• 🏝️ Constellation’s New Corona Campaign
• 💸 Trump Threatens to 2X Aluminum Tariffs
• 👋 Breaking: Meet Nombase
  
• 🤝 Monster Co-CEO Reveals Exit Date
• 🌱 Circana: ‘Green Shoots’ Reappear in Bev-Alc

Constellation Brands has “evolved” the playbook for its portfolio of Mexican import brands for 2025 and beyond, leadership shared last week during the company’s annual Gold Network Summit in Orlando. 

The new playbook features three core pillars, beer brands EVP and managing director Mallika Monteiro shared with attending distributor partners: 

• Strengthened brand positioning; 
• Media and consumer connections;
• And “precision growth.”

The new strategy is most represented in Constellation’s plans for Corona, the second largest beer brand family in the company’s portfolio, but the only one to fail to record growth in 2024. 

Flagship Corona Extra will be supported with a new marketing campaign, “La Playa Awaits” which will highlight Corona’s iconic beach as a “mindset,” and will celebrate “the emotional payoff” of “choosing to live in the moment,” VP of marketing Rob Nelson shared. The campaign will launch during MLB Opening Day (March 27), with “high impact placements” during ESPN broadcasts and will also air during March Madness college basketball games. 

Corona Premier, the brand's light beer extension, will receive an updated campaign highlighting active lifestyles and spending time together, titled “The Premier Side of Light,” and will feature the new tagline, “The only lighter than light beer that’s worthy of being called Corona.” The campaign is part of Constellation's “No. 1 objective” for the extension: to educate consumers “that Premier is an elevated light beer,” Nelson said. 

While the total Corona brand family was nearly flat in 2024, Corona Premier recorded double-digit declines in Circana off-premise channels (dollar sales -11.4%, volume -11.9%). Declines have decelerated slightly in the last 12 weeks (ending February 23), with dollar sales declining -8.4% and volume -10.4% YoY. 

“We know it was an uphill battle at times last year, but we're seeing positive momentum building behind Premier, and with that optimized campaign and the right tools now in place, we'll take another big step forward in 2025,” Nelson said, thanking attendees for “staying the course on this brand.” 

Additionally, Constellation is expanding Corona Sunbrew nationally in 2025. The extension, made with “real orange and lime juice and peels,” launched in several test markets in 2024 in an effort to target legal-drinking-age Gen Z consumers. The national launch will include an expanded assortment, including bottled 6- and 12-packs, and 24 oz. cans. 

Insiders can read more, including details on 2024 growth and 2025 plans for Pacifico and Victoria.

Gain cutting-edge insights from industry leaders, explore new technologies, and hone your skills at the Craft Brewers Conference, April 28-May 1 in Indianapolis Learn more

President Donald Trump is now threatening to double tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, increasing them from 25% to 50%, according to his social media posts. The move is in retaliation for a 25% surcharge placed by Ontario on electricity to the U.S. 

Canada is the largest exporter of aluminum to the U.S., sending $11.4 billion in aluminum last year, per CNN, citing U.S. Commerce Department data.

Aluminum cans account for 75% of packaged craft beer volume and revenue in 2025, according to the Brewers Association, citing sales data.

Wall Street has responded with the Dow (-1.17%) and S&P 500 (-0.70%) tumbling on the heels of a Monday selloff. The NASDAQ Composite has bounced between declines and growth, down -0.16% as of press time.

Tariffs on aluminum and steel are expected to be implemented on Wednesday.

Introducing Nombase, powered by BevNET, a new platform built to support professionals across the food, beverage, beer, spirits, health, and beauty industries. 

Whether you’re looking for trusted industry partners, AI-powered insights, timely discussions or the latest company news and job opportunities – Nombase brings it all together in one place. 

Best of all, it’s free to explore, with added AI benefits for our BevNET, Nosh, and Brewbound insiders.

Monster’s post-Rodney Sacks era has a start date, as confirmed in a transition letter filed Monday by the energy drink and alcoholic-beverage producer with the SEC. 

The longtime executive will exit as co-CEO on June 12, making way for co-CEO Hilton Schlosberg to take sole possession of the role. However, 75-year-old Sacks will remain chairman through the end of 2026, subject to elections, and collect a base annual salary of $900,000. 

The announcement clarifies Monster’s succession plan, revealed last May during an earnings review. Sacks and Schlosberg acquired legacy beverage manufacturer Hansen Natural Corporation in 1990, with the former serving as CEO untilSchlosberg joined in 2021.

