A Drink With…Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig’s Chief Blender

We talked with Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig’s chief blender, about how the company culture fosters experimentation, where she finds inspiration, and even what opportunities Dry January brings. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

A Drink With… Ana Rosenstein, CEO of Amante 1530

We chatted with the founder of Amante 1530 about how she’s applying a profit-over-growth mindset to bev-alc, where she sees opportunity for more aperitif amaro players, and why her celebrity investor takes a backseat in the company’s branding (hint: there’s a “message in a bottle”).

How Gin & Juice Aims to Leverage Snoop and Dr. Dre For A Gin Revival

Ready-to-drink products have built their brands around different cocktails: some are sessionable seltzers or old classics, others are obscure cocktails that haven’t yet hit mainstream. But Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, so far, is the only one that has emerged from a 90s rap anthem.

NIQ: Fourth Category Products Reach $13 Billion

Ready-to-drink (RTD) products surpassed $13 billion in off-premise sales in the 52-week period ending July 13, up +4% year-over-year (YoY), according to a mid-year report from market research firm NIQ.

Brown-Forman Scraps DEI Programs

Facing pressure from conservative activists online, Brown-Forman has dropped its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, following a broader trend of major multinational companies cutting programs created to address systemic inequality in the corporate world.

BevAlc: Total Sales Show Slight Improvement

The latest data set from NIQ showed a modest improvement in sales growth for total BevAlc in the two-week period before August 10, according to analysis from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Beyonce Partners With Moët Hennessy on American Whiskey

Queen B has stepped onto the spirits stage. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has joined forces with Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits subsidiary of luxury group LVMH, to launch a new whiskey venture, announced today.

CGA: American Whiskey Gains Ground On-Premise

American whiskey is gaining steam as its mother category retains a leading position on-premise in the last 12 months, according to NIQ-owned on-premise data firm CGA.