[BND] Your Breakfast Briefing

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, It's May 19, 2026.

Total Alc Declines Continued in Early May; Prepared Cocktails Slow

During the four weeks ending May 9th, Total Alcohol remained behind year-ago levels, NIQ reports. Dollar sales reached $8.1 billion but declined –6% vs a year earlier, while case volume totaled 159.1 million, down –7% vs YA.

High Court Rejects 2 More Retailer DtC Cases

With two cases – one from Indiana, the other from Arizona – the U.S. Supreme Court almost completed building a nationwide fortress of cases where bev/al retailers unsuccessfully sought to invalidate the three-tier system.

WineAmerica Names Kaiser Executive Director

Michael Kaiser, a 20-year veteran of WineAmerica, has been promoted to Executive Director, with new responsibilities added to his prior role as Executive Vice President and Director of Government Affairs.

Arborum to Acquire Part of Vineyard 29 Property in Napa Valley

Caren and Nick Orum, proprietors of Arborum Napa Valley, tsaid they agreed to acquire a 24-acre portion of the Vineyard 29 property in St. Helena from Anne and Chuck McMinn. The McMinns had purchased the property as part of their expansion of Vineyard 29 in 2008. 

A-B Sets $5 M Investment in Columbus to Fuel Michelob Ultra, Michelob Ultra Zero

Anheuser-Busch said it will invest $5 million in its Columbus, Ohio, brewery to fuel production of Michelob ULTRA, the nation’s No. 1 top-selling and fastest-growing beer, and Michelob ULTRA Zero, the #1 top-selling and fastest-growing non-alcohol brew.

NBWA Praises House Action to Prevent Resale of Stolen Alc, Other Cargo

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act passed 348-60 and now goes to the Senate. Craig Purser, president, National Beer Wholesalers Association, praised the passage, saying:

Fireball Calls on America to 'Save the Dad Bod'

Get ready for a tear-jerker, over-the-top, PSA-style campaign inspired by animal rescue campaigns from the early 2000s as Southern Charm reality stars Austen Kroll and Salley Carson for an over-the-top, cheeky PSA-style campaign that asks fans to pledge their support to save the dad bod, which Fireball claims is on the verge of extinction.

Blue Run Spirits Collabs with Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Blue Run Spirits announced an Indiana-exclusive, limited-edition release of its award-winning Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey in collaboration with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Why Wineries Should Own Their Tasting Rooms

I'm a firm believer in vertical integration as much as possible. Here's another example of why:

Brown-Forman Rejects Sazerac Takeover Bid

As we predicted more than two weeks ago, Brown-Forman Corp. rejected a purported $15 billion takeover offer from Sazerac Co. 

Pringles Blends Miller Lite's Flavor into a Snackable Crisp

Mars Inc. introduced Pringles x Miller Lite Beer Cheese Burger crisps and Pringles x Miller Lite Beer-Braised Steak crisps, brought back from last year's debut.

Beyond Beverages

37 AI Skills Every Professional Should Know

This is an exceptional opportunity for you and your team: Ready to learn how to use #AI effectively?

A top business school just made its AI certification free. Yes, Free. For everyone. Brian Williams created GenAI 101 to help professionals build the AI literacy needed to lead in an evolving workplace.

This course was originally built for Indiana University students, but IU opening access to help build an AI-fluent workforce across the country. No cost, no exclusivity. Just real-world AI skills you can use at your job today.

Register for this free course: kelley.iu.edu/learnAI

It is one of the largest generative AI courses offered by a leading research university. Since it launched last August, more than 114,000 students, staff and faculty have enrolled in GenAI 101. In October, IU expanded access to its more than 805,000 alumni worldwide; thousands have enrolled since then.

“GenAI 101 was designed to prepare students across all fields for an AI-powered world,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “With the leadership of the Kelley School of Business and the expertise of its world-class faculty, we’re expanding access to this course for anyone seeking the essential, foundational skills needed to navigate a rapidly changing workforce. By making this course broadly available, we’re not only upskilling the talent that drives the state’s economic growth but preparing students to apply these cutting-edge tools responsibly and ethically.”

The GenAI 101 course is structured into eight self-paced modules and 16 concise lessons, each featuring practical takeaways and real-world applications tailored for today’s digital landscape. Participants develop critical skills, such as prompt engineering, data storytelling, fact-checking AI-generated content and ethical AI use.

Midlife fitness linked to longer, healthier lives, study finds

A comprehensive study found that people who were most fit in their 40s and 50s developed major illness later, and lived longer. (Washington Post)

Thanks for readings. I'll see you tomorrow. – Joel