Currently browsing posts about: Alcohol

BeverageDaily.com does a monthly special collection of industry-focused articles on beer.  This one spotlights sustainability, but includes a couple of items about—really!—cannabis-infused beer, as well as tea, coffee, and water.  As readers of this blog know, I am following the politics of cannabis edibles.  It’s now time to add drinks to the list, or what is known in the trade, apparently, as the “THC-infused beverage space.”

• Molson Coors on sustainability: ‘Changing the way industry has operated for decades is always a challenge’: As Molson Coors looks back on its first year of progress towards its 2025 sustainability and responsibility targets, it highlights two key takeaways. Firstly, the biggest challenge has been in creating a culture of change across the organization; and secondly, there’s the importance of working in partnership with other stakeholders if it is to make a sizeable difference… Read
• World Cup boost for Budweiser: ‘Football is a passion point in the new markets we’ve expanded in’:  Budweiser’s position as global sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia has helped AB InBev drive the brand into new markets opened up by the combination with SABMiller… Read
• ‘Bountiful 2018 harvest’ predicted for US hops:  The 2018 Pacific Northwest hop acreage is forecasted to increase to a record high, while US hop grower Hopsteiner says advances in technology will further boosts this year’s harvest… Read
• Constellation Brands acquires Texas craft brewer Four Corners Brewing:  Constellation Brands has bought Texas brewer Four Corners Brewing, as it increases its focus on the high-end in the US beer market… Read
• ‘Strong start’ for Corona Premier, says Constellation Brands:  Corona Premier and Corona Familiar – the first major Corona innovations in over 25 years – are already exceeding expectations, says Constellation Brands; while it is also experimenting with premium spiked refresher Corona Refresca in test markets… Read
• Cannabiniers launches full line of THC-infused beverages:  Cannabis-infused beer, tea and coffee launch this summer from Cannabiniers brands Two Roots Brewing Co. and Just Society Cold Brew Beverages… Read
• Lagunitas launches cannabis-infused sparkling water:  Heineken’s Lagunitas is launching Hi-Fi Hops, an ‘IPA-inspired’ sparkling water infused with cannabis: saying it is the first time a major brewery has successfully been represented in the THC-infused beverage space… Read
• Lion acquires London craft brewer, Fourpure Brewing Co:  Australian-headquartered Lion has acquired London craft brewer Fourpure Brewing Co. And while Fourpure says the beer and culture will remain the same, it wants to embrace the opportunities the acquisition brings: ‘We truly hope you will see some change, otherwise why would we bother?”.. Read
• Wine tariffs eliminated as EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement signed:  The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has been signed this week, removing tariffs on EU wine exports to Japan… Read
• Craft brewing and business strategies: ‘Small is the new big’:  Throw out the rule book. When it comes to the craft beer business, bigger is not always better; and profit maximisation is not always the ultimate goal. Here’s why craft breweries need to think differently to other businesses… Watch now
• Nostalgia may seem nice – but alcohol brands should use with care:  An increasing number of brands are drawing on nostalgia as a marketing tool: but alcohol brands that try to appeal to an adult’s inner child must take care that they do not also inadvertently appeal to children today, warns the Portman Group… Read

And here are even more of its articles about the beer industry.  Be sure to check the one about how to personalize yours with 3D printing.

• Carlsberg to invest €100m in Kronenbourg brewery: Carlsberg will invest up to €100m ($117m) in its Kronenbourg brewery in Obernai, France; its largest brewery in Europe… Read
• Independent US craft beer production up 5% so far in 2018: There are 6,655 active craft breweries in the US with more than 2,500 in planning, according to new mid-year metrics released by the Brewers Association (BA)… Read
• Heineken and China Resources Beer announce strategic partnership: Heineken will take a $3.1bn stake in the parent of China Resources Beer, China’s largest brewer. The deal gives Heineken greater access to the Chinese market; while China Resources will be able to grow in the premium market and potentially expand its Snow brand internationally… Read
• 3D printing allows personalized beer and cocktails: Ripples has developed a system that can print custom images and messages onto beers, cocktails and coffees; at bars, shops, restaurants and hotels around the world… Read
• Carlton Zero pledges to drive up non-alcoholic beer category in Australia: Carton & United Breweries, AB InBev’s Australian subsidiary, has launched its first non-alcoholic beer in its 180 year history… Read

I hope you enjoyed the weekend.

