By start of last summer, ex-NFL star Troy Aikman's Eight light lager was among top new brands defined as craft in NielsenIQ scans, despite only being sold in Texas. But lately brand is struggling to lap its launch, with both $$ and volume down 54% for 4 wks ended May 20 in Total US xAOC + Liquor + Conv data shared by Bump Williams Consulting.

Here comes SweetWater Spirits. The Tilray-owned craft brewer announced a new line of canned cocktails this morn, launching in 2 flavors to start: Vodka Soda Citrus and Vodka Soda Punch. Both feature "premium vodka and real citrus fruit juices," sold in 4pks of 12oz slim cans at 105 calories each. They're available at "select" grocery stores, liquor stores, bars and restaurants, as well as at SweetWater's newly established branded bars within Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (see May 5 issue). Recall, SweetWater previously released RIFF Vodka Soda in 6pks of Citrus and Strawberry Mule flavors thru collab with Tilray's Riff Cannabis (but without THC). And it hinted at more spirits-based RTDs to come. (Tilray also owns Breckenridge Distillery). "The ready-to-drink cocktail category is witnessing rapid growth, and we are thrilled to introduce the new SweetWater Spirits line," said Tilray's prexy of US Beer, Ty Gilmore.

Dogfish Head is focused most on continuing to grow canned cocktails, 90 Minute IPA and new Citrus Squall launch as co aims to curb overall brand family declines. But it's supplementing core brands with latest set of innovations in core mkts too. Dogfish is extending new Squall brand into hazier realms with Hazy Squall IPA available thruout New England and Mid Atlantic. New Asteroid City Lager is being made in "celebration" of Wes Anderson's new movie "Asteroid City." The beer will be available during screenings at select Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide including NYC, Austin and Denver, and brand will be available for distribution in 4pk 16oz cans at its taprooms and "other regional retailers like Eataly NYC Flatiron." Plus, Bo-de-Gose collab with TALEA Beer Co is launching in distribution thruout New England and Mid-Atlantic for first time.

Long-time craft strongholds Portland, OR and Seattle, WA remain top US mkts for craft beer consumption. More beer drinkers choose craft in the 2 big PacNW cities than any other major metro mkt, according to Nielsen data analyzed late last wk by Seattle Times. In Portland, 42.6% of 21+ beer drinkers said they drank "a microbrew or craft beer in the past 30 days," easily the biggest number "among the 90 largest metro areas" in the US, the paper wrote. Seattle was about 5 pts behind, with 37.3% of beer drinkers choosing craft.

As the dust settles from pandemic hits and competition heating up in its home city, Chicago's Half Acre Brewing is focused on fine-tuning operations and portfolio, controlling the controllables as it aims to grow in 2023, CEO Kevin McGillen shared with CBN during recent visit to the brewery on Balmoral Ave. Since selling its original location to Hop Butcher to focus on its bigger facility (see Vol 12, No 42), Half Acre expanded its taproom area "significantly," including new outdoor beer garden, bolstered its R&D program, bought lots of new equipment, hired new key team members across various departments like procurement, quality control, innovation and hospitality, and more. Biggest investment this yr is in new fully automated kegging line that can clean and fill 60 half-bbls per hour, a "huge upgrade" for Half Acre once it's implemented, Kevin underscored. These days, there's a "need" to bolster efficiency amid rising costs and increased mkt challenges, he acknowledged.

Married couple in Utah named Ben and Amanda Ostler who come from sweetener side of biz are offering canned line called Kowa Mood Boost that manages feat of providing an energy lift without recourse to caffeine. They're backed by Lily Ruan, who runs their supplier of 5-HTP called Nura USA, as well as Orgain founder/ceo Andrew Abraham, who's been prolific individual investor with over 35 involvements. They've lately recruited sales vet Jay Byrd, most recently at Vitamin Energy, to help them build out right mix of DSD distribution partners.

It's beer news but has clear echo of reprioritization that's been occurring in non-alc bevs too: Constellation is fully wiping the slate clean of its craft endeavors as it chooses to ride a core Mexican-beer biz that hasn't really skipped a beat. In classic bury-the-news fashion on late Friday of Memorial Day weekend, co announced it will sell Funky Buddha back to its original founders Ryan and KC Sentz and Four Corners back to George Esquivel and co. And it separately shared with our sibling newsletter Insights Express that it's also sunsetting Two Lane brand made in partnership with country singer Luke Bryan. Recall that marketer of Corona and Modelo brands had earlier sold off its biggest craft acquisition, Ballast Point, a few years back. The move has echoes of portfolio cleansing that Coca-Cola has undertaken that saw it deep-six brands like Honest Tea, Zico Coconut Water and Hubert's Lemonade that it concluded didn't bring meaningful scale.

When pushing back against proposals to expand wine sales to grocery stores, indie liquor retailers often focus on the potential hit to their sales as folks opt to buy wine (or other alc bevs) elsewhere. That's precisely what owner of one Colorado liquor store discussed with a local Fox affiliate late last wk, commenting on outcome of state ballot proposal that opened up wine sales to grocery stores starting in March. "The majority of our business is wine and so the impact of this is greater than any other event since I've been here," one operator said.