Beer Marketer's Insights
Yet another smaller AB distributor has deal to sell to a larger consolidating distrib. Huron Dist, about 1.1 mil cases in Indian Point and Alpeena, MI has deal to sell to Fabiano Brothers. Deal announced to employees and suppliers, expected to close next mo. This is Fabiano's first deal since buying 3-mil-case Hubert in 2017. It bought 4 distribs between 2010-2017. With this purchase, Fabiano will be around 13 mil cases in all and the largest distrib in the state. There are still nearly 20 AB distribs in MI. Busy time for deals in AB system nationwide. This makes 11 announced deals that INSIGHTS has tracked since Nov and 22 since the beginning of 2025. And there are more in the works.
An unexpected upturn in beer sales continued for 3d week in a row in Circana multioutlet + convenience data. Beer $$ sales up 3% and volume up 1.1% for 1 week thru Jan 11. That's 2d week in a row beer $$ up 3% following a 1% gain in week thru Dec 28. Beer $$ sales now up a skosh, 0.2% for 4 weeks. Can't remember the last time that happened. Still down 2% for 12 and 26 weeks, down 2.7% for 52 weeks. Even if this is just a temporary blip, it's a most welcome improvement. The most striking stat is that Constellation Brands returned to double digit growth in latest week. $$ sales up 10.8% and volume up 9%. But AB also looked very healthy with $$ sales up 3.9% and volume up 2% in malt bevs. And its spirits portfolio up 75.5%. Mark Anthony up 4.5% and Diageo Beer Co up 3.9%.
If the beer biz ends up coming anywhere close to the way Circle K category manager Bob Gulley expects in 2026, or how the category started off in the first couple wks of Jan (see below), then beer's in for a helluva rebound this yr. The Hispanic consumer "stopped going out" around this time last yr, but as we "cycle the [new] Administration," Bob and co are already seeing early signs of a "comeback of the beer category" and beyond in their stores, he shared at Beer Business Daily Summit in San Diego yesterday. Bob expects "a pretty good spike in sales, especially" for imports, a "better" first quarter for the category across the board, leaning into what's working across imports, high ABV, superpremium and non-alc. Beer category is up, expected to grow and gain shelf space this yr for Circle K, he underscored. And co's happy to be an early adopter on hemp THC bevs, expecting the category to continue to grow and ultimately stick around in different ways, shapes and forms at state levels while "managed like alcohol."
M2Ingredients' Om Mushroom Superfood unit has secured $6.5 mil in asset-based funding to support its continued retail expansion, deal-watcher Drew Fallon reported this week. Founded in 2010, Om makes organic protein powders, functional bevs, gummies and capsules using core ingredient sourced from its parent M2. As Drew noted, it's among a wave of shroom plays that have been building war chests including Alice Mushrooms via $9 mil Series A last Sep and Odyssey Functional Energy marketer Odyssey Wellness with its recent raise (BBI, Jan 12).
A Florida federal judge denied a motion brought by Bang founder Jack Owoc to avoid paying Monster Beverage $308 mil judgment that rival won in false-advertising lawsuit, saying the request must be brought in Calif, Law360 reported . . . Keurig Dr Pepper, which has settled class action litigation in US over unjustified claims that its K-Cup pods are recyclable, has now settled similar action brought in Canada with agreement to pay C$1.85 mil to claimants who purchased the K-Cups or brewing systems Jun 8, 2016, to Dec 8, 2025.
NEW PRODUCTS: So Good So You Ventures into Shelf-Stable Realm with Target-Targeted Energy Line
So Good So You, Minn-based indie firm that has seemingly prospered in difficult refrigerated functional shot space, has moved in oblique direction with line of shelf-stable canned energizers that have broken exclusively at Target chain. The line unusually is packed in 8.4-oz sleek cans, Red Bull-style, rather than 12- or 16-oz units and offers 120 mg caffeine from green tea, B-vitamins, 230 mg of potassium electrolyte and real fruit juice, with 9 g of sugar coming in at 50 calories. The juice base, of course, is in synch with co's identity as maker of juice shots. Energizer's SRP is $4.29 on DTC site tho we paid $2.99 in Brooklyn store. Inaugural flavor range is Strawberry Mango, Pineapple Passionfruit, Tangerine Energy and Raspberry Lemon. Co announced launch this week, tho we'd spotted items at Target a week ago but have been unable to get response from co to discuss effort and whether or when it might move beyond Target banner. Recall that Target has history of coaxing suppliers into RTD expansions, as it did years back with loose-tea provider Tiesta Tea, which launched glass-bottle RTD extension that proved short-lived (BBI, Apr 2 2018).
In announcement orchestrated with Women's Wear Daily for maximum consumer reach among its fashionable female target, Bloom Nutrition has set its first athlete endorsement deal with recruitment of figure skater Amber Glenn just ahead of Winter Olympics. The alliance kicks off with video of Glenn spinning around can of Bloom Sparkling Energy - suitably, for icy setting, its Glacier Crush flavor. The full range of energizers are NSF-certified for Olympians chary of ingesting wrong substance before career-peak moments. "I'm Amber Glenn, and my dreams are fueled by Bloom," she says to conclude video.
Rising tide of alc-alternative offerings clearly isn't lifting all boats. One high-profile casualty emerged this week: Wilderton non-alc spirits co operating what it claimed to be first dedicated non-alc spirits distillery out of Hood River, Ore, that it opened just 2 years ago (BBI, Jun 14 2023). The co confirmed to local radio station KOIN this week that it's winding down operations, citing harsh funding environment and other factors. As one sign it was having trouble finding its footing, a year ago it pivoted from hard-to-explain aperitif styles to spritzers in effort to broaden reach (BBI, Dec 5 2024).
Navigating thru challenges of K-shaped economy that's dampened purchasing by non-affluent tiers of American consumers, soda and beer producer Sprecher Brewing has devised pair of new growth engines for it to rev this year: THC bevs and minicans. In conversation today, controlling shareholder/CEO Sharad Chadha didn't disguise that bifurcated economy has had impact in Midwest bastion of Milwaukee-based co but said it had weathered climate well enough with its fire-brewed craft sodas and other items. Still, to boost prospects in new year, it's cued up pair of key initiatives that both capitalize on co's vertical integration. Our discussion occurred as there have been some org changes there, with CCO of past 4 years, Gary Goldstein, moving into more advisory role as he pursues projects outside Sprecher even as co has onboarded former Jones Soda foodservice exec Victor Petrone to make push into that channel with co's diversified offerings.
Put another whirlwind year in perspective with BMI's annual Year in Beer Webinar, a 60-minute presentation + Q&A, coming right up on Wed, Jan 28 to break down the past year's most important developments. Get an exclusive first look at 2025 tallies as well as a rapid-fire roundup of the stats and stories that mattered most. All registrants will receive access to the live session, the full presentation deck for your records and a video replay.