Prohibition 2.0? Review of dietary guidelines riles alcohol industry

USA | The US Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030 are being updated, and the alcohol industry fears that this edition could bring the first change in alcohol guidance since their inception in 1980 if it touts that there are “no safe levels”.

USA | What a blow to Wisconsin’s brewing heritage. Molson Coors announced on 8 November that it will close the Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls on 17 January 2025, as well as Leinenkugel’s 10th Street brewery in Milwaukee. Beer production will now be consolidated at Molson Coors’s macro brewery in Milwaukee. A total of 90 jobs will be lost.

Molson Coors takes controlling stake in Zoa Energy brand

USA | Molson Coors will now control marketing and retail operations for the better-for-you energy drinks brand, which was co-founded by the actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Financial terms of the deal, which was announced on 7 November, were not disclosed. As part of the rationale for the deal, Molson Coors highlighted that better-for-you energy drinks sales continue to outpace the broader category.

Coca-Cola’s alcohol strategy: It’s a long game

USA | It has been a while since we have heard comments from The Coca-Cola Company on its beverage alcohol strategy, and it could be a while before we will find out about their ultimate plans.

USA | Craft brewery valuations must be at rock bottom. Tilray’s latest SEC filing (10 October) revealed that, in September, the cannabis firm spent USD 23 million, or USD 120 per barrel, on Molson Coors’ four craft breweries Terrapin, Hop Valley, Revolver and Atwater - a fraction of what Molson Coors must have paid.

Constellation Brands not worried by higher tariffs if Trump wins

USA | It is not the typical growth investors are accustomed to see at Constellation Brands. In the second quarter 2025 (ended 31 August), revenue was up only 2.9 percent to USD 2.9 billion year-on-year. Its beer business achieved a solid 6 percent net sales increase, but its depletion volume had a growth of just 2.4 percent. Investors, on 3 October, thought these were softer quarterly results than usual for Constellation’s beer business.

Share a beer with the spirit of Samuel Adams from beyond the grave

USA | Halloween is still a few days off, but Boston Beer is inviting its fans to share a cold Sam Adams with a cold Sam Adams through an otherworldly, limited-edition At-Home Séance Kit. It is available from its online shop for USD 18.03. The kit is priced to match the year Sam Adams died (1803).

Tilray launches THC drinks in the United States

USA | Cannabis and beverages firm Tilray has been teasing for months that it would dive into the hemp-derived delta-9 THC (“HDD9” they call it) space. As of this month, its newly formed Tilray Alternative Beverages business unit will roll out a series of these beverages in key markets across the United States.

Brazil’s billionaire investors resign from Americanas board

Brazil | The Brazilian retailer Americanas was rocked by a major accounting fraud and sunk into bankruptcy protection last year, after a debt hole of USD 4 billion was discovered in early January 2023. How could this happen, many wonder.

USA | It is a watershed moment. Molson Coors said it has scrapped its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and is taking a “broader view”, in which all employees know they are welcome. The beer and beverage firm is the latest addition to a growing list of US companies turning their back on woke capitalism.