Calif. Senate Bills Adds Spirits, Wine Bottles to Recycling Mandate

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

The California Senate approved and sent to the state Assembly a bill adding wine and spirits bottles to California’s recycling program.  The wine and spirits industries did not oppose the measure which will require consumers to pay a deposit on beverage bottles.    It’s estimated that Californ ia generates about 500 million wine and spirits bottles each year, with less than 30% being recycled and more than 300 million going into landfills.

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A New DtC Wine Marketplace Debuts

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Sommly announces the launch of its Direct-to-Consumer wine marketplace.

Founded by a husband and wife team, Erik and Sara Wagner, Sommly’s initial focus is the Texas market, where there are more than 450 wineries and over 2 million gallons of wine produced annually. In 2021, US wineries sold $78.3 billion in wine with $4.2 billion of that coming in the form of direct online sales. These numbers represent an increase of 17% and 13.5% respectively over the prior year, which indicates that consumers are quickly embracing buying wine online.

The majority of the US’ approximately 11,500 wineries do not sell their wines in retail stores or restaurants because it results in much lower profits for wineries due to the three-tier system of alcohol distribution. Sommly enables these wineries to find new customers and sell their wine online direct-to-consumers, which protects their profit margins.

“Many smaller operators know they need to get online but need help. Sommly’s entrance as the ‘Etsy of Wine’ will be extremely helpful for boutique wineries, and the timing is brilliant with the accelerated shift toward eCommerce,” said Dr. Liz Thach, MW, a professor at UC Davis.

The Sommly marketplace now hosts over 80 wine bottles for purchase and 450 wineries. The platform is now available for all Texas wineries to join free-of-cost. Premium subscriptions are available for wineries who wish to list their wines for sale in the marketplace and to feature their wine club memberships. For more information on Sommly, please visit Sommly.com.

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Splash Beverage Enters Maryland Through Buck Distributing

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Splash Beverage Group, Inc. said it signed a distribution agreement with Buck Distributing in Maryland to distribute all Splash Beverage Group products through five Central Maryland Counties.

Buck Distribution is a malt beverage and related products distributor headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  Buck distributes products in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties and has limited distribution rights to five Eastern Shore Counties.  Buck Distribution generates volume of 3 million cases per year through more than 200 brands with a fleet of 23 trucks and 110 sales representatives.

“This agreement continues our streak of landing significant distribution agreements with major regional players,” said Robert Nistico, Splash Beverage Group’s chairman/CEO.  Buck Distribution has been a 3-time winner of the prestigious Miller Masters award and a 4 time winner of the MillerCoors Presidents award.  They’ve been distributing for Miller Beer since 1952 and for Molson Coors since 1972.  All four of our main beverages, TapouT, Copa di Vino, SALT Tequila and Pulpoloco Sangria will now be available through the Buck system, which has a long history of high-quality, value-added service and we’re delighted to be working with them.”

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Good Dogg Hard Seltzer Enters New Jersey

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Good Dogg Beverage Co. said it signed a new distribution agreement to bring its line of premium hard seltzers to New Jersey beginning in June. The partnership with Black River Traders, Inc., a specialty beer and wine distributor based in Flanders, New Jersey, is the latest in a series of agreements securing distribution for Good Dogg Beverage’s Premium Hard Seltzers across New Jersey.

Good Dogg also aims to make a difference in the communities of New Jersey, helping pair children with rare diseases to service dogs to enhance their quality of life. The company is excited to partner with Black River Traders to make a difference in the communities Black River currently serves.

“The unique way Good Dogg Beverage is already investing in local communities is exciting,” says Jason Kane, CEO of Liquid Opportunities. “The partnership between Black River Traders and Good Dogg Beverage brings great seltzer to New Jersey and the opportunity to create a lot of good at the same time. There is a lot of excitement here.”

