Dear Client: The NBWA filed an amicus brief in favor of Olympic Eagle this week in the case of Constellation's without-cause termination in Washington state -- ultimately resulting in the resignation of would-be successor distributor, Columbia, from the NBWA.  In a letter to NBWA chief Craig Purser yesterday, Columbia president and CEO Chris Steffanci wrote:  … Continue reading "NBWA Files Amicus Brief on Olympic Eagle Case, Leading to Columbia’s Resignation from the Association"

Dear Client: A lot has happened between now and last September, when we first wrote that FIFCO USA was developing a Lipton-branded hard iced tea product through a licensing agreement with the "Pepsi Lipton Partnership," to be launched in 2023 -- of course, through the Blue Cloud network.  Recall, when former FIFCO USA sales chief … Continue reading "Lipton Hard Iced Tea Launch Hits This Month Via Blue Cloud"

Dear Client: Last month, CBD broke news that Anheuser-Busch was making cuts at its local craft partners [see CBD 02-23-2023]. Some surmised that craft was perhaps less important to the brewers’ high end than it was the prior 10 years, when craft largely grew steadily and A-B steadily acquired brewers (and taprooms) across the country, … Continue reading "A-B High End Chief on Getting Their Craft Partners “Fit to Fight”"

Dear Client: Today, Anheuser-Busch InBev launches a linchpin of its plan to accelerate High-End crown jewel, Stella Artois, debuting “a new era” for the brand, focused on food. The new approach evolves the brand creative from its previous world of cartoon/illustration-oriented ads.   Their fully -integrated 360-campaign focuses on  “real people and authentic connections,” targeting meal … Continue reading "Stella Gets a New Groove"

Dear Client: Southwest Washington's Corwin Beverage Company, which started out as Pepsi Cola of Vancouver in 1941, "has decided to exit the highly competitive beverage distribution business," per statement Corwin shared with BBD, and as CBD reported (via Washington Beer Blog) yesterday.   "Longtime partner" PepsiCo will acquire the non-alcohol division of Corwin.  But here's where … Continue reading "Corwin Selling Non-Alc Portfolio to PepsiCo; Who Will Buy its Craft Wholesalers?"

Dear Client: It all came down to a simple question: “Did Modelo prove, by a preponderance of evidence, that Corona Hard Seltzer and Modelo Ranch Water are not ‘Beer’ as defined in the contract?”  In case you missed it, as we reported yesterday, a jury of four men and four women found in favor of … Continue reading "Grokking the ABI/STZ Verdict: What Comes Next?"

Dear Client: The verdict is in: Constellation’s sugar-based Corona Hard Seltzer and Modelo Ranch Water were found to be in compliance with the company’s sublicense agreement to brew and distribute Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned Cervecería Modelo de México brands in the U.S. The two-week trial ended with surprisingly short jury deliberations this afternoon (sources told BBD jurors … Continue reading "Jury Verdict: Constellation Did Not Violate Grupo Modelo Sublicense with ABI"

Dear Client: There are signs that Boston Beer could be “in the early innings of turning around Truly,” RBC analyst Nik Modi shared in a note yesterday morning. Nik and co. acknowledged in the note that, yes, overall Truly trends continue to be challenged in IRI scans, as “Truly volumes remain down 25-35% on a … Continue reading "Signs of a Truly Turnaround Taking Shape?"

Dear Client: Given the overwhelming success of New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger line, one can’t help but wonder how far they might extend that franchise. Since launching in 2017, the Voodoo Ranger family has been made up nearly exclusively of higher-ABV IPAs, though we have seen the line break away from its IPA focus before… remember … Continue reading "New Belgium Workshopping a Hard Tea Line for Voodoo Ranger?"

Dear Client: On Friday morning, BBD caught up with Rodney Williams, the former Moët Hennessy exec who was announced as Nuno Teles’ successor as President of Diageo Beer Company and Diageo Canada last August.    We asked Rodney about his first-line priorities the first few months on the job. He crystallized his focus on one imperative: … Continue reading "New DBC Chief on “Huge Opportunities” for Guinness and Zero"