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This week in 1988, INSIGHTS estimated that at end of yr Bud Light, which was up ~20%, and Busch would overtake Miller High Life in US behind Bud and Miller Lite. High Life was #2 brand in US as late as 1983 but had lost 9 mil bbls and 5 share over the past 5 yrs to drop down to ~8 mil bbls and 4.3 share. Miller High Life managed to remain among top-10 largest brands until 2014. This week in 2001, a study that analyzed drinking and unemployment rates between 1987 and 1999 found "drinking decreases in bad economic times." Authors found that almost all the decline was from drinkers drinking less, not from drinkers quitting. Also, decrease "concentrated" among heavy drinkers, not "recreational" drinkers. That suggested fewer alcohol problems during tough times. How big was effect? A 1-point increase in unemployment decreased probability of drinking over 2 per day by ~7%. Similarly, a $1K annual income reduction predicted similar dropoff. Reduced binge drinking too. Finally, "recent job losers, as well as those remaining unemployed, cut their consumption when the economy deteriorates." Study supported recent exec comments that soft economy was one reason for less-than-expected growth.This week in 2003, one Northwest empire was growing while another shrank a bit. Odom NW Bevs agreed to buy Columbia Dist's Spokane and Coeur D' Alene bizzes, Spokane Jnl of Biz reported. Odom had made at least a couple of beer acquisitions in NW in recent yrs. Columbia had made a number of acquisitions thru 90s but was scaling back a bit it seemed. "When deal closes in Dec or Jan, Odom will be consolidated Miller/Coors distrib in Spokane," noted INSIGHTS. Just a week later there was another Miller/Coors deal in WA. Stein Dist in Vancouver (Miller) bought about 1 mil cases of Coors from Evergreen. That made Stein about a 3-mil case consolidated house in southern WA. Owner Craig Stein also had Miller distrib in Boise, ID, where he competed against his dad, Keith who had AB distrib there. Craig, who passed away in April 2024, ultimately merged with Odom, which has a wide variety of holdings across several states, while Columbia, owned by family office Meritage as of 2012, has become PAC NW's largest distrib.This week in 2004, while MADD had argued drunk driving was a violent crime for years, the US Sup Ct reversed 9-0 a US Appeals Ct decision that drunk driving offense constituted "crime of violence" and that driver was subject to immigration law that allowed felons to be deported. Law required "intent" to harm, US Sup Ct ruled. Described DUI instead as "accidental or negligent conduct." Tho drunk driving a "nationwide problem," wrote Chief Justice Rehnquist, it "does not warrant our shoehorning it into statutory sections where it does not fit."This week in 2009, it was getting to be a broken record as yet another big global brewer was making money but selling less beer, noted INSIGHTS. Carlsberg, #4 global brewer despite virtual absence from North and South America, reported very strong profits for 3d qtr and 9 mos despite weak revs and down volume. How good were profits? Organic operating profit from bev biz up 27% for 9 mos, +28% in Q3. How weak were revs? Organic net rev "flat" for 9 mos, -1% in Q3. How soft was volume? Organic trend continued down 5%. So how'd they boost profits? Another familiar story: "main drivers" were "sustainable efficiency improvements &hellip; synergies from S&N acquisition, the positive price impact" (+5% year on year) "favorable raw material prices in Eastern Europe and our Value Management initiatives." Meanwhile, Carlsberg was actually gaining share in brutal Russian mkt, down 10% YTD in 09. "Question facing Carlsberg, as well as ABI, SABMiller and Heineken, is whether cost cutting and price increases are 'sustainable' strategies in world of volume losses," wrote INSIGHTS.This week in 2010, at Beer Insights Seminar, Heineken USA prexy Dolf van den Brink said: "What is a weakness in the short term [for imports], during economic crisis, is actually a strength in the long term." Fully 44% of import consumption came from multicultural consumers (compared to 27% of beer overall). And multicultural consumers have been hardest hit by the economic downturn, Dolf noted, citing "dramatically" higher African American and Hispanic unemployment rates. So imports were disproportionately affected during downturn. But there was good news for imports. The mkt was going more multicultural. By 2020, multiculturals were projected to be 37% of population, up from less than 30% in 2010, said Dolf. Much coveted millennial consumers were already over 40% multiculti and among babies being born, there was "almost" a 50/50 split. Heineken had over 40% multicultural consumption, and Tecate 70-75%, but craft beers were "not even playing" with multicultural consumers, Dolf said, adding "not yet" at least.

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