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The Boston Beer: Inside The Twisted Tea Shake-Up As Vodka-Based RTDs Rewrite The Growth Playbook!

The Boston Beer Company reported a first quarter 2026 volume decline of 4%, with shipments decreasing by nearly 7% versus the prior year. The decline was primarily driven by lower volumes in key brands such as Twisted Tea, Truly, Samuel Adams, and Hard Mountain Dew. These decreases were partially offset by growth in Sun Cruiser, Angry Orchard, and Dogfish Head. Management attributed shipment declines partly to strong prior-year shipments as distributors built inventory for new product launches. Distributor inventories at quarter end were modestly reduced to 4.5 weeks from 5 weeks year-over-year, reflecting improved supply chain responsiveness. Despite volume headwinds and a challenging macroeconomic environment marked by consumer budget constraints and energy cost inflation, the company’s total beer and ready-to-drink (RTD) categories showed signs of stabilization, with the broader beer and RTD sector estimated as flat in volume during Q1 compared to a 4% decline in all of 2025.