Beverage Information Group

What alcohol trends drove growth for wine and spirits in the past year? For answers, we interviewed Marina Velez, research director for our sister company, The Beverage Information Group. Especially during a difficult time for the alcohol industry, recognizing these winning trends is extremely important.

In this episode, we talk industry trends and data with David Jackson, Chief Operating Officer for the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. Also known as NABCA, this is the official organization representing the 18 states and jurisdictions that operate with a government control model. Major topics include the continued rise of RTDs and THC drinks, which categories are in decline, and whether the alcohol industry is currently in a correction or something deeper and more worrisome.

Beer has faced no shortage of headwinds in recent times, from changing consumer tastes to global tariffs. What does all that mean for the industry moving forward? For answers, we spoke with Kris Sjolander, Vice President Brand Development at United States Beverage (USB). USB is a leading independent beverage company in the U.S., specializing in imported and U.S. craft beer, ciders, and specialty beverages.

Unfortunately, U.S. craft distillers once again face the economic threat of global tariffs and trade wars. What exactly does this mean for the industry? We discuss with Becky Harris, Past President of the American Craft Spirits Association, and president of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville, VA.

Asian flavors may be a top beverage trend for 2025, but Ashley Castillo, food and beverage director of the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett hotel, was ahead of the curve on this one. She joins us in this episode to talk about what she learned from a year spent in Asia and how she has been translating that to the hotel's beverage program, as well as the drinks her guests are enjoying now and general trends she's seeing.

Nonalcoholic beer is on fire, with many consumers opting not to imbibe alcohol at all or choosing to drink less. The market has responded with a number of NA options in craft styles. Katherine Benecke, the general manager of New York beer hall and sports bar Treadwell Park, weighs in on the state of alcohol-free beer, what consumers want and her current NA favorites.

We talk top beverage alcohol hospitality trends for 2025 with the folks at af&co. and Carbonate, two San Francisco-based agencies that recently presented their 17th annual Hospitality Trends Report. Tune in to hear why pistachio is the flavor of the year, along with other top trends like Freezer Martinis, Sotol, Banana cocktails, lagers vs. IPAs, the continued growth of THC drinks, and more!

Today's consumers are no longer choosing between comforting classic flavors and adventurous exotic tastes; they're demanding both. To learn about some of the trends and flavors driving change in the beverage industry, and the operational challenges in delivering on them, we talk with Jason Valentine, chief strategy officer at the beverage automation platform provider Botrista.  This episode is sponsored by National Retail Solutions.

How much alcohol does Gen Z actually drink? And what exactly are they drinking? Will these trends maintain long term, or will they shift as Gen Z consumers get older? For answers to these critical industry questions, we interviewed Nick White, the research lead for the consumer research platform Attest.

In this episode, Kyle and Melissa switch their usual roles: Kyle discusses wine while Melissa talks whiskey. Can Kyle pronounce a single French word correctly? Will Melissa stomach an Old Fashioned? Tune in as the editors take turns pretending to be the other person as they dish on recent NY tasting events they attended, Kyle reviewing the 2024 Beaujolais Nouveau while Melissa drinks whiskey cocktails with Milam and Greene and Ammunition Whiskey, meeting Kelly Reilly of Yellowstone fame.

Hosts Melissa and Kyle talk about recent press trips and alcohol events, digging into major liquor store trends in the Midwest, Madeira wine, higher-proofed Irish whiskey, vintage-dated rum, cocktails made with beer AND/OR wine, and more. Then towards the end, Kyle shares work travel stories about New England sarcasm performing poorly in the Midwest, and why you shouldn't eat fettuccine alfredo on the open ocean.

The world of alcohol shipping and ecommerce continues to evolve rapidly, settling into a new era in our post-Covid world. What's the current state of these two industries and their legal challenges? And what's next? For answers, we interviewed Jaci Flug, partner in the Hospitality, Alcohol, and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP, and previously general counsel and senior vice president at Drizly.

What's the current state of the U.S. whiskey industry? For answers, we interviewed Marty Holland, store manager of The Party Source, a 65,000-square-foot independent beverage alcohol retailer in Bellevue, KY. The Party Source remains on the cutting edge of whiskey retail, including opening a new bar in the store that helps generate sales elsewhere in the business. Marty also discusses some of the other spirits trends he sees at the bar.

