Boston Beer Goes DTC for First Time With Non-Alcoholic Product Line
The Boston Beer Company — manufacturer of brands like Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard, and Dogfish Head — has launched its first direct-to-consumer effort with a new non-alcoholic product line.
General Admission, a non-alcoholic fruited beverage, will be available at www.drinkGA.com.
Tim Kerrigan, the company’s assistant head of innovation, said Boston Beer is testing how it can best leverage a DTC platform as a sales tool for the future.
“Because General Admission is non-alcoholic, we have the opportunity to simultaneously test and market our hypotheses on both a regional and national scale, both at traditional retail locations and through the growing e-commerce channel — it’s really a win from all angles,” he added.
Regarding future innovations, Boston Beer plans to launch some new products on a national scale, while others will be restricted to a limited number of test markets before seeing a wider-scale distribution.
General Admission is the first brand with a DTC product distribution model.
About General Admission
The company has jumped into the growing non-alcoholic market — NIQ reported a more than 30% increase in the category in 2023. “In fact, non-alc is now bigger than hard cider,” said Kerrigan.
"We believe it’s actually alcohol drinkers that are the primary consumers of non-alc products, and we must find a way to make something that appeals to everyone, whether they drink spirits, beer, wine, or only non-alc,” Kerrigan added. “That was the inception point for General Admission, and we’re excited to see how consumers will respond to this unique brand and its distinct proposition.”
Also available in stores across Albany, New York, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Indiana, the beverage comes in four flavors: Lemon-Lime, Orange Ovation, Grapefruit Groove, and Raspberry Remix. Although non-acholic, the drink is only available to those aged 21 or older.
DTC Taking a Front Seat in CG Distribution Goals
More consumer goods companies are investing in direct-to-consumer presences and fulfillment models.
In the delivery space, companies including Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever, Mondelēz, Nestlé, The J.M. Smucker Company, Haleon, The Ferrara Candy Company, Tums, and Jif have been piloting a new DTC delivery platform that provides fulfillment services from their owned and operated e-commerce stores in as quickly as 15 minutes.
Ralph Lauren has been strengthening its DTC efforts with an AI-powered buying model, prioritizing a segment of business that accounts for two-thirds of all company sales.
Morinaga America has doubled down on a DTC e-commerce presence for its Hi-Chew brand by tagging on a complementary loyalty program to capture first-party data and elevate personalization tactics.