Here’s Beverage Daily’s latest MONTHLY BEER SPECIAL:

• • AB InBev CEO: ‘Beer needs to play the natural card more’:  Beer is all about natural ingredients: and that’s something the industry needs to emphasize in order to appeal to today’s consumers, says AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito. And beer also needs to learn from wine and highlight its connections to agriculture and farming… Read
  • Finland’s carbon negative craft brewery: ‘Instead of warming the planet, we are cooling it – beer by beer’: A Finnish craft brewery hopes to go beyond carbon neutral to become carbon negative – removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rather than simply offsetting emissions – with the broader mission of inspiring the whole brewing industry to become more sustainable… Read 
  • Craft brewing and business strategies: ‘Small is the new big’: Throw out the rule book. When it comes to the craft beer business, bigger is not always better; and profit maximisation is not always the ultimate goal. Here’s why craft breweries need to think differently to other businesses… Watch now 
  • ‘It’s hip to love hops!’ Five consumer trends in craft beer: Craft beer is here to stay: but what are consumers looking for? And what does this mean for the craft brewing industry? The good news is that craft beer consumption continues to rise; but a new report warns that building brand loyalty will be an uphill task for many craft brewers… Read
  • Heineken takes minority stake in London’s Beavertown Brewery: Heineken is investing £40m ($55m) in Beavertown Brewery: allowing the London craft brewer to increase its brewing capacity 10-fold with a new 450,000hl brewing facility and visitor experience… Read 
  • Carlsberg CEO: ‘Purpose, health and sustainability will define the future of the beer category’: Beer has a strong cultural heritage – and brewers have developed successful business models to allow them to grow and thrive – but this won’t be enough to assure the future of the category. Brewers will need to focus increasingly on the key trends valued by millennials in order to enjoy continued success, says Carlsberg CEO Cees ‘t Hart… Read 
  • New funding granted to USDA-ARS for hops research: The Brewers Association (BA) announced late last week that a grant of $900,000 has been awarded to the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) for the 2018 fiscal year in support of hops research… Read 
  • The key trend in the global beer industry? ‘Drinking less, but drinking better’: Beer drinkers globally are seeking quality over quantity, evidenced by continued growth in premium, super-premium and craft categories; while an increasing number of health-conscious consumers are turning to low and no alcohol varieties… Read 
  • Wetherspoon ditches French Champagne and German beer in run-up to Brexit: UK pub company JD Wetherspoon will stop stocking French Champagne and German wheat beers: instead offering more drinks from the UK and non-EU producers… Read 
  • Safety first during CO2 shortage, say trade bodies: With Europe facing a shortage of carbon dioxide, trade and food safety organisations are highlighting the importance of using reputable providers and gas of the appropriate food grade… Read 
  • Nostalgia may seem nice – but alcohol brands should use with care: An increasing number of brands are drawing on nostalgia as a marketing tool: but alcohol brands that try to appeal to an adult’s inner child must take care that they do not also inadvertently appeal to children today, warns the Portman Group… Read 
  • Boom for sparkling wine and beer sales during Royal Wedding celebrations: UK supermarket sales of sparkling wine benefited from the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle this month, while pubs also recorded an increase in beer sales… Read 
  • Bars are working ‘harder than ever’ to deliver a unique drinking experience: A Mintel report found that 55% of all American consumers prefer drinking at home to going out; and 61% of millennials say the reason they stay home is because it’s cheaper. In response, bars need to think about offering consumers a unique experience… Read 

The industry newsletter,  BeverageDaily.com, offers a collection of recent articles about the beer business.