In this episode, we talk with the founders of Fierce & Kind, a values-driven spirits company that puts supporting LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities (incarcerated individuals, female entrepreneurs) at the heart of its business model. Fierce & Kind donates 25% of all profits through its equity foundation to these important causes. Founders Cyndi Smith and Basem Harb discuss this way of doing business, and why it's important to the communities served, the broader consumer base, and the company itself.

What's up with THC beverages? What do folks like to drink the most on cruise ships? Hosts Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz discuss drink trends from their summer travels, including the 2024 Beverage Alcohol Retailer Conference, and Melissa's recent press trip aboard Princess Cruises in the Mediterranean.

Our guest for this episode is Master Sommelier Nick Hetzel, who is one of the founders of Wineaux, a new wine market and bar in southwest Las Vegas. Nick weighs in on popular wine styles, wine education, pairings and creating an experience for guests, as well as the challenges with operating an on- and off-premise wine business.

How much growth is left for Ready-to-Drink beverages? What does cannabis descheduling mean for the alcohol industry? Was Sazerac smart to purchase BuzzBallz? We discuss all this and more in this episode, with Bridget Albert, senior director of external communications for the distributor Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits.

Melissa and Kyle talk with Marina Velez, research director for our sister company, The Beverage Information Group. The discussion centers on the top alcohol trends among the 2024 Growth Brands Spirits and Wine winners. What helped lead these brands that sold and grew the most in the past year?

In this episode we talk about natural wines with Steve Charters, Master of Wine and professor at the School of Wine & Spirits Business in Dijon, France. Steve shares his thoughts on the lack of a uniform definition of natural wines, why the style has become more significant in recent years and how it appeals to the new generations of wine drinkers.

In this episode we talk with Maxwell Reis, beverage director of Mirate restaurant and bar in Los Feliz, CA. Mirate boasts an agave spirits-led program that shines a spotlight on Mexican producers. Max shares insight from travels to Mexico, his commitment to showcasing authentic, sustainably sourced spirits, how he makes exotic spirits approachable and “edu-tains” guests, and his predictions for the next hot agave spirits.

In our first podcast devoted to gin, we talk with Brendan Bartley, the head bartender and beverage director at the renowned speakeasy Bathtub Gin and the creator of Botanery Barn Distilling's new Revivalist Garden Gin. We discuss the challenges in getting people to overcome their apprehension about gin, the new and different gin styles, brands and botanicals and why this year could finally be the spirit's time to break out.

Have you noticed that the prices on the bottles of American whiskey that you love continue to tick up, up, up? It's hard to miss it. How much longer can that go on? For answers, in this episode, we speak with Maggie Kimberl, Content Editor, American Whiskey Magazine. Maggie also discusses several other top whiskey trends in 2024.

In this episode, we chat with Brian Warrener, associate professor at The College of Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, about the new generation of beverage professionals and their opportunities and challenges. Warrener, also director of the university's new Center for Beverage Education & Innovation, discusses the areas that students today are most excited about, and the career paths that many graduates start out on.

We're talking the top drinks trends of 2024, with Andrew Freedman, founder of the San Francisco-based agencies af&co. and Carbonate, and Leith Steele, senior strategist & head of insights at Carbonate. The two collaborate on an annual hospitality trends report that the industry eagerly anticipates. What will trend in 2024? Tune in to find out.

In this episode, we speak with Hillary Wirtz, Breakthru Beverage's Director of D&I, as well as the Chair of WSWA's Women's Leadership Council (WLC). Wirtz talks about the importance of improving diversity in the workforce, female mentorship, executive training programs, and meeting people where they are in terms of D&I education. She also relates how her past as a first grade teacher prepared her for this role.

In this episode, we begin with Cheers Editor Melissa Dowling discussing her time at Tales of the Cocktail 2023, the enormous and long-running bartender conference in New Orleans, as well as several notable alcohol events she recently attended in Manhattan. Afterwards, Beverage Dynamics Editor Kyle Swartz talks with veteran whiskey writer Steve Coomes about what MGP's recent changes to their sourcing program means for the whiskey industry at large.

Why can't rum grow like whiskey or tequila? What's holding this category back? And what signs are there that rum might be about to break out? For answers to these questions, we chatted with our colleague Marina Velez, research director, data & insights, at The Beverage Information & Insights Group. Velez is an all-around rum and rum cocktail enthusiast.   The handbooks she references are available at epgspecialtyinformation.com/pages/beverage-handbooks.

