The Top Legal Sagas in Bev-Alc of 2025
From class-action suits over Fireball to disputes over jalapeño-flavored Tequila, this year’s bev-alc legal drama was, in a word, spicy.
Ferron Salniker
Spirits Editor
Ferron Salniker is the Spirits Editor, guiding our coverage of the spirits and RTD cocktail space. She reports for BevNET.com and Brewbound.com on everything from new subcategories in established liquor types to the growth of the craft spirits business.
Posts by Ferron Salniker
The Top Ten Most Read Spirits Stories of 2025
This year’s top spirits headlines capture an industry in transition: major distribution shifts, sudden closures, shocking lawsuits, the race to win an emerging category, and of course, at least one celebrity closing a deal. Here are the top 10 BevNET spirits stories, as ranked by popularity.
Stateside Aims to Spark Spiked Sports Drink Trend
Stateside Brands, the company that kicked off the vodka-spiked iced tea trend, is now adding vodka to another beverage: the sports drink.
Non-Alc Pioneer Spirited Away Acquired By Denizen Rum Founder as Category Matures
After five years in operation, Spirited Away, the first non-alcoholic bottle shop in the U.S., has a new owner.
Clean Alcohol Collective Launches to Push Bev-Alc Transparency
You’ve likely heard of clean beauty, but clean alcohol? A new trade group is aiming to do what many in the bev-alc industry have historically avoided: define what “clean” means when imbibing.
What’s Next for Adult Non-Alc: Bigger Flavors, Tougher Retail, Broader Occasions
The next evolution in adult non-alc (ANA) will require brands to find new occasions, invest in retail strategy, and create forward-thinking flavor profiles.
Lake Hour Hires First CEO, Eyes Hard Tea Expansion
Lake Hour, the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brand co-founded by a Marvel actor and film producer, is adding a spirits industry veteran to the top of its setlist.
Zero Proof Playbook: John Wiseman of Curious Elixirs On A Decade In Adult Non-Alc
We chat with the founder of Curious Elixirs about untapped channels, what adult non-alc spaces will need to get right to survive, and why we may see fewer adult non-alc brands in the future.
Bev-Alc Sales Slide Ahead of The Holidays
Bev-alc suppliers are certainly looking to the holidays for a little cheer after sales were down across categories for the two-week period ending November 15, according to analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Spirit Brands Preach Pivot from CPG Marketing Playbook
If you’re a spirits company taking its marketing cues from CPG, you may be doing it wrong.
A Drink With… Katie Cooper, Co-Founder of Cooper Spirits
It would be hard to find someone working in the spirits industry that hasn’t heard of St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, the liqueur used so wildly it earned the moniker ‘bartender’s ketchup.’
Nostalgia Is the “Secret Sauce” For Shake Up Cocktails
It’s not often that the genesis for a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail happens beyond a bar or a boardroom, but, in the case of Shake Up Cocktails, inspiration struck at a Midwest state fair.
Adult Non-Alc Brand Aplós Closes $5M To Fuel Expansion
Functional adult non-alc spirits brand Aplós has closed a $5 million funding round, the company announced today.
Report: BeatBox Exploring $700M Sale To Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) is reportedly in talks to acquire party punch brand BeatBox, according to a story by the Wall Street Journal. Citing unnamed “people familiar with the matter,” the…