From Underage to Uninspired - Younger Audiences are Waiting on Booze
The Gist by Sightlines
In this episode of The Gist podcast, Michael Kiser and Kate Bernot explore America’s massively successful campaign against underage drinking, and what it means for broader trends in alcohol consumption. Study after study and survey after survey indicate that teenagers today are drinking at vastly lower rates than prior generations. This is unequivocally a good thing. What’s more complicated, however, is what this means for newly legal drinkers—those in their early to mid-20s. There’s evidence to suggest that today’s young people are simply taking longer to mature, and not...
info_outline
Cross-Category Theme Parties
The Gist by Sightlines
Beverages on the intoxicating end of the functional spectrum have never been more varied - and neither have the experiences and relavitve cognitive dissonance of attending their major industry conferences. The narratives around what does and doesnt’ connect with consumers, and what’s driving growth is often over simplified, biased toward regulation and politics, and more often than not, shockingly out of touch with how it all transaltes, or doesn’t to the end consumer’s experience. Every beverage category exists in a bubble of sorts - but that doens’t have to be the case. At...
info_outline
Who Cares About Wine, Anyway?
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: Constellation Brands Off-Loads its Wine Portfolio The country’s third-largest wine supplier is reportedly exiting the category all together. Why and why now? Wine has been in a hard spot for some time. From Sightlines: On-Again, Off-Again Tariffs Spook Companies and Consumers The threat of higher prices and unstable consumer demand means producers, distributors, and retailers need to understand how to act now to build in resilience to Trump administration policies. ...
info_outline
THC’s Party Planning Committee
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: The Geographical Shifts in Hemp-Derived THC Consumers As the hemp-derived industry continues to grow, Sightlines offers new insights on regional differences of who’s buying and the perspectives that shape consumer views and experiences with THC. The Surprising Regionality of Hemp-Derived THC Demand How Consumers Think About THC Drinks Pricing Impacts Spirits Sales By reviewing figures from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the Sightlines team offers context of...
info_outline
This is How Wine Can Crush
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: Wine is getting crushed Silicon Valley Bank’s annual wine industry report tells a bleak story in coming years for the category. But that doesn’t mean wine is a lost cause. Wine Needs to Speak Differently to Connect with Young Drinkers Flavor-Focused Wine Connects to Consumer Desires in Ways the Wine Category Can’t Don’t bet on gambling being alcohol’s biggest villain Academic research and news reports highlight how an increase in legalized online gambling...
info_outline
Shots Fired! Surgeon General Takes Aim At Alcohol
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: The U.S. Surgeon General takes on alcohol An advisory notice from the Surgeon General includes a series of recommendations to increase awareness of potential connections between alcohol and cancer. Among the suggestions is to update the existing Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages with language stating as much. What 2025 could hold for consumer spending With a new year, new economic policies, and new budget concerns over rising prices,...
info_outline
Tequila…in this economy?
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: Tariffs on the tableWith president-elect Donald Trump talking up taxes on goods from foreign countries, understand what’s actually at stake and how consumers might react. In Spirits, Branding Beats Budget Worries From Russia without loveStoli's U.S. subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy, but it’s not because of a flattening vodka market. Sift through the noise to understand what’s happened. Vodka Dominates Canned Cocktails As Cost Effective Flavor Base The 2024 stories you...
info_outline
Why Day Drinking Went Mainstream
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: The Binge Watch High-volume drinking happens earlier in the day—a trend that tracks with other behavioral changes of American drinkers. Binge Drinking Shifts to Daytime Occasions for On-Premise It's Easier Being Green (and Drinking a Beer) Cannabis and hemp-derived products are more readily available than ever, but what if a concern about consumption rates against alcohol should actually be about budgeting? How Cannabis Use Could Impact On-Premise Drink Purchases ...
info_outline
Get Niche or Die Trying
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: 1. Better understand the THC consumer Sightlines insights have showcased how people who use cannabis also drink alcohol and what that could mean for sales of some categories. We'll also explore new data about who's using THC products. How Cannabis Use Could Impact On-Premise Drink Purchases Changing Perception of Alcohol, Cannabis Highlight Why Teens Choose Vices Differently 2. Everything is energy Keurig Dr Pepper recently announced plans to acquire Ghost Beverages,...
info_outline
Bev Alc's Customer Appreciation Days
The Gist by Sightlines
Giving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines: 1. Hemp-derived products have become one of the fastest-growing segments in beverage. Distributors now have a green light to pursue a segment with broad consumer interest and big margins. Format, Familiarity Push Delta-8 Drinks to Top of Growth Chart Breweries Cash In on Delta-9 Drinks With More Opportunity on the Way 2. Companies continue to wrestle with how to connect with young drinkers, but years of Sightlines insights are now becoming part of everyday...
info_outlineGiving context to top news from across alcohol through the reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines:
1. Beer produced and sold in the U.S. continues a downward trajectory. Latest data from the Beer Institute shows that between May and July, American breweries declined 10 million barrels compared to the same time frame a decade ago. So, what’s the cause? It’s easy to point at cannabis or the “sober-curious,” but we’ll give proper context for what’s going on.
The Narrative About Gen Z Drinkers is Wrong
https://www.sightlines.news/analysis/the-narrative-about-gen-z-drinkers-is-wrong
Sales Data and Research Explains Cannabis Consumers and Lack of Impact on Alcohol
Context Behind Gallup's Latest Polling on Alcohol
https://www.sightlines.news/analysis/context-behind-gallups-latest-polling-on-alcohol
2. While beer slumps, FMBs and RTDs dominate. Across beer, wine, and spirits, “4th category” brands are actually slowing losses as consumers find new kinds of drinks and flavor experiences that give them what they want. We’ll explain the current and long term impact of what this means.
What the Fastest-Growing RTD Brand Teaches Us About Space, Speed, and Staying Power
3. Discover the opportunity in draft sales. While kegged beer sales lag pre-pandemic levels, thousands of open draft lines across the country present the chance for new revenue, no matter what gets poured. The Sightlines team previews upcoming insights about why this matters. Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox: https://www.sightlines.news/sign-up