Beer Industry News, Insights, Jobs, & Events
Merican Light Beer Adds Distribution in North Carolina, Tennessee
Another former Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) exec is making a play with a nascent light lager. Israel Dominguez, who worked in numerous sales and marketing roles at A-B over nearly a decade, is leading operations of Merican Light Beer, which launched in California in 2024 and is rolling out now in North Carolina.
WSJ: Brown-Forman Rejects Sazerac’s $15B Bid
Brown-Forman has rejected a $15 billion takeover offer from Kentucky rival Sazerac.
Diageo’s Ritual Zero Proof Launches Canned Cocktails
Diageo is extending its non-alc (NA) spirit Ritual Zero Proof into the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with three canned cocktails.
Lunch Propels Maine Beer Co. to BA Top 50; Expansion Underway to Meet Demand
Maine Beer Co. is dining out on lunch. Not the meal, but its flagship IPA (7% ABV), which isn’t named for an eating occasion at all, but rather a whale spotted off the Maine coast in 1982. Her dorsal fin was missing a chunk, which had ostensibly become lunch for a shark.
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CPI: Beer YoY Price Hikes Accelerate in April; Continue to Lead Bev-Alc
For the second consecutive month, beer recorded the largest year-over-year (YoY) price increases across all bev-alc categories in April, according to today’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Lil Yachty’s Yacht Water Builds on Atlanta’s Music Scene with Former Beer Leaders
Yacht Water was co-founded by Lil Yachty alongside entertainment and music mogul Kevin ‘Coach K’ Lee, along with bev-alc industry veterans Rachel and Peter Kiley of Atlanta-based Sneaky Pete Spirits and Monday Night Brewing. The founders have been building a regional following in Atlanta before pushing to wider markets.
Circana Weekly Scans: Bev-Alc Sales -2.3% in ‘Second Reset Week’ Post-Easter
Bev-alc recorded another “reset week” to kick off May, according to the latest weekly report from market research firm Circana.
Boston Beer to Launch 15% ABV Lytt Electric Coolers
Boston Beer Company is launching LYTT Electric Coolers in five states this month. Lytt is a line of 15% ABV, malt-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings sold in 6.8 oz. single-serve, glow-in-the-dark, resealable, plastic lightbulb-shaped containers.
Bump Williams: Regional & Local ‘Still Matters;’ Craft Showing ‘Encouraging’ Forward Progress Through Q1
Nearly four out of every 10 craft brands recorded growth in the off-premise through mid-April, according to the latest monthly update from data and consulting firm Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).
A Beer For Mom (and Pls Remember the Flowers)
As we sit on the cusp of Mother’s Day this year, let’s top and tail the newsletter with some love going out to our moms this week.
BeerBoard: Michelob Ultra Tops Draft Volume Share on Cinco de Mayo
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Michelob Ultra was Numero Uno on Cinco de Mayo, according to the latest report from on-premise insights firm BeerBoard.
Press Clips: Breakthru Strikes, Monster and Diageo Earnings, Hard Seltzer’s Top-Heavy Market & More
Breakthru Drivers Strike in Illinois & Missouri; Diageo Beer USA Net Sales +9.1%, Global Net Sales +2.3%; Monster Q1 Alcohol Net Sales -5.9%; Hard Seltzers Increasingly Top-Heavy Market; A-B CMO: ‘25 is the New 21’; Molson Coors Reveals Keystone Light Apple Cans.
RNDC’s Near-Total Exit, Middle-Tier Power Players Emerge
As Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) sells off nearly all of its territories, what does that mean for the state of distribution?
Circana: Craft Shines in April C-Store Scans; Grocery Declines Persist
The convenience channel remained a lone bright spot for craft in the latest monthly report from market research firm Circana. Year-to-date (YTD) through April 19, craft dollar sales at c-stores increased 3.2%, while volume, measured in case sales, increased 0.9%.