Jen Honovic Herczeg

Not quite West Coast or New England–style, the reemerging label is confusing at best … For a long time, two regionally termed IPA subcategories have dominated U.S. beer cans: “West Coast” signaled clear and bracingly bitter with a piney, citrusy, resinous hop profile, and “New England” meant juicy, hazy and sweeter with tropical hops. Suddenly, however, a label that’s maintained alower profile since craft beer’s early days is showing up on more tap lists … muddying that understanding: “American IPA.” What even is this style? The name suggests some overarching combination of the two coastal substyles, a less-than-helpful and vague umbrella term, or, potentially, its own new thing. The answer, it seems, is all of the above. From the late 1970s into the 1990s, brewers started making IPAs based on their knowledge of English IPAs, but with an American twist. Thus “American IPA” made sense. But two things happened to erode that simple definition. For one, American craft beer took off, and American-brewed IPAs overtook English-style ones. For another, West Coast and New England substyles appeared, further delineating the category. “American IPA” all but disappeared as a label. Now, we’ve started to see the ‘American IPA’ return as a ‘style.” Yet did it ever really leave? While it’s agreed that an American IPA should not be hazy or as sweet as a New England IPA, an American IPA can still capture certain NEIPA notes with tropical fruit characteristics. “It can embody the West Coast’s visual clarity while incorporating the hop profile typical of the East Coast,” says Daniel Sickmen, head brewer at Virginia’s Lost Barrel Brewing, where an American IPA is a menu staple. The “American IPA” label leaves the door open for people to explore some range in terms of bitterness, sweetness, malt character and hop character, and learn what they like. For that reason, American IPA might at this point be more of a vibe than a style. It’s an IPA living in the middle of the tropical-sweet and piney-bitter extremes, open to brewer interpretation as well as to consumer discovery. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s intense. And you know it when you taste it. “The best IPAs are ones we drink with friends.” — Stephen Carter King Read the entire article at: Punch Drink .com Cheers🍻! #ConsumerBehavior #EmergingTrends #BrandAwareness #BusinessIntelligence #Beer #CraftBeer #IPA #AmericanIPA #Microbreweries #Pubs #Taprooms #Brewpubs ✦✦✦ Stephen Carter King Chief of Growth and Marketing and Strategy • Beer Market Analyst • Beerconomy & Co. CEO • Thought Catalyst • Sherpa • Advisor & Speaker sharing beer market trends, insights, forecasts and scoop via The Beerconomist

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Loyalty programs are so important. Think about Starbucks program or this new CAVA program. I’ve had loyalty programs before where I bank rewards and then they disappear or can’t use them. Who could an emerging brand use to help create the best loyalty programs?

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And not just wine...

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Tequila!   Many large players such as White Claw, and The Boston Beer Company (maker of Truly) are expanding their offerings and releasing tequila-flavored ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails as consumers are increasingly turning to tequila offerings in the beverage alcohol sector.   I had the opportunity to share my insights and thoughts on this surging trend with The Food Institute. In the article, I emphasized how innovations in ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, including tequila-based seltzers and margaritas, are meeting consumer demand for novel flavors. Additionally, I pointed out that tequila production has remained stable despite global supply chain disruptions and highlighted the increasing consumer preference for high-quality artisanal spirits.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gB9f-3Ci   #Tequila #BeverageIndustry #MarketTrends #ConsumerInsights #RTDCocktails

