MAY - JUNE 2022
DEPARTMENTS OF ENERGY Brands Strategize as Sales Surge
2022
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE
SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW BACK IN NYC
INNOVATION IN PROTEIN + MEAL REPLACEMENT
FMBS FEEL THE SQUEEZE
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Contents / May – June 2022 / Volume 20 / No. 3
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE • 2022
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54
60
65
COLUMNS
EVENT COVERAGE
6 First Drop Soda’s Survivors
40 Summer Fancy Food Show Back in NYC
8 Publisher’s Toast Business As Unusual 38 Guest Insights How Diversity Unlocks Personalization
DEPARTMENTS 12 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Jones Soda Sells to Canadian Portfolio Co. for $99M; Yasso Expands Incubator Model with Mochi Launch; Jim McGreevy to Join Coca-Cola PACS Following Beer Institute Departure
FEATURES 42 Energy Drinks and Shots Diversified Brands Fueling Growth (with Brand News) 54 Protein and Meal Replacement Demand Rising Post-Pandemic (with Brand News) 60 Malternatives FMBs Under Pressure
28 New Products Pepsi, Nutpods & Aura Bora
SPECIAL SECTION
32 Channel Check Got Lemons?
65 Supplier & Services Guide
96 Promo Parade Mookie Betts & Body Armor Find ‘Edge’
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BevNET Magazine (ISSN 2165-6061, USPS 24-552) is published bi-monthly by BevNET.com, Inc. 65 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to BevNET Magazine, Subscriber Services, 65 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458
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THE FIRST DROP BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN
Soda Bubble Well, I guess the recent sale of Jones Soda to a Canadian rollup ought to close the book on the whole craft soda thing, right? It’s all Coke and Pepsi from here on in, I think. Or, maybe not? In fact, closing the book on a publicly-traded Jones Soda may have simply served to end the prelude to a new age of CSD, with a variety of functional, natural, craft, and design-forward brands approaching the category with increasing relevance. Let’s look at some of the players, while also thinking about the challenges. At the front of the pack, we’re seeing energetic brands that are combining the functional aura of gut health with the classic flavors cola or fruit CSDs. Top seller Olipop has mixed throwback flavors (Cherry Vanilla, Root Beer, Orange Cream) with very low sugar and plant-based fiber sources like inulin and chicory to create a low-calorie, prebiotically enhanced alternative to Coke, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper. Poppi goes lower calorie, higherdesign, with more fruit-forward flavors and a functional ingredient set that includes apple cider vinegar and fruit juice; Culture Pop is also riding the gut health train, adding probiotics and marrying herbs and spices to its fruit flavors (i.e. Orange Mango with Chili & Lime, or Lemon Lime & Cardamom). Between Tom First (Culture Pop), Rohan Oza, Chris Hall and Jeff Rubenstein (Poppi), and Ben Goodwin and David Lester (Olipop), all of these brands have beverage veterans on board as investors, founders, or operators; are well-funded; and seem to top out at about a 40 calorie ceiling – less than 1/3 of a Coke or Pepsi. These brands have arrived at the same time as a recent realization by legacy kombucha brands that there’s a way to distill their core gut health message into a less intimidating soda profile. Live Soda tried this more than a decade ago, but now brands like Humm, with its Probiotic Soda, and Health Ade, with its Health Pop, are also on the shelves. It’s hard to look at the fast branding transition for that last one – from “Health-Ade Booch Pop” to “Health Pop” in short order – and not see what suppliers think consumers want. They aren’t the only ones chasing the magic mix of gut health, bubbles and mainstream appeal: Mayawell and Wildwonder are a couple of other independent brands that push these forward with strong design, while healthy beverage companies Rebbl and Suja also have their own carbonated probiotics out on the market. One question for the brands in the category: who will be the first to go zero-sugar, or is their precious balance between sugar and other sweeteners the key to maintaining their lively flavor? Consumers will likely adjudicate that one. Over at Tractor Beverage Co., an organic, gourmet soda and beverage line that’s taking a full-calorie, full flavor approach (about 120 per 12 oz.) and following a foodservice route, calories aren’t a big concern. The Washington-based brand pulled in a $60 million investment round -- including soda giant Keurig Dr Pepper – to continue to shake up the fountain at restaurants around the country. With revenue expected to hit $70 million this year, according to the company, and placement in a network 6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 2018
