The Gist by Sightlines
Sightlines is a new approach to analysis and insight across beverage categories that serves companies looking to grow, innovate, and win new customers. The kind of insight you can take action on to develop new products, positioning, and pipelines. The Gist is our free, top-line summary of the latest data, insights, and trends in beverage alcohol and the broader CPG category, as reported by the award-winning Sightlines team. Subscribe to the insights newsletter at Sightlines.news
info_outline
From Underage to Uninspired - Younger Audiences are Waiting on Booze
09/26/2025
From Underage to Uninspired - Younger Audiences are Waiting on Booze
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 just when it comes to alcohol. They’re driving less, having less sex, staying home longer, and waiting to get jobs. In this conversation, Michael and Kate consider how alcohol brands need to shift their assumptions about young people, and offer ways to reclaim the maturation ritual that turning 21 once marked.
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/38365835
info_outline
Cross-Category Theme Parties
06/16/2025
Cross-Category Theme Parties
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 Sightlines.news, we work hard to show insights that hold true across categories, driven by consumer data and insights, and help our subscribers find their way through the narratives and noise. Now depending on the conference you’re at, your mileage may vary. But increasingly we’re seeing more conversations that are cross-category where producers and value chain partners are informing each other, and learning from a broader set of perspectives. Today, me and Sightlines Kate Bernot download about recent expriences at the craft brewers confernce and various guilds, as well as the ebev confernece in Indianapolis about some of the topics we’re overheading, and in some case leading the coveration on.
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/37027180
info_outline
Who Cares About Wine, Anyway?
04/01/2025
Who Cares About Wine, Anyway?
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. From Sightlines: The Future is Flavored Building on years of launches at Expo West, more products than ever look to disrupt traditional categories by focusing on value-adds like protein or flavor-blasting their way into attention. From Sightlines: Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/35964815
info_outline
THC’s Party Planning Committee
02/25/2025
THC’s Party Planning Committee
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 what’s happening with premiumization and what categories continue to find success by focusing on consumer desires like flavor. As Drinkers Cross Categories, Spirits Still Win Will Non-Alcoholic Beer Hit a SKU Ceiling? The number of non-alc beer brands has doubled in the last three years, but shelf space and pricing pose potential road blocks to its next phase of growth. Slowly Expanding, Non-Alc Beer Category is Structurally Sound but Top-Heavy Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/35425185
info_outline
This is How Wine Can Crush
02/04/2025
This is How Wine Can Crush
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 can impact budgets, but suggesting this is the culprit for lagging alcohol sales distorts reality of who’s drinking and how Americans spend. Gambling Impacts Alcohol’s Declining Consumer, Not Category’s Future Forecasting beer trends in 2025 is wishful thinking January brought with it lots of op-eds and lists suggesting a variety of top trends that will shape the beer industry in 2025. Many miss the mark. Nutty Flavor Helps One Midwest Brewery Crack the Flavor Code A Craft Beer That Wins on Brand and No-Frills Fun Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/35151390
info_outline
Shots Fired! Surgeon General Takes Aim At Alcohol
01/24/2025
Shots Fired! Surgeon General Takes Aim At Alcohol
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, how are consumers thinking about their budgeting? Spending continues to go up with opportunities for alcohol, cannabis, and premium food and drink. Americans still want a buzz during Dry January This month represents a high point for non-alcoholic beverages as Americans consider ways to abstain from alcohol. But Dry January actually represents a broader opportunity for products that still alter mood. Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/34987555
info_outline
Tequila…in this economy?
12/13/2024
Tequila…in this economy?
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 may have missedBryan and Kate highlight two areas of alcohol they think not enough people are paying attention to and are worth consideration for what’s coming in 2025. How Consumers Consider Alcohol Categories is More Blurred Than You May Think Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/34433404
info_outline
Why Day Drinking Went Mainstream
11/18/2024
Why Day Drinking Went Mainstream
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 No More Empty Nests The latest annual report from the National Association of Realtors shows a record-high of Americans buying homes for multiple generations. This will impact how people spend their money and discover new products. Key Alcohol Consumers Increasingly Live in Multigenerational Homes Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/33975652
info_outline
Get Niche or Die Trying
11/02/2024
Get Niche or Die Trying
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, makers of one of the best-selling energy drink brands in the country. Looking past a $1 billion price tag, this move explains how companies see the energy category and its many different potential customers. Even Non-Alcoholic Drinks Thrive by Offering a "Buzz" Drinkers Match Moods with Any Beverage, So Position Yours to Matter When It Counts 3. Do these non-alcoholic beer moves add up? Actor Tom Holland is swinging into the segment while Athletic Brewing is trying to capture more space in stores with 19.2oz cans. Meanwhile, more breweries are trying to carve out their own opportunities. Slowly Expanding, Non-Alc Beer Category is Structurally Sound but Top-Heavy Why a New Non-Alc Beer Bets it all on a Single SKU Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/33756802
info_outline
Bev Alc's Customer Appreciation Days
10/09/2024
Bev Alc's Customer Appreciation Days
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 conversations among bev-alc leaders. It's about paying attention to what consumers are showing and telling you. How to Build a Flavor-Focused Brand Vodka Dominates Canned Cocktails As Cost Effective Flavor Base Young Drinkers Consume More, Most Interested in Price, Flavor, ABV 3. Wine has been in a rough spot for years. This October, industry leaders are launching the first collective marketing campaign in a decade. Can it work? Or do they need to look for lessons from consumers just like everyone else? Alcohol’s Growth Increasingly Comes from New Wave Drinks Built Across Category Lines Subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/33397612
info_outline
How Beyond Beer Beat Beer
09/18/2024
How Beyond Beer Beat Beer
Giving 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 Sales Data and Research Explains Cannabis Consumers and Lack of Impact on Alcohol Context Behind Gallup's 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:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/33106102
info_outline
Mich Ultra's Silent Majority
08/26/2024
Mich Ultra's Silent Majority
A summary of reporting and research we've conducted at Sightlines in recent weeks: 1. Michelob Ultra will become the #2 beer in America by dollar sales this year, overtaking Bud Light and trailing only Modelo Especial. Bryan clocked this back in March 2022, for what it’s worth. Sightlines previewed this change in March 2022 and recently shared context about how and why Michelob Ultra found this new level of success. 2. Monster’s Alcohol Brands – which includes The Beast Unleashed, Nasty Beast Hard Tea, and various craft beers and hard seltzers – also took a hit, with decreasing FMB volumes pushing net sales down -31.9% to $41.6 million, from $61 million in Q2 2023. Sightlines offered an in-depth look at what’s going on in convenience stores and how these retails spaces influence consumers elsewhere: 3. Multigenerational Homes The Sightlines team previews upcoming insights about one of the key demographic changes in America: the rise of multigenerational households. Hear about why this matters and subscribe to get these insights in your inbox:
/episode/index/show/21e53725-5c27-4b7b-9f69-8b987fb85716/id/32749537