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Interesting take on the battle for consumers during months like Sober October and Dry January from Stephanie Cain 👇 Her commentary below with link in comments 🍻🥂🍹 The wine industry has launched an assault on #SoberOctober and non-alcoholic beverages as if the sole existence of the booze-less category is to put a hit against wine. With its new campaign, Come Over October, wine folks are declaring you should grab a glass instead of going sober, because wine brings people together. Instead, #wine should really be looking at their core messaging because that's why wine is declining. At the #ComeOverOctober kick-off party, I had a conversation with a salesperson of a wine distributor. He attempted to be ok with the evolution of wine by explaining that ready-to-drink, single-serve wine brand, BeatBox, marketed to the 21 to 25-year-old set, was crushing the market. He was all for it. While the brand has wacky flavors like blueberry lemonade wine, he felt that every wine consumer “starts somewhere.” It was promising to him because he said they would “continue their wine journey” and start “drinking real wine.” So many problems here but here is the big one: They don’t often continue the wine journey. News flash, wine people! Consumers don’t have time. We don’t desire it. We want to build connections, not spend the evening only discussing what we want to drink. We have jobs and travel and bills to pay and kids and dogs and aging parents and hell, we just want to buy a house. We have no job security. We have been hit with recession after recession. Right now, inflation is making our groceries cost some 40% more. You really think we are jumping at the time-consuming task of learning about wine? Get real. We’ll grab a #Martini. And start ranting. Which is exactly what I'm doing in today's The Mad Ones 👇 Link in comments. #health #wellness #marketing #alcohol #alcoholfree

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A great and very timely piece from Pete Wells at The New York Times (https://lnkd.in/egS8_h6j) about the dangers of the #foodserviceindustry becoming increasingly faceless and lacking the emotional connections consumers increasingly need now. Mike Kostyo and I have been talking about this for the past year, and I've been advocating for more emotionally-based #innovation for longer than that. As an industry, we've focused on #technology and trends as the end-all-be-all of solutions but these things have helped to commoditize the industry. Trends aren't ownable, they aren't defensible and they aren't emotionally engaging for consumers. And as every operator jumps on a "hot" trend, it becomes exponentially less interesting and less impactful. #Foodservice is losing traffic to #retail. Based on recent stats, #restaurants are now losing revenue despite significant price increases over the past month. We talk about consumer price sensitivity, but I argue this isn't solely a price issue. #Consumers are spending more money to go to fine dining restaurants and to stay at luxury resorts. Consumers are pay money for big ticket items and traveling to see Taylor Swift. Consumers will spend money if there's a good value, and our industry is suffering increasingly from a value deficit...and that deficit is being driven by a lack of #hospitality. Yes, we've got significant labor issues but we can't blame this entire issue on recent labor shortages. The industry has been heading down this path for a while, but it's trip has accelerated. If our industry is going to thrive and remain relevant, hospitality - not trends, not technology, not speed-of-service, not cheap prices - is the answer. #menumattersllc #trends2024 #consumerbehavior #consumerinsights #foodandbeverageindustry

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UNFI just reported a surprisingly good Q3. Everyone in our industry should be celebrating. Their earnings call outlined how their larger Natural/Organic/Specialty accounts (WFM/TFM/GFH) are performing well. It’s a good thing, that these accounts are continuing to perform well and showing consumer resilience against persistently high pricing. This opens more innovation into more doors, and allows for the transfer of market share from Big CPG to emerging brands. It’s also a good thing their simplified fee structure (SSA) is paying off and producing more sustainable EBITDA rates for them because the stability of their supply chain network is important for retailers. There’s a nascent cottage industry built around helping small brands navigate UNFI’s “deduction” process. It’s important to understand that this 7% “Inside Income” forms the basis of their core profitability model. Nobody is going to “outsmart” or “outhustle” that 7% model long-term. Every brand signs the Policies and Procedures document and the details are all in the minutiae there. It’s important to understand that UNFI does not make its profits selling product…they earn more than 100% of their EBITDA by BUYING product. Their fees aren’t “predatory” they are just optimized for mature, larger brands who make up more than 80% of their sales. If you want a simplified no deduction model, and you don’t want to have to patchwork together 5-10 smaller distributors to reach national scale, you should work with us instead. We only make money when we sell product and we only work with emerging, growth brands. ALL of our fees are posted on our website, and we explain them to every brand that onboards with us in a 30 minute call. We can onboard you by the end of the day today if you want. Otherwise, UNFI is a very competent incumbent, and they are here to stay. Pod Foods #innovation #unfi #grocery