of high-visibility accounts (think Umami Burger, Jose Andres’ restaurants, Pokeworks, and more), they’re flashing a homespun alternative for foodservice. Tractor’s strategy calls to mind long standing high-end brand Boylan’s, which also aimed to break the grip of big cola by blazing a path through upper-middle-class foodservice outlets. New York-based carbonated stalwart Grown up Soda (GuS) pioneered the tactic through a swath of Zagat-certified eateries more than a decade ago, but neither GuS nor Boylan’s were able to ink a deal with the potential reach of a KDP. Tractor’s in just one channel, of course, but food service has kept the big brands well-fed for decades. Also traditional – and using caffeine – is New Wave, founded by old beverage hand Nat Noone. New Wave is trying to thread the needle between classic soda quality and lower calories; after launching with a set of low calorie (15-25) fruit flavored sodas, New Wave has recently edged into traditional cola, pepper, and ginger ale varieties that raise the roof a little higher (10 g of sugar vs. 2-6 g in the fruit). Again, there are big partners on board – Noone has AB InBev incubator ZX Beverages on his cap table – alongside the throwback vibe. United Sodas of America is another brand that uses high-quality “unboxing” design and a lighter calorie profile. Dropping calories all the way to zero, there are brands like stevia pioneer Zevia, which has a devoted following across its product portfolio, and even monkfruitsweetened Madvine. How does one evaluate the chances of any of these brands to break the toehold that the Red and Blue systems have in CSD? One doesn’t, actually. The competition isn’t just from soda – it’s also from sparkling waters, non-alcoholic cocktails and the kombuchas that helped inspire this particular wave, as well as the bottled waters, sports drinks, and energy drinks that have eaten at soda’s share of the stomach. But just as the fractured field has big sodas contemplating how they fit into a beverage future where they aren’t ubiquitous, it has the little guys hitting the gaps through D2C and retail selectivity, as well as audience cultivation. They might not all make it to the convenience store cooler or sponsor the NFL. But in a time where loyalties come in pockets, not hordes, there’s reason to imagine that giving the people what they want might be a better solution than only offering what the big guys have to sell. Photo by Samara Doole on Unsplash
PUBLISHER’S TOAST BY BARRY NATHANSON
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www.bevnet.com/magazine
Barry J. Nathanson PUBLISHER bnathanson@bevnet.com Jeffrey Klineman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jklineman@bevnet.com Martín Caballero MANAGING EDITOR mcaballero@bevnet.com Ray Latif CONTRIBUTING EDITOR rlatif@bevnet.com Brad Avery REPORTER bavery@bevnet.com Justin Kendall NEWS EDITOR, BREWBOUND jkendall@bevnet.com Carol Ortenberg EDITOR, NOSH cortenberg@bevnet.com Adrianne DeLuca REPORTER adeluca@bevnet.com
SALES
At Least the Price is Right Our world continues to be turned upside down. Over the past few years, there have been so many dramatic and dire events and obstacles thrown our way. COVID-19 continues to be a bane of our existence, Aaron Judge won’t re-sign, and just TRY and fi nd parking when you’re in a hurry. Business as usual is no longer usual. We’ve had store closings, job losses, and, conversely, hiring issues. Due to trucking issues, there’s a lack of inventory when we actually have products to stock the shelves with. Raw material shortages, packaging shortfalls and rationing, in addition to cargo shipping container woes and a lack of drivers to haul product around the country continue to make us just a little crazy. Then, just as the country and the economy were stabilizing, and things were looking normal again, we were thrown another curveball (and Judge still won’t resign!). The recent Russian atrocity has fl ipped the world onto its back once again. The plight of the good people of Ukraine is beyond comprehension. Death and destruction of a free society is heartbreaking. Fuel prices have skyrocketed, the world economy has tanked and uncertainty reigns. When will it end? After reading my columns for all these years, you know that I’m a cockeyed optimist and cheerleader for business in 8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
general, and beverages in particular, so I always look for silver linings. When I’m down, I always take to the streets of Manhattan to buoy and bolster myself. Yesterday I took a walk to fi nd something positive to write about. As I walked the stores, large and small, I found a common theme. I took solace in the idea that the beverage industry isn’t adding to the problems of our economy. They are still delivering the goods and stocking our shelves and keeping the supply chain working. With inflation reaching historic heights, the business doesn’t seem to be seeking to take advantage, unlike many other product categories. The pricing of beverages has not joined so many others in adding to the problems of a cash strapped society. I admire the marketers, distributors and retailers who are keeping the proper balance between serving their communities and still watching their bottom line. Too many other markets have lost the thread that we’re all here to serve and support our fellow citizens. I look at the price increases that abound, some justified, most not, and hope that they’ll step back and do the right thing and create that proper balance our industry seems to understand. My wish is that by my next column, it’ll be all sunshine and roses. Today it’s not.
