Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast

KK Hall, Global Brand Vice President for Maker’s Mark, and Charles Gibb, Fever-Tree’s North America CEO, joined forces to create a blood orange ginger beer formulated especially to pair with Maker's Mark. So far, it seems like the project has exceeded expectations, bringing bourbon into new consumption occasions that appeal to broader audiences and helping both brands grab the attention of retailers and distributors alike.      Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: knowledge.rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.  

Josh Cellars is arguably the most successful wine brand of this generation, and Deutsch did much of that work while the overall industry was struggling. How did they do it? The company’s President, Tom Steffanci, and Chief Brand Officer, Dan Kleinman, discuss their unique approach to brand building, distribution, the positioning of the wine category, and the meticulous measurements they use to maximize the return on their marketing spending.    Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Knowledge.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

Adapted from a live webinar hosted by Rabobank in July, this unique episode brings together experts from The Wine Group, Jackson Family Wines, and Crimson Wine Group, who joined forces to share best practices on lightweighting or “right-weighting” glass packaging. The panel includes: Tony Maan, Vice President of Supplier Development at The Wine Group  Colleen Fitzgerald, chenin blanc viognier winemaker and Chair of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement Committee at Crimson Wine Group  Mitch Davis, Executive Vice President – Operations at Jackson Family Wines   Rabobank clients can read the original RaboResearch report on lightweighting on our website: Wine Quarterly Q4 2023: Why weight? Wine’s biggest sustainability problem is also the easiest to fix and sign up for our research via this link: Knowledge.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates

Charles Gibb, CEO of Fever-Tree North America, offers an update on the mixers market, exploring how this fast-growing segment intersects with consumer trends, retailer objectives, and distribution. And, of course, we discuss the strategy that propelled a premium mixer brand into a billion-dollar company.   Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Knowledge.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

With help from industry icons Harry Schuhmacher and Sarah Barrett, the folks responsible for publications like Beer Business Daily and Wine & Spirits Business Daily, we use a fitting format, a draft, to debate the toughest and the most helpful trends and topics facing beer distributors in 2024. Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: knowledge.rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

Rabobank’s senior market strategist, Christian Lawrence, returns for his record-setting tenth appearance on the podcast to discuss major economic trends like inflation, labor markets, consumer spending, credit card debt, and the potential impact of elections and geopolitics around the globe.     Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Research.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

The global orange juice industry is in crisis. The Florida industry has all but disappeared, and Brazilian groves are plagued by disease, rising costs, and unfavorable growing conditions, leaving global orange juice supplies at their lowest point in decades. Prices are skyrocketing, consumer demand has been falling for years, and operators across the value chain are left wondering what’s next. Listen in as Rabobank’s citrus expert, Andrés Padilla, shares the takeaways from his latest report on the global orange juice industry and its future. For more on this topic, be sure to read the report: Global Orange Juice Outlook 2024/25 Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. Sign up for research (free for clients): Research.Rabobank.com

SipSource analysts Dale Stratton and Danny Brager are two of the most influential and respected experts in the US wine and spirits industry. In an expansive discussion, Danny and Dale help us dissect the drivers behind falling wine and spirits sales and whether things will get worse before they get better.     Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

In a recent and much anticipated report, Senior Analyst Francois Sonneville modeled the spot market and actual prices paid among public beer companies in North America, Europe, and China. We discuss his findings and his ideas on how brewers can better control production costs and where future cost pressure may come from. Be sure to download Francois’ report: Beer COGS dashboard Q4 2023 Clients can sign up for research here: Research.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

At this year’s Access LIVE conference in Las Vegas, we sat down with Breakthru Beverage Group’s Head of Digital and E-commerce Mike Boswell for an impromptu conversation on alcohol marketplaces. We explore the relevance and value of marketplaces at different levels of the value chain, discussing Drizly on the consumer-facing side and Provi for a business-to-business perspective.  For more on this topic, be sure to read our latest report: Why Drizly never delivered.   Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

Is neo-prohibitionism a threat to the alcohol business? Will GLP-1 agonists decrease alcohol sales? Are soft drinks companies losing interest in their effort to develop alcohol brands? To debate these and other controversial topics, the RaboResearch Beverage team plays one of our favorite games: Buy, Sell, Hold!       Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. 

As the largest wine and spirits distributor in North America, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has a unique perspective on the US alcohol market. Senior leaders David Chaplin (Chief Growth Officer), John Wittig (Chief Commercial Officer), and Alan Wizeman (Chief Digital Officer) share their views on the health of the US alcohol market, consumer trends, distributor inventories, and the fast evolving world of business-to-business e-commerce.     Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. 

Economic power duo Jane Foley and Christian Lawrence return to discuss the outlook for a recession, interest rates, inflation, and consumer spending and how these economic trends could impact food and beverage companies as we enter the new year.   Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: research.rabobank.com. Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. 

For the first time in more than a year, the Liquid Assets team get to do a recording in the same room. They take turns picking news stories that speak to wider trends impacting the beverages industry. Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Research.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.  

Bourbon has been booming for years, but that growth was preceded by a half century of hardship, hard work, and good luck that laid the groundwork for the soaring category we see today. Heaven Hill’s Max Shapira and Kate Latts lived through the good times and the bad. We tap that experience to understand the winding path that has led American whiskey to its current zenith and what more recent trends could mean for the future of this “distinctively” American spirit. Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Research.Rabobank.com Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

David Broughton, a journalist and director of research for Sports Business Journal, discusses the history of sports advertising, how it is evolving, and what recent changes to the industry mean for building brands on the back of humanity’s most beloved pastimes.   Rabobank clients can sign up for our research via this link: Research.Rabobank.com   Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.

With one of our favorite guests, consumer foods specialist Maria Castroviejo, and one of our favorite formats (a draft!), we debate the strategies that will drive beverage M&A deals over the next 12 to 18 months.     Rabobank clients can read our report The New Deal Environment by logging in to our website. 

Margie Lehrman, CEO of the American Craft Spirits Association, and Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, team up to discuss the winds of change blowing through the craft industry. Not long ago, the seas of craft beer and spirits were all smooth sailing as operators expanded into new, undiscovered territory. As costs rise, consumers shrug, and investors start to feel uneasy, many craft operators have been forced to batten down the hatches and rethink their long-term strategy, lest they should be blown off course. 

Steve and Jim invite Liquid Assets listeners to join them in congratulating Bourcard for becoming a father… on Father’s Day. Congrats Buki!!!

There are two major ways that beverage companies are changing their ingredients to fight inflation. Some brands are looking to cut costs by replacing their more expensive ingredients with cheaper ones. Others brands are developing new products or modifying existing products to increase revenues by adding more functional ingredients or making healthier versions of those products. We are joined by John Kelly and Paul Villis from the Kerry Group. They help us better understand what drives these decisions and share their experiences from helping brands manage this process.