The RTD Page -- August 19, 2021

I completely missed the RTD sector. I had no idea where Coke-Cola and Pepsi were headed. It all began with SAM a few weeks ago. 

Two "data points" led to this review.

The first, some weeks ago when SAM (Boston Beer) reported earnings. Ouch.

The second, from overnight, from Motley Fool:

Warren Buffett: five holdings account for 88% of Berkshire Hathaway's unrealized gains. KO surged while I wasn't looking. Led me down an interesting path overnight. The five stocks: BRK, AAPL, AMEX, BofA, KO. These five holdings account for almost 90% of Berkshire Hathaway's unrealized gains. Link here. 

So, the links:

• Molson Coors is quadrupling down on hard seltzer, RTDs.

• SAM (Boston Beer).

• Pepsi: Mountain Dew with alcohol coming, partnership between Boston Beer and Pepsi.

• Pepsi: to launch Mountain Dew-branded alcoholic drinks (plural) in 2022.

• Coca-Colz enters US alcoholic drinks market: partnership between Molson Coors and Coke -- 1H21 -- beating Pepsi / Boston Beer in the RTD sector. Topo Cico (Coca-Cola) hard seltzer, link to Forbes.

• Yuengling: wiki.
  

• oldest operating brewing company in America
• Biden's backyard: PA, DE
• established in 1829
• largest craft brewery
• sixth/seventh largest overall brewery
• HQ: Pottsville, PA

• Top 50 brewing companies by sales volume, 2020.

• Top 50 brewing companies; lames that have dropped off the list.

• Top 50 craft breweries in the US, 2021. Quicker version.

• Lagunitas Brewing Company.
• founded in 1993
• Lagunitas, CA
• a subsidiary of Heineken; bought a 50% share in 2015; purchased remainder in 2017
• 2013: fifth top-selling craft brewery

• The Washington Post; the perfect 4/20 beer. 
  

• 420: Cannabis culture.
  

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Xanadu

Which of course, the RTD page leads us to Xanadu. A reader sent me this at the very time I was working on the RTD page. Great minds think alike.

Xanadu is to Beijing, as Camp David is to Washington, DC, today.

The reader's interest in Xanadu: horses.

My interest in Xanadu: Chinese history. Once I get my books out of storage, I can take a photograph of my notes re: China. Those notes compliment my one-of-a-kind map of China. See below.

Link here.

The Site of Xanadu, located on Jinlianchuan Prairie and the north bank of the Shandian River, is 12 miles northwest to the center of Zhenglan (Xulun Hoh) Banner of Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia in north China. Xanadu, Shangdu in Chinese, was the capital of China in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). 

Established in 1256, this metropolis, created by the Mongols, a nation on horseback, is considered the archetype combination of farming and nomadic culture. 

Xanadu’s prominent position in history is as famous as the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy. The present Site of Xanadu, including the general layout and precious relics, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012, and has now become a most sought-after destination.

The Mongol Empire was the largest known in the history of the world, and covered most of modern-day Eurasia. In 1255, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan (the founder of the Mongol Empire), became governor of the prized fertile plains previously held by the Western Xia (Inner Mongolia). 

He started to build a city in 1256, and the project was completed in 1259. Kublai Khan ascended the throne there in 1260, and named the place Kaiping City. In 1264, it was renamed Xanadu (also Shangjing or Bianjing), and later served as the political, economic, military, and cultural center in northern China. 

During the following Yuan Dynasty, the Great Capital (Dadu) was created in today’s Beijing. From then on, Xanadu became a secondary capital and an imperial summer resort. Every year from March to September, the emperor and his ministers would handle the daily affairs there.

The ancient prosperity of Xanadu disappeared due to warfare and revolt, leading to the end of the Yuan Dynasty.