Following Firestone Walker’s annual business planning meeting earlier this week, our notebooks were overflowing with brewery stats. 

Just how big is Firestone Walker in its home state of California? The Paso Robles, California-headquartered craft brewery holds a 20% share of craft in California, Nick Firestone, chief operating officer, shared. 

Around 75% of Firestone Walker’s volume is in the Golden State.

The next two biggest markets? Arizona, where Firestone Walker holds an 11.8% share of craft, and Nevada, where the brewery holds a 14% share of craft. 

Nick Firestone also called out Idaho, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado as “high growth emerging states” for the company.

A couple of other notable stats about Firestone Walker’s business:

• National accounts make up 70% of the company’s total annual business, at around 4 million case equivalents;
• The other 30% or so is in chain grocery, where 805 blonde ale is the most-developed brand in the channel, with more than double the effective placements of the company’s next biggest brand, 805 Cerveza.

Read Brewbound's previous coverage of Firestone Walker's ABP for 2024:

Firestone Walker’s 2024 Plan: Unleash 805

Firestone Walker Leadership Shares Innovation Plans for Cali Squeeze, Mind Haze and the F Brand

Schilling Cider puts product quality and customer satisfaction first. By adding FILTEC quality assurance solutions that include Empty Can, Fill level, Vision Pressure, and the Intellect inspection platform, they have been able to avoid seamer jams and downtime. See this connected and modular inspection solution in action. Learn more

Beer trends continue to improve in the off-premise, according to market research firm Circana’s monthly beer report.

Beer dollar sales in Circana-tracked channels (multi-outlet plus convenience) are up +3.1% year-to-date (YTD), through August 13, while volume (case sales) is down -2.3%. In the last four weeks, beer posted a slightly improved performance, with a +3.4% year-over-year (YoY) increase in dollar sales and -1.5% decrease in volume.

Craft trends have also improved slightly, although trends for the last four weeks are down versus the previous four-week period:

• Craft dollar sales are down -0.6% YTD, while volume is down -4.9%;
• In the last four weeks, craft dollar sales were up +0.2% YoY and volume was down -3.8%. 

While the last four weeks is an improvement over YTD trends, they are below the four-week numbers posted in Circana’s previous monthly beer report, ending July 16: craft dollar sales +1.2% YoY, volume -2.9%.

📉 Bud Light Volume -27.9% in Last 4 Weeks

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) YTD trends fell slightly in the latest monthly report, with dollar sales down -6.3% and volume down -10.5%. In the previous Circana report, A-B dollar sales were down -5.6% YTD and volume was down 10%. 

In the last four weeks, A-B dollar sales declined -10.5% YoY, to nearly $1.9 billion, while volume declined -13.7%. 

Bud Light dollar sales are down -14.9% YTD, while volume is down -19.1%. In the previous Circana report, Bud Light dollar sales were down -13.4% YTD, and volume -17.8%. Dollar sales for the overall Bud brand family are down -12.2% YTD, to $3.51 billion, while volume is down -16.6%. 

In the last four weeks, Bud Light dollar sales declined -25% YoY, while volume was down -27.9%.

📈 Weekly Report: Bev-Alc dollars +4.1% YoY, Beer +4.4%

Circana’s Scott Scanlon also shared Circana data for the latest week, ending August 20.

Total bev-alc sales in Circana-tracked channels were up +4.1% YoY in the latest week, while volume declined -0.4%. In the last 52 weeks, total bev-alc sales are up +3%, while volume is down -2.5%.

Beer outpaced total bev-alc dollar sales growth in the latest week, improving +4.4% YoY. However, volume declines were larger for the category (-0.6% YoY).

In the last 52 weeks, beer dollar sales are up +3.2%, while volume is down -2.7%. 

Brewbound Insiders can dive deeper into the data and segment performances here.

On the latest Brewbound Data Club, 3 Tier Beverages consultant Mary Mills and Beer Institute VP of research Danelle Kosmal share a pre-Labor Day update on the beverage-alcohol trends so far. 

Mills and Kosmal explore beer's performance year-to-date, the sluggishness of shipments, draft and packaging trends and much more.

Watch it here.

The two biggest players in hard seltzer are leaning into non-alcoholic (NA) offerings for 2024. Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw will launch a NA seltzer for 2024, while Truly parent company Boston Beer will launch General Admission Brewing non-alcoholic fruit brew. 

White Claw 0% “non-alcoholic premium seltzer” is on the way, Beer Marketer’s Insights first reported.

White Claw 0% will come in four flavors:

• Black Cherry Cranberry;
• Mango Passion Fruit;
• Peach Orange Blossom;
• Lime Yuzu.

Each can is 15 calories with “hydrating electrolytes,” per the report. It’s expected to be out by January.

Boston Beer filed the labels for General Admission last week (August 24) and MyBeerBuzz dug up a couple of the labels.

The line will feature three flavors:

• Lemon Lime
• Orange Ovation
• Grapefruit Groove 

Each flavor is 60 calories per 12 oz. can and include 5 grams of sugar. The labels describe General Admission as a “malt beverage with natural flavors and juice from concentrate,” with less than 0.5% alcohol. 

More companies are leaning into NA. Earlier this month, Sierra Nevada officially announced its entry into non-alcoholic beer with Trail Pass IPA and Golden, as well as an extension of its Hop Splash hop water brand with Blood Orange.

Jester King will resume self-distribution in parts of Texas starting in September. 

The Austin, Texas-based will self-distribute kegs and cans of its lagers, IPAs, farmhouse ales and fruit beers to select accounts. 

In July, Jester King announced a partnership with Bevana as an affiliate. Jester King will be sold in Bevana’s online store with sales in 42 states and Washington, D.C. 

Anheuser-Busch InBev is investing $22.5 million in its Houston production facility. The investment will go toward enhancing workplace safety and improving efficiency by cutting electricity consumption by 2.18 million kwh per year.

A-B CEO Bredan Whitworth said in the announcement: “We’re excited that this $22 million investment will improve the work environment for our frontline employees while also serving as [an] engine of economic growth for Houston and surrounding areas.”

The Houston facility opened in 1966 and now boasts 14.2 million barrels of capacity, according to A-B’s website. The facility produces Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch Light, Natural Light and Michelob Ultra.

Labor Day deals are beginning to pop up, although it’s unclear if these A-B deals have ever gone away. The world’s largest beer manufacturer is offering a $15 rebate, via PayPal, when consumers buy one 24-pack or larger (cans or bottles) of Bud Light, Budweiser or Budweiser Select 55 at Total Wine & More. 

Before the rebate, cases of bottles retail for $19.99, while cans run $18.49-$18.99, per Total Wine's website.

Brewbound’s Brew Talks Denver meetup will (unofficially) kick off the Great American Beer Festival weekend with conversations with industry leaders and networking on Thursday, September 21, from noon to 3 p.m. MT at Cervantes Masterpiece.

The conversation will discuss the challenges facing draft beer and strategies for improving draft trends.

Panelists include:

• Dogfish Head co-founder Sam Calagione
• Buffalo Wild Wings director of beverage strategy & innovation Jason Murphy
• Tamarron Consulting co-founder and president Lori Scheiffler. 

Additional speakers and talks will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Tickets are available now.

The Brewbound Live business conference returns December 6-7 in Marina del Rey. Speakers and conversations to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Registration and the discounted room block is now open. Find out more details here.