COMING SOON!

Talk about a bounce back to start the new year! After one of the beer industry's worst years on record, Jan 2026 scans are some of the best we've seen in at least the post-Covid era. And while we knew things would be good with beer $$ up 3.5% and volume +2.1% for 4 wks thru Jan 25 (see Monday's issue), there are plenty more pick-me-ups to go 'round in the latest full set of Circana multi-outlet + convenience scans. All 4 of the top beer suppliers grew $$ yr-to-date, including AB +4.2%, Constellation +7%, Molson Coors +0.7% and Mark Anthony +6.2%. As did 7 of the top 10, with Diageo Beer Co up 9%, Kirin-Lion +6% and Yuengling up 7%. Even those that were down weren't down all that much: Boston Beer malt bevs -3.6%, HUSA -2% and Pabst dollar sales off just 1%. Number 11 and 12 suppliers in good shape too as Sierra Nevada $$ grew 6.4% and Geloso kept hummin' right along at +9%.STZ gained the most share, +0.6 pts, followed by AB and Mark Anthony each up 0.2 pts and DBCo up 0.1. Athletic also gained 0.1 share with $$ up 19% to start the year, while Happy Dad had the best growth trend of any top 25 supplier with $$ up nearly 40%.Recall, 29 of the top 50 brand fams, including 7 of the top 10, managed to grow $$ for first 4 wks too. Number 1 brand family by $$, Modelo, back to strong growth to start the new year, up 6% in Circana MULC. Bud brand family down just 2.5% YTD. But number 3 brand fam Michelob up big in 2026, growing 11.8% by $$ and gaining ground. That's best trend of any among the top 10. Michelob picked up a whopping 0.7 share of beer $$, by far the most of any brand family, up to 8.9 share YTD. Pacifico added 2d most share, +0.3 pts to 1.2. Modelo added 0.2 share to 10.5 while Bud fam dropped 0.6 pts to 10 share in these scans. White Claw and Busch families also added 0.2 share each.Sapporo, Athletic Run Wild, Corona Non-Alc, Goose Beer Hug & 2 White Claw Surges are New Top 100 Beer Brands by $$ Six brands freshly cracked the top 100 overall (by $$), most growing at a nice clip to start the year. Largest of the bunch was Sapporo Premium Draft at #87 overall with $$ up 15%. Sales were slightly bigger than Sam Adams and Labatt Blue thru Jan 25, tho keep in mind that Sam Adams Seasonal typically gets bigger in summer with Summer Ale and much bigger in fall with Octoberfest.A pair of non-alc brands made the top 100 brand list overall, with Athletic Run Wild IPA now #93 and Corona Non-Alcoholic at #98. But Athletic Run Wild IPA sales down 4% for the 4-wk period thru Jan 25 in these off-prem channels, while Corona NA was still rockin' up 44%. Athletic Run Wild still managed to outsell another fast-growing brand new to the top 100, Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug double IPA, which grew 19% and ranked #94 overall. And lastly, two White Claw Surge brands cracked the top 100. Blood Orange was #92 overall with sales up 26.5% while Surge variety pk #2was #96 overall (slightly ahead of Truly Unruly vty pk) with sales up 6%.Corona Sunbrew, Arnold Palmer Spiked Half & Half Iced Tea Lemonade, Leinenkugel's Shandy Seasonal, Mike's Hard variety pk, Modelo Chelada Pina Picante and Seagram's Escapes variety pk were brands that finished 2025 among top 100 but fell off the list to start 2026. Tho some may resurface in the top 100 as they enter peak selling seasons.

Starting Off On a High Note: 7 of Top 10 Suppliers and Brand Fams Growing YTD $$ in Circana MULC

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