[BND] Kane's Beverage News Daily

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Calif. Craft Distillers Push to Make Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Permanent

For California craft distillers, shipping direct to consumers has become an important business tool. But that tool may end if the California legislature doesn't make it permanent by Aug. 31, when the current legislative session ends. They received temporary authority during the pandemic. But there's no pandemic now, and so that privilege will end this year unless made permanent or extended. The wine industry says it supports dirfect shipping but opposing restrictions based on size of the produ

Chris Hemsworth Joins Archie Rose Distilling as Firm Prepares to Enter U.S.

Chris Hemsworth has joined Archie Rose Distilling Co., Australia’s leading independent distillery, as co-owner alongside founder Will Edwards, as the award-winning whisky and spirits company prepares to enter the United States for the first time. Founded in Sydney in 2014, Archie Rose has built an international reputation for its distinctively Australian approach to whisky and spirits. Hemsworth’s involvement marks a significant next chapter for the company as it expands beyond Australia and in

Four Roses Continues Experimental Series with Honey Cask Finish

Four Roses Distillery is continuing its new phase of innovation with Experimental Series No. 002 Honey Cask Finish, the second release in its limited-edition collection exploring flavor, maturation and production techniques beyond the brand’s traditional 10-recipe framework. How It's Made:

Jack Daniel Intros American Single Malt Whiskey

Jack Daniel Distillery (Brown-Forman) announced the nationwide U.S. release of Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey, a limited expression previously available exclusively at select duty-free retail locations worldwide. The release arrives as American Single Malt becomes an officially recognized whiskey category, marking the first new official whiskey category recognized by the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) in more than 50 years. How It's Made:

Napa Valley Vintners Awards $85,000 for Long-Term Wildfire Resiliency

Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announced an $85,000 grant to Napa Communities Firewise Foundation for the second year of its Valley Stewards Initiative. To date, NVV has given $2.1 million directly for wildfire preparedness in Napa County. This grant builds on NVV's long-term commitment to community and is the latest in a series of investments intended to strengthen Napa County’s ability to respond to wildfire incidents. “NVV understood early on that mitigation work requires sustained investmen

Tracking Your Competition: Marijuana Use More Common Among Younger, Less Educated Adults: Gallup

A just-released Gallup Poll finds 17% of Americans say they smoke marijuana, tying Gallup’s record high, while cigarette smoking matches its record low of 11%. Vaping is steady at 9%, and 4% of U.S. adults say they use nicotine pouches. When it comes to nonalcoholic beverages, coffee is the most popular of the five tested. About half of U.S. adults (49%) drink coffee every day, while 21% drink tea and 20% drink caffeinated soda daily. Fewer consume energy drinks (9%) or caffeine-free soda (6%).

24.9% of Americans 'Functionally Unemployed': Study

Everything we see tells us most (meaning over half) of all American workers are financially squeezed, and that squeeze is one reason why bev/al sales are far lower that any bev/al marketer would like. Not the only reason, to be sure, but one reason. When we ran across a study claiming the true rate of functional unemployment in July was 24.9% – not the official 4.1% – we had to learn more. That 24.9% number comes from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) and is the "True

Consumer Confidence Declines

The LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index for August 2026 is at 49.4. Fielded from July 24 – August 5, 2026, the Index is down 1.6 points from last month. The Current and Investment sub-indices declined around two points each this month. Each respective sub-index now sits more than five points below its August 2025 reading. The Expectations sub-index is down nearly three points this month. It now sits more than two points below its reading from this time last year.

What We're Reading --

Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. – Joel