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The “40 Years in Beer” series is poised to resume (no joke, it really is) and here's a preview of the next eight installments, covering 1993 and 1994. Overall they're 75% or more complete and should begin appearing in 10-12 days at most. For the first time ever, I’ve actually plotted the narrative in advance; click through to see what's coming, and thanks as always for reading. https://lnkd.in/egWRAtQe

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🚨 Big News for PA Beverage Industry! 🚨 Pennsylvania’s Act 86 is shaking up the game for #ReadyToDrink (#RTD) cocktails, making it easier for bars, restaurants, retailers, and distributors to sell canned cocktails with the new RTDC license! 🍹 If you're in the beverage or hospitality industry in #Pennsylvania or #WashingtonDC, now’s the time to act. This new license opens doors for RTD products in stores, bars, and restaurants across the state. At Monongahela Imports, we’ve helped brands like Inversa Prosecco Spritz and Chacho Spicy Jalapeño Canned Margarita successfully navigate this tough regulatory environment. Want to break into the Pennsylvania RTD market? We’ve got you covered! 👉 Here’s what you need to know: 🔸 Secure an RTDC license to start selling RTD cocktails. 🔸 The demand for convenient canned cocktails is skyrocketing. 🔸 Industry experts are here to guide you through the licensing process. Ready to capitalize on the opportunities of Act 86? Let’s get your RTD brand into PA! 📈 🔗 Read more about Act 86 and how it’s transforming the PA market >> https://lnkd.in/e89fZ52x #CannedCocktails #Act86 #RTDLicense #HospitalityIndustry #LiquorLaws #PAbeverage #MonongahelaImports #DistilledSpirits #BarsAndRestaurants #BeverageIndustry 4o

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Maintaining the right price to sell your products is an ongoing function in your business. Six tips to help you get your product at the right price. #CdnFoodBiz

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How many of you, at least on occasion, shy away from intimidating things? Admit it. We’ve all been there. I’ve been there. It’s simply human nature to prioritize things that come easy to us. To do otherwise, to push yourself outside your comfort zone, takes determination, focus, often with a goal in mind, and perhaps even some serious grit. Cathy Huyghe (CEO at Enolytics) wrote a truthful, transparent piece about how wine and data both fall into this “intimidation camp”. They’re scary to many because they’re unknowns. They’re going to take time and effort to get to a general baseline understanding, and only then can you really mature in your comprehension to where it starts bringing you value and joy. As a winemaker turned technologist, I am already an outlier. The importance of data-driven winery operations was always painfully obvious to me. In the early years of InnoVint, I was perplexed by how many modern wineries were resistant to even have a conversation with me about technology. “Why would someone leave winemaking to start a software company?” I was an anomaly. They were shocked by the career decision. The sentiment was that wine producers “don’t speak data.” Why would they need to? Today, those that are winning in wine absolutely do, and honestly, it’s an easier language to learn than ever before. During the last 10 years running InnoVint I’ve seen progress, albeit not as much as I’d like to see for the sake of our industry. There's so much good wine these days, so how do you stand out and continue to grow? You need to put data to work for you - to drive business efficiencies, to target and woo consumers in ways that have shown repeatable success, to accurately understand your financial health, and so much more. Don’t shy away. Lean in. Cathy agrees by saying “I am concerned what will happen if we as an industry continue to procrastinate around applying the most up-to-date technologies to our business challenges.” You simply can’t afford to be left behind. Put forth the time and effort to get over the first big learning hump. I promise the view from the top is quite nice, and you’ll really enjoy the pick up of pace cruising down the other side passing others by. https://lnkd.in/g_6rS8rS