John McKenna DIRECTOR OF SALES jmckenna@bevnet.com Adam Stern SENIOR ACCOUNT SPECIALIST astern@bevnet.com John Fischer ACCOUNT SPECIALIST jfischer@bevnet.com Jon Landis MANAGER OF BRAND RELATIONS jlandis@bevnet.com
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Aaron Willette DESIGN MANAGER Nathan Brescia PHOTOGRAPHER
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BEVSCAPE
THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS
Poppi Names Chris Hall as CEO Prebiotic soda brand Poppi announced it has named former Talking Rain chief executive Chris Hall as CEO, effective the first week of May. Hall comes to the Texas-based startup brand just weeks after concluding a 15-year run across various roles at Talking Rain, the parent company of Sparkling Ice. During his tenure, the company maintained its status as the leading brand in the flavored sparkling water category, with a market share of about 23% according to IRI. “Poppi is an outstanding product with an authentic story, great founders and a passionate team behind it,” Hall said in a press release. “I’m truly impressed with the explosive growth the brand has had to date and am excited to help take it to the next level. I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead Poppi, a beverage company committed to providing its community with a better, healthier, and happier soda experience.” Hall assumes the chief executive position from co-founder Stephen Ellsworth, who started the company in 2016 with his wife Allison Ellsworth, who serves as Chief Brand Officer. It was not immediately clear what role Stephen Ellsworth will play in the company going forward. “We’ve been super impressed with what Chris has accomplished during his time at Sparkling Ice and can’t wait to blend his years of expertise with our disruptive approach to brand building,” the co-founders said in the release. “We’re firm believers that the right team is a critical part of executing on our vision of building a multi generational brand, so we are excited that Chris is joining the Poppi family and bringing his passion, intensity, expertise and leadership to drive growth.” In 2019, the brand brought on CAVU Venture Partners cofounder and partner Rohan Oza as an investor following an appearance on the reality pitch slam show Shark Tank. Since then the company has expanded its footprint to over 11,000 retailers
nationwide including Target, Safeway, Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods and Sprouts. Last year, Poppi closed a $13.5 million funding round, backed by CAVU as well as a number of celebrity investors such as NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, musicians the Chainsmokers, Halsey and Ellie Goulding, and actress Olivia Munn. “As we enter our next phase of hyper growth, we’re beyond excited to welcome Chris to the Poppi family,” says Rohan Oza, Partner and Cofounder of CAVU Venture Partners and Executive Chairman of Poppi. “His leadership, ability to scale rapidly and operational excellence will be a fantastic addition to the breakthrough brand Stephen and Allison have built to date.”
A SHOC Closes $29M Series B Funding Round Performance energy drink brand A SHOC announced in April it has closed a $29 million Series B funding round backed by existing investors and a roster of celebrity athletes. Founded in 2019 by serial entrepreneur Lance Collins and former Monster Energy VP Scot De Lorme, Californiabased A SHOC produces a line of betterfor-you, functional performance energy drinks. Through a distribution partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), the brand is available in over 112,000 retail doors nationwide. The round includes participation from 12 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
existing investors, including Collins and KDP, as well as a group of individuals including professional golfers Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Lexi Thompson; MLB players Aaron Judge and Freddie Freeman; NASCAR Cup Champion Chase Elliott; pro skateboarder Paul Rodriguez; NFL defensive end Chase Young; and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan. The round will help support the brand’s continued growth in the U.S. and comes ahead of additional innovation and marketing campaign launches expected this spring.
