1st BATCH OF FILES AVAILABLE NOW!

Slowly but surely, Sierra Nevada continues to blaze a better path. Its total off-premise $$ sales grew 2.4% yr-to-date thru Mar 22 in Circana multi-outlet + convenience data, including a stronger 4.2% gain in foodstores. And while Hazy Little Thing continued up a strong 7.6% in grocery for the period, it ain't alone. Pale Ale also grew, +3.1% in the first 12 wks of 2026 in the key channel. So the co's "feeling very positive about where we're sitting year to date," chief commercial officer Ellie Preslar told CBN this wk. The good vibes got an extra jolt Tuesday, when co placed #2 on the Brewers Assn's list of top 50 indie craft brewers, she noted. Pale Ale Growing Ahead of Natl Parks Program's Return Just over 4 yrs with the co, Ellie can finally say that Pale Ale is growing (tho she'll quickly follow-up the comment with instructions to "cross all your fingers and toes" to keep it going). Pale Ale $$ are up 2.9% YTD thru Apr 4 in the NielsenIQ data she follows, with cases up close to 1%. The turnaround feels particularly sweet as it's a "testament" to the co staying "super true" to the "heritage" and "story" of Pale Ale and Sierra Nevada as a whole. That's the basis of co's Taste What Matters campaign and its partnership with the National Parks Foundation, which is just kicking off its 2nd yr, a "natural tie to what we've always done," Ellie said.The launch of the program, which includes special limited-time packaging that replaces the well-known Sierra Nevada mountain scene on Pale Ale with images of iconic natl parks, didn't turn the brand's trends positive in its first yr, Ellie acknowledged. But she understands "the power of consistency in marketing and messaging." To gauge the program's success last yr, she focused on "consumer sentiment around the campaign" and found that "there's not negativity around the support with the national parks." It was simply "so beloved."Digging underneath the surface, Ellie and co saw an "increased rate of sale" for Pale, especially "where we had display and activation with feature support with our wholesalers and retailers." That suggested to her that "this program is resonating." When the park-focused packaging ended, co "stuck with that messaging" and its "support for the outdoors" during the winter and now the brand "returned to growth ahead of the national parks programming" coming back. Judging by early depletion data in the ramp up to those displays, Ellie's "very hopeful" that current gains can be sustained thru the summer.Hazy Little Thing Growing into Year 9; Strong C-Store Trends; Good Start for Draft The shift for Pale Ale compounds gains from the co's most consistent growth engine, Hazy Little Thing. Now 9 years in, "we're still growing," Ellie said. HLT $$ grew 5%, volume +3.4% YTD in co's internal NIQ data, Ellie shared, which includes (the particularly challenged) liquor channel. But in separate Circana data, it's getting even stronger growth in c-stores, up low double digits thru Mar 22. Ongoing HLT gains feel particularly good amid the now steady flow of new Little Things, including current limited release Mellow Little Thing, Ellie said. And a draft-focused wholesaler incentive program in Feb helped lead to a gain of "well over 2,000 distribution points on Hazy draft alone," Ellie told us, contributing to "a very healthy start" to Sierra's overall draft biz.Aiming to "Bring Folks Back" to Craft, Beer with Hazy, Pils While pleased with the co's own results, "we really want the craft segment to be healthier" and "growing," Ellie commented. That's what's "going to benefit all of us the most." And Sierra's trying to take a leadership role to "bring folks back into craft and back into beer." When it comes to Hazy Little Thing, "the data supports that it is a great entry point for people into craft," Ellie said. That's a story the co "leaned into" last yr with experiential event activations, which will return bigger and better in 2026, paired with additional support for the brand (stay tuned).The "early kind of resonance that we're seeing through this culinary positioning" for Sierra's new Pils suggests that beer represents a "different way for us to reach an audience" that may not be drinking craft beer right now, Ellie mused. Work with the James Beard Foundation and its Taste America event series gives the co the oppy to "make sure that beer has a seat at the table" in fine dining. It can also squarely fit in with some of the co's other long-time core values. For instance, a recent beer dinner with Sierra's in-house chef in North Carolina and a local James Beard finalist emphasized sustainable ingredient sourcing and regenerative agriculture.Springfest, Best Ghost and Trail Pass Help Drive Early Yr Gains Messaging for Sierra's new spring seasonal this yr, Springfest IPA, also centered on the regenerative crops used for the beer, which "resonated really well." We'll say. Sitting in the dreaded spring seasonal slot for its first yr, the new beer beat out last yr's entry by a long shot, with $$ up near 25% in Circana foodstores YTD to Mar 22. Sales and depletions are "all very positive" and it's turning at a faster rate than co's seen the last couple years, Ellie shared with us. It's "our intent and our objective" for Springfest to settle into a long-term role as co's spring seasonal, she reported. But she's "hesitant to say that we cracked the code" and "the proof will be in the next year or two."Other big growth drivers early this year include co's non-alc beer brand fam Trail Pass and the launch of West Ghost IPA in 16oz 4 pks in about a dozen states. Co's NA brand fam "continues to grow," Ellie said, "despite all the new entrants," which she attributes to the "best liquid in the business," giving "significant credit to our brewing team." Early this yr, "the variety pack is doing incredibly well" and "just got refreshed with a new beer." Then there's the "overwhelming reception" to West Ghost, which is "taxing our supply team every day" to get more out the door. So tho the co is obviously seeing ongoing pressure in other parts of its portfolio, a lot of key elements are moving in the right direction as we move into the summer selling season.

Pale Ale Back in the Green Before Natl Parks Program Returns, Helping Drive Positive Q1 for Sierra Nevada

Publishing Info