INSIGHTS Express Vol 27, No 85 Apr 23, 2025
News, Numbers, Info and More 200+X a year published by Beer Marketer’s INSIGHTS, Inc.
US Beverage 2.5 Mil Cases & Lookin’ for More Brands That Fit; Imports Up Low-Double-Digits; Woodchuck Early Days; Craft & Beyond Beer Expansion
US Beverage’s unique and increasingly diverse platform sells approximately 2.5 mil cases/yr in the US, spanning imports/international brands, craft beers, FMBs, hard ciders and spirits servicing all 50 states and ~350 distribs. Co’s actively looking to build its portfolio with brands that complement the mix as its biz capabilities enhanced from a sales & mktg platform to “full-service,” US Beverage veep of biz development Kris Sjolander told INSIGHTS. It “could have a portfolio three times the size tomorrow” with many suppliers lookin’ for partners, but that “doesn’t make sense” for its platform, Kris underscored. Co thinks of itself as “brand builders” with exec team chock full of distrib-side experience that knows the ins and outs of the biz, sales team of ~40 reps across the country, and a willingness to invest as the portfolio continues to change.
Imports/International Brands 50% of Its Mix & Growing; Erdinger “Excitement”; Moosehead #1; Birra Moretti & Damms Even as US Beverage expanded more into craft and beyond beer segments, import/international brands still make up about half of its mix, Kris shared. Impressively, its import/international brands are collectively up “low double digits” this year against the backdrop of extra soft beer industry trends. Erdinger is one of its more “exciting” growth brands since partnering in early 2024 as co just launched its helles lager in the US this yr. It quickly became one of co’s largest brands in the portfolio. Birra Moretti is another gainer after just introducing draft into the US, on top of solid off-prem growth. Spanish brands Estrella Damm and Daura Damm are up strong double digits off-premise in 2025 scans and Czechvar remains solid.
“Old reliables” like Moosehead are back to growth as well, as it remains US Bev’s lead brand, said Kris. Co’s trying to spark the next generation of younger consumers’ interest in Moosehead while educating folks on the 2d oldest family-owned brewery in North America behind only Yuengling. While brands have come and gone from the portfolio, Heineken remains one of US Beverage’s “longest and strongest partners,” currently selling Dragon Stout, Tiger, Superior and Cerveceria La Tropical. Co’s always looking for top-tier import brands from their respective countries, Kris noted. Net-net, “it’s been amazing to watch through the years how steady imports have been,” and “our stable of imports have really done a fantastic job weathering a lot of different storms.”
VT Cider Has “A Lot of Upside” VT Cider (Woodchuck & Wyders) sales & mktg partnership is just getting started after officially transitioning to US Bev in late Jan. While Woodchuck is a long way from its 3-mil-case peak, “there’s a lot of upside with that brand,” Kris underscored. This ain’t US Bev’s first foray with hard cider, previously helping 1911 Hard Cider build into a solid brand sold across half the country. Woodchuck provides a potentially larger oppy sold nationally, instantly becoming one of US Bev’s larger brands in the book.
US Bev Expanded Capabilities thru Craft Partners; Craft Crossroads, Shared Services Needed US Bev capabilities changed post-pandemic primarily thru acquisition of Uinta Brewing in early 2022 plus sales & mktg partnership with Captain Lawrence in early 2023, providing oppys for production solutions on top of sales & mktg and consulting. Gaining production capabilities was always a target for US Beverage and during the pandemic, many of its key European import partners sought potential for US production as products were delayed significantly from entering US ports at the time. Uinta also opened up avenues for more of a west coast presence with easier transit and freight.
At the same time, Kris didn’t underplay the “headwinds” felt thruout craft that Uinta and Captain Lawrence continue to feel. But Uinta helped US Beverage become “a more well-rounded business” and the company is investing more into that facility, adding tunnel pasteurization that will allow for “more contract opportunities” and “internal opportunities” with international partners. And Captain Lawrence provides some of those same capabilities in the east (on a smaller scale), while US Beverage sales & mktg partnership helps free up time for Captain Lawrence to focus more on taproom sales and innovation. Many craft brewers are “at an inflection point” and there are “a lot of brewers out there that either need to look at some type of shared services model” and “support system,” or “the alternative is not great,” Kris noted. Despite the “challenges” in craft, US Beverage feels there’s room to build its craft portfolio with the right brands and people in complementary regions alongside Uinta in the Rockies and Captain Lawrence in metro NY. “We take calls from a variety of craft brewers” and have found that a model similar to the one it has with Captain Lawrence is perhaps “the best opportunity going forward for a lot of craft brewers today.”
New Spirits Division Expanding Too On top of everything it’s doing in beer, US Bev opened a spirits division late last year, hiring a spirits director who’s helped curate the portfolio and get US Beverage off the ground. Partnerships with Dewey Crush RTDs, Brody’s Crafted Cocktails and Beehive Distilling got it started as co’s getting more feedback from retailers and distribs that they’re lookin’ for full service. Malibu Splash FMBs remain US Bev’s main beyond beer brand, and one of US Bev’s largest brands overall even as sales slipped in recent yrs.