Molson Coors Vet Launches Beverage Brands Platform

Beer industry vet Jeff Agase, the former head of Molson Coors’ now defunct craft division, Tenth & Blake, announced his new venture last week. 

Agase has launched BrightBev, a “platform for emerging beverage brands,” aiding in route to market and distribution, according to Agase’s announcement on LinkedIn. 

Agase wrote: “BrightBev exists to help founders navigate distribution smoothly so that they can tell their stories and bring their brands to many more consumers. Our work starts on the demand side, working with top beverage distributors to assess and agree on portfolio gaps and intriguing trends worth pursuing.”

🎸 Country musician Koe Wetzel has taken an equity stake in Outlaw Light Beer, the lager brand created by Colorado craft brand Tivoli Brewing. The equity stake makes Wetzel “a true stakeholder” in the brand’s “future success,” and he is expected to “play an active role” in Outlaw’s marketing efforts, including “fan experiences, co-branded merchandise and brand activations” at concerts, per the release. 

This is Outlaw’s second partnership with a country musician, following a deal with Hardy.

As spring is peeking around the corner, so too are “green shoots” in bev-alc off-premise sales – -1% YoY, but +6% WoW, according to Circana’s report for the week ending March 2.

Circana EVP of bev-alc Scott Scanlon wrote: “After a sea of red last week, the green shoots are back! Despite slightly negative comps vs. prior year, we are seeing significant growth from prior week and all the growth brands highlighted below are positive not only in value but volume as well.”  

At the mega-category level, spirits recorded growth in both dollars (+1.4%) and volume (+4.2%) YoY for the week ending March 2. Beer declined -1% in dollars and -2.8% in volume, as did wine (-5.1% in dollars, -6.4% in volume). RTDs, which contain products from all 3, recorded +4.1% dollar sales growth, but declined -9.7% in volume.

Scanlon wrote: “There is a lot of external noise potentially impacting beer, but hard to assess until or if changes materialize. What is known within beer is the Modelo vs. Bud exchange at the top position continues, while Michelob remains a brand to focus on for 2025. 

“Additionally, malt-based White Claw and Mike’s Harder growth remains extremely consistent and helps support the traditional beer brands.”

Constellation Brands’ Modelo brand family reclaimed the No. 1 spot with $85.7 million for the week, nudging A-B’s Bud brand family ($84.4 million) to No. 1. Modelo returned to growth (+2.9% in dollars, +1.3% in volume), while Bud continued to decline (-7% in dollars, -7.5% in volume).

No. 3 A-B’s Michelob family ($65.8 million for the week) grew in both dollars (+7.3%) and volume (+7.8%). 

Several craft brand families recorded YoY growth for the week:

• Sierra Nevada +3% in dollars, to $5.6 million, +1% in volume;
• A-B’s Goose Island +14.5% in dollars, to $1.9 million, +11.2% in volume;
• A-B’s Elysian +3% in dollars, to $1.8 million, +1.9% in volume;
• Athletic +23.7% in dollars, to $1.8 million, +26.5% in volume;
• Firestone Walker +5.6% in dollars, to $1.7 million, +4.6% in volume.

World Brewing Alliance CEO Justin Kissinger dishes on the global beer market, non-alcoholic beer trends, the rise of West African ancient grain fonio and emerging markets in the latest episode of the Brewbound Podcast. 

In addition, Kissinger dives into the dietary guidelines that are under review and may be revised. He also shares his favorite places in the world to drink beer.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

The Brewbound team is hitting the road and heading to the Craft Brewers Conference on April 28 – May 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Brewbound trio will be on the ground, covering all the latest news and presentations coming out of the conference, as well as hosting live podcast interviews at the Brewbound booth (#512).

Make sure to stop by our booth #512, where Brewbound will be chatting with brewery founders and owners, beverage entrepreneurs and c-suite leadership across the industry. Whether you’re a business vet or just starting out, we’d love to meet you and hear what’s new.

How to Connect with Us:

• Stop by our booth (#512): We’re excited to set up our Brewbound Podcast studio at BrewExpo America and engage with brewery leaders and industry suppliers. Swing by to meet our team, watch a podcast interview recording, participate in social content, and walk away with a T-shirt.
• Submit your news: Have news or updates from your brewery? Our team is covering the event and would love to hear from you. Submit your news here.
• Contact us to set up a time to chat: Want to schedule time to connect or be part of our coverage? Reach out to us at news@brewbound.com.