Cannabis firm Tilray expands further into beer and buys craft brewer Montauk

USA | Canadian cannabis firm Tilray has taken another step into the US beverage alcohol sector, adding the craft brewer Montauk from metro New York to its brewery portfolio. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed in a 7 November press release.

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The US “beer versus spirits rivalry”: spirits could be the winner

USA | Government affairs honchos from the largest US brewers are gearing up for battles with the drinks industry over what is called “tax equalisation” in several US states in 2023.

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Constellation goes from FOMO to frustration over its cannabis investment

USA | Looks like the number three brewer in the US bet on the wrong horse. Constellation Brands’ investment into the Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth has proven a calamity and is bleeding money.

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Hard seltzer has lost its fizz: canned cocktails are all the rage now

USA | After enjoying a boom during the pandemic for their convenience and ease, hard seltzers are fading. They are being replaced by pre-mixed canned cocktails, which are made with a spirit and not with brewed alcohol.

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RTDs may hike sales to USD 11.6 billion globally over next five years

USA | Analysts believe there will be no slow-down in the ready-to-drink (RTD) category. A new report from the IWSR, an analytics firm, forecasts that the category’s global value will increase by an additional USD 11.6 billion over the next five years. Value growth will outpace volume growth, the IWSR added.

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Boston Beer moves into cannabis-infused iced teas

Canada | Have consumers not heard the message that cannabis beverages are providing an accessible new route to legal cannabis enjoyment for those reluctant to chew an infused gummy or light a pre-roll? Besides, they tend to onset quicker, hit lighter, and do not last as long as edibles do.

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Kombucha and other acidic-fermented beverages

Exciting topic | VLB Berlin invited attendees to the International Symposium for Acidic-fermented and Non-alcoholic Beverages taking place on 24 and 25 May 2022 in Berlin. This is the third time this gathering has been held, and compared to the inaugural event in 2019, the number of participants has steadily increased each time.

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Molson Coors and AB-InBev branch out into alternative milk

USA | Molson Coors’ new Golden Wing barley milk brand joins AB-InBev-backed counterpart Take Two, as they seek growth in the booming alternative milk segment.

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3rd VLB Symposium on Acidic Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages (SAFB) to take place in May

Latest research | The 3rd VLB Symposium on Acidic Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages (SAFB) will take place at the VLB Berlin from 24th to 25th May 2022. Through a program of selected experts and representatives from science & industry, the participants are to be brought up to date with the latest research and relevant aspects of acidic fermented non-alcoholic beverages.

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AB-InBev and Tilray end cannabis JV as Tilray snaps up more breweries

Canada | The world’s leading brewer, AB-InBev, and cannabis firm Tilray have ended their partnership by mutual agreement. According to Tilray’s CEO Irwin Simon, on 6 January 2022, AB-InBev was unwilling to launch THC beverages in Canada. Cannabis drinks can legally contain either THC, which is psychoactive, CBD, which is non-psychoactive, or a blend of the two. They must not contain any alcohol, though.

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Merger rumour: Monster and Constellation to create total beverage firm

USA | The maker of energy drinks, Monster Beverage, is said to be exploring a deal with beer and drinks company Constellation Brands. The megadeal, first reported by Bloomberg on 21 November 2021, would potentially bring together beer, energy drinks, spirits, RTDs, and even cannabis, thus reactivating the concept of a total beverage company, which went out of fashion more than a decade ago.

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AB-InBev expands into Beyond Beer and buys Hoop Tea

USA | So it is hard tea now for AB-InBev. On 15 November 2021, it purchased Hoop Tea, a Maryland-based beverage company known for its tea-infused malt beverages and seltzers, which are sold in cans and pouches.

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Boston Beer ties up with Pepsi to resurrect hard soda

USA | Pundits are shaking their heads. Why would Boston Beer together with PepsiCo launch an alcoholic soda under the banner of Pepsi’s brand Mountain Dew? Don’t they remember that only a few years ago hard sodas were a “boom-splat phenomenon” (Jim Koch) that faded as quickly as it arrived?

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Hottest beverages best served cold brewed

Ready-to-drink | Cold brew has become the fastest growing segment of the ready-to-drink coffee market in the past three years, according to a research conducted by food and drink experts Zenith Global in June 2021.

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Molson Coors to sunset eleven economy brands

USA | Budget tipplers beware: Brewers and drinks companies want you to trade up. The number two brewer in the US, Molson Coors, said on 30 July 2021 that it will slash 11 economy brands from its portfolio, representing about 100 SKUs.

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Was the hype over cannabis beverages just a fad?

Canada | Because of a lingering fear that legal cannabis would eat into beer sales, brewers have openly embraced cannabis companies. Constellation Brands was the first major alcohol producer to break the taboo. In 2017, it took a USD 4 billion stake in Canadian producer Canopy Growth. Other brewers followed suit.

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Jim Koch of Boston Beer has high hopes for hard seltzers

USA | It was kind of unsettling to hear Jim Koch, the founder of Boston Beer, only talk about hard seltzers at the US industry gathering, the Beverage Forum, which was held in May. Is beer on the way out, and its continued decline taken for granted, that everybody is painting the future of hard seltzers and a host of Alternative Adult Beverages in glowing hues?

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Beyond beer: there is no other way

USA | Heineken, AB-InBev, Molson Coors – all the world’s major brewers want to move beyond their traditional male, beer-drinking image and attract more female and younger drinkers. Fact is: beer has lost its oomph to other alcoholic beverages like wine, spirits and a host of beverages, which defy previous classifications.

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Boston Beer to branch out into cannabis beverages

USA | It is still early days for Boston Beer. But like all the major brewers it is seeing a huge growth potential for cannabis beverages. Therefore, it has set up a Canada-based subsidiary for non-alcoholic beverages infused with cannabis.