Welcome to Issue #31 of The Quench Report, the newsletter that raises a glass and delivers the latest and greatest in Beverage Alcohol and the broader Beverage category.

What’s on tap for today:

• 🍷 Recent History of Italian Table Wines In The U.S.

• 💰️ Hurray Girl Beer Raises $5m

• 🔥 Hot Jobs Worth Applying To

🍷 THE RECENT HISTORY OF ITALIAN TABLE WINE IN THE U.S.

Ask most people where the majority of imported wine in this country come from and you will likely hear guesses of France or Australia.

Except for about 5 minutes around the Australian Shiraz craze of 2006, it’s actually Italian imports that have dominated the recent history in the U.S.

The category has evolved quite a bit over the past 15 years. A decade ago Italian imports were dominated by Cavit and large brands such as Ecco Domani and Bella Sera, brands that are much smaller today. Check out the evolution below 👇️ 

🎯 THE BIG TAKEAWAYS

• The premiumization story. The decline of Cavit, Ecco Domani, and Bella Sera isn't just brand fatigue it mirrors the broader trade-up that happened across the whole wine category. Consumers who started on $8 Pinot Grigio graduated up, and Italian wine gave them plenty of places to go.
  

• Stella Rosa proves that differentiation is always a viable strategy. Stella Rosa shouldn't exist on paper, it's a semi-sweet, low-alcohol Italian fizzy wine that doesn't fit neatly into any traditional category box. It's not quite sparkling, not quite still, sweeter than most Italian producers would ever sanction, and marketed more like a lifestyle brand than a wine. And yet it became one of the best-selling imported wine brands in the country. There is always room for a brand willing to color outside the lines.

• Regional discovery is driving growth. A decade ago "Italian wine" meant Pinot Grigio and Chianti. Today Prosecco, Montepulciano, Primitivo, and Nero d'Avola are mainstream vocabulary. The category has educated American consumers faster than almost any other import origin.

💰️ HURRAY GIRL BEER RAISES $5M ROUND

Hurray GIRL BEER, a humor-led flavored light beer brand, announced a $5 million seed funding round led by Lakehouse Ventures, with participation from Spice Capital and a mix of CPG industry insiders and entertainment executives.

The raise follows a successful California launch and rapid expansion into the Southwest and Texas, where the brand is working with Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors distributors. Not familiar with the brand? Check it out below 👇️ 

🎯 THE BIG TAKEAWAYS

• This brand feels like it’s taking a page out of the Liquid Death playbook - Humor-as-moat, culture-first marketing, better-for-you specs, big-box retail fast. Check out their site at https://www.hurraysgirlbeer.com/ - if you squint you might think you are looking at a hot energy or functional beverage - not a beer.
  

• No way a large supplier would launch this. Why? Because a brand called GIRL BEER with an arbitrary Connor ban and a founder's mom quote in the press release would never survive a brand committee, a legal review, or a channel conflict conversation. The irreverence IS the product, and that's something only a founder can own authentically.

We don't know if Connor will ever be unbanned but we'll be watching to see if Girl Beer earns a permanent spot on shelf.

THIS WEEK’S HOT JOBS IN BEVERAGES

These roles came to us via ThirstyTalent.ai. Want your open role featured? Email: [email protected] 👇️ 

• Director, Category Management - Breakthru - Santa Fe, CA

• Regional Manager SoCal - Concha y Toro - SoCal

• State Sales Manager - Uncle Arnie - Florida

• Sales Activation Manager - Deutsch Family - Maryland

• Field Sales Manager - Chay Spirits - Louisville, KY

• Business Development Manager - Luna Bay - Chicago, IL

• Director Brand Management Spirits - Gallo - NY, NY

THANKS FOR READING

The Quench Report is a free weekly newsletter from Thirsty Insights, a beverage alcohol consulting company that serves top clients in data, strategy, insights, and analytics.

Any questions, please email us at [email protected]