🌊 Molson Coors Cautious After 'Choppy' April

Molson Coors executives explained why they’re taking a cautious stance during the company’s Q1 earnings call. A “choppy” April and what they’re seeing in consumer behavior has left leadership wary. Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata has the full details for Brewbound Insiders.

Insiders are also:

• Reading about the DEA’s proposal to lower the classification for marijuana (newsletter exclusive);
• Finding out about Beam’s rebrand;
• Learning more about a “Big Juicy” lawsuit in Washington state;
• Diving into the latest weekly Circana scans (newsletter exclusive);
• And getting a look at Dale’s denim 15-packs (newsletter exclusive).

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

Become a Brewbound Insider today!

Or, be in the know on all food and beverage news from Brewbound, BevNET and NOSH with Insider All Access.

We loved showing this amazing skateboard off at CBC and wanted to give people who didn't attend a chance to win it! This limited-edition skateboard would look dope on you taproom wall or cruising around the brewhouse. Enter to win today! Learn more

Molson Coors’ shipments in the Americas outpaced depletions by more than 750,000 hectoliters (more than 639,000 barrels), exceeding the company’s already inflated expectations for Q1 as it prepares for elevated summer sales, leadership shared Tuesday on a call with investors and analysts. 

Shipments increased +7.5% in the division, which includes the U.S. and Canada, while depletions increased +5.3%. 

CEO Gavin Hattersley said: “For the first quarter, our shipments certainly were higher than what we were expecting. We were obviously planning to ship higher than our brand volumes, but our supply chain team did a tremendous job actually exceeding our expectations each and every week.

“We have a strike down in Fort Worth, [Texas] and we have a contingency plan and our contingency plan is working better than we had originally expected.”

Union workers from Molson Coors’ Fort Worth facility have been on strike since February 17 after the Teamsters and Molson Coors failed to reach a new three-year contract. Employees have asked for pay raises and an end to a tiered system for healthcare and retirement benefits. 

Teamsters have rejected multiple contract offers that included less than $1 pay raises, the latest of which was rejected on Sunday, according to a post on the Teamsters’ Instagram page. 

Insiders can read more from the call, including leaders’ comments on being “cautious” with category expectations, reversing Blue Moon trends and the staying power of flavor-forward innovations.

Spokane, Washington-based No-Li Brewhouse has filed a lawsuit against Tilray Brands alleging that the beer and cannabis platform has infringed on its trademark for “Big Juicy” beers, according to Law360.

At issue is Tilray’s use of “Big Juicy” in the name for Redhook’s Big Juicy Ballard IPA, which No-Li alleges has infringed on its mark for “Big Juicy,” according to the lawsuit filed Friday in the U.S. District Court  for the Eastern District of Washington.

Insiders can get more details on the lawsuit.

Beam Suntory is rebranding to Suntory Global Spirits, a move that both reflects back on the decade since the Japanese spirit giant acquired the maker of Jim Beam, as well as the company’s continued evolution into a global premium spirits and ready-to-drink competitor.

Suntory announced the rebrand Tuesday, which includes the launch of a new website and visual identity that celebrates “Suntory Global Spirits’ distinctive, unmatched focus on quality, craftsmanship and sustainability,” according to the press release. The new brand will still have “defining brand attributes” connected to those of its parent company, Suntory Holdings.

Brewbound Insiders can read more about the rebrand.

The Brewbound Live business conference returns December 11 and 12 in Marina del Rey, California.

Brewbound Live will feature beverage-alcohol industry leaders taking part in business-focused conversations, data presentations, networking and much more across two days at the Marina del Rey Marriott.

Brewbound announced the first speakers for this year’s conference. They include:

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

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

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.

Register for Brewbound Live 2024.