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11
1ALCOHOL TRENDS
TO WATCH IN 2019-20
BY KYLE SWARTZ
Consumer tastes never settle . They gradually change in subtle shifts and evolutions . And they can vary greatly from state to state , and across the country . That ’ s why Beverage Dynamics polls its readers each year on current trends .
Results from our 2019 State of the Industry Survey painted a diverse picture . Answers differed greatly , representing a broad swath of what U . S . consumers want . But even among these disparate answers there emerged common observations that pointed towards larger trends in America .
We consider these below , the prominent trends defining alcohol retail in 2019-20 .
1 ) CANS , CANS , CANS Canned wine is no longer the next thing coming but a popular trend that ’ s very much here and now . In our 2019 State of the Industry Survey , alternative packaging was the third-highest answer ( 14 %) for the trend most impacting retail businesses , behind only the broader categories of bourbon / American whiskey and wine .
Canned wine was also the fourth-highest response ( 9 %) in what retailers wanted to expand shelf space for , and came in third for the biggest trend of 2019 ( 15 %).
The can movement is also at the core of the Ready-to-Drink
explosion ( more on that later ), and has swept through craft beer , where the 4-pack of tallboy cans has replaced the 750- ml . “ bomber ” as the go-to premium packaging . The craft beer explosion has also made Millennials used to drinking premium products from cans , preparing them for the alternative-packaging trend in wine .
Cans are lighter and more mobile than glass counterparts , easier to transport on hikes and other outdoor activities . And they can go places that glass cannot , like pools , parks and beaches . Which all points to continued growth ahead for cans , especially in wine .
“ We ’ re still just at the tip of the spear with alternative packaging ,” says Scott Moore , SVP national accounts off premise at Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits . “ The Millennial experience in wanting things now , with instant gratification , fits perfectly with these different forms of packaging .”
2 ) BROWN SPIRITS CONTINUE BOOMING There is no slowdown in sight for bourbon and American whiskey . Much the opposite : new craft distilleries open up every day , while global corporations like Diageo , Brown-Forman , Constellation Brands and Pernod Ricard have all recently invested significantly in acquiring brown-spirits brands and / or expanding out existing
www . beveragedynamics . com July / August 2019 • Beverage Dynamics 25