A solid performance for bevs as volume and dollars grew at same time in every segment except liquid coffee and in bottled waters, where volume grew while prices held even for 4 wks thru Nov 2 in NielsenIQ data reported by Goldman Sachs. The best volume gainer by far was small coconut water segment, up 20% for 4 wks.

No shocker that craft sales remain in the red. But both craft trends and total beer look better for 4 wks thru Nov 3 in the latest Circana multi-outlet + convenience scans. Ex-NAs, craft sales improved to $$ down 1.9% with volume -3.4% for 4 wks. Compare that to $$ decline of 3.3% and vol down 4.9% yr-to-date. Yet total beer trend improved even more with $$ +2.1% and cases down just 0.1% for the 4-wk period. So craft still shed 0.4 share of category $$ and -0.25 share of volume, slightly more than YTD. Thru 10 mos and change, craft lost 0.3 $$ share and 0.2 of volume, with total beer $$ now down 0.5% YTD and volume -2.6%.

Superpremium segment became the #2 beer segment gainer for latest 12 wks thru Nov 3 in Circana multi-outlet + convenience data, nudging ahead of FMBs in more recent periods. Superpremium $$ sales popped 5.3%, $53 mil for 12 wks including +7% in the latest 4 wks. FMBs grew 4.8%, $51 mil for last 12 wks, only just behind superpremium tho still outgaining 'em YTD. Imports remain the steadfast #1 growth segment, up 4%, $115 mil for 12 wks.

Pending research by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), designed to inform the next edition of the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), is "entirely different" from work being done by the National Academies (NASEM). And contrary to critiques by lawmakers (and industry), it "is indeed thoroughly informed by and consistent with the ICCPUD's charge." So writes the public-health aligned US Alcohol Policy Alliance in a draft letter to Congress that it circulated this morning. The org seeks as many signatures from its member network as possible by Monday.

After starting out flattish thru 1st half, beer shipments took a (needed) backward step in Q3 as in first half shipments had trended way ahead of depletions. So shipments declined more than 4% in Q3, shedding 2.3 mil bbls. Taxpaid domestic shipments down a whopping 7%, only partly offset by imports' 5% gain. That dragged volume down 1.5% YTD thru Sep with taxpaids down 4% and imports still rockin' up 7%. Total imports rose to nearly 23 share of US beer volume while domestic taxpaids (76), hard cider (0.6) and NA beer (0.6) collectively down to 77 share.