Vol 7, No 32   Aug 10, 2026

All articles shown below are excerpts from one of INSIGHTS’ 5 paid newsletter publications.
Sign up to receive the free weekly Digest directly to your inbox.
Subscribe to our other publications to read full articles.

A Weaker Week; Beer Volume Down 4.1% in Circana; Even Some Spirits RTDs Slowed; Good Boy a Top 50 “Spirits” Fam EXPRESS – Aug 3 Just one week, but beer slipped back to a 4.1% volume decline and $$ down 2.8% in Circana multi-outlet + convenience for 1 week thru Jul 26. Volume down 3% for 4 and 12 weeks and down 2.5% for 26 weeks. So softening not that severe and perhaps to be expected post-World Cup and July 4. “While not pleasant, reduction is not as concerning or surprising given the holiday/World Cup and we still have not stabilized prices at the pump,” said Circana evp Scott Scanlon. Michelob family volume still up 3.8%, but Modelo family slipped to a 1.5% decline in latest week. Miller Lite down 8%, Bud family down 9%, Twisted down 9% and Heineken down 13% in this tougher week. But Pacifico still up 24%, New Belgium brand family up 9%, Athletic up 15.5% in latest week.


AB Craft Posted Tuffer Q2 in Scans as Goose & Kona Slipped; $$ Still Flattish, Gaining Share YTD CRAFT – Aug 3 AB craft beer portfolio trends took a tuffer turn in recent mos, at least in tracked off-prem channels. After starting the yr up 3% by $$ for first 12 wks thru Mar 22, sales slipped 3% with volume down 6% for last 12 wks thru Jul 12 in Circana multi-outlet + convenience data. That puts YTD sales flattish with volume off nearly 3%. Still gaining 0.2 share of craft $$, 0.1 share of volume for the year, but shedding a bit more recently. AB’s top brand fam by $$ Goose Island had been growing previously but dipped 2% for last 12 wks including particularly soft sales since Jun. And Kona craft family $$ dropped 12% for last 12 wks, now down 9% YTD as AB megabrand Kona Big Wave is down mid singles (-10% for 12 wks and rest of the family is down steep double digits aside from Kona variety pk). Goose family is still up 4% for the year.


Beer Shipments Down 2% in Jun, Down Nearly 4% for the Half EXPRESS – Aug 4 While on-premise sales were boosted amid World Cup action, total US beer volume remained soft for the mo, latest Beer Inst economic report shows. Beer shipments slipped about 2% in Jun 2026 vs yr ago, including taxpaids down an estimated 2.6% while imports were flat, per US Dept of Commerce data. That put US beer down a little under 4% thru the 1st half of 2026, dragged by taxpaids off 4.5% and imports down a little less than 2%, offset slightly by healthier hard cider and non-alc beer trends. Suggests industry shed ~3.5 mil bbls vs yr ago thru the 1st half, INSIGHTS estimates. Disappointing goin’ up against what was thought to be easier comps as industry slipped nearly 5% in the first half of 2025 vs 2024. Tho trend improved a bit, at least. Depletions fared a bit better than shipments for the half. And pricing offset part of the volume drop as CPI for beer at home rose 2.1% YTD thru Jun.


Heineken USA Volume Down High Single Digits in First Half; Good Results Globally EXPRESS – Aug 5 Like ABI, Heineken exceeded analyst expectations globally in its first half results announced Aug 5. Consolidated volume up 0.4%, total volume (including licensed) up 1.6% “accelerating in Q2,” net revs up 2.7% and operating profit up 6.7%. But Heineken’s Americas region lagged in larger mkts (for Heineken) like Mexico and Brazil, and more so in US. “In the USA, volume declined by a high-single digit in a challenging beer market,” said Heineken, in brief comment. Lagunitas got a rare shout out as it “gained share in both the craft segment and the total beer market” in first half, Heineken said. Heineken 0.0 franchise “expanded” 0.0 with Ultimate and flavor extensions (its trends picking up steam recently). Dos Equis “performed broadly in line with the market following the relaunch of its Stay Thirsty campaign,” said co. But Dos (and HUSA more broadly) likely doing better on-premise than off. Dos $$ sales down around 7% in NIQ and HUSA down 9-10% YTD in those channels, as its core Heineken brand declined double digits off-premise.


