NEWS

This week’s beer goes out to INDIANA UNIVERSITY football coach Curt Cignetti, although ironically – he’s not gonna need one.

An influential group of beverage-alcohol retailers and distributors are supporting legislative efforts to keep hemp-infused beverages alive despite their prohibition, slated to take effect in November 2026. 

A pair of Nashville breweries are linking up. Jackalope Brewing has struck a deal to acquire Black Abbey Brewing. Under Jackalope’s stewardship, “Black Abbey's distinct brewing identity and well-loved beers” will live on, according to the announcement.

A craft beverage platform is taking shape in San Diego. Latitude Brewing, the umbrella that includes Latitude 33 and Thorn Brewing, has acquired the House of Mason brand platform (Mason Aleworks, Eppig Brewing, Second Chance Beer Co., Castellum Ciders, Old Harbor Distilling and Swell Soda).

Beer ordering remained in contraction in January, but recorded a “significant bump” compared to December, according to National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) in the first Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) of 2026.

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.