Black Rifle marketing opportunities abound (SBEA)
The staff of a restaurant in San Francisco denied service to three police officers in uniform and asked them to leave. The staff was "uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons," according to the restaurant's Instagram account. The restaurant said it was not because they were police officers but because they carried guns.
Black Rifle Coffee Company has taken advantage of similar incidents to promote its support of first responders. The incidents make for compelling marketing opportunities for the brand. We hosted our Black Book last week of Black Rifle Coffee Company. CLICK HERE for the replay and materials.
Pennsylvania wine sales are driven by the premium (VWE)
According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Annual report, alcohol sales grew 9.8% for the fiscal year ended June 2021. Non-luxury spirits sales grew 24.4% for the fiscal year. Non-luxury wine sales grew 3.5% on top of the 2.3% growth in the prior year. In Pennsylvania, ultra-premium wines (priced $10.99-$2,999.99) had the highest growth rate of 27%. Wines priced between $4 and $23.07 decreased 3.1% YOY. Standard wines priced between $4.49 and $79.99 grew 6.7%, while super-premium wines priced between $9.64 and $299.99 grew 14%.
Hard seltzer's challenges (SAM)
For hard seltzers to reach the 10% share of the beer category that a year ago seemed quickly within reach, on-premise sales need to catch up. This year, the hard seltzer category has an 8% share of the beer category, but the on-premise share is only 3.6%, as seen in the chart below. The only sub-categories that are more under-indexed in the on-premise channel are malt liquor and below premium beer, which is not economical for establishments. Draft is still rare for hard seltzer, can sales do not fit with all establishments, and bartenders prefer to make a spirits-based seltzer drink.
Since the summer, the hard seltzer category has struggled to maintain the YOY growth, making sales more seasonal. Does the category answer the challenges of seasonality or on-premise under-indexing?
For a replay of our most recent Hard Seltzer/Boston Beer, Black Book, CLICK HERE.
