8 Category Trends
is Chicago ’ s first legal cannabis-infused bakery and coffee shop . Making their debut in January of 2020 , visitors can drink cannabis-infused coffees , teas and lemonades while trying the cafe ’ s THC-infused baked goods .
The off-premise sector is where cannabis beverages have gained major traction , with stores from large chains to independents selling a variety of these drinks in states where it is legal .
Total Wine & More sells a wide variety of THC beverages across the country . Similarly , Spec ’ s Wine , Spirits , & Finer Foods also offers hemp-derived THC drinks in Texas , while ABC Fine Wine & Spirits sells them in Florida .
Cannabis-infused beverages are becoming so mainstream that they ’ re more common to be seen in liquor stores than in dispensaries . Neathery explains that there ’ s a very good reason for this .
“ Logistically , it ’ s incredibly difficult to sell cannabis beverages in dispensaries ,” he says . “ Transport companies aren ’ t invested in them because they ’ re such a small category when you look at the grand scheme of marijuana , so they ’ re not incentivized to invest in it .
There ’ s a tremendous size difference between 50 cans of beverages and 50 bottles of gummies . And since most companies sell to different stores , it ’ s a lot of space being utilized for multiple stops .
“ Another issue is the technology that trucks need to have in order to keep the beverages at a certain temperature ,” Neathery says . “ That ’ s a lot of infrastructure that marijuana and transport companies need to invest in .”
Since most transport companies are already equipped with everything needed to deliver products to liquor stores , it doesn ’ t require as much effort to add on a few extra cases of cannabis beverages .
Some beverage alcohol distributors have also tapped into the infused beverage space . Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits , for example , began offering CBD beverages a few years ago . Republic National Distributing Company is another distributor that has recently begun selling CBD drinks .
“ I think the industry will continue to grow and feed through additional liquor distribution ,” Neathery says . “ Instead of there being competition between the two industries , there ’ s actually been more of an embrace just because companies are seeing margin improvements .”
BEER SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
Beer sales have been less than desirable as of late , to put it mildly . The U . S . beer industry ' s volume consumption decreased 4.4 % in 2023 to 2.68 billion 2.25−gallon cases , according to the Beverage Information Group ' s 2024 Industry Overview .
Just two beer segments — imported and flavored malt beverages ( FMBs ) — achieved any volume growth , and that wasn ' t enough to offset the significant decline of other domestic beer categories .
However , new data suggests beer sales are starting to fi- nally turn around .
Top : Wake N Bakery has multiple Chicago locations where visitors can consume cannabis-infused beverages and snacks on-site . Bottom : Planet 13 ’ s Dazed Lounge allows guests to consume cannabis beverages on-site in a speakeasy-style space accessible through a hidden door .
Fintech data found that beer sales increased slightly between 2023 and 2024 . Presented during the National Beer Wholesalers Association ’ s ( NBWA ) Fintech & NBWA Beer Industry Update webinar in mid-December 2024 , total beer sales to on- and off-premise businesses totaled $ 68.6 billion in 2023 .
Since 2024 hadn ’ t yet fully come to a close at the time of the presentation , Fintech estimated a total of $ 70.7 billion in beer sales for the year . That ’ s a 3 % increase from 2023 . Albeit small , an increase is still an increase — something the beer industry hasn ’ t seen in quite some time .
Some of this growth can be attributed to the healthier-for-you-beverages movement , with alcohol-free beers taking up quite a bit of shelf space at both on- and off-premise businesses .
The zero-proof beer selection at Bagley Liquor in Bagley ,
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