Welcome to Brewbound’s Inside Look at the Beer Business for the week that was … Saturday, January 18, 2024.

Welcome to a big NFL weekend, where hopefully the games are significantly better than … whatever that was that occurred last weekend.

Meanwhile, good ol’ A-B has five spots planned for us, and not an ale in sight. Sorry GOOSE ISLAND Tropical Beer Hug, maybe next year.

There will be three minutes of national ad time, and 45 seconds of regional ad time consisting of BUD LIGHT, BUSCH LIGHT, MICH ULTRA, STELLA and good ol’ BUD, who already released this spot teasing a … small horse?

So, we’ll see who lands on the bottom shelf here in regional ad time, but if there was ever a time to do something memorable with BUSCH LIGHT – I definitely believe 2025 is the year to do it.

Although I’m more curious to see if BUD LIGHT keeps with the Shane Gillis motif, or miraculously finds the BL Genie around the brewery somewhere. Or, maybe something went down off-camera at a UFC event that we don’t know about 😳.

PLUS: New Year’s Eve/Day 2024/2025 🥳 > New Year’s Eve / Day 2023/2024!

• Beer sales were +12.9% and volume +10.1% for the week ending Jan. 4 according to NIQ data.
• Imports and domestic super premiums led the way in the growth

AND: CIRCANA had similar beer sales numbers (+12.7%) for the week ending Jan. 5, and additionally spirits (+17.5%) and wine (+8.9%) data.

• Although, there are some wonky calendar comps that make this not exactly apples to apples.

SO: For the 4-wk holiday period ending January 5, the numbers come back to earth:

• Beer dollar sales +0.6%, volume -1.4%
• Spirits dollar sales +2.7%, volume +5.1%;
• Wine dollar sales -2.5%, volume -4.1%
• Total bev-alc dollar sales +0.2%, volume -1.3%

Jess has a #goodread here on how many breweries are taking the increasingly slow January period to just close up shop for the month or a few weeks, especially in the frigid Northeast.

They’re finding it to be a great opportunity to complete projects like brewery renovation items that they simply don’t have time for when operating an active taproom – sconces don’t install themselves, people.

“Hard MTN Dew will be the most successful crossover brand from non-alc.”

– BOSTON BEER Chairman Jim Koch, throwing down the gauntlet this week at Beer Business Daily Summit in Florida (wait, how do we categorize DORITOS liquor 🤔).

Jim was looking into the 2030 crystal ball that he carries around when making the statement.

+$0.63

The average case price increase for beer products in 2024, according to CIRCANA data, rising to $30.57. 

Craft led the way in beer on a category dollar amount basis at +$0.66 💪, although hard seltzer was +$1.47 and non-alc beer was +$1.56 (note that ATHLETIC was -$1.18).

Among major craft brands, Heineken-owned LAGUNITAS led the way at +$1.69, to $43.95 (although KIRIN-LION’s avg. case price was higher, at $44.67).

DESCHUTES BREWING

Brewmaster – Bend, OR

TRILLIUM 

Director of Facilities & Logistics – Canton, MA

KANE BREWING

Former BOSTON BEER CEO Dave Burwick is the new CEO at SPINDRIFT, as SF-based PE company GRYPHON INVESTORS reached an agreement for a “majority stake” investment in the company, which should close sometime here in Q1.

• SPINDRIFT founder and existing CEO Bill Creelman will become chairman of the board, and maintain “a significant equity stake” in the company.
• SPINDRIFT sales totaled $275M in 2024 (52wk sales thru Dec. 28, according to NIQ data). Volume was +22%.

Well, beer at home still was +2.5% … so it’s still inflating – but it was below the overall CPI of +2.9%.

However, beer was still more bougie than its bev-alc counterparts by a margin in December:

• Spirits at home: +1.2%
• Wine at home: +1.5%
• Bev-alc at home: +1.9%

• MARK ANTHONY is keeping it simple in 2025 👏, focusing on core brands: OG CLAW, Surge, Zero and the new Clawtails RTDs, although president David Barnett shared that their previous attempts to crack into RTDs (White Claw Vodka + Soda, etc) have not worked “the way we wanted it to work.” 
• BROWN FORMAN is laying off about 12% of its global staff (648 workers). It’s also closing its KY cooperage facility, and instead will source barrels from external sources.
• Dick and Jake Leinenkugel announced plans to try and buy back their family’s namesake brewery from MC in Chippewa Falls, WI. MC CEO Gavin Hattersley has thus far declined their efforts, with MC comms saying: “Leinenkugel’s has been an important part of our company for nearly 40 years and that's not changing.” Yesterday was the last day of production at the brewery.
• A-B announced a partnership with 1ST PHORM sports nutrition business to create a new energy drink line to launch this summer. UFC CEO Dana White will also be involved.
• SoCal’s COMMON SPACE brewery is launching a We ❤️ LA beer to benefit those affected by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area – info is here on how to become a part of the effort.

NEW BELGIUM CEO Shaun Belongie joins the pod this week to talk:

• 2024 growth numbers and trends for NBB;
• Updates on the Asheville facility recovery process from Hurricane Helene;
• What’s ahead for 2025 in innovation and their stalwart brands.

PLUS: 

• Zoe impresses everyone with the tan … I mean uh, insights she picked up down in Florida at the Beer Business Daily Summit this month;
• Dive into what the BREWBOUND gang found of note in the final 2024 CIRCANA data;
• Jess postpones her planned brand intervention at TILRAY based on their latest announcements.

This week’s beer goes out to one of beer’s all-time greatest pitchmen, Mr. Bob Uecker, who died this week at the age of 90 … and they just don’t make ‘em like Bob anymore.

He’s of course known for the Major League movies and Mr. Belvedere in the ’80s, and to an older demo as one of the top Tonight Show guests ever (with 100+ appearances). Plus, he also called BREWERS games in Milwaukee for 54 seasons. 🤯

But for most (and certainly this crowd), he’s forever synonymous with MILLER LITE and the “I must be in the front row …” catchphrase launched in this spot (btw just how big were ballgame beers in the ’80s? 😳). 

He served as a staple for LITE ad campaigns for years alongside folks like John Madden and other … well, I don’t think he’d mind me saying more accomplished professional athletes. I’m also 96% sure this ad is Justin’s favorite. 

So, as we look forward to what #BigBeer does for this year’s big game – sure, a case of the Mondays from MC is great … but if MILLER LITE aired one of these old ads in the game, I’m sure it would probably get a lot more organic attention. Plus, the can still has the same design!

Rest in peace, Bob.

Slainté!

-Sean McNulty