• Brewers Association: Microbreweries and taprooms are ‘clearly the growth engine of craft’:  The US craft beer industry is seeing most of its current and predicted future growth coming from small-scale operations like local microbreweries and taprooms, a shift away from regional breweries with multi-state distribution footprints, according to the Brewers Association… Read
• Low calorie, vegan and gluten-free beers win favor with millennial consumers: Low-calorie, vegan and gluten-free are likely to be winning attributes for beer brands who want to appeal to millennials, according to GlobalData… Read
• New era of brewing? YCH Hops sees interest around proprietary Cryo Hops:  Cryo Hops, developed by YCH Hops using a patent-pending process, has generated a buzz with brewers as the highly-concentrated ingredient means breweries, in theory, can use half the amount of hops to achieve the same desired beer flavor profiles… Read
• Oskar Blues sees adoption of larger format craft beer packaging on the rise:  After being among the first craft breweries to can its beer nearly 20 years ago, Oskar Blues of Colorado has introduced its latest packaging innovation of 24-can variety packs using collated shrink packaging engineered by The Dow Chemical Company. And the brewer says larger formats like this are now catching on in the craft category… Read
• O-I to close US plant following ‘continued decline of beer’: Owens-Illinois (OI) says it has finalized plans to stop production at its Atlanta, GA, plant on or after July 18… Read
• Japan’s major beer breweries scramble for a place in canned cocktail market:  Traditional beer manufacturers Asahi, Suntory and Kirin are extending their presence into the canned cocktail market… Read
• Irish Distillers acquires craft brewer Eight Degrees Brewing
• Pernod Ricard owned Irish Distillers – a supplier of spirits and wines and producer of Jameson Irish whiskey – has acquired craft brewer Eight Degrees Brewing… Read
• Scotland introduces minimum unit pricing for alcohol: Scotland has become the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol, with legislation coming into effect this week… Read
• ‘Optimism and dynamism’ among independent UK brewers: In the UK, 63% of independent brewers say they expect their turnover to increase this year: showing ‘the optimism and dynamism’ of the sector against a backdrop of unprecedented competition and continued dominance of big beer, according to SIBA, the UK’s society of independent brewers… Read
• Corona charm: What can food makers learn from Latin America’s most valuable brand?  Corona leads the throng of beer brands that dominate the 2018 BrandZ Top 50 most valuable Latin American Brands list, and with only three food companies ranked it begs the question: what can industry learn from the likes of Corona and Skol?.. Read
• What – exactly – is ‘alcohol free’?  In Europe, an ‘alcohol-free’ drink is defined as one under 0.5% ABV. In the UK, however, an ‘alcohol-free’ drink must be 0.05% ABV or below. But the UK’s definition could change, with the government currently consulting on new regulations for low alcohol drinks labelling… Read
• Australian alcohol advertising code in need of ‘thorough review’ for failing to protect teens:  Current alcohol advertising regulations in Australia are failing to protect the health and well-being of adolescents, with academics claiming that it is leading to an environment that is ‘not consistent with the responsible marketing spirit’… Read

Last week, New York Times reporter Roni Rabin wrote how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) solicited funding from alcohol companies to fund—and, distressingly, participate in the design of—a study of the effects of moderate drinking on heart disease risk.

This is not the first time Ms. Rabin has written about this study.  In July, she described the study and its funding.

Since then, she has apparently been busy filing FOIA requests and conducting further interviews.  These reveal that the NIH actively solicited industry funding and input into this trial.

The [NIH] presentations gave the alcohol industry an opportunity to preview the trial design and vet the investigators. Indeed, the scientist leading the meetings was eventually chosen to head the huge clinical trial.

They also made the industry privy to pertinent details, including a list of clinical sites and investigators who were “already on board,” the size and length of the trial, approximate number of participants, and the fact that they could choose any beverage. By design, no form of alcohol — wine, liquor or beer — would be called out as better than another in the trial.

But it gets worse.  Boston University professor Michael Siegel tells his personal story of dealings with NIH’s National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

On January 16, 2015, I was called into the office of the Director of NIAAA and was essentially reprimanded for conducting NIAAA-funded research that was detrimental to the alcohol industry…At the meeting, I was told that I would never again be funded to conduct research on alcohol marketing, regardless of how highly my research proposal was scored by the scientific review panel.

Let me be clear: research ethics require funders to have no involvement in research design, conduct, or interpretation, lest they exert undue influence on the results.

Julia Belluz (Vox) put this study in context.  She describes how

The NIH is now investigating whether the researchers violated federal policy by soliciting donations, and they’re appointing outside experts to review the design of the study. We don’t yet know the full story, and there’s surely more to uncover.

Anheuser Busch InBev, Heineken, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and Carlsberg helped pay $67.7 million of the $100 million government study, which is currently underway. And even more troubling is that if you were a patient looking to enroll in the trial through the online clinical trials registry, you’d have no way of knowing about the industry’s involvement because that funding is not disclosed there.

Although I do not have much to say about the alcohol industry in my forthcoming book, Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat, I mention of this study as an example of how other industries skew research and also how pooling industry research funds is insufficient protection against conflicted interests (alcohol companies agreed to contribute 67.7% of the funding).

It’s good that the NIH has decided to investigate this dubious government-industry partnership, which so clearly seems aimed at marketing, not public health.

I am in Japan this week and am fascinated to see that Coca-Cola produces special products with seasonal themes, just in time for cherry blossoms (which, alas, are not quite out yet):

And it offers fruity varieties:

For the first time, Coca-Cola is adding alcohol to canned Coke (the rum, as in “Rum and Coca-Cola” was not premixed).  It is launching the new alcohol-laced soft drink for the Japanese market.

Japanese supermarkets are already crowded with alcohol-infused soft drinks and teas.  I got this at the OK Supermarket in Yokohama:

Here’s a close up of one variety:

Most soft drinks in Japan, with or without alcohol, are local brands.

Will alcohol help Coke increase market share?  Can’t wait to find out.

Thanks to my friend Jocelyn Harris of Dunedin, New Zealand for forwarding this editorial from the Otago Daily Times of January 16.

The editorial notes that a recent report finding no linkage between alcohol consumption and violence among Australians and New Zealanders was sponsored by Lion, a leading supplier of alcoholic beverages.