Tilray to Shift Terrapin Brewing to Other Facilities; Taproom, Warehouse & Repack Ops “Will Remain Open” CRAFT - Aug 5 Part of Tilray’s ongoing efforts to reduce costs across craft operations includes plans to transition Terrapin production from its Athens facility to other Tilray outposts, co confirmed after The Red & Black reported on part of the news listed in Tilray’s annual report. “As part of our ongoing efforts to optimize our brewing network and support our long-term operating model, we will transition brewing production from Athens to other breweries within our network effective 25 September 2026,” Tilray told CBN. Yet the Terrapin taproom, warehouse and repack operations “will remain open and continue serving customers from the current location.”


Molson Coors US Depletions Down 6% in Q2; Shipments Down 7%;  Profits Way Off But Beat Expectations; Guidance Reaffirmed EXPRESS – Aug 6 Molson Coors sales-to-retailers much softer in Q2 than Q1 and softer than its top US competitor. MC reported US sales-to-retailers down 6% in Q2, compared to 3.5% in Q1. AB STRs trend also over 2 pts softer in Q2, but its STRs down 1.9%, following slight gain in Q1. MC Q2 US shipments to wholesalers trend at -6.7%, “inclusive of domestic volumes -7.3%,” and contract/non-owned brands making up some difference. Also includes incremental Monaco sales since the acquisition closed in early Apr. Total Molson Coors net sales down 3.3% to $3.1 bil, 3.6% in constant currency in Q2, down just 1% in first half. But income before income taxes almost cut in half in Q2, down $272 mil, 49% to $283.1 mil, “primarily due to unfavorable changes in our unrealized mark-to-market commodity derivative positions” of $98 mil, as well as “lower financial volume” and “cost inflation related to material logistics and manufacturing expenses.”


Diageo Beer Co USA Grew 3-4%, But US Spirits Down Double-Digits for Fiscal Yr; Dragged Global Net Sales -3% EXPRESS – Aug 6 Diageo Beer Co USA remains a bright spot in the beer and alc bev biz as volume grew 3.4% with net sales up 4.4% for its fiscal year thru Jun 2026 vs year ago. That was “driven by growth in Guinness, led by Guinness Draught and Smirnoff RTD which grew mid-single-digit” by revenue, “reflecting continued investment and innovation, including Smirnoff Sunny Days and Smirnoff Shorties.” But Diageo’s US spirits biz dropped 10.5% by volume with reported net sales -13% (a couple pts better organically). Depletions were a bit better than shipments as distribs “moderated orders in response to the softer consumer environment” while also lapping tuffer comps on shipments yr ago. Tequila net sales plummeted 21% amid steep Don Julio and Casamigos drops, and Crown Royal whiskey net sales slipped 16%, while vodka and scotch sales slipped just 1%, offsetting 35% growth in RTDs/Cocktails. All told, soft US spirits dragged Diageo North America net sales -9% to $7.25 bil with volume -7% to 46.1 mil units.  


Celsius Shares Crash on Weaker-Than-Expected Core-Brand Performance in Q2 tho Alani Boomed; ‘Went Too Deep’ on Cuts, CEO Fieldly Allows; Trying Again to Make 16-Oz Format Click BEV INSIGHTS – Aug 6  Celsius Holdings shares were in deep retreat last Thur  after co disappointed Wall Street with steep decline in namesake core brand, even tho acquired Alani Nu brand continued to be on fire. Celsius-brand revenue sagged by 11.7% in Q2 after co had cut sku’s and eased back on innovation to clear path for integration of Alani into DSD system of CELH’s strategic partner PepsiCo, for whom it serves as category captain. Softness in club channel also was cited as a headwind. In q&a with Wall Streeters this morning, CEO John Fieldly allowed that co might have been too aggressive in winnowing Celsius sku’s, tho he’s still promising a bounceback in 2027. One key priority: figure out brand’s play in 16-oz format, after earlier 300 mg entry called Heat didn’t pan out and latest effort dubbed Essentials hasn’t meaningfully moved the needle.


Breakthru Will Not Buy RNDC Biz in IN and KY EXPRESS – Aug 7 Breakthru signed letter of intent to purchase RNDC biz in IN and KY back in early May at same time as Quality Brands signed LOI for Dakotas and Nebraska. Quality deal already closed, but Breakthru deal not happening, INSIGHTS hears from multiple sources. Back in May, Breakthru ceo Tom Bene said that now defunct deal “reflects our continued commitment to thoughtful and strategic expansion.” So something clearly changed. Did due diligence uncover additional issues with RNDC biz? It lost several key supplier partners in those states over the last yr, adding to co’s considerations. Or are there other reasons Breakthru has for not going thru with the deal? 


