If you're burnt out on celebrity spirits, we can't offer much relief: consumers seem to love them -- and are willing to pay eye-watering premiums -- to get them, and by the time you read this, there will be another actor or athlete jumping into the game. No seriously, did you hear about Matthew McConaughey's new tequila? Because that just happened. 

On the other hand, there's also plenty of star power in the red-hot zero-proof space as well, thanks to splashy moves by Katy Perry and Blake Lively. And by the time you read this, there will be a couple more. No seriously, did you hear about Zayn Malik joining MIXOLOSHE and Formula 1 GOAT Lewis Hamilton launching a non-alc agave spirit? Because that just happened, too. 

First up is singer Malik, who announced yesterday he has joined mocktail maker MIXOLOSHE as co-owner and chief creative officer. The partnership is kicking off with the launch of a new flavor, Lychee Martini, packaged in a 12 oz. can wrapped in replica illustrations of Malik’s most beloved tattoos.

Adding someone with Malik's profile should help MIXOLOSHE generate awareness; its product line -- which spans eight RTDs and three zero-proof spirit analogs -- is already well diversified and optimized for mass-market retail (4-packs at Walmart for $9.98, 12-packs via e-commerce for $34.99). 

Meanwhile, Almave -- Mexican spirit company Casa Lumbre's first zero-proof release, created in collaboration with Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton -- is a different proposition. Though non-alcoholic agave spirits already exist, Almave is touting its unique production process, which uses actual agave hearts that are treated similarly to that of tequila except for a few divergent steps, as a unique selling point. It will launch with multiple SKUs: Almave Ámbar, designed for sipping and set to debut tomorrow, and Almave Blanco, designed for mixing and planned for release later this year. 

The brand, Casa Lumbre master distiller Ivan Saldaña told us, plans to focus initially on select on-premise accounts in priority markets, giving time for awareness and production to build up. A 700 ml bottle of Almave Ámbar will debut for a SRP of $38.99 and $36.99 for Almave Blanco.   

Are celebrity brands impacting the non-alcoholic space in the same way as in traditional spirits? It's unclear how direct the connection is, but there's no question that Gen Z are drinking less alcohol and seeking more beverage options to fill that void. That demo has the highest use of low-and-no alcohol drinks -- 64% amongst 18-24 year-olds, per a study by Mintel. We’d say that’s worth taking a (zero-proof) shot. 

Read the full story on BevNET

This week no-alcohol spirit leader Seedlip unveiled its first brand campaign in over three years, partnering with Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page. 

📽️ The campaign called ‘Choose Different’ featuring the actor in an elegant bar setting encourages people to embrace “different” ways to enjoy a cocktail in a time when non-alc brands continue to make their move from the e-commerce pandemic surge to restaurants and retail. 

1️⃣ Seedlip, a category pinoeer that was acquired by Diageo in 2019, is the number one non-alcoholic spirit brand in the U.S., according to data provided by the brand from IWSR. The brand faces increased competition in the space from other global spirit groups new entrants, as well as a rising crop of RTD products.

📶 The campaign was described as “an opportunity to evolve the brand’s place in culture as more people seek out balanced drinking options,” according to Kavitha Krishnamurthy, general manager of Diageo Non-Alcohol Beverages. 

🤵🏼‍♂️ Page’s breakout role was on the steamy Netflix hit Bridgerton, a show whose audience was “diverse and broad” (while skewing 76% female) — is Seedlip making a play for that same audience?

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Scottish brewer and distiller BrewDog seems to be getting deeper into the spirits game after applying for a trademark covering brandy, as first reported in The Grocer.  

✍️ The company has applied with the Intellectual Property Office to trademark the name “Super Margaux” under class 33 covering brandy. This would be the first brandy added to the distiller’s range of rum, vodka and gin spirits. 

✋🏼 BrewDog is not the only new entrant into the cognac category: other producers are aiming to revive the historic spirit with their own fresh takes. 

📊 Cognac was one of the spirits to benefit the most from premiumization at the start of the pandemic, when drinkers were spending on luxury bottles. But in the past 12 months ending August 2023, bottles over $25 were trending down 24%, whereas under $25 was down 9.8% according to data provided by SipSource.

One of cannabis beverages' top-selling brands is looking to expand outside of soda -- sort of. Cannabis cola maker Keef is set to launch a range of Bottle Cap Gummies in soft drink flavors, with a mock-up image on LinkedIn teasing 100mg THC per bag. 

🥤 Based on posts to social media and LinkedIn, it looks as if the gummies will replicate Keef's soda flavors: images shared are for Blue Razz and OG Cola SKUs. 

⚡ The gummies join Keef's range of infused drinks which includes sodas, sparkling waters and energy.

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If you were hoping holiday gifts would stock your bar this winter, think again. According to a new report from WSWA’s SipSource 42% of consumers are planning to spend less on alcohol this holiday season.

📈 Spirits priced at over $100 are taking a hit as consumers overall pull back on luxury spirits spending, but the over $25 shelf typically gets a 3% boost in share during the winter holidays. 

🔮 The presentation covered where to expect growth in the next year and from what segments, as well as more forecasts for holiday shopping trends.

Read the full report

NCAA gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, whose Livvy Fund project supports other college athletes looking to capitalize on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, has announced a new partnership with Accelerator Active Energy (aka A-Shoc) that will see eight of her Louisiana State University gymnastics teammates join the brand as ambassadors.

👩🏼‍🎓 Dunne launched the Livvy Fund earlier this year with a focus on connecting female student athletes at LSU with brands for NIL endorsement partnerships. She previously told Sports Illustrated that the fund began as a response to seeing a majority of endorsement deal money for college sports stars go towards male athletes.

✍️ Dunne herself joined Accelerator as a brand ambassador this year, alongside pro athletes like the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce.

🏆 The eight gymnasts now joining the brand are Ashley Cowan, Jillian Hoffman, Konnor McClain, Chase Brock, KJ Johnson, Haleigh Bryant, Sierra Ballard and Kayla Johnson.

NILs have proven an attractive prospect for energy drink brands to generate attention and awareness; earlier this year, ZOA Energy announced NIL deals with seven college student athletes in the first edition of an annual program called “The Rock’s Warriors.”

Keeping with the zero-proof theme in today's newsletter, our latest review looks at RSRV Collective, a line of RTD non-alcoholic cocktails that are packaged in 12 ounce cans and available in four flavors: Amari, Rosata, Botanica and Grana.

Read the full review on BevNET.

Michele Tsucalas and Oliver Buccicone, the founder and CEO, respectively, of super-premium granola brand Michele's Granola spoke about how focusing on “premium simplicity” has enabled it to scale while maintaining its rustic package design and positioning, the brand’s patient path to distribution in conventional grocery and why examining every cost is key to being cash-flow positive and profitable. Read the story.