AB InBev silent over BeatBox buyout
Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has declined to comment on a report that it plans to purchase ready-to-drink (RTD) brand BeatBox Beverages.
A report by The Wall Street Journal claims that AB InBev is close to buying the US-based alcoholic punch brand in a deal that values BeatBox at approximately US$700 million.
When asked for a statement on the rumoured sale, the Belgian multinational said: “At this stage, AB InBev doesn’t have any comment on this topic.”
BeatBox Beverages has not responded to several requests for comment.
The company produces a line of non-carbonated products in 330ml Tetra-Pak boxes, using wine, malt and spirits as its base. The range carries ABVs of between 6% and 11%.
The range of ‘party Punches’ includes Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Juicy Mango and Orange Blast.
Founded in 2011 in Austin, Texas, the brand recently expanded into the UK with a listing at supermarket Morrisons.
The brand also secured investment from NBA star Shaquille O’Neal earlier this year.
In 2023, BeatBox partnered with Sk8er Boi singer Avril Lavigne on the launch of a Pink Lemonade RTD cocktail.
AB InBev has been slowly expanding its portfolio outside beer over the past decade.
In 2019, AB InBev acquired US-based canned cocktail maker Cutwater Spirits for an undisclosed sum.
AB InBev recently launched a spirits-based RTD tea brand, called Skimmers. However, the owner of vodka-based hard tea brand Surfside sued AB InBev for allegedly copying its packaging design last month.
AB InBev also owns the Canadian rights to RTD brand Mike’s Hard Lemonade, as well as vodka-based canned soda brand Nütrl.
According to NIQ data, Cutwater and Nütrl are among the top 10 biggest-selling ‘prepared cocktail’ brands in the US off-trade.
NIQ recently revealed that the spirits-based RTD segment is now worth US$2.7 billion in the US off-premise, almost three times its size in 2021.
Vodka-based hard seltzer High Noon, owned by Gallo, is the leading brand in the category.
Gallo is also seeing success with its new vodka-based RTD, Lucky One Lemonade, which surpassed one million nine-litre cases just seven months after the brand’s launch.
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