Irish Whiskey Volumes Grow By 8.6% in 2019
Irish whiskey volumes grew by 8.6% in the US in 2019. Although it represents a smaller segment of the category, the pace of sales for Irish whiskey was higher than American, Canadian, and Scotch whiskies. The five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of Irish...
How the Coronavirus is Impacting Alcohol So Far
The alcohol industry is beginning to see an impact from the spreading coronavirus, Covid-19, in the form of postponed industry events, altered company performances and changes in global consumption trends. “There is no hiding the fact that the short‐term impact of...
MGP Ingredients Acquires D.C.’s New Columbia Distillers
MGP Ingredients has acquired New Columbia Distillers, makers of Green Hat Gin. The distillery was founded in Washington D.C. in 2011 by Michael Lowe and John Uselton. Its facilities include a distillery, tasting room, bar, and gin garden. The distillery will continue...
RNDC Makes Leadership Changes Following Young’s Deal
Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) revealed a new leadership structure as it looks to integrate operations with Young’s Market. The leadership team will oversee all of RNDC and Young’s workers in the US. The Commercial Sales Team, led by Bob Hendrickson,...
Vodka Category May Benefit from Skyrocketing Seltzer Sales
Hard seltzer sales reached a total of $1.5 billion in the US off-premise and $1.2 billion on-premise in 2019, according to a new report from Nielsen CGA. Between spring and fall of 2019, 7.5 million drinkers tried hard seltzer in the on-premise alone, many of which...
Diageo Settles with SEC for $5 Million
Diageo agreed to pay $5 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges from 2015. Although the company did not admit to any wrongdoing, it agreed to cease and desist from further violations. Per the SEC, the charges stem from claims that...
Constellation Invests in its First Non-Alcoholic Product
Constellation Brands has obtained a minority ownership stake in Karma Culture LLC, the creators of Karma Wellness Water. The deal marks Constellation’s first investment in a non-alcoholic beverage brand. Details of the deal were not disclosed to the public. The newly...
Wirtz Family Takes Ownership of Major Brands in Missouri
The Wirtz family has increased its stake in one of Missouri's largest wholesalers, Major Brands, by taking over the McCollum family’s shares. Major Brands CEO and owner Sue McCollum will exit ownership of the business, but continue to stay on and run the day-to-day...
Wine.com Launches Spirits Sales in California
Wine.com continues its expansion into the spirits category, adding California to the list of markets where it sells spirits online. In addition to California, the online retailer sells spirits in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The website includes an assortment of...