Beer Imports Jump 16.7% in March

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

That’s according to the Beer Institute after analyzing Census Bureau data.  There was particularly large growth in Mexican (23.8%), Irish (77.8%) and Canadian (32.7%) imports. Year-to-date, imports are up 9.7% overall.

There was also massive growth in NA beers, with a 39.5% increase in March 2022 over March 2021.  Year-to-date, nonalcoholic imports are up 4.1%.

Exports by U.S. brewers rose 10.3% in March, but year-to-date exports eased 2.6%.    Nonalcoholic exports in March fell 71.4%.  Year-to-date, nonalcoholic exports are down 60%.

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Simply Spiked Lemonade to Hit Shelves in June

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Simply Spiked Lemonade (Molson Coors Beverage Co.) is set to hit shelves in the U.S. this June.

It will launch in variety packs of 12-ounce slim cans featuring four flavors: Signature Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade and Blueberry Lemonade. Select flavors also will be available in stand-alone 24-ounce cans.

Known for its real, high-quality juices and variety of flavors, Simply Lemonade is the nation’s best-selling refrigerated lemonade. It is found in half of American households and already is routinely used by consumers to make cocktails.

“We’re taking Simply, the No. 1 juice brand in the U.S., and turning it into the drink of the summer,” says Joy Ghosh, vp-marketing for above-premium brands and flavored malt beverages for Molson Coors. “Simply is a beloved brand that is synonymous with real fruit juice, which makes Simply Spiked Lemonade poised to be a breakthrough hit this summer”

Simply Spiked Lemonade products are 5% alcohol by volume and are made with real fruit juice, which Ghosh says sets the brand apart from other competitors in the growing flavored alcohol beverage segment.

“This is not a seltzer. This is a full-flavored product that we think can win not only with drinkers of non-alc Simply who mix cocktails and FMB drinkers searching for something a little juicier,” Ghosh says.

The flavored malt beverage segment is growing, up 11% in dollar sales between 2020 and 2021, according to IRI. Moreover, the lemonade-flavor subsegment is exploding, up 49% since 2018, with more than $254 million in dollar sales, according to IRI.

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Ole Smoky Distillery Names 2022 Charity Partners

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

The two charity partners are Friends of the Smokies, a local charity, and Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE).  Friends of the Smokies is dedicated to protecting the birthplace of Ole Smoky Distillery, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the company is donating a portion of their Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine sales to the organization.

CORE serves food and beverage employees with children, providing financial relief when either an employee or their child faces a health crisis, injury, death or natural disaster. Ole Smoky Distillery will provide CORE a monetary donation in 2022, in addition to encouraging consumers to donate through point-of-sale materials featured in restaurants and bars across the U.S.

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Caorunn Launches Higher ABV Highland Strength Gin in U.S.

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Caorunn is launching its Highland Strength Gin in the U.S., this is the highest strength gin the portfolio at a bold 54% abv. Produced specifically to enhance cocktails, the higher alcohol content evaporates more quickly in the mouth leaving behind intense flavors and a longer finish. SRP: $40.

Produced at the Balmenach Distillery – a working whisky distillery located in the Scottish Highlands – Gin Master Simon Buley crafted Caorunn Highland Strength at a bold 54% ABV (alcohol by volume) to amplify the local Scottish botanicals that distinguish the original Caorunn Gin. “We find that with this higher ABV, the alcohol quickly evaporates in your mouth, leaving behind our beautiful botanical flavors that linger on your palate with a luxurious finish,” explained Buley.

Built in the 1920s, the Copper Berry Chamber was originally designed to extract essential oils to use as a base for perfumes. Absolutely unique in gin production, the round chamber contains four large trays on which Gin Master Simon Buley spreads the botanicals. As the vapor passes through the trays it picks up the flavors of each botanical in a long, slow process. When it cools and returns to liquid, now gin, the botanical flavors are firmly embedded in the spirit.

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Ackley Beverage Group Changes Name, Seeks New Brands

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Ackley Beverage Group has changed its name to Ackley Brands and said it is actively seeking new wine partnerships and acquisition opportunities.

Recently, Ackley Brands launched Borealis, a new Oregon Pinot Noir. Last year, the company debuted Cataclysm Wine Co, its first Washington wine, featuring a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Red Blend. In 2020, the company released its inaugural collection of Landlines Estates, a luxury wine crafted from small, distinct lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Tidalstar Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Over the past six years, the company has amplified the national notoriety of Montinore Estate, one of the nation’s largest producers of Biodynamic estate wines, with an expanded national sales team, professional services, and financial support.

Ackley Brands currently manages over 400 acres of pristine land in Oregon, including Montinore Estate’s 200-acre vineyard in the Tualatin Hills AVA, Tidalstar vineyard’s 30 acres and 177 additional acres in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, where the company has begun planting a new vineyard. All vineyard sites are managed using organic and biodynamic farming practices.

In addition to growing its portfolio of wines, Ackley Brands will be opening two tasting rooms this summer. In McMinnville, Oregon, the company is opening The Grove featuring Montinore Estate and Landlines Estates. In Woodinville, Washington, Ackley Brands will occupy two spaces at the curated Wine Walk Row of the Schoolhouse District, also showcasing Montinore Estate and Landlines Estates wines.

“It’s a very exciting time for us. Our growing number of brands and brick and mortar expansion are a testament to our commitment to the Northwest wine industry,” said Brandon Ackley, president. “We look forward to introducing new consumers to our wines across the country, while building more personal connections with the community at our tasting rooms.”

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Campari Sponsors Cannes Film Festival

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

It’s the first time Campari has sponsored the world-renowned Festival de Cannes, which is now in its 75th year.  This year’s festival is running May 17 – 28.

Throughout the Festival, Campari will offer an immersive lounge space that brings people into the world of Campari. Guests of the lounge will enjoy cocktails masterfully prepared and served by the distinguished bartenders of the Camparino in Galleria – the legendary bar opened by Davide Campari in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in 1915, which today proudly holds the position of #27 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list.

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