NEWS

Intoxicating hemp drinks are getting a lifeline in Chicago, despite the outlawing of other hemp-derived THC products.

New data suggests that direct alcohol replacements (such as NA beer) and "alcohol adjacent drinks," including hemp beverages or adaptogenic functional drinks, are growing for different reasons – and are not necessarily competing.

Circle K stores will be “expanding beer” in 2026 – but what the convenience store chain considers “beer” includes products from all major bev-alc categories, Circle K lead category manager Bob Gulley shared Sunday during the Beer, Wine & Spirits Summit in Coronado, California.

How can craft brewers expect to win away games if they’re not winning at home? That’s the sports analogy pFriem Family Brewers co-founder and CEO Rudy Kellner used to describe the Hood River, Oregon-based brewery’s strategy when it comes to expanding its distribution footprint.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth's take on intoxicating hemp; non-alc Bero receives private equity investment; Otherlands Beer shares tariff impact; taproom closures; people moves; and more.

For some Dry January participants, the month of abstaining from alcohol is an annual tradition, but for others it spurs a lifestyle change, consumer research firm Numerator found in a recent survey of 500 U.S. consumers who planned to partake in the ritual.

On any given week, Stateside’s vodka-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) hard tea brand Surfside records $2 million in sales or more and triple-digit year-over-year (YoY) growth in Circana-tracked off-premise channels. Those sales represent only 20% of the RTD’s total depletions.

It may be time for beer to finally address its pricing issues. That was one of the main takeaways from Day 1 of the Beer, Wine and Spirits Summit Sunday, hosted by Beer Business Daily and Wine & Spirits Business Daily in Coronado, California.

Patco Brands launched over a decade ago with a small margarita business and a family-run operation. Since then, the company has quietly evolved into one of the largest producers in the agave wine and ready-to-drink (RTD) space, operating at a scale that rivals far larger beverage groups while maintaining the agility of an independent.

A former Rogue Ales & Spirits employee has filed a lawsuit against the now-shuttered craft brewery’s parent company, Oregon Brewing, for allegedly violating the WARN Act.

Days after news broke that it was in talks to sell its business in seven markets to the Reyes Beverage Group, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) announced it has taken new financial support with the approval of its lenders.

Off-premise beverage-alcohol sales recorded a third consecutive year-over-year (YoY) increase during the week ending January 11, according to market research firm Circana’s most recent weekly scan data report.

Japanese beer giant Asahi is deepening its U.S. presence with the national launch of its premium ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka and soda cocktail Zeitaku Shibori, the first such product to be manufactured in the States.

A-B may be shutting down its Newark, NJ brewery after several decades, but the A-B eagle will live on!

After carving out early momentum in New Jersey, food and beverage serial entrepreneur Jason Cohen is taking his vodka-based ready-to-drink beverage, Spiked Ade, to more markets. 

Russian River Brewing Company [RRBC] (Windsor & Santa Rosa, California) has begun donating proceeds from Russian River 110 West Coast Pils to Russian Riverkeeper, a local non-profit climate organization focused on its eponymous river.

Beverage-alcohol had a nearly universally down year in 2025. The few exceptions were adult non-alcoholic (ANA) and ready-to-drink (RTD) bev-alc, which further solidified their staying power beyond quick consumer trends, according to NIQ’s 2025 Year in Review report.

Bars and restaurants saw a boost in sales this holiday season compared to 2024, according to the latest report from CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ.

Stoli Group USA, the owner of Stoli vodka, will move into the liquidation phase after initially filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2024.

After a lengthy delay that included much fretting among industry insiders, the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were unveiled earlier this month. Any fears that anti-alcohol activists had infiltrated the quinquennial process were eased, as the new guidelines preach moderation over specific daily drink allowances. Beer Marketer’s Insights senior editor Christopher Shepard, who has... Read more »