In this episode, we're joined by tequila connoisseur David Suro. He is the founder of the Tequila Interchange Project, owner of the tequila brand Siembra Azul and the owner of Tequilas, an upscale Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia. Suro discusses opening a Mexican restaurant in 1986 during a "catastrophic" time for tequila, why he vehemently dislikes cristalino, and his concerns for the sustainability of agave growth and culture. He also talks about his new book on tequila, which you can purchase at this link: tinyurl.com/2c6cwcck — or by emailing him for a signed copy at davidgsuro@gmail.com.  

In this episode about alcohol sales data and statistics, we sit down with NABCA President and CEO Neal Insley, NABCA Sr. VP Trade Relations and COO David Jackson and Campari America General Sales Manager Control Region Sean Noble, to talk about the importance of NABCA-collected data and what it tells us about the current state of the industry. Also, we see which man is willing to admit that they went down the resort center's waterslide while attending last month's 86th Annual NABCA Annual Conference.

What's the latest trends in whiskey and tequila, two of the hottest alcohol categories? Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz recall what they observed in these two trendy categories during several recent media trips and alcohol conferences. This includes trips to Jack Daniels Distillery for a celebration of Women in Whiskey, and Louisville for the 2023 Bourbon Classic whiskey fest.

Independent bottling is common in Scotch, but not in American whiskey. Why? We ask Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, founders of Lost Lantern, a fast-growing independent bottler of American whiskeys. They talk about the process of discovering unique spirits, picking which distilleries to work with, and what's next for American single malt, which has been a category focus for them.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is doubling their distilling capabilities. This has monumental ramifications for the whiskey industry, and represents an enormous production undertaking. Helping oversee this project is Danny Kahn, Distillation and Aging Operations Director at Sazerac. We talked with Kahn about the massive upgrade at Buffalo Trace, while also delving into Sazerac's future overall, whether whiskey terroir exists, his career path with a past in brewing, what's next for the modern bourbon boom and more.

Fresh off being named the new Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve, Elizabeth McCall joins us to talk about what's next for the brand, learning under the former Master Distiller Chris Morris, expanding Woodford's production, sustainability in the whiskey industry, and how young people can get involved in the industry.

In this episode, we discuss current legal topics in the alcohol industry, which will be explored further during the annual Legal Symposium (March 13-15) of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA). Joining us are NABCA CEO Neal Insley and NABCA Associate General Council Buddy Buckner. What are the pressing alcohol legal questions of the day? And how much did the Covid-19 pandemic affect that? Tune in to find out! And for more information on NABCA and its annual Legal Symposium, which anyone can attend, visit nabca.org or nabca.org/meeting.

Beverage Dynamics Editor Kyle Swartz talks with small-business expert, author and BARC speaker Tom Shay about the importance of beverage alcohol retail mastermind groups.

Bars and restaurants are where alcohol trends begin, before advancing into the retail industry. So what can we expect for on-premise trends in 2023? For answers, we interviewed Andrew Freeman, founder of the San Francisco-based agencies af&co. and Carbonate. His companies put out an annual trends report, which you can read at afandco.com or Carbonate.com, that has helped guided the industry for many years. What does the report forecast for 2023? Tune in to find out!

Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz look back at some of the freshest and most dominant trends in alcohol in 2022, and talk about what these developments mean for the new year. Can American whiskey continue to expand at such a high clip? Why is tequila suddenly everywhere? And what, exactly, are vegetable cocktails? Tune in to find out!

Why is the tequila category so hot? In this episode, we speak with Mike Moreno, owner of Moreno's Liquors of Chicago, the largest single-store retailer of tequila in the country. Moreno takes us through the modern tequila boom, explains the agave shortage and also hits on tequila cocktail trends, single barrels, cristalino, celebrity tequilas and other agave spirits.

The pandemic changed everything for beverage alcohol retail technology. Suddenly, every store needed a robust ecommerce presence, while a significant number of consumers learned for the first time that they could order alcohol online. But what does this technology landscape look like now, as we (hopefully) emerge from the Covid-19 crisis? For answers, we interviewed Yosi Dediashvili-Drossos, cofounder and chief technology officer at CityHive, and Cathy Lewenberg, chief operating officer at Drizly. Both represent two of the top alcohol retail tech companies currently operating.

What are the most pressing trends and challenges facing the on- and off-premise beverage alcohol industries? In this episode, Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz are joined by Associate Editor Jamie Stafford to recap what we learned at Beverage Week 2022. Taking place last June at Orlando, this multi-day event included days of panels, speakers, tastings, and awards shows surrounding the industry, providing invaluable networking and educational opportunities.

