🎢 The On-Premise Chain Rollercoaster

On-premise chain accounts may have rebounded since the initial pandemic declines, but there are still struggles. NIQ on-premise arm CGA reported dollar sales increased +7.3% compared to the same period in 2022 but declined -2.5% year-over-year. Insiders can go deeper into the numbers.

Insiders are also:

• Reading the latest A Round With Q&A with Chandra Richter, head of product development at Kylie Jenner-backed vodka soda maker Spriter;
• Finding out about a big leadership change at Diageo North America;
• Getting details of a legal dispute brewing in Iowa over THC-infused beverages;
• Seeing where Blake’s Beverage is expanding next;
• Looking at the new keg display at the NBWA.

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

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On-premise chain accounts have bounced back from initial COVID-19 declines that shut down their businesses, but on-premise pains are far from over, according to CGA, the on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ. 

CGA analyzed on-premise chain trends from 15 states, with 52-week data through April 20, 2024.

The latest installment of Brewbound’s A Round With – a weekly Insider-exclusive Q&A series with industry leaders – features Chandra Richter, head of product development at Sprinter, the Kylie Jenner-backed line of ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka sodas.

Here is a snippet of the Q&A:

How do you match a demographic, in this case a specific celebrity’s audience, to flavor? Or do you?

Chandra: The goal was really to provide a good-tasting beverage to as broad of an audience as possible. That’s how we landed on the four fruit flavors in our first variety pack. These are all very well-loved and growing flavors in the U.S. market. 

Something like grapefruit has been gaining a lot of popularity and a lot of momentum over the last five years. And even this year, I'm once again seeing a lot of articles saying the Paloma is going to be the cocktail of the season. 

Insiders can read more about Sprinter’s connection to Jenner’s fans and Chandra’s experiences at Gallo and Drinkworks.

Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat breaks down the pros and cons of a potential sale of Boston Beer Company. Sarwat also examines potential suitors, Wall Street’s view of potential deals and why Boston Beer continues to be in conversations around M&A. 

Plus, the Brewbound team discusses the latest news, including the Kelce brothers’ investment in Garage Beer, Hulk Hogan’s new lager and Athletic’s acquisition of another Ballast Point brewery in San Diego.

Listen here or on your podcast platform of choice.

Brewbound is excited to announce three additional speakers for the Brewbound Live business conference December 11 and 12 in Marina del Rey, California. 

The two-day conference will bring together leaders from all three tiers for business-focused conversations on driving the bev-alc industry forward, data presentations, networking and brand building at the Marina del Rey Marriott. 

Joining the speaker roster are:

• Arthur Moye, owner and CEO of Full Circle Brewing;
• Kaleigh Theriault, director of thought leadership, beverage alcohol vertical, NIQ;
• Brian “BK” Krueger, VP of business development and portfolio strategies, Bump Williams Consulting.

They join previously announced speakers include: 

• Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner, Russian River Brewing;
• Peter Skrbek, CEO, Deschutes Brewery;
• Lester Jones, chief economist and VP of analytics, National Beer Wholesalers Association;
• Jennifer Hauke, founder and president, Draftline Technologies.

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Interested in speaking? Follow this link to see our speaker guidelines. 

In addition to the mainstage programming and networking parties, Brewbound Live will feature opportunities for one-to-one conversations between brewers and bev-alc brands and retail buyers from chains such as Whole Foods Market. Registered attendees will be considered for meetings with buyers, as space is limited. Find out more details here.

Brewbound Live tickets are available now.