Monster Beverage Unleashes Growth Beast in Q2 with US Up 10%, Overseas Markets +29%; Setting Stage for Fall Price Move; Working Diligently to Recruit New Consumers BEV INSIGHTS – Aug 7 Monster Beverage turned in a strong Q2 of kind not often seen with mature CPG player as its core energy drinks surged nearly 20%, producing co’s first $2.5 bil quarter. US market delivered a solid 10% rise but overseas markets exploded by 29% as Calif-based co wielded matrix of core and fighter brands via Coca-Cola system to build on presence in markets like Brazil. New qtr is off to a solid start too, with Jul sales up 13.9%. Even as rival Celsius Holdings navigates some turbulence on core brand, CEO Hilton Schlosberg offered no reason to doubt the momentum would continue for MNST thru back half of yr as fertile category keeps on giving. “The energy drink category continues to attract new consumers, expand usage occasions and increase household penetration,” he told investors.


MNST Alc Bev Sales Down 11% to $65 Mil Thru 1st Half; Oper Income Slashed in Half; Several Cigar City Growth Brands CRAFT – Aug 7 Monster’s alc bev biz continues to slide in 2026 as its Beast FMB and various craft brand declines keep offsetting solid gains from Cigar City, Blind Lemon hard lemonades and innovations like Just Vibe vodka RTDs, Stunt Double strong lager and BFC Tex-Mex cerveza & lime strong lager. MNST’s alc bev oper income slashed in half to $17 mil YTD thru Jun 2026 vs yr ago even as oper expenses reduced by more than 1/3. That’s as MNST energy maintained its torrid growth pace, growing net sales and volume more than 20% in Q2 to $2.5 bil off of 305 mil 192-oz case equivs. For the half, MNST energy sold nearly 580 mil energy cases, rising to $4.9 bil in revs while oper income spiked to nearly $1.5 bil. So alc bevs slid to just 1.3% of its net revs and 1.1% of oper income (tho still higher % of the mix in US).


Fixation on Daily Use Misses Key Distinctions, Use Disorders: NSDUH Follow-Up ALCOHOL ISSUES – Aug 7 Once again, press inside and outside the alcohol and cannabis industries made much of recent results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which now show more daily or near daily cannabis users than either daily drinkers or smokers. Marijuana Moment pounced on the stats, riffing on a metric popularized by a viral 2024 paper analyzing 2022 NSDUH results to show that daily cannabis consumption was already more common than daily drinking. But the metric remains as imperfect as it was at the time, since cannabis users have been at least twice as likely as drinkers to consume daily for decades, as we wrote two years ago. Further, discussion of these stats generally skirts other NSDUH results, including the relative prevalence of both underage use and use disorders.


Beer, Wine & Spirits Converge at the 2026 Beer Insights Seminar, Nov 8-9 in NYC As bev alc’s center of gravity continues to shift, this year's Beer Insights Seminar puts you in the room with the people driving change. Join us Nov 8-9 in New York City for a program featuring: a multigenerational interview with leaders of the largest wine & spirits distributor in the country, Wayne, David & Mark Chaplin of Southern Glazer’s, which also happens to be getting much bigger in beer; a candid conversation with Constellation’s new president & ceo, Nick Fink; Molson Coors chief strategy and capabilities officer, Jeff Long, as the company seeks to move beyond its traditional beer roots; plus Good Boy Vodka founder & ceo Alex Pratt as the red-hot RTD brand continues its climb. And we’re happy to announce the return of our Wall St Analyst panel featuring Evercore ISI’s Robert Ottenstein, HSBC’s Carlos Laboy and Goldman Sachs’ Bonnie Herzog. Sign up for the 32nd annual Seminar today to save $200 with the early-bird rate.

Subscribe To Beer Marketer's INSIGHTS | Subscribe To INSIGHTS Express | Subscribe To Craft Brew News
Subscribe To Beverage Business INSIGHTS | Subscribe To Alcohol Issues INSIGHTS

Follow @BeerInsights Follow @CraftInsights Follow @BevInsights
LinkedIn