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Beer Shipments Slide 5.9% in April

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Domestic tax-paid shipments by U.S. brewers fell to 13.7million barrels, a 5.9% decrease in April, from the year-earlier 14,557,000 barrels, according to the Beer Institute.  The first four months of 2022 have not seen a single month in which shipments were higher than a year earlier.  For the year through April 30, shipments are down 3.6% to 52.3 million barrels.

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Control States Spirits Sales Eased 1.6% in April

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

During April nine-liter case sales of distilled spirits fell 1.6% over same period sales last year under the influence of a monster comp (17.5%) and calendar anomalies, National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association reports.

Mississippi (-1.3%) and New Hampshire (-3.0%) reported monthly growth rates for April exceeding their twelve-month trends. The growth rates for Alabama (-3.1%), Iowa (-2.3%), Idaho  (-2.0%), Montgomery County Maryland (9.4%), Maine (-9.0%), Michigan (-2.2%), Montana (-0.9%), North Carolina (1.2%), Ohio  (-2.0%), Oregon (-1.7%), Pennsylvania (2.8%), Utah (-16.5%), Virginia (-0.4%), Vermont (-1.0%), West Virginia (-6.5%), and Wyoming (-13.2%) fell short of their 12-month trends. Control state rolling-twelve-month-volume growth, 2.2%, is down from March’s reported 3.5%. Spirits’ volumes growth is -0.6% year-to-date compared to 7.4% a year ago.

Control state spirits shelf dollars are up 0.9% during April while trending at 5.9% during the past twelve months. New Hampshire (3.0%) reported a monthly growth rate for April exceeding its twelve-month trend. Alabama (-1.5%), Iowa (0.1%), Idaho (1.7%), Montgomery County Maryland (9.5%), Maine (-1.8%), Michigan (0.4%), Mississippi (0.9%), Montana (0.8%), North Carolina (6.3%), Ohio (0.2%), Oregon (3.4%), Pennsylvania (-0.7%), Utah (-16.7%), Virginia (2.8%), Vermont (1.0%), West Virginia (-5.7%), and Wyoming (-13.9%) grew shelf dollars at rates below their twelve-month trends. Shelf dollars in the control states are up 2.4% year-to-date compared to being up 15.9% last April.

Price/Mix for April is 2.5%, up from March’s reported 2.3%.

After equivalizing selling-day variations between this and last year’s April, the nine-liter-case-spirits growth rate is -0.9% with a rolling-twelve-month trend of 2.2% and YTD growth of -0.5%. April’s shelf-dollar growth rate is 1.4% with a rolling-twelve-month trend of 6.0% and YTD growth of 2.5%. The equivalized price/mix for April is 2.3%.

Cocktails, with 4% share of the nine-liter case control states spirits market, was April’s fastest growing category with 29.0% reported and a twelve-month trend of 34.8%.

  • Tequila, with 9% share, grew at 7.4% during April and 17.6% during the past twelve months.
  • Vodka, with 32% share, grew during the same periods at -2.8% and 0.1%, respectively.
  • Brandy/Cognac (-15.4% during April, -13.6% twelve-month trend), Canadian Whiskey (-3.7%, -1.8%), Cocktails (29.0%, 34.8%), Cordials (-1.3%, 6.2%), Domestic Whiskey (0.1%, 2.1%), Gin (-7.9%, -1.7%), Irish Whiskey (1.7%, 10.0%), Rum (-6.2%, -0.9%), Scotch (-5.8%, -1.3%), Tequila (7.4%, 17.6%), and Vodka (-2.8%, 0.1%) all grew at rates below their twelve-month trends.

April’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was -7.6%. Pennsylvania (reporting -6.7% nine-liter-case growth for wines), New Hampshire (-6.6%), Mississippi (0.7%), Utah (-22.6%), Montgomery County Maryland (-5.2%), and Wyoming (-5.4%) are the control states that are the sole wholesalers of wines and spirits within their geographical boundaries. Rolling-twelve-month wine volume growth in these six control states is –5.7%, down from March’s reported -3.7%.

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