The report is Understanding Behavior in the Australian and New Zealand Night-Time Economies: An Anthropological Study.  Its author, anthropologist Anne Fox, lists these key findings:

• Alcohol-related violence is just one aspect of a culture of violence.
• There is no direct relationship between per capita levels of consumption and rates of violence.
• A drinking culture is both a part of and a reflection of the culture as a whole.
• Efforts at alcohol control will be ineffective if not related to changes in the macho culture of violence.
• Scapegoating alcohol as the sole cause of violence merely diverts attention from violent men and the maladaptive cultural norms that allow their behaviour to develop and proliferate.

Her recommendations focus on the behavior of individuals behavior.  They largely dismiss the value of approaches such as limitations on alcohol marketing, the times alcoholic beverages can be sold, or the ways beverage companies create local cultures of drinking.

In a nutshell, the central point of this whitepaper is: it is the wider culture that determines the drinking behaviour, not the drinking. You can’t change a culture by simply changing drinking. It is, of course, justifiable to explore the effectiveness of small measures such as advertising restrictions, increases or decreases in price, relaxation or restriction of hours, but such things tinker at the margins of culture and it is doubtful that they will alter the culture of violence and anti-social behaviour in any meaningful way.

The report explains:

We could become totalitarian and try to stop public festive drinking completely, but it would most likely just move into homes. Or we can live with it and try to determine what the worst outcomes are (police overtime, all night transport cost, lost work hours and productivity, accidents and injuries, street clean-up, etc.,), and work to minimise and deal with them sensibly. We would do better to work cooperatively with all stakeholders to engineer conditions for festive drinking that are the least conducive to violence and anti-social behaviour.

In other words, societies should fix the problem at the level of “festive” drinking, but should not bother to try to prevent it at an earlier stage in the chain of causation of alcohol abuse.

The Otago Daily Times editorial concludes:

It is vital we keep debating the issues, examining the causes and hearing all the voices in the debate.

But that debate must be fair and honest.

It is a real shame, therefore, that Dr Fox has effectively silenced herself by aligning herself with an alcohol industry giant when her findings could have made a valuable contribution had they been genuinely independent.

Presumably, Lion got the report it paid for.  But it left itself—and the author’s work—vulnerable to charges of bias, an inevitable hazard of industry-sponsored research.

A shame indeed.

Sarah Bowen.  Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production.  University of California Press, 2015

This remarkable book, a recent addition to UC Press’s series on California Studies in Food and Culture, uses drinks distilled from roasted, fermented agave as a basis for entering into debates about production and protection of indigenous food products in the face of globalization.

In recent years, traditional foods and drinks have emerged as profitable and politically salient alternatives to the perceived homogenizing effects of globalization.  Initiatives like the Slow Food movement and DOs [denomination of origin] attempt to rescue eating establishments, dishes, and products from the flood of standardization engendered by the industrial food system.  In doing so, they strive to support the rural communities, farmers, and processors involved in the production of traditional products.  And yet, as my research shows, efforts to regulate Mexico’s iconic spirits illustrate the limitations of relying on alternative markets to protect food cultures and the livelihoods of those who produce them.  My work demonstrates how cultural symbolism can be manipulated to perpetuate and deepen long-standing inequalities along global commodity chains.

Or, as she explains much later, “the right to define what constitutes ‘tequila’ and ‘mezcal’ extends as much from market power and it does from a sense of tradition or justice.”

Consider this book with your next Margarita.

Louise Fisher, a dietitian and food and nutrition consultant in Australia, writes:

I’ve loved your recent blog posts on Coca Cola’s sponsorship of research that fortuitously concludes that it’s not Coke that’s making us fat, it’s lack of exercise.  It’s no surprise to see that the alcohol industry here in Australia is running the same line. I just received a link to a guide to “get the facts on alcohol” Beer the beautiful truth from Lion, one of our biggest suppliers of beer. And what do you know, beer doesn’t make you fat, you just need to be more active.

Under Myth Busters on page 4:

DOES ALCOHOL CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN? DOES BEER MAKE ME FAT? It’s not the alcohol per se that causes weight gain. Eating or drinking more calories/kilojoules (energy) than you burn, from any food or drink, can contribute to weight gain. It is important to balance the calories we eat and drink with those we burn through physical activity and basic functioning like breathing and sleeping.

If you do drink, it’s important to know the calories in alcohol mainly come from the alcohol content, as well as the carbohydrate and sugars content. For example, a low strength beer will typically have less calories than a full strength beer. So really, it comes down to how much and what type of alcohol you have and what you eat with it – the chips, the kebab. Plus how active you are.

Hey.  If this strategy works for Coca-Cola….