Michigan: Liquor store owner, worker sentenced for $1.3M food stamp scheme

Is the effect of the safe cab and more focused safe transportation planning creating a hidden danger involving patron physical movements or the dangers when it is cold outside.  Patrons alcohol and use of ploy impairments drugs create hidden dangers.  Serving Alcohol employees knowledge of the patron's use of other drugs when alcohol is consumed can increase the responsibility owed in alcohol service control to your patrons. Employee knowledge and awareness of your patron's drinking behaviors create a greater opportunity for training patrons by educating them about their own responsibility of self-care.   Bob P.

Beer Does Memorial Day Belly Flop

Source: Beer Business Daily

June 23, 2017

Beer is having a really tough year.

Beer sales for Memorial Day, one of the category's banner summer holidays, did not grow this year.

In fact, beer dollars were down more than 3% in dollars and 4.6% in volume the two weeks ending June 4, 2017, which surrounded the Memorial Day holiday (per IRI multi-outlet and convenience numbers).

There wasn't a holiday comp timing issue.

Nor did people give up firewater. Spirits dollars were up 4.5% (volumes up more than 7%!), and wine dollars were up 2.6% in the period.

The only beer segments that grew during the Memorial Day period were imports, up 3% in dollars, and domestic super premiums, up 6.2% in dollars.

Craft dollars was flat. Its volumes were down 2%.

Those used-to-be-popular "assorted" pick/mix packs were down 55%.

Domestic premium dollars and volumes were down around 7%.

Sub-premiums were down in the 4% clip.

FMBS were down 9% overall. Note, though, that among the "hard" seltzer players, only the Smirnoff and Nauti Seltzers were included in beer FMB tallies. 

IRI includes the larger hard seltzers -- White Claw, Truly and SpikedSeltzer -- in their spirits category (because of the base). These brands indeed helped drive premixed cocktails sales.

At least during the Memorial Day period, the hard seltzers did grow. IRI has total hard seltzers (including all the above listed brands, beer or spirits affiliated) up almost 6,000% in dollars. Of course, with such a small base last year, it would have been hard for them not to grow with all the new, big players. 

IMPORTS TOP BEV ALC GROWTH SEGMENTS DURING MEMORIAL DAY

Here's a silver lining to Memorial Day's dismal beer trends: Imports actually were the top bev alc growth segment, in terms of actual dollar sales change. Its 3% dollar growth over the 2 weeks ended June 4 represented $8.6 million dollars.

The holiday's second top dollar gainer? Domestic super premiums, whose 6% dollar jump equaled $6.7 million in gains.

Premixed cocktails, which are tallied toward the spirits side but do include beer producer brands like White Claw, Truly Spiked and Sparkling and SpikedSeltzer, were the third biggest dollars gainers. That group's 43% hike translated to $6.1 million in dollar gains.

The next big gainer? "Super premium" table wine, in the $11 - $14.99 range, which was up 8% in dollars, or $4.9 million overall.

Rounding out the top five, whiskey was up 6%, right behind super premium table wine, also at roughly $4.9 million in gains. (Because there's apparently nothing like sippy whiskey in the hot sun, poolside.)