Alcohol Industry Week in Review — Week Ending November 22, 2025
Craft Beer’s Performance Splits Across Channels
CGA and retail scanner data showed widening divergence between grocery and convenience channels for craft beer in the 12 weeks to early November. Grocery continued to weaken, with dollar sales down 6.8 percent YTD and 7.3 percent in the latest 12 weeks, reflecting persistent mix shifts and declining pack-size velocity. Convenience performed better, posting YTD dollars down only 0.3 percent and turning briefly positive in the last 12 weeks. The divergence underscores how value-seeking shoppers and trip missions are reshaping category dynamics across retail environments.
Select Craft Brands Show Renewed Momentum
Several top-30 craft brands posted accelerating gains between the YTD and last-four-weeks periods. New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA rose 4.9 percent in dollars YTD and 7.9 percent in the L4W, while Juice Force advanced 12.1 percent YTD and 15 percent in the L4W. Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing and A-B InBev’s Elysian Space Dust also showed meaningful improvement, benefiting from sustained consumer interest in higher-ABV IPAs. Price changes contributed as well, with notable declines in L4W case pricing for Space Dust and Pernicious aiding velocity.
Other Craft SKUs See Decelerating Trends
A subset of high-growth brands experienced slowing momentum. Tropic Force IPA, despite 18.8 percent YTD dollar gains, grew only 0.8 percent in the L4W. Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug and other IPAs similarly moderated compared to their earlier strong advances. The softening performance suggests that even successful SKUs are not fully insulated from moderating category demand and price-sensitive shoppers.
Winners and Losers Shift Across the Craft Portfolio
Year-to-date performance shows only 11 of craft’s top 30 brands delivering growth, though more brands recorded accelerating gains recently than slowing ones. Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA and Wicked Weed Pernicious each posted double-digit increases in the L4W. The breadth of results highlights an increasingly polarized craft segment, with a few nationally distributed IPAs stabilizing while legacy seasonal and pale ale labels decline more sharply.
Lagunitas IPA Gains Pricing Power
Lagunitas IPA increased its average price per case by $1.82 in the L4W, supporting dollar-trend stability even as volume declines persisted. The move exemplifies how brand equity can still command pricing flexibility in a market where many competitors are discounting. However, consumers remain sensitive, and aggressive pricing stands out against widespread promotional intensity in the broader beer category.
Federal Government Enacts Hemp-Derived THC Restrictions
A newly enacted federal appropriations bill redefines legal hemp and bans cannabinoids synthesized from hemp-derived CBD. The bill caps total THC content at 0.4 milligrams and includes compounds with similar effects. The language mirrors prior legislative efforts but gains significance due to its attachment to a government funding bill, which limited debate. The development may materially impact hemp-infused beverages and alternative-intoxicant segments.
Advocacy Groups Claim Victory in Hemp Policy Shift
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a leading anti-legalization group, played a significant role in advancing the THC restrictions. The organization argued that loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill allowed de facto legalization of intoxicating hemp products. With growing bipartisan support and heightened concern about youth access, the new policy signals a turning point for federally regulated cannabinoid categories.
Wine Industry Experts Voice Concerns About Structural Declines
Nine industry leaders interviewed by VinePair highlighted the cumulative pressures facing the wine category, including oversupply, shifting consumption habits, and health-driven moderation trends. The report points to declining vineyard profitability, reduced on-premise engagement among younger drinkers, and persistent competition from cannabis and low-ABV beverages. While some view this period as cyclical, others argue that the convergence of demographic and cultural shifts suggests deeper structural reset.
EU Faces Pushback Over Proposed Food and Alcopop Health Tax
European trade groups criticized reports that the EU is evaluating new taxes on foods and alcopops deemed unhealthy. The organization FoodDrinkEurope warned that such taxes can distort consumer behavior and penalize categories unevenly. If advanced, the measure could reshape RTD and flavored-alcohol strategies across key European markets heading into 2026.
Nebraska Appoints New Liquor and Cannabis Commissioners
Nebraska’s governor appointed new commissioners to oversee the state’s Liquor Control and Medical Cannabis Commissions. The appointments arrive amid ongoing regulatory adjustments, including licensing modernizations and evolving enforcement priorities. The moves signal continued attention to compliance, taxation, and the interface between alcohol and cannabis in state-level governance.
Chart of the Week — Craft Beer Channel Divergence (Grocery vs. Convenience)
Craft beer’s performance continued to split sharply across channels in 2025, with convenience stores showing renewed stability as grocery weakened. The comparison highlights shifting consumer value preferences and rising channel polarization as price-sensitive shoppers consolidate trips.
Source: Fintech Retail Scanner Data, YTD and L12W ending November 2, 2025.
Closing Synthesis
The week illustrated a category navigating uneven demand, with craft beer’s divergence emblematic of broader consumer trade-downs and evolving trip missions. Policy and regulatory pressures intensified across hemp and alcohol categories, while wine’s structural challenges continued to surface. Entering the holiday period, suppliers face both muted consumer confidence and emerging opportunities in channels showing early signs of stabilization.
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