UK espresso concentrate maker Solo Coffee has sold a minority stake to Kliro Capital Partners, per reports in World Coffee Portal and elsewhere. Founded 5 years ago by award-winning baristas Alex Foss Sims and Theo Garcia, foodservice-oriented co claims to distribute to 2K hospitality accts as it rides espresso martini wave. By now it calculates that it's coffee base for 1 in 30 espresso martinis in UK at accts like Mitchell's, Butler's, ownership group of All Bar One, O'Neills, Miller and Carter, and pub chain Stonegate, per website blog. With new investment, it's ready to head to US, where it's already established production footprint and is seeking distributors. It also sells cold-brewed espresso shots and gift packs with Mr Coffee Liqueur. Still small, Solo grew by 160% to £1.17 mil ($1.4 mil) in fiscal year ended Apr 30 and anticipates operating profitably in current fiscal year. A crowdfunding round so far has pulled in £465K on CrowdCube platform. As for Kliro, it was founded last year by spirits vet Warren Scott and this past Jul acquired Intercontinental Brands Ltd and its Cactus Jack, Veroni Amaretto and Apertini brands.

For many small bevcos, UNFI is a distributor they love to hate for its high-handed approach and endless chiseling on billbacks and other deductions. But broadline giant is undergoing its own severe stresses, thrown into high relief yesterday when ceo Sandy Douglas disclosed a shakeup of the board even as shares crashed following another disappointing quarter. Recall that as it pursues sweeping transformation plan, UNFI (short for United Natural Foods Inc) has been consolidating operating regions, cutting staff and pruning sku range as it moves to automate its warehouses and become more data-intensive operation. Douglas, of course, is former N Amer leader of Coca-Cola; UNFI chmn Jack Stahl also was a longtime Coke exec. The moves have been driven in part by major shareholder JCP Investment Management, whose founder/owner James Pappas is among the new board members.

Walking into the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Chicago was one of those moments when "reality exceeds" the high expectations set by years of blueprints and renderings, Diageo Beer Co USA Rodney Williams shared with INSIGHTS during the location's ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday. The 15K sq-ft brewery, taproom, restaurant and bakery, located in a former rail depot, is now the 2nd US location for Diageo's Guinness brand, following opening of the Baltimore showpiece visitor's center in 2018.

It's not just off-prem where spirits continue to gain ground on beer. "Beer is losing at Buffalo Wild Wings," and "in the on-premise," alc bev director for BWW Jason Murphy commented on panel with Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione and Tamarron Consulting's Laurie Scheiffler at Brewbound Brew Talks in Denver last week. Beer's been "losing for a while," and the industry's "got to come up with fun ways to bring that back" or it's in danger of losing further ground, he warned. BWW's gonna reach "an inflection point soon" and the 30 tap handles currently allotted to beer per store might get cut down to add wine, batch cocktails, nitro cold brews and other lines. So 30 handles now might become 20, he thought. Co's "already talking about" that possibility and it's "a decision we're going to have to make soon." (A longer version of this article appeared in Craft Brew News.)

Here's a close up of softness across alc bevs in latest week thru 9/17 of Circana multi-outlet + convenience data. Total alc bev volume down 3.5%, with beer down 3.7%, wine down 5.2% and spirits up 5.6%, but most of growth in spirits centric seltzer (mostly High Noon), still up 42%. Lead players in each bev category took volume hits in latest week: AB down 15.3% in beer, Gallo down 7.7% in wine (tho up 19% in spirits) and Diageo down 5% in spirits. Not a healthy biz when lead player in each taking such hits.

Inflationary environment and competition continues to impact craft beer landscape in US and beyond. Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn founder and brewmaster Dougal Sharp sez this past yr was "without a doubt the toughest year we faced," he told The Herald Scotland. That's even as Innis & Gunn reported 7.7% rise in revs to £22.7 in 2022, flagship lager increased volume and mkt share, and co opened its 4th taproom. But pre-tax loss doubled to £2.4 mil as administrative expenses and other cost of goods spiked as well, article detailed. This yr, after Bank of England held interest rates at 5.25% and CPI slowed to 6.7% in Aug (rising at higher rate than in US currently), there are signs of challenging cost environment "beginning to ease."

Old Stove Brewing is officially the new occupant of Lagunitas' former Seattle location. The WA-based brewer, which already operates a taproom in Seattle's Pike Place Market as well as a "Ship Canal" outpost further north in the city, soft opened in the 16.5K sq-ft Ballard brewpub on Sat. It plans to use 12K sq-ft production facility for packaged product as well as to run a full-service taproom, an expansive outdoor beer garden and a BBQ-themed menu led by "popular Seattle barbecue chef Darrell Sawyer," New School Beer reports. There's still "much of the expansive project that needs to be finished," article notes, tho production facility is "nearing completion" and co's "Gardens" location will employ staff of 11 people.

Barring further attempts to stretch the 5.5-yr dispute on any longer, the jury's $56-mil verdict in favor of Stone Brewing in its trademark infringement suit with Molson Coors over Keystone Light rebranding will stand (as sibling pub INSIGHTS Express reported earlier this week). Both breweries sought post-trial adjustments, including possibility of a new trial altogether. But same district ct judge in Southern CA who oversaw the whole ordeal determined enough was enough, denying both cos motions today after a hearing early this mo.