Dear Client:  We felt a pang of sadness yesterday morning, right as the big NBWA show “opened,” for the first time ever, virtually. Normally we’d be nursing a hangover with our team, shaking slightly as we tried to find our seat in a blessedly dark room for the big show.  But from a content perspective, … Continue reading “Purser: “Our Finest Hour””

Dear Client:  Well, this is sure to create some good fodder for NBWA’s annual convention, which kicks off today. The nation’s largest beer wholesaler, Reyes Beer Division, has just announced that it’s entered into an agreement to acquire one of the top 20 beer wholesalers in the country, Monarch Beverage Company, a Blue/Silver/Gold house in … Continue reading “Reyes to Acquire Indiana’s Monarch Beverage Company”

Dear Client:  In a surprising turn of events, FIFCO USA has proved to be the unlikely little engine that could, posting the best trends this year since the company was purchased by Costa Rica’s Florida Ice and Farm Corp. back in 2012. FIFCO’s core Seagrams, Labatt, and Genesee brands are up 12.9% this year, outpacing … Continue reading “FIFCO USA: The Comeback Kid”

Dear Client:  Constellation’s second quarter earnings call lasted just under an hour yesterday, and of that 60 minutes it’s probably fair to guess that at least a quarter of it was dedicated to seltzer talk. In fact, the word “seltzer” was mentioned more times during the call (45) than: “beer” (33), “wine” (33) or “spirits” … Continue reading “Constellation’s Sights Set on Top Three Position in Seltzer”

Dear Client:  A-B U.S. brass shared some impressive trends during their fall meeting for wholesalers. We can’t share a whole boatload of it, ’cause A-B is currently in its quiet period.  And yet, the biggest news was basically already known: That Michelob Ultra, now the second largest beer in scans, will introduce its big marquee … Continue reading “Behold, the Worst Kept Secret in Beer: Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer”

Dear Client:  Today, Anheuser-Busch is announcing an agreement to acquire and transition key assets of 65-year-old Ace Beverage in Los Angeles, California to A-B. This agreement also includes the transition of Ace’s non-A-B distribution rights, subject to supplier approval. Ace says they expect the sale of their distribution rights to be completed by the second … Continue reading “Ace Beverage Selling to A-B in L.A.”

Dear Client:  Another day, another partnership announcement for Molson Coors Beverage Company.  Today president of emerging growth, Pete Marino, emailed distributor partners to share news that the company has entered into an exclusive partnership to distribute La Colombe Coffee Roasters ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee products in the drug and convenience channels through their distribution network.  “While … Continue reading “Molson Coors Strikes Deal to Distribute La Colombe RTD Coffee Products”

Dear Client:  What on earth would Molson Coors Brewing Co. want with yet another big seltzer brand, when it’s supposedly betting so big on Vizzy and Coors Seltzer?  CMO Michelle St Jacques was happy to explain the answer to BBD after yesterday’s announcement that Molson Coors is partnering with Coca-Cola to manufacture, market and distribute … Continue reading “More on Coke’s Topo Chico Deal with Molson Coors”

Dear Client:  This just in. Molson Coors has inked an “exclusive agreement” with The Coca-Cola Company “to manufacture, market, and distribute Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in the U.S.” next year, per company announcement. Molson Coors said it “will use its marketing, sales and distribution expertise for a scaled national launch in the first half of … Continue reading “Coke Tapping Molson Coors for Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Launch”

Dear Client:  To grok the latest on-premise stats, and witness the past week’s reopening headlines, the on-premise is sustaining a steady trot back to fuller capacity — at least for now, before another possible wave in the fall. Hey, make hay while the sun shines, right? First, the stats. BeerBoard just released its latest read … Continue reading “On-Premise Continues March Toward Normal … For Now”

Dear Client:  It’s doable, but not a slam dunk.  Yes, this crazy year has been the year of hard seltzer.  Last week Mark Anthony made the bold prediction that it would achieve 10 share of total beer next year, having depleted 135 million cases in 2020, led by White Claw, and next year, betting big … Continue reading “Grokking Mike’s Ambitious Ten Share Goal”

Dear Client:  As if you didn’t already know we were living in the ‘span of sparkling, or the era of effervescence, yesterday’s Mark Anthony Brands virtual meeting offers all the proof you need.  The most eye-popping stats: Mark Anthony plans to alone snag 10 share of total beer next year, having depleted 135 million cases … Continue reading “Mike’s Great Expectations”

Dear Client:  You could have seen this one coming, since Mike’s Hard Lemonade has been the top hard lemonade brand for two decades. On today’s Mark Anthony Brands virtual sales meeting, new CMO John Shea announced that Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer will hit shelves on March 1.  The company clearly seeks to take back what … Continue reading “Mike’s Launching Hard Lemonade Seltzer”

Dear Client:  BeatBox Beverages has had a good run during COVID. The “party punch” is growing volumes exponentially, and making real inroads at c-store, with little exposure to the on-premise.       Never seen a BeatBox? Maybe you have. It’s a brightly colored single-serve wine product that plays more like an FMB. There are several servings in … Continue reading “The Wine FMB You’re About to Know”

Dear Client:  It’s hard to believe it’s been a week and a day since D. G. Yuengling & Son and Molson Coors Beverage Co. announced a JV to expand the Pennsylvania-based brewer to 25 westward states.  Luckily, 17-year Yuengling vet Pat Pikunas, now VP of Strategic Planning and Development, fleshed out some insights on the … Continue reading “Molson Coors/Yuengling: “It’s a New Supplier””