Hard Tea’s $2.1 Billion Market Is Highly Concentrated
Just ten vendors account for about 97% of hard tea ready-to-drink (RTD) dollars, according to a new analysis from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).
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Molson Coors to Acquire Monaco Maker Atomic Brands
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.
Bump Williams Consulting: FMB, Spirits-Based RTD Volume Gains Slowing; Imports Remain ‘Beacon of Consistent Volume’ Growth
The once-booming flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment is “showing some concerning declarations over recent weeks,” Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) founder Bump Williams noted in a recent report. FMB volume gains dropped by half – from +2.2%, to +1.1% – from the four-week period to the one-week period ending May 18, according to NIQ retail measurement data cited by BWC.
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Star Buzz: Blake Lively Launches Low-Alc RTD
Blake Lively is the newest celebrity to jump into the booze world, although she’s already had one foot in the door.
Teaching Tepache: New Alcoholic RTDs Aim to Ferment U.S. Interest
Tepache, a fermented beverage native to Mexico, has been enjoyed south of the border since pre-Columbian times, but to many Americans it’s still an unfamiliar drink, particularly as a commercial product.
Bev Founder Talks E. & J. Gallo Deal: ‘We Were a Brand Before We Were a Product’
In 2017 Alix Peabody launched Bev, a Los Angeles-based canned wine and spritz brand, by cashing in her 401(k) to purchase 300 gallons of rosé.
Is Ready-to-Serve Crashing The Premium Party?
After an explosive few years, the ready-to-drink rise is showing signs of moderating but larger formats of pre-mixed cocktails may be an emerging growth opportunity, according to NIQ during the company’s C360 conference yesterday.
Spirits-Based RTDs May Soon Be More Accessible in California
Legislation to expand sales of spirit-based ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails in California is moving forward today, after the state Senate unanimously passed a bill allowing those products to be sold in grocery and convenience stores.
The 5 Ways RTD Alcohol Consumption is Changing, According to NIQ
Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage alcohol consumption has grown 104% in the past two years, according to NIQ, but how are consumers making shopping decisions, and where are they enjoying the growing variety of flavored malt beverages, canned cocktails and seltzers?
Heineken USA Launches Red Stripe Canned Rum Cocktail
Heineken USA has released its first spirit-based portfolio extension of Jamaican beer brand Red Stripe with Red Stripe Rum Drinks. The canned cocktail will roll out in Florida starting today, and is set to hit select markets in the Northeast throughout the spring.
Molson Coors Launches Vodka- and Tequila-Based Topo Chico Spirited
Molson Coors Beverage Company’s previously teased spirits-based Topo Chico offering is now a reality.
Jefferies: Hard Seltzers Are Losing Battle to Tough Summer Comps Despite Growth of Spirits-Based Subsegment
Hard seltzers ended the summer season down -5.5% year-to-date through September 10 in multi-outlet plus convenience channels, as the segment continues to battle tough comps of years past, financial services firm Jefferies reported, citing NielsenIQ data.
BeatBox to More Than Double Shipments Again in 2022 to More than 1.7 Million Cases
In the words of the Whispers and Sonny & Cher: “the beat goes on.” At least for BeatBox Beverages.
Last Call: Ball Partners with Manna Capital for Aluminum Mill in NM; Instacart Calls Spirit-Based RTDs ‘Drink of Summer’
Ball Corp., the world’s largest aluminum beverage can manufacturer, has partnered with the investment firm Manna Capital Partners to create an aluminum can sheet rolling mill and recycling center in Los Lunas, New Mexico.
Last Call: Restaurant Revitalization Fund Vote Fails in Senate; Stone, Sycamore Comment on End of Trademark Lawsuit
A bill to add $40 billion to the depleted Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) failed to secure the requisite 60 votes in the U.S. Senate yesterday.
New Products: Two Roads to Launch First Non-Alc Beer; Downeast Releases Vodka Soda RTDs
Two Roads Brewing Co. is getting into the non-alcoholic beer space with Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA, the first NA beer offering from the Stratford, Connecticut craft brewery.
RTD Sales +155% vs. 2019, Led by Spirits-based Growth; 2021 Beer Shipment Volume Highest in More Than a Decade, Beer Institute Reports
Off-premise dollar sales of ready-to-drink canned cocktails (RTDs) and hard seltzers have more than doubled in the past three years, increasing +155% since 2019 (through January 8, 2022), according to NielsenIQ data, shared by the Beer Institute’s (BI) VP of research Danelle Kosmal during a webinar Thursday.