Who will get schlitzed?

By |2025-11-27T17:49:42+00:00November 27th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

In the 1960 and early 70s Schlitz battled with Anheuser Busch for top of the beer market. It was said that Schlitz and not Miller was the beer that made Milwaukee famous. So, what happened to this top brand and why do we not hear about it anymore?

Numerous factors occurred which pushed Schlitz into obscurity. […]

Candy Cigarettes and the Gummies Dilemma

By |2025-11-23T22:30:18+00:00November 23rd, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

When I was really young ages ago, I remember going to the store and buying candy cigarettes. We thought they were cool and imitated smoking them before finishing them off. I can’t remember what they taste like, but I remember having them and my friends and I pretending like we were smoking and being cool.

Candy […]

When the silence will become deafening

By |2025-11-13T23:08:24+00:00November 13th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

In a time long ago, the liquor industry set off alarm bells about Blue Cloud Distribution, Inc., a branch of Pepsi Co. obtaining liquor distribution licenses. The narrative pushed was that Pepsi Co. through the use of its chip’s portfolio would be offering back door slotting fee allowances. After much turbulence, Pepsi Co. pulled the […]

Lessons from cocktails-to-go in the era of paranoia

By |2025-11-11T22:42:56+00:00November 11th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

 

In 2020 we worked on getting cocktails-to-go passed in Illinois. With our movement of the first cocktails-to-go bill passed in America, we faced great opposition from the government. There were refrains that it was dangerous because people would now be able to open a ready-made cocktail while driving and Chicago would turn into New Orleans. […]

Craft distillers go under, can we turn it around?

By |2025-10-28T18:24:19+00:00October 28th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

It is safe to say that a 25% decrease in any industry would sound off troubling warning signs. To me it’s a code red and all hands need to be on deck to find a solution.

A recent report from the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), 2025 Craft Spirits Data Project, portrays an industry facing a […]

Nebraska and lessons to be learned

By |2025-10-07T22:06:50+00:00October 7th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

To say I was shocked to hear about the indictment against former Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, Hobert Rupe, is an understatement. It is alleged that Mr. Rupe took bribes from a Lincoln, Nebraska strip club in the form of free cover charge, free drinks, and sexual acts. From the allegations, it […]

New bribery case shows the three-tier system is not working

By |2025-10-01T02:10:00+00:00October 1st, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

Another case has come forth of bribery occurring at a major supermarket chain with a large winery and a large wholesaler alleged to be involved. We can rinse and repeat as these stories repeat themselves time and time again.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the main buyer for Albertsons took bribes from a large supplier […]

Trump saves the alcohol industry from permanent damage  

By |2025-09-08T15:50:45+00:00September 8th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

On the way out the door Biden’s Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made a case for a strong link between cancer and alcohol use and wanted to put warning labels on alcohol bottles. Further, he wanted to eliminate the long-held recommendation that two drinks a day for a man and one drink a day for a […]

Irish government plays Nero as part of its culture dies off

By |2025-09-04T23:43:13+00:00September 4th, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

The Irish pub is an iconic symbol of Ireland. The connotation of the Irish pub is so positive that its format is copied around the world. Visit a foreign country and the place many people feel comfortable is in the local Irish pub, even though they may not have any Irish blood and are in […]

Trump does not put the American Liquor Industry First

By |2025-09-01T23:17:35+00:00September 1st, 2025|Liquor Industry Insights|

 

Much of President Trump’s appeal with the populous is based on his America first vision. He invokes this vision when discussing tariffs on foreign products and exercising a non-interventionist foreign policy.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the liquor industry and opening up markets and enhancing competition, the President has abandoned an America first policy.

Last week the […]

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