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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.
Nearly three years after being acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, Los Angeles’ Golden Road Brewing is beginning to see the advantages of being owned by the world’s largest beer manufacturer. In the last six months, Golden Road has launched its flagship Wolf Pup Session IPA nationally, and opened a pair of satellite brewpubs in California. According to market research firm IRI Worldwide’s multi-outlet and convenience (MULC) universe of stores, sales of the company’s beer have increased 100 percent through April 29.
Anheuser-Busch InBev today reported global revenue growth of 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018 even as the company’s domestic shipments and depletions decreased due to continued declines of the its flagship lager brands. A-B, the world’s largest beer manufacturer, recorded global revenue of more than $13 billion during the quarter and a gross profit of more than $8 billion. The company’s revenue per hectoliter increased 4.9 percent.
In this week’s edition of Last Call: Shipyard Brewing looks to pivot in Portland; the TTB collects record offer for alleged trade practice violations; Molson Coors reports Q2 earnings; and more.
Felipe Szpigel, president of A-B’s High End, told Brewbound that more of his division’s craft breweries will be releasing 15- and 18-packs in the next couple of months.
In recent years, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s “global growth and innovation team” ZX Ventures has invested in at least nine international breweries, and now the company is pushing into spirits. ZX Ventures today announced the acquisition of Atom Group, a United Kingdom-based spirits, eCommerce and import business. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Constellation Brands reported its fiscal-year 2018 earnings on Thursday, which were highlighted by a 3 percent increase in total net sales, to more than $7.6 billion. Net sales of Constellation Brands’ beer brands — including Mexican import labels Corona, Modelo and Pacifico as well as craft breweries Ballast Point and Funky Buddha — increased 10.1 percent, to about $4.7 billion.
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) CEO Andy Thomas repurposed an old presidential metaphor during Thursday’s 2017 financial results call with investors and analysts to illustrate the publicly traded company’s health.
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) officially announced its 2017 earnings today, which fell in line with preliminary financial results shared on February 1. Those results were again highlighted by net sales increasing 2 percent to more than $207.5 million and 10 percent depletion growth for the Hawaiian-themed Kona brand.
Boston Beer Company yesterday reported a shipment decline of 6.2 percent in 2017, driven by shrinking sales of its Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands. In an earnings report released Wednesday, the country’s sixth largest beer company — which makes Samuel Adams beer, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Twisted Tea, and Truly Spiked & Sparkling seltzers, among other products — said it shipped about 3.8 million barrels of product in 2017, compared to 4 million barrels shipped in 2016.
Despite continued negative domestic volume trends for its flagship light lager brands, Molson Coors’ worldwide sales increased 0.2 percent to more than $11 billion in 2017, according to company earnings released today.
Constellation Brands reported its third-quarter fiscal 2018 earnings Friday, which were highlighted by 9.1 percent growth in beer depletions (sales-to-retailers) and a 5.9 percent increase in shipments over the comparable three-month period.
While its legacy Widmer and Redhook brands continue to decline, Kona offerings are up double-digits year-to-date in a Craft Brew Alliance portfolio that has grown to include a number of regional craft brewery partners in recent years.
Constellation Brands announced its second quarter fiscal 2018 earnings Thursday morning, which were highlighted by a 12.8 percent increase in net sales over the same three-month period the year before.
During a call with investors and analysts on Thursday, Craft Brew Alliance CEO Andy Thomas characterized the company’s second quarter results as “another win,” even though company-wide depletions dipped 2 percent amidst pressure from more than 5,500 breweries competing for an evolving consumer set that Thomas called “alien.”
