Mock the Toast | 10.23.25

Brewery Pivots, Profits From Cannabis | NA Sales May Be Severely Undercounted | Low-Cost Sponsorship, High Impact

your weekly briefing on everything adult non-alc

Industry

Atlanta’s Scofflaw Brewery reinvented itself as a THC beverage producer, now deriving 80% of revenue from infused drinks. (cbsnews.com)

Grocers are missing rising no/low demand, with poor merchandising limiting visibility despite surging consumer interest and sales. (grocerydive.com)

NIQ’s retail data misses New York’s unique NA channels, drastically undercounting sales and misrepresenting the market. (linkedin.com)

Young UK drinkers are driving moderation, with nearly half now opting for low and no-alcohol options. (drinksretailingnews.co.uk)

Pollen Projects, from Seedlip’s founder, is crowdfunding to scale Sylva and SEASN. (linkedin.com)

Fieldwork Brewing partners with San Jose Sharks, showcasing a smart, low-cost model for NA sports sponsorships. (beercrunchers.substack.com)

New 32% tariffs on Canadian imports could impact 60% of ANA drinks, potentially benefiting U.S. brands. (linkedin.com)

BERO, launched just last October, has quickly become Target’s #2 non-alcoholic beer brand nationwide. (instagram.com)

Workplaces adopt mindful drinking and functional beverages to enhance employee well-being, focus, and modern wellness culture. (thedailypour.com)

Beer sales are softening in c-stores, but innovation, imports, and non-alcoholic options are driving renewed growth. (nacsmagazine.com)

Three Spirit launched the Functional Drinks Collective and Report, revealing strong consumer demand for mood-enhancing beverages. (linkedin.com)

Sapporo-Stone targets 2026 U.S. growth with NA, light, and 19.2 oz singles driving convenience momentum. (brewbound.com)

Alcohol-free beer is emerging as a functional drink, valued for its vitamins, hydration, and low-calorie health benefits. (thedrinksbusiness.com)

Ohio lawmakers advanced a bill to legalize and tax intoxicating hemp while tightening marijuana potency and usage rules. (signalohio.org)

Europe’s alcohol-free revolution is thriving as startups craft premium, sustainable alternatives that blend wellness, flavor, and innovation. (eu-startups.com)

Video: THC-infused drinks are rapidly replacing alcohol as the go-to choice for relaxation and social rituals. (pix11.com)

Startup CPG Podcast: FABRIC’s founders share how they built a purpose-driven, sustainable beverage brand blending mission, creativity, and community. (youtube.com)

DTC Podcast: WYNK cofounder Angus Rittenburg shares how engineering and strategy helped scale THC beverages in a fragmented market. (spotify.com)

Pinot & Pixel Podcast: Étiquette founder Tiffany Ng unveils a fermentation process that creates complex, alcohol-free wine without dealcoholization. (spotify.com)

Presented by Vividly

How Laird Superfood Recovered $700K and Achieved 8x ROI with Smarter Deduction Management If you're a publicly traded beverage brand, you know trade spend is under constant scrutiny.

For Laird Superfood, the numbers were alarming: 17% of their trade dollars were invalid deductions.

That's real money slipping through the cracks — and manual tracking wasn't cutting it.

They needed a way to identify errors, dispute them efficiently, and actually recover what they were owed. So they partnered with Vividly.

The results? In just two years, Laird Superfood:

Recovered $700K in invalid deductions Achieved 8x ROI on dispute activities Recovered $380K from just one leading distributor "In just the last two years, we've realized an 8x ROI on disputes," says Anya Hamill, CFO at Laird Superfood. "With just one of the leading distributors in the industry, Vividly has recovered $380K."

No more leaving money on the table. No more manual reconciliation headaches. Just a centralized platform that identifies discrepancies, tracks disputes, and drives real recovery.

Want to see how your brand could achieve similar results?

Health

Extending pub hours could worsen England’s record alcohol-related deaths and inequalities, warns The Health Foundation. (health.org.uk)

Common tequila myths debunked: why “clean liquors” aren’t healthier. (nationalgeographic.com)

Winemaker Charles Smith calls for full ingredient transparency, warning U.S. wines may contain over 70 hidden additives. (foxbusiness.com)

Reducing or quitting alcohol, even at low levels, significantly lowers blood pressure and improves heart health. (news-medical.net)

Culture

Spotlighting pioneers shaping the booming non-alcoholic movement, from founders to innovators redefining mindful drinking. (thedailypour.com)

Sober Erie builds community through monthly mocktail gatherings as younger generations embrace sobriety and mindful drinking. (goerie.com)

Nearly half of Thanksgiving hosts plan booze-free celebrations. (seattletimes.com)

Non-Non-Alc

Waitrose expands its own-label wine range and launches new promotions to meet growing demand for moderation-friendly options. (thedrinksbusiness.com)

Gen Z’s viral “Caveman Storytime” trend simplifies storytelling on TikTok, blending absurd humor with commentary on shrinking attention spans. (insidehook.com)

Data Shot 🥃

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