Dear Client:  It was touch and go there for a moment. But the temporary federal excise tax reduction which was passed in 2017, is now permanent, as President Trump late last night signed it into law.  "With his signature, the excise tax relief secured in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will permanently continue, providing … Continue reading "ALERT: Federal Excise Tax Reduction Now Officially Permanent"

The following is an alert from our sister publication, Wine & Spirits Daily Dear Client: No rest for the weary. Nearly two years and a few revisions later, the Federal Trade Commission has accepted the proposed consent order for Constellation to divest a portfolio of wine and spirits brands under $11 as well related facilities in California, … Continue reading "Constellation / Gallo Deal Receives Clearance from the FTC"

Dear Client:  Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is doing all it can to pay down it's heavy debt after acquiring SABMiller, has announced its decision to sell 49.9% of its U.S. metal can plants for around $3 billion to a "consortium of institutional investors led and/or advised by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO)."   As … Continue reading "A-B Sells Minority Stake in Can Plants"

Dear Client:  Amid the new on-premise shutdowns ordered by state and local governments due to another wave of Covid sweeping the country, one prominent beer industry exec, whom you know (Hint: his name rhymes with Eat Doors), sent me a message last week indicating his opinion that enough is enough.  "The only solution is mass … Continue reading "Eat Doors: The Coming Lockdown Backlash"

 Editor's Note:  For today's issue, we reached deep into our archives exactly eight years ago to pull the September 1, 2011 of BBD, entitled:  "Crown Seeks to Double Share".  Welp, turns out they did it.  Constellation sold around 12 million barrels in 2011, and will sell about 23 million barrels this year, and are a … Continue reading "Flashback to 2011: Constellation Aims to Double Share, (And They Did)"

Dear Client: If you are active on social media, then you no doubt know that the so-called Keto diet -- a diet heavy on protein and lean on carbs -- is all the craze at the moment, and it's yet another reason for Millennials and Gen Z to shun alcohol in general and beer in … Continue reading "The Keto Diet Craze: Is it 2004 All Over Again?"