What lies beyond “beyond beer?” Blake’s Beverage Company and Benchmark Beverage Company are going to explore and find out.
Yes, we have another craft beverage alliance brewing—this time between two independent, Michigan-born companies looking to redefine what it means to compete in the beyond-beer space. Blake’s Beverage Company and Benchmark Beverage Company have formed a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating growth across multiple alcohol categories, from cider and spirits to flavored malt beverages and beer.
The deal keeps both companies operationally independent but tightly aligned on growth strategy. Blake’s brings national sales horsepower and a deep portfolio of fruit-forward brands like Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, and AVID Cider Co., while Benchmark contributes its expanding lineup of spirits and beer brands—including Brew Detroit and Dark Horse—plus a tech-savvy backend that helps retailers match the right product to the right shelf.
“This partnership represents the next step in our evolution and allows us to explore and enter new categories,” said Andrew Blake, Founder and CEO of Blake’s Beverage Company. “By aligning with Benchmark, we’re able to leverage our shared strengths, networks, and entrepreneurial mindsets to optimize new growth opportunities and bring incredible products to more consumers than ever before.”
This latest partnership adds to a growing trend of cross-category alliances in the beverage industry, as seen in recent moves like the B3 Beverage Company collaboration between Bald Birds, Two Roads, and Yards. Rather than full-scale consolidation, these partnerships are giving small-to-mid-sized producers new ways to compete in a brave new world of changing consumer tastes, and an uncertain economy, by sharing resources, distribution, and innovation pipelines.
The fourth category push
For Blake’s, the deal aligns with its stated vision of owning the “fourth category”—the fast-expanding segment of fruit-forward, flavor-driven, beyond-beer beverages. With national brands like Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, and AVID Cider Co. under its umbrella, the company already claims one of the most robust cider portfolios in the country.
Benchmark, founded in 2016 by the Lipari, Mascari, and Arabo families, has built its reputation by moving quickly across multiple beverage types and scaling brands with agility. It also brings a tech-forward angle to the partnership, offering compliance tools and AI-assisted category management for retail partners.
“Collaborating with Blake’s Beverage Company will allow us to lead in the beyond-beer sector,” said Auday Arabo, President and CEO of Benchmark. “Working together, we can innovate and grow much more efficiently and faster than we could on our own.”
The global fruit-flavored alcoholic beverage market is projected to hit $17.5 billion, with flavored malt beverages alone expected to top $4 billion by 2025. The Blake’s–Benchmark partnership positions both companies to chase that growth with scale, speed, and a diversified product mix.
What it means for craft producers
As more producers navigate the pressures of rising costs, shifting consumer tastes, and fragmented distribution, these kinds of strategic partnerships are becoming more common.
The announcement follows a few similar alliances already made in 2025. In April, we saw Left Hand and Dry Dock announce and alliance, followed by Fort Point Beer and HenHouse Brewing. More and more independent brewers seek strength in numbers to weather rising costs, shrinking shelf space, and a rapidly diversifying beverage market.
Each of these deals have different approach, but all of them explore a path to shared infrastructure, expanded portfolios, and national reach—without requiring full mergers or buyouts. In that context, this new partnership isn’t just a regional headline—it’s another signal that the walls between cider, beer, spirits, and RTDs are continuing to fall. The future of craft beverage may very well be built on alliances like this.
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