Welcome to Brewbound’s Inside Look at the Beer Business for the week that was … Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Where I have good news for all COORS LIGHT Chill Train fans out there (are we sure we need the “s” on the end of “fans” here?). 

Yes, COORS LIGHT will be bringing back the snowy mountains train motif in their Super Bowl ad this year somehow – more specifics and creative still to come, with a teaser ad airing in tomorrow’s NFL playoff games.  

Which … look, this kind feels like the Two Hats of beerbiz ideas – data & marketing research driven (there is also a sweepstakes involved), but not quite passing the, “Go poll people in an average bar” test. However, I always keep an open mind until I see a spot … so I guess let’s see who’s driving the train come February 11.

THEN: A-B started teasing their big game spots this year (wait, where’s the GOOSE ISLAND ad?):

• BUD LIGHT’s very short teaser looks to potentially be going back in the humor direction;
• MICH ULTRA is going with socc … I mean football legend Lionel Messi at a beach bar;
• BUD is wisely keeping it real, and going clydesdales.

AND: Here’s your beer + football NFL advertising watch from the league’s 3rd biggest weekend every season, the divisional playoffs (with the caveat that I possibly may have missed a few on a bathroom break... but I typically took those during gameplay. The things I do for beer):

• CORONA: Got the most out of their Eli Manning ads with a healthy presence in the early Saturday game on ABC, but was MIA the rest of the weekend;
• BUD LIGHT: four 15-second Peyton/Emmett ads;
• COORS LIGHT: one 15-second ad;
• MICH ULTRA: three 15 second ads;
• MILLER LITE: two 15-second convenience store ads.

OH: MOLSON COORS is trying again with the fetch of light beer. MC’s lower calorie & alcohol offering Miller 64 is now going to be Miller Extra Light. No, not Lite, although it certainly sounds the same when you say it, and the 64 is still very prominent in the branding. So yeah, I’m sure this won’t be confusing to anyone.

Uh, I think someone needs to do a wellness check on TRULY. 

To note, it’s only available via DtoC shipping here, to folks in CA, MA, FL, NY and NJ. Oh great, NY & NJ are included … and it’s only $24 for a 4-pack. Thanks so much.

Of all the new craft SKUs in 2023, here were the top 10 best-sellers according to BWC’s analysis. Uh, anyone know how to make bananas foster beer year-round?

1. A-B-owned Wicked Weed Perni-Haze IPA ($3.8 million);
2. Three Floyds variety pack ($2.6 million);
3. Three Floyds Zombie Ice Pale Ale ($2.58 million);
4. Lawson’s Finest Liquids Hazy Rays IPA ($2.3 million);
5. A-B-owned Golden Road California Classics variety pack ($2.3 million);
6. A-B-owned Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Bananas Foster Stout ($1.95 million);
7. Great Lakes Vibacious Double IPA ($1.83 million);
8. NODA Cheerwine Wheat Ale ($1.79 million);
9. Boston Beer-owned Dogfish Head Citrus Squall Double Golden Ale ($1.76 million);
10. Heineken-owned Lagunitas Tiki Fusion Zombie IPA ($1.69 million).

PLUS: Craft brands tracked by NIQ scans were -4.6% in 2023, and craft SKUs were -4.9% to about 24,800 -- roughly 2% below 2021 levels, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.

AND: Cans now make up 70% of off-prem craft sales, taking an additional +2.3% share in 2023, according to NIQ data cited by BWC. Thankfully, “from the tap right into my mouth” still holds just a 0.0001% share of consumption.

Sales wise:

• Craft cans: $4 billion
• Craft bottles: $1.7 billion

Justin has your full 2023 breakdown on format/packaging sales.

REVOLUTION BREWING CO

Key Accounts Mgr - On Premise - Chicago, IL

DUST BOWL BREWING CO

Bay Area Sales Rep - Bay Area, CA

CRANK ARM BREWING CO

Sales Representative - Raleigh, NC

🤝 GOT A JOB

Non-alc brand BEST DAY added 2 industry execs:

• Jane Armstrong Hockman is their new COO, coming over from a 17-year career at MOLSON COORS.
• Todd Karnig is their new chief sales officer, coming over from JUNESHINE, and STONE prior to that.
• BEST DAY was the fourth-largest NA craft brand (excluding hop waters) for the 26-week period ending November 4, according to NIQ data cited by the brand.

The BEER INSTITUTE promoted Susan Haney as its new COO, moving up from her SVP of public affairs and operations position.

Jess & Zoe are back! And full of tales from their travels to CiderCon and the Beer Industry Summit, while I’m guessing Justin was just shoveling out his driveway. Again.

Plus, the trio discuss the #beerbiz news of the moment, from MIKKELLER to changes at STONE-SAPPORO, the latest at ANCHOR and … a highly entertaining story about a theory behind MOLSON COORS’ Super Bowl ad last year.

Listen Here!

AND: All BREWBOUND LIVE conversations are up here on the website to watch at your leisure, including this one on futureproofing flagship brands in craft, with execs from LAWSON’S, ROGUE, BELL’S and CANARCHY. 

• How’s Dry January going?  NA beer off-prem sales for the week ending January 14, according to CIRCANA: sales +34.7% YoY, volume +31.1% YoY. 
• Total beer for that week: sales -1.4%, volume -2.4%. 
• The winning bids for the ANCHOR auction are expected to be selected by the end of the month, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 
• NJ’s FORGOTTEN BOARDWALK is closing its doors after a 10-year run on February 29, as the business lost its lease. They also applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this month. 
• The Teamsters and A-B have resumed talks for a new deal, with the union gentleman & women reminding A-B the deadline is February 29.
• Rochester, NY’s K2 BROTHERS bought the brand rights to former neighbor YOUNG LION’s brand. OTHER HALF already bought the taproom/brewing facility in the Finger Lakes.

This week’s beer is going out to all of my years of Friday night pizza eating and beer drinking … as it’s finally paying off! Toldja mom 🙄.

Yes, Midwest restaurant chain, and winner of the location most likely to have a BREWBOUND editor sighting award, CASEY’S is hiring an official chief pizza & beer officer! 

The CPBO will be “spearheading pizza and beer pairing research” as well as doing a lotta social work for CASEY’s involving, well, eating pizza and drinking beer (see job title).

I’d include the link to apply, but why add more competition? Although I guess I should actually, uh, go to a CASEY’S first – think they’re open to launching a Jersey branch? 💪🍕

Slainté!  

-Sean McNulty 

(you can always reach me here on LinkedIn)