Jones Soda Sells to Canadian Portfolio Co. for $99M Canadian wellness products portfolio company Simply Better Brands Corp. (SBBC) has reached an agreement to acquire Seattle-based craft beverage brand Jones Soda for nearly $99 million. The two publicly traded companies entered a binding letter of intent, subject to shareholder approval, with a definitive agreement scheduled to be signed by the end of June. According to the announcement, SBBC will purchase 100% of Jones’ issued and outstanding common stock at a value of $0.75 per share based on a price per SBBC share equal to $3.65. Upon completion of the deal, SBBC will change its name to Jones Soda or “some derivation thereof” and may choose a new trading symbol. “Our growth model remains consistent: acquire and build emerging Gen Z and Millennial brands in the wellness space through category, channel and geographic expansion,” said SBBC CEO Kathy Casey in a press release. “We see joining forces with Jones as an incredible fit due to a common wellness mission, consumer cohort, and leadership approach.” Based in Vancouver, SBBC’s portfolio also includes plant protein bar brand TRUBAR, CBD oil and gummies maker PureKana, and cosmetics line No B.S. The Jones acquisition will give the company an additional play in the cannabis category as the soda maker debuted its Mary Jones line of THC-infused edibles, sodas and syrups in California in March. “We are very excited to be bringing together the two companies to further accelerate top line growth and bottom line improvements,” said Jones CEO Mark Murray in the release. “For Jones, this combination will deliver diversification to our core business. We are bringing together not only strong consumer brands but also two strong management teams that we believe will deliver growth and operational synergies.” Upon closing, Murray and Jones
Soda chairman Jamie Colbourne will join the combined company’s board of directors and Jones shares will be delisted from the Canadian Securities Exchange. The acquisition comes amid a period of sustained growth for Jones Soda. According to the company’s 2021 earnings report, net revenue increased 24% to $14.8 million for the full year and gross profit as a percentage of revenue increased 720 basis points to 29.7%. The long term improvement reflects a revamped strategy under Murray’s leadership; the former JGC Foods president was named CEO in late 2020 and began work on a three-year rebuilding plan that aimed to right the ship after the company faced months of declining sales. During his tenure Jones has rebuilt its sales infrastructure, updated its marketing strategy to focus on Gen Z consumers, built out its cannabis business and relaunched seasonal classic products such as its infamous Turkey & Gravy soda flavor. In April 2019, cannabis investment firm SOL Global purchased a 9.8% stake in Jones, and in July 2019 its subsidiary, CBD portfolio company HeavenlyRx Ltd., acquired a 25% stake in the company. Earlier this year, Jones completed its acquisition of Canadian reporting issuer Pinestar Gold as part of its cannabis strategy, and as part of the deal raised $11 million in concurrent financing. The company began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in February. 13
BEVSCAPE Monster, Orange Bang Ask Court to Confirm $175M in Damages Against VPX Family-owned beverage maker Orange Bang and Monster Energy Company have asked an U.S. District Court in California to confi rm an interim award of $175 million in damages and a 5% royalty on all future net sales of Bangbranded products — plus nearly $10 million in attorney’s fees and costs — after an arbitrator found that VPX was liable for breach of contract and trademark infringement by falsely claiming its products contain creatine. The origins of the case go back over a decade and stem from a 2009 trademark infringement fi led by Orange Bang against VPX; according to court documents, pursuant to the settlement agreement in that case, VPX was granted permission to use the Bang trademark on creatine-based products or other beverages that are marketed exclusively in vitamin and supplement channels. A decade later in 2019, Orange Bang claims to have discovered that Bang had been violating the settlement agreement by marketing beverages that did not contain creatine. That September, after fi ling a motion to compel arbitration based on a provision in the agreement, Bang agreed to enter binding arbitration proceedings with VPX. Over the two weeks of hearings, the arbitrator determined that creatyl-l-leucine (CLL), which is advertised by VPX as “Super Creatine” in its products, is not actually creatine and does not provide the benefits of creatine. In its request for confi rmation of the interim award, attorneys for the plaintiffs noted that the arbitrator “emphasized that VPX’s own creatine expert made ‘some signifi cant admissions, some of which can only be characterized as stunning and not helpful in advancing VPX’s position in this case,’” including by conceding that “there is no evidence to support the effi cacy of CLL.”
14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Meanwhile, the arbitrator found that VPX “did essentially nothing in order to ensure compliance with the VPX Marketing and Sales Restrictions” requiring its non-creatine-based products to be marketed exclusively in nutrition and supplement channels. “It is simply not possible for VPX to comply with the VPX Marketing and Sales Restrictions when it never bothered to communicate the existence of the VPX Marketing and Sales Restrictions to its own employees, to its own customers, to its own distributors (such as Pepsi) or to the all-important retailers,” the arbitrator wrote. According to Hueston Hennigan, which represented the plaintiffs in the suit, Monster agreed to assist Orange Bang in its lawsuit against VPX and was granted partial assignment of Orange Bang’s rights under its agreement with VPX. In June 2020, both companies initiated arbitration against VPX with the American Arbitration Association. The arbitrator found that VPX had violated the two basic tenants of the settlement agreement: that Bang’s products contain creatine and that they are sold exclusively in the nutrition and supplement channel. In issuing the award, Orange Bang and Monster chose to recover $175 million in lost profits. In lieu of a permanent injunction from using Orange Bang’s trademarks, VPX selected the option of paying a 5% royalty fee from net sales for as long as the mark is used. After subsequent hearings and briefi ngs from both sides, the arbitrator included over $9.2 million in attorney’s fees and costs in the Final Award. The interim award must be confi rmed by a court within one year of the award. Orange Bang and Monster are also asking for prejudgment and postjudgment interest on the Final Award.
