Welcome to Brewbound’s Inside Look at the Beer Business for the week that was … Saturday, November 2, 2024.

Clearly NFL QB Russell Wilson heard about ABITA giving SAINTS player Alvin Kamara free beer for life, and thought, “Hey, how do I get in on this with my favorite beer?” 🤔

Either way, COORS LIGHT certainly made the most of Russell yelling “Coors Light!” as the name of an audible play in his MNF game against the JETS last month, putting outdoor ads with the call around Pittsburgh and re-working an existing TV ad to put the call into the creative.

Although, I’ll personally be more impressed by the QB who yells out “Pliny the Younger! Pliny the Younger!” on Sunday afternoon. Aim high, fellas.

AND: 7-ELEVEN may be shutting down hundreds of underperforming U.S. stores … but they just announced that they’ll also be opening 500 new, larger locations from 2025 to 2027 and 115 by the end of its FY24. The locations will include expanded food options including in-store restaurants. So – get that new (hopefully expanded) cold-storage shelf space folks!

#FUNFACT: Tom Holland named the Noon Wheat varietal of his non-alc BERO line after Zendaya’s dog (his girlfriend – err, that being Zendaya, not the dog).

Yeah this is just great. The October BPI from the NBWA for total beer is now down to a 42 (it was 48 last October), and marks the 3rd straight October below 50. Although at least it’s better than September's abysmal 31. Inventory at-risk stands at a pick ‘em 50.

Unfortunately the rules haven’t changed here – a score below 50 means wholesalers plan to order less in the month ahead, and above 50 means order more.

Below Premium is making a run at the king however, shooting up to 54 – within 2 points of consistent champ Imports at 56.

Those are the only two categories above 50, or frankly anywhere near it. Craft Beer once again is holding down the basement at a 25. 😔

4 HANDS BREWING CO

Key Account Manager – St. Louis, MO

ESTRELLA GALACIA INT’L

Market Representative – Los Angeles, CA

ALASKA PACIFIC BREWING CO

I mean, all things considered with BUD LIGHT …I dare to even call this positive.

U.S. Business:

• Shipments (sales to wholesalers): -0.2% YoY
• Depletions (sales to retailers): -3% YoY
• Revenue: +1.8%

Looking back, the Q3 2023 numbers were all down well into double digits in those categories, when the BL comps were at their nadir, so the B-L narrative is definitely taking a turn here.

These Q3 ‘24 numbers are even better than Q2 (shipments were -2.7% and depletions -4.1%).

As for the sales drivers this Q3 -- MICH ULTRA and BUSCH LIGHT were the two main sources here. The “other BL” BUSCH LIGHT has up to a 10% share in many Mid-America states, but only 2% to 3% in the rest of the country … which A-B sees as an opportunity.

ALSO AT A-B: CUTWATER outsold A-B’s hard seltzer business in the 52wk period ending October 5, according to NIQ data cited by GOLDMAN SACHS:

• CUTWATER: $150M (+26% YoY)
• A-B hard seltzer: $142M (-46%)
• A-B FMBs: $128M (+5%)
• NÜTRL: $87M (+64%)

Well, at least from a revenue POV (and yes, know that I laugh every time I write a BALL headline):

• $3.08B vs. $3.11B a year ago

Net earnings were also down slightly ($197M vs. $203M), and it once again had a loss after taxes (hey buddy – don’t we all, amirite?)

As for BALL’s aluminum cup business – changes of some sort are ahead there. The division lost roughly another $40M in Q3.

Get two interviews in this week’s pod for the same low, low price:

• NBWA VP of state affairs David Christman shares why distributors should have a voice in the ongoing state-level discussions around intoxicating hemp.
• BEHOLD BEVERAGE INTELLIGENCE’s Sean Mossman and GLAZER’S Beer and Beverage’s Laura Melzow explain how AI is changing workflow in the middle tier.

