Spirits

Buffalo Trace, the producer of the popular Pappy Van Winkle bourbons, will double its whiskey production in the coming days.

Data released last week by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) showed that for the first time spirits revenues outpaced beer, but how did craft spirits measure up? At last weekend’s American Craft Spirits Association Conference in Portland, data experts shared insight into the segment’s growth and opportunities.

For the first time, spirit revenues have eclipsed beer, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) in its annual economic briefing today.

California lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow wine and beer retailers to sell spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages that are lower than 10% ABV and in containers no larger than 16 oz.

A year-long legal dispute between rapper and business tycoon Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Bacardi was finally resolved on Friday when the spirits giant announced it has agreed to acquire the majority of Cognac venture D’ussé, with Carter retaining a significant ownership stake through his company SCLiquor.

Traverse City Whiskey Co. has broken ground on a new 70,000 square foot distillery in hopes of turning Northern Michigan into a hub for whiskey in the Midwest.

Diageo is deepening its roster of top-tier brands in reaching an agreement to acquire super-premium dark rum label Don Papa Rum for an initial fee of $281.5 million, the company announced today.

Molson Coors continues to grow its non-alcoholic portfolio with its latest release Roxie, a zero-proof canned cocktail launching today exclusively online.

Remember when the subscription box came onto the scene? It was the early 2010s and, as new meal delivery kits and beauty product subscription boxes started to become the rage, Josh Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of Speakeasy Co, saw an opportunity for craft cocktails to play in the same arenas. But he also wanted a way to sell full-size bottles of craft spirits. Before long, the latter goal became the main target.

On the heels of moving its portfolio of brands to beer wholesalers in Washington state and Colorado last August, Sazerac Company announced last week a major change to its route-to-market in several states.

As we move through the winter holidays and into 2023, beverage alcohol analysts have been weighing in on spirit trends and categories poised to lead in the new year. They’re also tackling questions about where consumers are imbibing and shopping: will economic conditions damper on-premise business? As ready-to-drink cocktails grow, where will brands find successful channels? And how will e-commerce change?

Washington-based craft distiller Heritage Distilling announced this week its plans to merge with Better World Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), to go public in a transaction that has a pro forma enterprise value of over $122 million. If completed, the merger will make Heritage one of the only publicly traded pure-play craft distilleries.

American craft spirits are recovering from the pandemic’s downturn, according to new data from the Craft Spirits Data Project.

Pronghorn, an initiative focused on boosting Black spirits entrepreneurship, announced yesterday new investments in three companies: Tequila with Friends, Den of Thieves and Ego Tequila. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.