Brewbound

🍺 **Beer is set to dominate Memorial Day weekend shopping lists.** According to Numerator, 75% of consumers planning to purchase beverage alcohol for MDW intend to buy beer—well ahead of spirits (45%) and wine (35%). The holiday accounts for an estimated 4–5% of total U.S. beer sales and as much as 16–18% of Q2 volume, underscoring its outsized impact on the category. Generational splits are emerging too: Gen Z shoppers are twice as likely to opt for cider, while Boomers are over-indexing on wine purchases. With 45% of shoppers expecting rising prices to impact spending—and Walmart capturing the majority of planned trips—the data points to a high-stakes kickoff to summer for bev-alc brands and retailers. 📊 Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #MemorialDay #BeerIndustry #BeverageAlcohol #ConsumerTrends #RetailInsights #GenZ #Wine #Cider

What’s top of mind for beer distributors in 2026 — and how are craft brewers turning events into a growth engine? 🍺📈 In the latest conversations shaping the beverage alcohol industry, NBWA president and CEO Craig Purser weighs in on the middle tier’s most pressing policy and market challenges, from regulatory pressures to shifting distributor dynamics. Meanwhile, Aeronaut Brewing’s Deepa Chungi breaks down the strategy behind building a thriving events business — and why it’s becoming a critical lever for brand growth and consumer engagement. Two leaders. Two perspectives. One rapidly evolving industry. Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #BeerIndustry #CraftBeer #BeverageAlcohol #Distribution #ThreeTierSystem #ExperientialMarketing #BreweryBusiness

Nearly 150 RNDC employees in Oregon are set to be laid off as Columbia Distributing eyes a takeover of key distribution rights. 📦🍷 Republic National Distributing Company filed WARN notices affecting 146 workers across Portland, Eugene, Bend, Medford and remote roles, with terminations expected in mid-July. The move comes as Columbia Distributing advances a non-binding LOI to acquire certain wine and spirits distribution rights in Oregon and Washington, part of RNDC’s broader multi-state sell-off that has triggered additional layoffs nationwide. Regulatory approval is still pending, and it remains unclear how many employees could be retained under new ownership. What does this mean for the Pacific Northwest’s distribution landscape? Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #BevAlc #WineIndustry #SpiritsIndustry #Distribution #MergersAndAcquisitions #SupplyChain #BeverageNews

Cinco de Mayo failed to lift a struggling bev-alc market as declines deepened across nearly every category. 📉🍺 According to NIQ’s latest four-week report ending May 9, total off-premise alcohol dollar sales fell 6% year-over-year to $8.1 billion, with volume down 7% — a sharper drop than the prior period. Even prepared cocktails, a relative bright spot earlier this year, slipped 1.4% in dollars and 6.2% in volume, while beer (-5.9% dollars) and wine (-8.5% dollars) posted steeper losses. Notably, wine- and spirits-based RTDs continued to grow, while hard seltzers and FMBs saw double-digit declines. Meanwhile, a handful of brands — including Cutwater, Surfside and Sun Cruiser — delivered triple-digit growth in a challenging environment. What’s behind the broad-based slowdown, and which players are still gaining share heading into peak season? Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #BevAlc #BeerIndustry #RTD #MarketTrends #CPG #WineIndustry #Spirits

⚽ Messi’s sports drink experiment is officially over. Mark Anthony Group has confirmed it phased out Más+ By Messi at the start of 2026, ending the hydration brand co-venture just two years after its splashy 2024 debut. Despite early momentum tied to Messi’s MLS arrival and a low-sugar, electrolyte-focused proposition, the brand struggled to gain traction in the crowded sports drink set and had already cut staff and shifted distribution strategy last fall. The move comes as Mark Anthony continues to post 4.1% YTD growth with White Claw and doubles down on beverage alcohol, most recently with its acquisition of The Finnish Long Drink. What happened behind the scenes — and what does it signal for celebrity-backed hydration plays? 💧📉 Read more at the link in the first comment below ⬇️ #BeverageIndustry #SportsDrink #Hydration #CelebrityBrands #CPG #NonAlcoholicBeverages #BevNET