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Sorel Liqueur: The Ultimate Modifier Alcohol has a problem no one in the spirits industry talks about: alcohol doesn't taste good. This is by design. Taste (like most of our senses) doubles as a defensive mechanism: our body rejects things that are (or might be) poison. Pure alcohol, by definition, is poison: that's why every bottle of alcohol sold comes with a warning label; why it's a controlled substance. This has in no way diminished human desire to consume alcohol. Humans discovered the effects alcohol has on the body (both good and bad) and have spent thousands of years desperately trying to minimize the impact so we can enjoy the effect. Ancient Egyptians soaked botanicals in alcohol to make tinctures. The Celts began the practice of aging spirits in wood. Water, sugar, fruits; all things people have added over the millennia to make spirits more potable. Big liquor solves this problem by adding flavor to alcohol. This is why things like cinnamon flavored whiskey, blueberry flavored vodka, and jalapeño flavored tequila exist. At Sorel Liqueur we reverse the logic. Everyone else starts with alcohol and adds flavor: We start with flavor and add alcohol. The end result isn't just objectively delicious. It's also infinitely flexible. The combination of botanicals in Sorel effectively masks the flavor of ethanol. Practically, this means not only will it combine with any base spirit, it compliments the base by suppressing the flavor of ethanol, thus enhancing flavors. Gins have more botanical notes. Aged liquors (rum or whisky) have more barrel notes. Agave bases (tequila or mezcal) show more fruit and smoke. Don't believe me? Try mixing your favorite base 1:1 with Sorel. I've got a restaurant in Northern KY who's serving equal parts Sorel and Chartreuse. A spot in DC is serving equal parts Sorel and Sake. A dive bar in ATL is serving equal parts Sorel and peanut butter whisky (it's a perfect PBJ shot). And then there's this conversation from a decade ago, from my friend Matthew Sheinberg: Sorel and Laphroaig. Given modern drink trends, you may not need a base spirit at all in your favorite Sorel cocktail. Add a bit of Sorel to your favorite carbonated beverage, alc or non-alc. Top off your sparkling wine with Sorel instead of wasting your orange juice in a mimosa. Add Sorel to your seltzer with a spritz of lime. Ginger beer and Sorel makes a hibiscus mule that absolutely crushes summer drink menus. Or just drink it neat. The ultimate modifier requires no modification. #Caribbean #BlackOwned #ForTheCulture #DrinkSorel

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Non-alcoholic options aren’t cannibalizing alcohol revenue… ..they’re complementing it. New report from NielsenIQ shows an astounding 94% of non-alc consumers buy full-proof spirits in the same visit. #Nonalc buyers also spend 59% more on Total Alcohol versus those that exclusively buy alcohol 🤯 In other words, they’re your most valuable #customers. So what are some Top Tips to make your no & low options fly off the shelves? 👉 Prioritize: Visibility can make or break your non-alc section. Make sure your leading products are at eye level and place best-sellers from left to right. 👉 Invest in high-impact #POS: Shelf talkers and aisle violators increase awareness and drive #sales. 👉 Display non-alc in a second location: The storefront window, an endcap, case stacker, floor display, and barge inclusion are all great options. 👉 Know your products: There’s a whole array of non-alc products from mixers and RTDs to direct spirit replacements. Do a tasting, speak to your reps, and educate your staff. 👉 Take advantage of seasonal opportunities: The ever-popular Dry January drives huge volumes of non-alc sales during a traditionally down month for liquor. Display non-alc options prominently with Dry January messaging to capitalise on the moment, in-store and on-menu. Even on holidays like Thanksgiving and Cinco de Mayo, you can expect a substantial surge. 👉 Align promotions & activations: Enhance market penetration by aligning promotions with key calendar periods and #innovative product pricing. 👉 and as always, invest in high-quality, #customised design.. What other tips & tricks do you recommend? https://lnkd.in/eyrN6AHB

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Sharing a nice little article about Friends' Marketplace from the Shelby Report (a food and grocery industry magazine)!

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GOT SCORES? (Updated with link to PDF of full document): https://lnkd.in/enBx4WX6 Here's this year's post of all the information you need to enter wine and spirits into the competitions that matter in the U.S. market. The first question suppliers, importers, retailers will often ask is "Got Scores?" And there's only one answer to that question. Because if you say "No" the conversation can stop right there. So the procedure I recommend is for my clients to enter the competitions that make sense for your brands and hype the results that matter to the market (90+ scores, Gold/Double Gold etc.) and ignore the rest. The competitions listed here are the ones that are most recognized by the trade. And I've presented them with a key column identifying whether they accept not-currently-imported brands. Since many of my clients are just starting their U.S. market entry. That's because you'll need scores before you can even start conversations. If you can't access the link to the Excel sheet, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me a request at [email protected] and I'll send the file directly to you. Best to all for a successful O/N/D and fiscal 2025 Steve

