Ardagh Unveils 500ml Celebration Bottle
Ardagh Glass Packaging-North America, an operating business of Ardagh Group, introduced a new 500ml Celebration bottle in flint (clear) glass to add to its growing portfolio of American-made bottles.
The new 500ml (16.9oz) Celebration bottle is available initially in limited quantities for purchase on AGP-North America’s BOB site (BuyOurBottles). The bottle complements the existing 500ml Celebration in amber (brown) glass available from BOB’s collection of beer and beverage bottles.
Made using high-quality, traditional flint glass, designed and manufactured in the U.S., the bottles come pre-packaged in plain craft cardboard cases with partition dividers holding 12 glass bottles per case.
“Ardagh Glass Packaging continues to evolve its portfolio of American-made glass bottles on the BOB site to meet the demand of craft brewers and beverage producers,” said Rashmi Markan, vice president, beer & beverage for AGP-North America. “The new 500ml Celebration bottles in flint complement a wide variety of beverage brands who are interested in larger-format bottles, offering brand differentiation with a trusted, sustainable glass bottle that fully protects the flavor of their beverage.”
In 2012, AGP-North America launched the BOB site for beer – the first website to offer craft brewers the ability to purchase beer bottles online in pallet quantities, direct from the manufacturer, using a credit card or PayPal.
BOB’s portfolio now includes 11 beer and beverage bottles in both amber and flint glass color options, offering craft brewers and beverage producers increased flexibility for packaging their products.
AGP-North America and BOB are dedicated to the craft beer and beverage market with capabilities and resources to grow with craft brewers and beverage producers every stage of the way. For customers interested in purchasing bottles by the pallet, the BOB platform offers convenient online ordering, and payment via credit card or PayPal. For bottles in less than truckload (LTL) or truckload quantities, brewers can contact Ardagh directly at 636.299.5495 or marketing.glass.na@ardaghgroup.com.
To view Ardagh’s extensive glass beer bottle stock portfolio, which offers a variety of colors, sizes, styles and finishes all made in the U.S.A., visit ardaghgroup.com/beer2024.
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Jason, Travis Kelce Buy Into Small Batch Garage Beer
Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce team up as significant owners and operators of Garage Beer
For the first time, Jason and Travis Kelce are teaming up as significant owners and operators of a business – and of course, it is with one of the fastest growing beer brands in the country, Garage Beer! The small batch brewed, classic light beer was founded in their home state of Ohio and has been growing rapidly across the country.
The Kelce brothers are passionate about beer and business and have talked for years about partnering together in the category. With this passion, they wanted to be thoughtful and find the right opportunity with the highest quality brewery and brand that aligned with their values of how a business should be run. And most importantly, a company built to serve the customer. Jason and Travis believe that beer should be fun, and they want to partner with a brand that embodies the spirit of a neighborhood feel, a light beer all will enjoy.
Serendipitously, through a prior relationship, the Kelces’ learned about Garage Beer and for the past two years have been laying the groundwork to join forces with the company.
The brothers join Garage as significant investors, partners, owners, and operators. Jason and Travis will be involved in every aspect of the business, including brewing, distribution, sales, marketing, and national expansion efforts. Retail displays will be in stores shortly along with social content, billboards, and other promotional activities.
The Garage Beer recipe was originally created in Cincinnati, Ohio (where Jason and Travis both played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats) and the business headquarters is now just north in Columbus, Ohio. The beer is sold in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, Idaho, Montana and New Jersey, with planned expansion into dozens of new states this year.
“People crave quality and simplicity, and Garage Beer nails both for me. We are light beer drinkers and Garage is the best light beer,” said Jason Kelce. “For me, the brand fits my lifestyle, and having a few beers is a great excuse to get the neighbors together.”
“It comes down to quality for me. I think everyone knows I like to have a couple beers now and then, so being an owner of Garage Beer and heavily involved in making the best light beer is exciting, man! There is nothing better to bring people together than an ice-cold beer, and for Jason and me that is what beer is all about – friends, family and fun. I have worked with Andy for years and I really trust the team and their approach to running the business. We look forward to taking Garage Beer to the next level,” added Travis Kelce.
“We want a beer that tastes like beer and one that keeps the stories alive in the neighborhood. Garage prides ourselves on small batch brewing and a commitment to quality. Ever since our first conversation with Travis and Jason, it was clear we had similar opinions about beer, but they also had brilliant, and very funny, business sensibility. Our team better be on their toes now,” quipped Garage Beer co-owner Andy Sauer. “The garage is a symbol for building stronger communities one beer at a time, and I think we can all use more time with friends, family, and neighbors to talk, smile, laugh, and enjoy that time together.”
Garage Beer is a 4% ABV, 95 Calories and 3g Carbohydrate light lager beer served in two varieties: classic regular and lime. Merchandise store and beer finder. Garage Instagram and Twitter.
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DoorDash, ALDI Expand Service to Include Alcohol
DoorDash, the local commerce platform, and ALDI, the grocery price leader for six years running, have expanded their partnership, announcing that consumers can now order on-demand alcohol delivery from more than 1,200 ALDI locations across 21 states on DoorDash. With the addition of ALDI, one of America’s fastest-growing retailers, nearly 80% of DoorDash consumers can now access alcohol through safe, age-verified delivery.
“In addition to giving merchants a new way to reach customers, on-demand alcohol delivery helps partners grow their business. On DoorDash, adding alcohol may increase grocers’ average order value by up to 30%. Order values for U.S. convenience orders were on average over 50 percent higher when alcohol was added,” said Fuad Hannon, vice president of new verticals at DoorDash. “We’ve worked hard to build a trusted alcohol ordering and delivery experience. The expansion of our partnership with ALDI reinforces our commitment to provide growth opportunities for local merchants, while simultaneously providing a safe, high-quality experience for customers.”
This expansion comes just a few months after DoorDash and ALDI first announced their partnership to bring on-demand grocery delivery to nearly all ALDI locations nationwide. Now, consumers can conveniently shop the private-label selection of top-quality, award-winning wine, beer, hard seltzers and ciders, along with all their grocery needs, at the affordable prices they expect from ALDI. On-demand orders can be placed from local ALDI stores via the DoorDash Marketplace app or website.
“ALDI offers an everyday selection of private-label adult beverages and rotates in limited, seasonal flavors so there’s something for everyone,” said Scott Patton, VP of national buying, ALDI. “Earlier this month we also launched a new, premium ‘Specially Selected’ wine collection, with most bottles costing under $10. With the expansion of our DoorDash partnership, more consumers can now sip their favorite ALDI products at the prices they love, delivered straight to their door.”
Earlier this year, DoorDash released its inaugural Alcohol Online Ordering Trends Report, a deep dive into the changing landscape of consumer online ordering preferences and emerging dining and drinking trends. The report found that delivery was the preferred way for consumers to safely purchase alcohol with more than 100 percent year-over-year growth for alcohol pickup and delivery on DoorDash from 2021 to 2022. Comfort, convenience, and time-savings are the top reasons consumers say they enjoy using alcohol and delivery services.
Since launching alcohol in 2020, DoorDash has built an impressive alcohol catalog including more than 100,000 SKUs available for purchase across thousands of grocers and restaurants nationwide. U.S. customers across 32 states can access a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, whether it’s to-go drinks from a favorite local restaurant or celebratory champagne from a nearby local store.
DoorDash is deeply committed to delivering alcohol safely and in compliance with local laws and regulations, and has enacted best-in-class safety protocols, including advanced two-step ID verification, alcohol-specific safety compliance modules and a streamlined returns flow for Dashers, and a voluntary self-exclusion or opt-out register for consumers who don’t want alcohol delivered on the platform or in marketing. The company will continue to develop and launch innovative safety features so alcohol deliveries can be responsibly facilitated through the DoorDash platform.
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