Category: Business of Beer
Industry news related to the brewing industry and the business of beer
News Constellation Shares Drop 10% Triggering Industry Concerns Over Rising Costs
Constellation shares dropped 10% after the company fell well short of predicted earnings for the three months to the end of November 2022, dragging down the shares of other American beer, wine and spirits producers as investors worry that alcohol beverage producers may have a hard time maintaining margins in 2023.
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News American Malting Barley Assoc. Releases Recommended Variety List for 2023
The American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) Board of Directors annually develops a list of recommended malting barley varieties for U.S. growers for the upcoming crop year. The list is intended to provide U.S. growers with guidance as to what varieties the industry may be contracting or purchasing in the coming year.
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News BPI Index Has Lowest Number Ever Signaling Pessimistic Start to 2023
The NBWA’s Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) had its lowest index reading ever in the month of December 2022. The December BPI shows a reading of 30, and the “at-risk” inventory index of 51 marks a very pessimistic outlook for January 2023.
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News Will the ‘Paradox of Choice’ Require Craft Beer to Simplify?
A long-running study of Americans’ attitudes, values and purchasing behavior has shown that a new consumer trend may be emerging: a newfound desire for simplicity and simplified choices. This may not bode well for the craft beer segment, and some industry analysists are pointing to it as a root cause for the sluggish performance of craft beer coming out of the pandemic.
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News Non and Low Alcohol Category Shows Big Gains in 2022 – Growth Expected to Continue
Driven by increasing consumer demand, no-alcohol and low-alcohol beer, cider, wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink (RTD) products grew by more than +7% in volume across 10 key global markets in 2022, according to a comprehensive new study published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. The category is expected to increase by a third by 2026, spearheaded by growth of non-alcohol products.
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News BA Releases ‘Year in Beer 2022’ Report with Mixed Signs of Recovery
The Brewers Association today released their “Year in Beer 2022” report, a look back at a year “marked by overall growth but lots of variation.” While there were 200+ breweries that closed during the year, over 550 new breweries have opened, adding to the over 9,000 already operating. But the report also identified a number of challenges for craft brewers in the year ahead, indicating that the headwinds are far from over.
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News New Report Shows Craft Spirits Continuing to Grow
The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) and Park Street released the Craft Spirits Data Project (CSDP) at its annual Craft Spirits Economic Briefing, which was held at New York Distilling Co. last week. The report finds that the U.S. craft spirits market share reached 4.9% in volume and 7.5% in value in 2021, up from 4.7% in volume and 7.1% in value in 2020.
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News Fast Expanding Saucy Brew Works Buys Cartridge Brewing
Cleveland-based Saucy Brew Works, founded just 5 years ago, has rapidly expanded across Ohio and beyond. Its most recent acquisition, the purchase of Cartridge Brewing just outside of Cincinnati will another brand-set to its portfolio.
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News Fire Strikes Two Breweries – One Fatal Killing Owner-Brewer Ray McNeill
Tragedy has struck the craft brewing industry. Fire tore through McNeill’s Brewery Friday night, a longtime fixture in Brattleboro, Vermont, killing founder and owner Ray McNeill who lived in the buildings upstairs apartment. Another fire caused significant damage to Local Brewing in San Francisco early Saturday morning. There were no injuries reported in that incident.
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News Firestone Walker Collaborates with Calwise Spirits to Create ‘Old Tom Big Sur Gin’
Calwise Spirits and Firestone Walker Brewing Company have collaborated together to create “Old Tom Big Sur Gin,” using a special mash made at the brewery. According to a press release, Firestone Walker generated a mash of traditional brewing grains with a complement of wine grape juice, all fermented with native yeast and bacteria.
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News Brooklyn Brewery to Move Into Larger Location
Brooklyn Brewery plans to close its brewery after more than 25 years in the summer of 2024 and move into a new 41,000-square-foot space just four blocks away. The new location will be over 10,000 square feet larger than the existing brewery and the company said they plan to hire at least 40 new employees.
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News Asahi to Enter Non-Alcoholic Beer Segment with Super Dry 0.0%
On the heels of the announcement that Keurig Dr. Pepper has invested $50 million into non-alcoholic brewer Athletic Brewing, the global brewer Asahi just announced the international launch of its alcohol-free beer, Asahi Super Dry 0.0%.
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News Keurig Dr Pepper Invests $50 Million in Athletic Brewing
Not that we needed any more signs that non-alcoholic beer is surging, but the investment of $50 million into Athletic Brewing Company by Keurig Dr. Pepper is one more indication that the industry sees a lot more growth in the segment.
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News How the Economy and Consumer Habits will Impact the Beer Industry
In a rough and tumble economy, with ballooning inflation and fears of a looming recession, one of the most important indicators of where the beer industry might be headed is how beer drinkers feel about the economy, as measured by the Consumer Sentiment index published regularly by the University of Michigan. According to an analysis by beverage industry consulting firm First Key, this metric is highly predictive of certain beer-buying behaviors, and it’s currently at its lowest level since it was first measured in 1952.
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News What Does 2023 Hold for Hard Seltzer
Posted by Tom McCormick
Hard seltzer exploded out the gate. Sales grew triple digits in both 2019 and 2020, driven by evolving consumer trends and tastes. Many in the industry predicted a slower, but still robust growth in 2021 of 50-80%. Instead, hard seltzers grew by only 16% in 2021.
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