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🚨🚨Applications are open for The Big Connecticut Food Event $50k pitch competition for emerging CPG food & bev brands, happening on 3/1/25 at the Yale School of Management. Visit ctfoodevent.com to learn more about the event and submit a participation request. Deadline to apply is 12/1/24. More info 🏆Applications will be scored by our judging committee then ranked. The top 5 scoring brands will be invited to participate in the pitch competition, and the top 30 scoring brands (including the finalists) will be invited to participate in tabling and sampling. 📍All food & beverage brands that are interested in participating in the pitch competition or tabling/sampling must be headquartered in Connecticut (it's okay if you were incorporated in a different state). Food & bev brands based outside of CT are welcome to participate in expert coaching sessions and attend the event. 🔎The following factors will be considered when scoring food & bev brand applications for consideration in the pitch competition. --Target market: Addressable target market is large and/or growing, or is a high-priced niche. Customer is well-defined. --Solution: Product is differentiated vs. competition: better, faster, cheaper, quality, efficient, convenient, focused. --Team/board/advisors: Evidence of more than just founder-led and -run. Relevant industry knowledge, skills, leadership experience, key relationships, prior successes and/or failures. --Traction: Stated planned milestones, minimal viable product built, market validation, key success metrics, revenue growth, partners. --Impact on the company: Would this company stand to gain significant advancement and opportunities by being featured at our event? Will an award help them move their stated project along and help take the company further? --Woman- or BIPOC-owned: Business owners represent one or more sytemically disadvantaged identities (race, gender, etc.). --Sustainable or regenerative: Sustainable/regenerative practices are a significant component of product and business (ingredient sourcing, packaging, energy use, etc.).

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Calling RI food entrepreneurs. Do you have a product and are ready to scale but need help? Complete our survey and we'll connect you with the best mentor(s) to meet your business needs. Tap into the amazing Branchfood network of experts and angel investors. https://lnkd.in/edWM3f9E #foodentrepreneurs #foodstartups

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In our youth focused culture, and industry, it's often easy to assume that younger consumers are fundamentally and irrevocably different from older consumers. In many ways, of course, they are. But as I've talked about in past posts, the new older consumer is vastly different from older consumers of previous generations. Case in point, in a survey Mike Kostyo and I fielded to power custom content for Menu Matters LLC we found that Boomers are as likely as younger consumers to research products and restaurants before purchasing. What varies is the source. While Gen Z focuses on social media, Boomers look to review sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor. And here's something that will likely shock some - Boomers are significantly less likely to turn to TV advertising. Which generation is most likely to take TV advertising into account...Millennials. I'll let you sit with that for a minute. Boomers are also as likely as any other generation to look for restaurant menus before visiting, though they do it less frequently than other generations. What is really beginning to separate the generations is not technology broadly but AI and algorithms. The acceptance and use of these evolving technologies is beginning to create far greater rifts than social media ever has. Reach out if you'd like to learn more or if you'd like to be added to our mailing list to be notified when our next report is published featuring these and many more unique new findings. #menumattersllc #consumerinsights #foodservice #consumerbehavior #innovation #trends2024 #restaurants #foodandbeverageindustry #cpg

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We are alternative under the adult beverage umbrella. At SōRSE Technology, we've always considered ourselves as a food and beverage ingredient technology company versus a "cannabis company". Many of our clients identify more with the general beverage industry than the cannabis industry - And many of our target customers (when it comes to low dose beverages) don't identify as a cannabis consumer yet either! The positioning of the Adult Beverage Alliance is spot on and helping us align more with alcohol and other adult beverage alternatives. If you're in Massachusetts, check out this association and how you can get involved. https://lnkd.in/euuiBaAJ #drinkcannabis Craft Collective, Inc. Atlantic Beverage Distributors Cannabis Beverage Association Hemp Beverage Alliance

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