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Bud Light Dethroned As Top-Selling Beer Brand In US After Boycott
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Modelo Especial is currently "the number one" beer in America, its US distributor said, after sales data showed it outsold longtime industry leader Bud Light. Modelo Especial store sales topped $333 million in May, a 15.6% rise over the same period last year, compared with Bud Light's $297 million, a 22.8% fall, according to Circana/IRI data. Bud Light's sales have been declining since April when the brand collaborated with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a partnership that sparked a conservative boycott. The rejection is working, yet Bud Light remains the top-selling beer brand in America for 2023 overall, according to NielsenIQ. We'll see how things end up once the NFL season gets underway.
More Than 20% Water Homogenizes Whisky's Flavor, Study Finds
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"Add some water to open up the flavors" goes the scotch adage. But how much is too much? Thank God we have scientists to quantify the answers to such questions. Researchers at Washington State University chemically analyzed how volatile compounds in 25 whiskies from aged bourbon to single-malt scotch responded to added water. A trained sensory panel found that up to 20% added water produced characteristically different smells in the whiskies. However, adding more than 20% water reduced the number of smells to just a familiar few. Something to keep in mind as the ice melts in your summer cocktail.
Hydroponic Hops May Help Save The World's Beer
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In 2022, hop yields were down 40% in Czechia, 21% in Germany, and 12% in the US. To ensure a sufficient supply of the flowers essential to beer-making, Spanish company Enokoke has begun growing hydroponic hops under LED lights in Madrid warehouses. Its systems aren't subject to climate change and use about 95% less water than traditional outdoor farming. A limited edition IPA using Ekonoke's hops is already on tap in a Madrid bar and one of its funders, industry giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, calls the venture "very promising."
Jack Daniel’s New Construction In Tennessee Blocked Due To Pervasive Black Fungus
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Whiskey that evaporates during aging is romantically called the “angel’s share." But the angel's share results in the devil's fungus, according to those who live near distilleries. Whiskey fungus is driving a wedge between residents of Lincoln County, Tennessee, and Jack Daniel’s, the distillery founded in 1866 in neighboring Moore County. For decades, JD's whiskey fungus has been coating homes, cars, patio furniture and road signs in a stubborn, sooty crust. Complaints have been filed. Lawsuits have been brought. Now, a local Tennessee court has halted construction of a new Jack Daniel's barrel house.
Spirits Edge Out Beer With 42.1% Market Share
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For the first time ever, spirits surpassed beer in US market share, according to the US Distilled Spirits Council. Fueled in part by a resurgent cocktail culture and ready-to-drink cocktails, spirits claimed 42.1% of the alcohol market share, with beer sales just behind at 41.9% market share. In 2022, more than 60% of total spirits revenue came from sales of super-premium spirits such as tequila and American whiskey.
