BREWING
US: YTD beer sales in money terms up 3.5% Year-to-date beer category dollar sales are up 3.5 percent in the US, to nearly $19.5 billion, in off-premise retailers tracked by market research rm IRI. According the Chicago-based rm, three segments - imports (+5.9), avoured malt beverages (+27.7 percent) and domestic super premiums (+12.6 percent) - have achieved nine- gure sales growth through July 14 in its multi-outlet and convenience store universe. In fact, dollar sales of FMBs, including popular hard seltzers, have nearly reached $1.9 billion this year. Portfolio-wide dollar sales for Mark Anthony Brands, which makes the top-sell- ing hard seltzer brand, White Claw, grew 57.2 percent, to more than $624 million.
Those numbers accelerated over the last four weeks, growing 70.5 percent, with more than $152 million in dollar sales.
top-competitor, Boston Beer Company’s Truly Hard Seltzer, are also accelerating. Through July 14, sales of Truly’s Berry mixed pack are up 334.4 percent, while sales of its variety pack are up 76.6 percent. Those two products alone have accounted for more than $100 million in off-premise retail sales. Year-to-date dollar sales of Anheuser- Busch InBev’s Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer variety packs are up 88.5 percent year-to-date. Craft beer dollar sales are up 2.9 percent, to more than $2.2 billion, through mid-July. Although the overall craft segment is growing slowly, the top ve craft brands are each in decline, including MillerCoors’ Blue Moon Belgian White (-0.3 percent), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (-5.6 percent), Leinenkugel’s Shandy (-12.1 percent), Shiner Bock (-3.6 percent) and Lagunitas IPA (-0.3 percent). Other lagging agships include New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale (-10.3 percent); Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (-4.7 percent); A-B’s Shock Top Belgian White (-18.6 percent) and Goose Island IPA (-6 percent); Stone Brewing IPA (-7.1 percent); and Deschutes’ Fresh Squeezed IPA (-3.2 percent). Bucking those trends is Founders Brewing Company’s All Day IPA, which is up 12.3 percent year-to-date, and is now the sixth best-selling craft brand. Sales of the two top-selling beers in the US, Bud Light and Coors Light, continue to decline. Year-to-date, Bud Light dollar sales are down 5.4 percent, which amounts to a decline of more than $155 million, in 2019. Coors Light dollar sales are down 2.3 percent, a decline of more than $27 million. AB’s Budweiser brand has also fallen out of the top- ve-selling brands as sales have dipped 4.5 percent, a decline of more than $45 million. Offsetting some of those losses is Michelob Ultra, which is up nearly 16 percent through mid-July, with sales of more than $1.1 billion. Michelob Ultra line extension Pure Gold, which has grown dollar sales 182.6 percent this year, also doesn’t appear to be chipping into the main brand’s sales. Platform Beer Co. to join Anheuser-Busch’s Brewers Collective New York and Cleveland: Platform Beer Co., the fastest growing regional brewery in the United States in 2017 known for their diverse portfolio of unique beers and innovative approach, will join Anheuser- Busch’s Brewers Collective as its newest craft partner. Platform brings data-driven innovation and energy to the craft beer world with operations in Ohio’s three largest metropolitan cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus. The partnership will continue Anheuser-Busch’s long track record of work- ing with their craft partners to make the US beer category stronger and more vibrant. Platform, founded in Cleveland by local entrepreneurs Paul Benner and Justin
Through mid-July, dollar sales of White Claw’s variety pack increased 267.5 per- cent, while sales of its Black Cherry avour increased nearly 269 percent. Those two offerings alone have accounted for more than $214 million in off-premise retail sales this year. Over the last four weeks, both brands grew sales more than 200 percent. Two other White Claw avours — Mango and Ruby Grapefruit — cracked IRI’s list of top 100 brands, with sales of $22.7 million and $19.7 million, respectively, this year. Meanwhile, dollar sales of White Claw’s
Odell Brewing to expand into winemaking
Odell Brewing may be new to the wine game but they’ve established themselves as the 23rd largest craft brewery in the country (of an estimated 7,000+) and the third largest in Colorado. As a 100% employee-owned and independent brewery, this new venture is driven entirely by the dedication of their co-owners. Odell co-owners are encouraged and empowered to share and explore new business ideas. The Odell Wine Project itself originated from Odell’s internal incubator and has been in development for the last few years. “It’s reminiscent of our very early days when we were introducing people to the world of craft beer,” explains CEO, Wynne Odell. “Now we’re on a journey to learn more about wine and we’re excited to invite our fans to join us. That’s the spirit of The Odell Wine Project, it’s about the never-ending game of exploring, experimenting, and re ning.” Ground will break on the Fort Collins campus for the wine cellar and tasting room late 2019. For future information and updates subscribe to Odell’s email newsletter at www.odellbrewing.com. Odell Brewing, the 23rd largest craft brewery in the US, is a regional, independent, and employee owned craft brewery. Since 1989, the culture of family and collaboration has thrived, fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted and innovative brews. Odell Brewing is committed to providing exceptional service to its customers while making positive contributions to their co-workers and community through its outreach and charitable giving programs.
Fort Collins, CO: After 30 years of brewing award-winning craft beer, Odell Brewing is venturing into an entirely new category with the launch of The Odell Wine Project. Dedicated to the explo- ration of unique avor pro les in the world of wine, The Odell Wine Project was born out of the brewery’s shared passion for the art of winemaking. Odell will be expanding their product offering to include wine by summer of 2020. The brewery will be opening a wine cellar and tasting room in a prop- erty adjacent to the Fort Collins brewery. They will be making, packaging, and serving wine on tap and in cans, with plans to distribute throughout the entire state of Colorado. “We’ve always been curious and that curiosity has kept us growing and innovating over the last 30 years. Now we’re ready to get outside our comfort zone again because that’s where the magic happens,” explains Technical Director, Eli Kolodny. “Beer will always be at the heart of what we do, but our mindset of pragmatic innovation pushes us to explore new opportunities in fermentation.”
8 ● BREWER AND DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL I october 2019
i bd.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker