Dear Client: Dogfish Head announced today that it is getting in on the Super Bowl action next month “with one of the year’s smallest ad buys.” Indeed, while the price tag for a 30-second national Super Bowl spot is reportedly running for $7 million this year, Dogfish Head says it’s spending considerably less for its … Continue reading “Dogfish Head Goes ‘Not-So’ Big for First-Ever Big Game Spot”

Dear Client: Coming up from a rollercoaster year in ‘22 which included a closely watched trademark trial and acquisition by Japanese brewer Sapporo, Stone Brewing has its sights set on winning in the SoCal market in ‘23. “It’s our backyard where not too long ago we had our flag and we were the #1 craft … Continue reading “Stone Aims to Be #1 Craft Brand in SoCal”

Dear Client: Artificial intelligence has officially entered the beer industry.  Atwater Brewery this week tapped its Artificial Intelligence IPA, “an India Pale Ale whose recipe was developed by a popular new AI chatbot,” reports Molson Coors’ Beer & Beyond blog.  Katy McBrady, Atwater’s president, believes it’s the first commercial beer brewed with input from AI … Continue reading “Atwater Brewery Launches AI Developed Beer”

Dear Client: Bump Williams Consulting issued their 2022 craft review this week, giving us a detailed look at the craft landscape in the off-premise during the year.  As you may know, 2022 was a tough one for craft, finishing the year down 4% in off-premise dollars, per BWC’s Nielsen all outlet data. Looking at craft’s … Continue reading “BWC Reviews Craft’s 2022”

Dear Client: In yet another sign of bev alc worlds colliding, a top wine-based RTD player is acquiring a hard kombucha made by a craft brewer. Patco Brands, the parent company of fast-growing RTDs like Rancho La Gloria, is acquiring KYLA Hard Kombucha. Terms have not been disclosed.  KYLA brass says its kombuchas, so far … Continue reading “Rancho La Gloria Producer, Patco Brands, Acquires KYLA Hard Kombucha”

Dear Client: During our lifestyle brands panel at last week’s Beer Industry Summit, entrepreneurial leaders of several beyond beer companies were asked for their hot takes on polarizing topics in the bev alc industry.  (Read Part 1 of our coverage from the panel here.)  Among the top questions: Does base really matter to consumers? The … Continue reading “Fourth Category Innovators Answer the Existential Question: Does Base Matter?”

Dear Client: Innovation (especially in the RTD, beyond beer segment) was a major topic du jour at this week’s Beer Industry Summit.  And who better to lend their expertise on the category than millennial founders of several of the hottest lifestyle brands, including Kyle Cooke of Loverboy; Greg Serrao of JuneShine; and, Bronya Shillo of … Continue reading “Millennial Founders Dish on Building Lifestyle Brands”

Dear Client: New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy vowed in his State of the State Address this week to modernize what he called the state’s “antiquated and confusing” liquor licensing regime. He also called for “removing outdated licensing and operating restrictions on our craft breweries, distilleries and wineries.” The legislative priorities are welcome news for … Continue reading “NJ Governor Calls For Removal of Restrictions on Craft”

Dear Client: We knew a new fruit-forward flank was in the works for New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger fam, and now we come bearing the official details.  The brand announced this week that it will follow its historic launch of Juice Force this past year, with the release of a new “fruit punch IPA,” dubbed Fruit … Continue reading “Voodoo Ranger Reveals Latest Variant, Fruit Force”

Dear Client: Spirits RTDs seem the most immediate beneficiaries of the current bev alc trend of shifting sands and blurring lines. That was one of the main takeaways from the Wine & Spirits Daily Summit data session featuring Jon Berg, VP Bev Alc Thought Leadership NielsenIQ and Danny Brager of Brager Beverage Alcohol Consulting. RTD … Continue reading “Where Spirits RTDs Are Sourcing”

Dear Client: Philadelphia-based Two Robbers Seltzer Co. is doubling down on its investment in core offerings in a category that’s hemorrhaged sales the past year.  And despite the tough 2022 for hard seltzer, Two Robbers is the #1 independent hard seltzer brand in Philadelphia, and #5 brand overall in the region, according to 52-week IRI … Continue reading “Two Robbers Going a Mile Deep in its NE Backyard with Seltzer, Hard Coffee and More”

Dear Client: Like the craft business in general, which logged high-single digit volume losses in IRI last year, DFH had a tough 2022. In ’23, however, the company will play to its differentiating strengths, leaning on its culinary and cocktail heritage in both its beer and spirits portfolios.  Their single-largest new beer bet is their … Continue reading “DFH Thinks New Beer-Cocktail Hybrid Could be the “Trojan Horse” That Brings Young Drinkers Back to Craft”

Dear Client: New year, new creative account for Truly. Ad Age reported today that the craft brewer with a giant RTD portfolio, Boston Beer, has shifted creative duties for its hard seltzer brand from Omnicom’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners to WPP’s Ogilvy. Truly had worked with Goodby Silverstein since 2019, and was behind the recent … Continue reading “Boston Beer Names New Agency of Record for Truly”

Dear Client: Your editors have emerged from our winter hibernation, and rummaged through our inboxes and the interwebs to bring you all the headlines you might have missed over the break.  Let’s dig in… SAZERAC MOVING INTO MORE BEER HOUSES. Perhaps the biggest bit of industry news to hit over the holiday season was the … Continue reading “ICYMI: Holiday Break Edition”

Dear Client: Phil Buchy isn’t interested in expanding Legion Brewing’s footprint beyond its 25-mile radius of central Charlotte, North Carolina.  That’s because the CEO-owner of the seven-year-old craft brewery said 95% of their business falls within that footprint and they’re experiencing a post-Covid boom in business, aided by a population explosion in the Carolinas.  “We’ve … Continue reading “Legion Brewing: “Charlotte’s a Good Place to Be in Business””