Brewbound Industry News

Insider’s Week in Beer: 🍻 A Sendoff For a Legendary Beer Pitchman

This week’s beer goes out to one of beer’s all-time greatest pitchmen, Mr. Bob Uecker, who died this week at the age of 90 … and they just don’t make ‘em like Bob anymore. He’s of course known for the Major League movies and Mr. Belvedere in the ’80s, and to an older demo as one of the top Tonight Show guests ever (with 100+ appearances). Plus, he also called BREWERS games in Milwaukee for 54 seasons. 🤯

NIQ: Adult Non-Alc Nears $1B; RTDs Drive Growth

Total bev-alc retail sales reached $112 billion in 2024 but, excluding ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, no category saw growth in dollars or volume, according to market research firm NIQ.

Rhinegeist Adds Steve Fechheimer as an Advisor

Rhinegeist Brewery has added former New Belgium Brewing CEO Steve Fechheimer as an advisor to its board of directors.

TTB Proposes New Rules For Alcohol Labeling

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has proposed new rules for nutrient and alcohol content labeling on wine, beer, and spirits.

Unexpected Pros of Slow Business: Dry January Spurs Taproom and Brewery Renovation Projects

As many drinkers take a break from craft beer and other alcoholic beverages in January, craft breweries such as Notch are using the month and its lighter traffic to close taprooms temporarily as they undertake renovation projects.

CGA: Last 2 Weeks of December -6%; Trends Flat Through New Year’s

On-premise sales velocity declined -6% for the two-week period ending December 28 and was flat through the New Year’s holiday for the week ending January 4, according to the latest report from CGA, NIQ’s on-premise division.

Notes From D.C.’s Mindful Drinking Fest

The Mindful Drinking Fest returned to Washington, D.C. this past weekend, bringing together over 1,200 attendees and nearly 220 adult non-alcoholic products in a Dry January celebration that has grown 10 times since its first iteration three years ago and 40% since just last year. Brewbound's sibling publication BevNET stopped in for the second year in a row and saw the energy and acceleration brought by the sober curious crowd firsthand.

Former Dairy Farmers of America Exec to Lead American Cider Association

The American Cider Association (ACA) has named its next CEO. Monica Cohen, a former executive for Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), has been appointed CEO of the hard cider trade association, taking over less than a month ahead of the ACA’s largest annual industry event, CiderCon (February 4-7).

Brewbound Podcast: New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie on Asheville Recovery Efforts, Mini Ripper Cans, Hard Refreshers and Oberon Light

New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the comeback in Asheville, the company’s still-unfolding contingency plans and the road ahead.

Anheuser-Busch, 1st Phorm to Partner for Energy Drink Line

Anheuser-Busch is still gunning for a share of the energy drink segment, announcing today a new partnership with sports nutrition business 1st Phorm to launch a RTD energy line.

Leinenkugel Family Attempts to Buy Chippewa Falls Brewery From Molson Coors; Efforts Rebuffed So Far

Dick and Jake Leinenkugel have gone public with their efforts to buy back their family’s namesake brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from Molson Coors, which plans to cease operations at the facility on Friday, January 17, and lay off 56 workers.

CPI: Beer At Home Outpaced Total Industry Every Month in 2024; Leads Away from Home for 8 Consecutive Months

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for beer at home increased +2.5% year-over-year (YoY) in December 2024, before seasonal adjustment, increasing below total inflation, but outpacing the rest of the bev-alc industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Second Report on Alcohol Consumption and Health Draws Industry Trade Groups’ Ire

All major beverage-alcohol industry trade groups have united in opposition of a draft study about alcohol consumption’s effect on health, which was released Tuesday.

Mark Anthony Brands President Dishes on Simplified 2025 Portfolio, Spirits-Based RTD Learnings

Mark Anthony Brands is narrowing its focus in 2025, with a "dramatically" simplified portfolio, Mark Anthony Brands president David Barnett shared Monday during Day 2 of Beer Business Daily’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Summit in Palm Beach, Florida.

Circana: Craft Beer Sales -3%, Volume -4% in 2024; 8 Top 30 Craft Brands Post Growth

Off-premise dollar sales of craft beer declined -3.3%, to more than $4.6 billion, in 2024, according to multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience store data shared by market research firm Circana.

Bump Williams Consulting: Flavor and Crossover Products Lead Growth Across Beer, Wine and Spirits in 2024

Bump Williams Consulting's (BWC) theme for 2024: “Crossover canned flavor.” The firm analyzed the top 100 brand families across beer, wine and spirits based on year-to-date (YTD) dollar sales in NIQ off-premise scans (ending December 21), and identified the top performers in three categories: momentum, magnitude and innovation.

Spindrift Agrees Sale to PE Firm Gryphon Investors; Dave Burwick Named CEO

Spindrift Beverage Company has reached an agreement for San Francisco-based private investment group Gryphon Investors to acquire a majority stake in the sparkling water brand, and is tapping experienced CPG executive Dave Burwick as its new CEO.

The Legal Issues On Tap For Bev-Alc, Adult Non-Alc In 2025

From social media advertising to shipping regulations, here are some of the top legal issues for bev-alc and adult-non alc suppliers to pay attention to this year.

INSIDER’S Week in Beer: Real American Jeer 👎: Hulk Hogan Gets Booed

Welcome to the beer biz, TKO. Yes, on the day that the owner of the WWE (and UFC) announced that it became a minority investor in Real American Beer, the beer’s top spokesperson had a … less than favorable launch night appearance on NETFLIX WWE RAW.

Bill Newlands: Constellation Brands’ Soft Q3 Isn’t ‘Anything Structural’

After another soft quarter and with the potential of tariffs looming, bev-alc giant Constellation Brands revised its financial guidance downward in the release of its Q3 earnings on Friday.