A “feel-good” craft beer deal is taking shape in Washington. 🍺 Yakima’s Bale Breaker Brewing has agreed to acquire Seattle’s award-winning Cloudburst Brewing as founder Steve Luke prepares to relocate to New Zealand. Luke — the recipe creator behind Elysian’s Space Dust IPA — will continue writing Cloudburst’s rotational beers and supporting social media from abroad, even as ownership changes hands. Cloudburst, a consistent World Beer Cup and GABF medal winner, will remain self-distributed in Seattle and maintain its brand identity, with no immediate plans to scale production despite Bale Breaker producing more than 10x its volume. In a challenging craft environment, the buyer says the move is about long-term positioning — and keeping the brewery in “good friends’” hands. What does the founder-friendly structure signal about M&A strategy in today’s craft market? Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #CraftBeer #BeerIndustry #MergersAndAcquisitions #IndependentBeer #WashingtonBeer #BreweryNews 🍻

Sierra Nevada is testing a new kind of beer — and it won’t be widely available at first. 🍺👀 The brewery plans to debut **Shred Beer Soda**, a 4.5% ABV, fruit-forward line described as “tasting like a beer, yet drinking like a soda,” exclusively in 12 oz. 6-packs at its Chico, CA and Mills River, NC gift shops starting in early June. A broader rollout later this year will introduce a four-flavor variety pack — Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange and Lime Ginger — in select parts of California and North Carolina as the company targets a new generation of flavor-first drinkers. 📦🍊 The measured launch mirrors Sierra Nevada’s recent playbook and comes as the No. 11 off-premise beer vendor posts more than $105.8 million in YTD dollar sales. Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #SierraNevada #CraftBeer #BeerIndustry #ProductLaunch #FlavoredBeer #BeverageNews #CPG

Can the “skinny spritz” become the next skinny margarita? 🥂 One RTD brand is betting its future on it. Spritz Society has launched Skinny Spritz, a 100-calorie, no-added-sugar take on the Aperol Spritz, rolling out to 1,500 Target stores nationwide alongside GoPuff and other retailers. At 4.2% ABV, the new SKU is positioned as a lighter, more democratized option in a fast-growing spritz segment — and arrives just as wine-based RTDs climb 24% year-over-year and the broader RTD category hits $13.6 billion in sales. 📈 The launch follows a new partnership with Precept and marks a strategic shift, with “Skinny Spritz” trademarked as the brand’s new core platform — even if it means cannibalizing existing sales. How big could the better-for-you spritz opportunity be? 🍊 Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #RTD #BetterForYou #BeverageAlcohol #Spritz #Innovation #CPG #WineBased #RetailExpansion

A $50 million lawsuit is shaking up the craft beer community. ⚖️🍺 Armed Forces Brewing has filed a civil complaint in Virginia accusing Craft Beer Professionals founder Andrew Coplon and several others of orchestrating an “organized tortious interference campaign,” alleging defamation, harassment and a conspiracy to damage the brewery’s business. The suit follows AFBC’s 2025 closure of its Norfolk facility and seeks $50 million in damages; Coplon had not responded to requests for comment as of press time. Meanwhile, Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers are expanding to 46 states through Southern Glazer’s, Mitchell Companies is growing its A-B footprint with three distributor acquisitions, and Reyes Beverage Group has tapped former JuneShine president Whitney Stevenson to lead its on-premise national account team. 📦📈 Get the full breakdown of the latest industry moves at the link in the first comment below ⬇️ #CraftBeer #BeerIndustry #BeverageAlcohol #Distribution #RTD #IndustryNews #BevNET

Non-alcoholic wine is growing — but can sharper pricing and broader variety unlock its next phase? 🍷📉 ANA wine sales rose 19.6% in the latest 52-week period, but growth has slowed as price sensitivity tests U.S. consumers, where quality bottles often top $20 — nearly double comparable options in Europe. Now, major players like Josh Cellars and Cupcake Vineyards are entering the space with sub-$20 offerings, while retailers are expanding shelf space and premium brands push average case prices to $129. Meanwhile, celebrity-backed labels, functional formulations and THC-infused “wine-inspired” drinks are redefining what the category can be. With alcoholic wine sales down 4.9% in 2025 and non-alc surpassing $1 billion in off-premise retail, the stakes — and the opportunity — are rising. Link to the full story in the first comment below 👇 #NonAlcoholic #WineIndustry #BeverageTrends #NoLow #FunctionalBeverages #THCBev #CPGNews