Studies have found that the national rate of bars and restaurants or retail stores serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated customer is 80%. That alarming statistic represents a large number of consumers who could potentially harm themselves or someone else due to overconsumption, helped along by business employees who then become liable for any negative outcomes. Looking to help correct this dangerous issue, the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control recently conducted an undercover operation (funded by a NABCA grant) to test state businesses on how they handled visibly intoxicated customers. How did the state perform? And what kind of server training is Mississippi designing following their study? Tune in for our interview with with Pat Daily, Chief of Enforcement for the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control Bureau of Enforcement, and Senior Agent Kurt Alexander.

In this episode we talk with Seth Goldberg, who serves as team lead for the Duane Morris Cannabis industry group law firm. Seth provides a deep dive into the current state of the legal cannabis industry, why cannabis beverages have taken off, and what's next in terms of federal oversight of legal cannabis. Also in this episode, cohost Melissa Dowling reveals that she's more of an edible person.

Want to know everything about the current state of French wine? This episode is for you! In this podcast we interview Robert Cavanaugh, wine educator and marketing director for the wine marketing company Adventure Wine. Cavanaugh dives into the trendiest French wine regions and varietals, and explores unsung and underrated areas and grapes as well. We also talk about how French wine branding has improved to educate consumers, the affects of global warming, how much growth is left for rosé, the category depth of French sparklers, and clear up some common misconceptions about French wine.

In the second part of our series on improving diversity and inclusion in the alcohol industry, we speak with TJ Douglas, cofounder and CEO of The Urban Grape wine store in Boston. Douglas and his wife Hadley are behind the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color at Boston University to support those in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community interested in careers in the wine industry. The Urban Grape also received the 2021 Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We talk with Douglas about the scholarship, improving D&I, and the national recognition as a leading small business in America.

How can the craft beer industry improve diversity and inclusion? In this episode, we interview is Jamal Robinson, director of sales and marketing at New England Brewing Company in Connecticut. Robinson is behind the NEBCO African American Brewers Scholarship and The Connecticut Brewers Guild African American Brewing Scholarship in Connecticut. The discussion focuses on Robinson's efforts, plus how the industry as a whole can improve. Other topics include: the state of regional breweries, unicorns pooping rainbows and debating the best Jewish delicatessen in Connecticut.

Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz discuss an important nonprofit organization in the beverage alcohol industry, Children of Restaurant Employees, or (CORE). Our guest is CORE executive director Sheila Bennett. She delves into how CORE and its many partners helped on-premise employees and their families during the Covid-19 crisis. Also, she outlines how you, too, can help those in need.

What's the difference between organic and sustainable wine? If you don't know the answer, then you must listen to our latest podcast with Allison Jordan, Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Jordan explains the fine details of sustainably certified wine, along with the long history of the CSWA, how and where sustainable wine education happens, and why more consumers care about these kinds of products. And if you did know the answer to our question, well, tune in anyways for a deeper dive into an important topic. Cheers!

On the latest episode of On & Off, Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz dive into cordials and liqueurs. They discuss the history of this category, recent growth trends, why the pandemic likely buoyed the category, and what modern innovations have helped drive growth. Also, Melissa and Kyle show off their lack of movie trivia knowledge and critique their boss' homemade cookies.

Everybody knows that Covid-19 has sped up the evolution of alcohol ecommerce and technology by leaps and bounds. But what comes next? What follows this unprecedented push forward for alcohol tech? Will there be a pullback, dangers ahead, or greater implementation of these cutting-edge technologies. Editors Kyle Swartz and Melissa Dowling debate whether alcohol delivery is a "fourth tier" and rant about their frustrations with QR codes on-premise. Listen in for that and more about the future of alcohol technology.

In this episode, Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz celebrate the amazing work of women in the alcohol industry by interviewing two female rockstars at Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits: Bridget Albert, National Director of Education Beam Suntory, and Julie Milroy, VP of On-Premise. The discussion centers around the enormous role and success of women in the industry, and how the alcohol business can continue to improve the treatment of women.

Following Part 1 of this two-part episode, Editors Melissa Dowling and Kyle Swartz dive into another set of trends currently affecting the beverage alcohol industry. These include celebrity-backed alcohol brands and their common pitfalls; the rise of CBD beverages and what comes next for the nascent category; and the continued shortages for all things needed in alcohol packaging. Also, the editors discuss what makes The Rock so damn likeable as an actor, and what is the proper way to consumer THC edibles.