Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day weekend provided a notable boost to bev-alc sales this month, following a slightly lackluster Super Bowl weekend. 

In today’s Brewbound Insider Newsletter and on Brewbound.com, Insiders are diving into all the data from market research firm Circana, including how the latest off-premise scans and industry sentiment compared to this time last year, and which brands rebounded the most over the holiday weekend. 

Insiders are also reading about:

• A new joint venture between Drake’s and Figueroa Mountain;

• Distribution moves by Firestone Walker and Great Lakes;

• A craft brewery closure in KY;

• And the impact of global trade disputes on a Milwaukee brewery.

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

Become a Brewbound Insider today!

Or, be in the know on all food and beverage news from Brewbound, BevNET and NOSH with Insider All Access.

From formulation and stability to scaling for production, this free guide breaks down how to scale a cannabis beverage. Learn more

Consumers were in the mood to celebrate love – or rather, to celebrate bev-alc – this Valentine’s Day.

Total bev-alc dollar sales (+1.4%) and volume (+0.2%) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels, both improved in the latest week (ending February 15) compared to the same period in 2025. The latest data includes Valentine's Day (February 14) – which fell on a Saturday this year, compared to a Friday in 2025 – as well as the weekend leading up to Presidents’ Day (Monday, February 16). 

The gains follow YoY declines in the week prior in spite of Super Bowl Sunday. 

Dive deeper

Drake’s Brewing and Figueroa Mountain Brewing have formed a joint venture known as West Coast Craft (WCC), the companies announced last week. 

In addition to Drake’s and Figueroa Mountain, the JV will include Bear Republic, which Drake’s acquired in 2023, and lager brand House Beer, which is part of Figueroa Mountain.

WCC brands will retain their independence in “marketing, branding and innovation,” and “there is no change in ownership” per the announcement. 

Keep reading

805 is heading to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Firestone Walker has launched the 805 portfolio – including flagship 805 Blonde, 805 Cerveza and 8ZERO5 NA – in MN via Johnson Brothers-owned Artisan Beer Company, the Duvel Moortgat-owned brewery announced.

The expansion marks 805’s 1st new market in several years. 

Read more here

The NA beer segment failed to grab a significant amount of dollar share in grocery stores in January, according to NIQ data analyzed for Brewbound by Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).

NA beer’s share increased 0.1% YoY, to 4.3% at grocery stores during the 4-week period (L4W) ending January 31, according to BWC. During the same period in 2025, NA dollar share increased 1.1% YoY, to 4.2%, which followed a 0.8% jump in share in 2024.

Read the full analysis

The Brewbound team is heading to the New England Craft Brew Summit (Friday, March 6) in Portland, ME. We’ll be on the ground covering the latest news and conversations coming out of the event, as well as recording Brewbound Podcast On Location interviews.

Here are a few ways to connect with us:

1. Stop by Booth #3: Watch a podcast recording, grab a T-shirt and chat with the team.

2. Share your news: Have updates from your brewery? We’d love to hear from you.

3. Reach out to meet: Email us at podcast@brewbound.com if you want to catch up in Portland.

See you there!

Craving more? 👉 See what Insider members get access to.

Have feedback? 📝 Take the Survey Now >>

Want to share news or tips? ✉️ Submit a press release or reach out to news@brewbound.com.

Interested in other beverage coverage? 👀 Check out the BevNET Daily Briefing covering the broader beverage industry, including energy drinks, cannabis and other non-alcoholic beverages. Want to stick to the hard stuff? Subscribe to our Spirits Newsletter (published every 2 weeks). 

We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow.