Schlafly Beer and WellBeing Brewing Co. announced today a new strategic joint venture that leverages the respective strengths of both Schlafly Beer, St. Louis’ original, independent craft brewery, and WellBeing Brewing Co., a fast-growing national non-alcoholic craft beer pioneer in St. Louis, to create compelling value for both companies and consumers.
Consumers will soon be able to find WellBeing Brewing Co’s non-alcoholic craft beers in many of the same on and off-premise establishments across Schlafly’s distribution footprint. From a business perspective, the partnership strategically aligns both companies by combining the strength of Schlafly Beer’s management and operational capabilities with WellBeing Brewing Co.’s focus on innovation and creative expertise as a growing non-alcoholic craft beer player.
“This is truly a joint venture. It allows us to scale our brand to a new level,” said CEO of WellBeing Brewing Co. Jeff Stevens. “ We can utilize Schlafly’s operational resources, yet still grow our brand under our vision. As craft brewers look for ways to adapt to a changing consumer landscape, non-alcoholic offerings are becoming essential. We believe that we can be a driver of innovation across the adult non-alcoholic space.”
As partners, Schlafly Beer will manage the sales and production of WellBeing NA brands, collaborating with WellBeing’s current contract brewing and distributor partners. Schlafly will also brew and pack new non-alcoholic products for WellBeing, manage inventory, materials procurement, logistics, and sales support. WellBeing will oversee product development, marketing, content, publicity, and grow its e-commerce business.
“This is a really innovative way to approach collaborative partnerships,” commented Fran Caradonna, CEO of Schlafly Beer. “Under Jeff Stevens’ leadership, WellBeing Brewing Co. has built an incredible brand, and we align in so many ways from our focus on quality to care for the community. The non-alcoholic beer space is a growing category, so this relationship allows our team to get more beverage options in consumers’ hands through our combined distribution footprints.”
According to a February 2022 article in Forbes, research firm CGA Strategy found that no and low-alcohol beers is one of the fastest-growing segments in the overall beer category, increasing by 96% over the last 52 weeks at the time of publication. Paste magazine cites the following 2021 study which states that the total volume for the non-alcoholic category is forecasted to grow by 31% in the overall total beverage alcohol market by 2024. The same study also found beer and cider brands dominate the overall no/low-alcohol market with a 92% share due to early innovation and investment in quality from brands like Wellbeing Brewing Co.
The new strategic partnership between Schlafly Beer and Wellbeing Brewing Co. also allows both brands to appeal to today’s modern drinking consumer. More than half (58%) of no/low alcohol consumers in the IWSR study choose to switch between no/low alcohol and full-strength alcoholic beverages on the same occasion, while only 14% state that they do not drink alcohol at all, signaling signs of moderation and health consciousness as consumer drivers.
Schlafly Beer and WellBeing Brewing Co.’s joint venture will begin now, and WellBeing Brewing Co.’s line of non-alcoholic craft beers, brewed by Schlafly Beer, will be on shelves later this year.