PLUS: The BREWBOUND crew dive into:

• The ongoing saga at MODERN TIMES and CRAFT ‘OHANA
• The latest BOSTON BEER numbers and those continued craft beer brand writedowns.
• Beer & Halloween: perfect together. Just don’t give it away at your front door.

Listen here!

• JIANT signed a deal with actor Chase Crawford to become its Chief Creative Officer, with Chase also becoming a part owner.
• The Kelce’s brought GARAGE BEER to TX, signing a distro deal with ANDREWS Distributing.
• SOUTHERN GLAZER’s laid off hundreds of folks, mainly in its fine wine division according to Wine-Searcher. 
• Glass bottle maker O-I is also laying off about 150 folks as it shuts down a plant in IL. 
• CO gluten-free beer brewer HOLIDAILY has started a crowdfunding campaign, with hopes to raise $1.24M. It has hit a little below 10% of that goal so far.

Dec 11 & 12 is now open! Please remember to remove the beers from your robe pockets before going to the spa for a massage, mmmkay. You know who I’m talking about. 

Quite a lineup here folks – all in one place! And it just keeps growing ...

• Jessica Fierro, ATREVIDA Beer Co owner and head brewer; 
• Christian McMahan, SUNTORY RTD Company North America chief growth officer;
• Satoru Shimizu, SUNTORY RTD Company North America , president;
• Scott Selix, CLIMBING KITES co-founder;
• Aaron Vargas, BACKPOCKET Brewing managing director;
• Amy Cartwright, INDEPENDENCE BREWING co-founder;
• Chris Herron, BEVSTRATEGY LLC and CREATURE COMFORTS co-founder;
• Rebecca Maisel, GULF DISTRIBUTING SVP legal and government affairs;
• Lauren Doll-Sheeder, DOLL DISTRIBUTING managing partner;
• Jennifer Grant, MARKSTEIN Sales general manager and VP;
• Zech Francis, BEATBOX Beverages SVP of global marketing;
• Rob Tod, ALLAGASH Brewing founder
• Karen Hertz, HOLIDAILY Brewing founder
• Paul Verdu, WISCONSIN Brewing Co. president
• Day Bracey, BARREL & FLOW Fest founder
• Lindsay Kunkle, FORESIGHT FACTORY director, head of U.S. Consultancy;
• Rebecca Dye Yonushonis, NEW BELGIUM BREWING CMO;
• Mary Mills, consultant for 3 Tier Beverages;
• Julie Rhodes, consultant, NOT YOUR HOBBY MARKETING SOLUTIONS
• Arthur Moye, owner and CEO of FULL CIRCLE Brewing;
• Kaleigh Theriault, director of thought leadership, beverage alcohol vertical at NIQ;
• Brian “BK” Krueger, VP of business development and portfolio strategies at Bump Williams Consulting;
• Natalie Cilurzo, RUSSIAN RIVER co-owner;
• Peter Skrbek, CEO Deschutes Brewery;
• Lester Jones, NBWA chief economist and VP of analytics; 
• Jennifer Hauke, DRAFTLINE TECHNOLOGIES founder and president; 

This week’s beer is going out to BOSTON CELTICS fans, because it sounds like they’re gonna need it.

As the new NBA season gets into gear, so are the “new and improved” beer prices at NBA arenas … and Boston’s TD Garden is taking the crown for price per 16 oz. of beer, just as the CELTICS did in the NBA last year. You want that title, y’all – it comes with strings. To your wallet.

• Celtics – $20.32
• Nuggets – $17.32
• Warriors - $17
• Knicks – $16.11
• Bulls – $15.75

I mean, NYC and SF I get, but uh … Denver is #2? Don’t they have, like, a huge brewing facility in that state? 

As for your bottom 5 – I think we all need to start going to more CAVS games.

• Raptors – $9.17
• Pacers – $8.10
• Hawks – $7.56
• Thunder – $6.84
• Cavaliers – $5.91

Slainté!  

-Sean McNulty