Realignment at the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division
As an agency that has been around since the repeal of Prohibition, the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) has undergone many changes throughout the years — and 2023 was no exception.
Until recently, the agency...
The 2023 Wine Growth Brands Awards: The Top Bottles
After some slight ups and downs during the first three years of the pandemic, total wine consumption took a dip in 2022. It decreased 1.1% last year to 344.1 million 9-liter cases, according to...
What’s Next for THC and CBD?
nnabis is red hot these days, even as it hangs in a precarious balance between state and federal legislation. Despite this, THC and its milder, fully legal counterpart, CBD, continue to boom with consumers...
Exploring the Unexpected and Modern in Brandy
Say what you will about brandy: no other spirits category spans a wider range of styles. From vegetal unaged pisco, to crisp Calvados, to rich, luscious, baking spice-tinged XO Cognac, brandy is brimming with...
Our 2022 Holiday Alcohol Gift Guide
Every year we round up a variety of holiday gifting options, sure to bring a smile to friends and family. From limited-edition packaging to new releases and value add-ons, we cover a variety of...
In Alcohol Retail, Cleanliness is Next to Profitability
"Cleanliness is Next to Godliness" comes from Charles Wesley, credited as the founder of the Methodist Church, though perhaps the phrase can be adapted to our retail stores as, “Cleanliness is Next to Profitability.”
We...
Why Single Barrel Store Pick Whiskeys are Gaining Popularity
Something interesting happened with store pick whiskeys in 2020.
Retailers and clubs have selected and bottled their own single barrel whiskeys for some time. About a decade ago, pioneers like Lincoln Road Package Store in Mississippi, and Tippins...
Vermont Raises the Bar
Sluggish revenue. Antiquated warehouse processes. The growing threat of privatization. These were just some of the challenges facing Vermont’s Division of Liquor Control a few short years ago. But new leadership, and a top-down...
7 American Whiskey Trends in 2020
Brown spirits continue to boom in America. Although consumer education remains a bit behind — many people still don’t know the difference between bourbon and whiskey — interest in distilled spirits is very high.
This is obviously...
What’s Hot in Tequila and Mezcal in 2020
Tequila and mezcal remain red hot. Both spirits tap into numerous trends that should keep the categories very much on the minds of consumers in 2020.
Recent growth has been impressive. In 2018, tequila sales...
