settle Lawsuit; Anheuser-Busch Rolls Out Bud Light College Branded Packaging.
Boston Beer Company is asking consumers to ditch their old alcoholic beverages and drink what they “Truly want” — hard seltzer. The company, which makes the Truly Hard Seltzer brand, today unveiled five, 15-second commercials featuring comedian and actor Keegan-Michael Key that are part of a national advertising campaign for the 100-calorie, 5 percent ABV seltzer. Those ads began airing today across television and all digital channels.
Just 14 days remain before Anheuser-Busch InBev’s deadline to make a qualifying offer to buy the remaining stake of Craft Brew Alliance, or pay a $20 million fee. The prospect of a qualifying offer of around $328 million (at a minimum price of $24.50 per share) from A-B, which already owns about 31 percent of CBA, was one of the main focuses of Thursday’s second-quarter earnings call.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is back in the craft beer M&A game. After a two-year hiatus following the May 2017 acquisition of Wicked Weed, the world’s largest beer manufacturer announced today the acquisition of Cleveland’s Platform Beer Co., a transaction that is expected to close in the third quarter.
Kona Brewing once again lifted Craft Brew Alliance’s (CBA) financial results. CBA shared its second-quarter financial results today, highlighted by portfolio-wide depletions (sales-to-retailers) growth of more than 1 percent, and shipment (sales-to-wholesalers) growth of 4.4 percent.
Anheuser-Busch InBev announced today the acquisition of fast-growing Ohio craft brewery Platform Beer Co. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In a press release, A-B noted that Platform was “the fastest growing regional brewery in the United States in 2017.” According to data from the Brewers Association, the Cleveland craft brewery increased production from 6,500 barrels to 20,000 barrels that year.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s innovation and growth division, ZX Ventures, has sold Minnesota-based homebrew supply retailer Northern Brewer to Blackstreet Capital Holdings LLC.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Pyramid owner FIFCO USA settles a lawsuit with its Alehouse staff; Manhattan Beer Distributors and its delivery drivers battle over alleged ‘wage theft;’ Left Hand enters the CBD-infused, non-alcoholic drink market; New Delhi bans A-B InBev for three years; and more news bites.
Molson Coors released its second-quarter financial results today, but following news of a shakeup at the top of the company, the focus of the multinational beer manufacturer’s call with investors and analysts was on the future direction of the company.
In this week’s Last Call: Angry Orchard’s security is accused of racial profiling; June U.S. beer shipments decline; Peter Coors calls for government to intervene on aluminum pricing in op-ed; Facebook imposes new alcohol restrictions; and more news.