BEVSCAPE
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Keurig Dr Pepper Announces CEO Transition Plan Beverage maker Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced a management transition plan that will see CFO Ozan Dokmecioglu take over as CEO from Bob Gamgort, who is set to move into the role of Executive Chairman for two years. The change will become effective July 29, 2022. According to his company biography, Dokmecioglu served as CFO at Keurig Green Mountain beginning in 2016, before the company’s 2018 merger with Snapple Dr Pepper. He has previously served as Vice President Finance, CFO North America at The Kellogg Company. “I am honored to assume the role of
maker Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Vermont-based Keurig Green Mountain, best known for its pod-based coffee machines, announced their merger in 2018. During that time, KDP continued to expand its beverage interests outside of soda, teas and coffee through M&A — including its $525 million acquisition of water brand CORE in 2018 — and securing a long-term manufacturing and distribution agreement with Massachusetts-based Polar Beverages. According to the release, Gamgort will remain “a significant investor in KDP, maintaining at least half of his KDP shareholdings during his tenure as Executive Chairman.”
assumes the new role. In particular, the report highlighted his close working relationship with Gamgort through “critical phases of KDP’s private/public existence,” including the take-private transaction of Keurig Green Mountain in 2016 and the company’s merger with Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “While the announcement may come as a disappointment to some (given how well-regarded Gamgort is), we note that this transition is occurring 3-years after the combination & integration of Keurig and Dr Pepper and the successful deleveraging of the company,” the report stated. “We’re
KDP CEO at this important time for our Company and look to the future excited by the enormous potential that lies ahead,” said Dokmecioglu in a statement. “I am grateful for the ongoing partnership with Bob and the support of our Board of Directors and leadership team, as we continue to work together to drive outsized value creation.” As CEO, Dokmecioglu will “lead the execution of the Company’s strategy and ensure continued operational excellence.” Meanwhile, Gamgort, as Executive Chairman, will “lead the Board of Directors and oversee the deployment of KDP’s signifi cant discretionary cash fl ow.” The process for recruiting a new CFO is underway, the company added. As CEO, Gamgort guided the company in its three-year period after beverage
Morgan Stanley analyst Dara Mohsenian noted that investors could view the departure negatively because it was “sooner than the market expected” and “given how highly regarded he is with investors, although his agreement to stay on as Executive Chairman should help partially allay concerns.” “I am excited to partner with Ozan, our leadership team and the KDP Board of Directors to drive continued growth and value creation. As we move into the next chapter for our modern beverage company, we’re establishing a leadership team that can guide the success of KDP well into the future,” said Gamgort in a statement. A report from Goldman Sach Equity Research acknowledged the concerns from investors, but the analysts predict a “seamless transition” as Dokmecioglu
optimistic that Dokemcioglu is taking over the reigns at a point when KDP is entering its next phase of growth with a stronger foundation.” In its most recent earnings report, KDP reported an 8.7% net sales increase for Q4 2021 and 9.2% growth to $12.6 billion for the full year. Paul Michaels, KDP Lead Independent Director, added: “We are pleased to appoint Ozan as our next CEO after a thorough succession planning process, including the consideration of internal and external candidates. Ozan is an exceptionally strong leader with the skills, experience, values and perspective to lead KDP into the future. We are also fortunate to have Bob in a position to continue working closely with Ozan and the leadership team over the next few years.
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NOSHSCAPE
THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS
Beyond Meat & Pepsi JV Launches Jerky in Retail Beyond Meat plant-based jerky has launched in Walmart, Ralphs, and online. It’s the fi rst retail launch of the PLANet Partnership. Announced early last year, the PLANet Partnership joint venture was presented by its founders as a way to utilize Beyond Meat’s product development expertise and PepsiCo’s wide distribution network to develop plantbased beverages and snacks. While Beyond Meat is seeking to prove that it is able to go beyond the meat case, PepsiCo is looking to cater to younger consumers seeking out more sustainable, better-for-you products. Other global corporations have since followed the partnership path, with Kraft Heinz announcing its own JV with milk and meat alternative brand The NotCo last month. In the case of PLANet Partnership, Beyond Meat sells products into the JV, and then splits the profit or loss with PepsiCo depending on its retail sales, a structure revealed by Beyond Meat COO Phil Harden during the analyst call that featured Brown’s snacking. As for product details, Beyond Jerky is available in Original, Teriyaki, and Hot and Spicy fl avors, and is being sold on Walmart.com for $3.98 per 3 oz. bag, with natural grocery chain Ralphs listing the item for $5.29 on its ecommerce site. Single-serving 1 oz. bags are also on sale at Walmart for $1.78 and on Amazon.com in a 10-pack for $20.99. Kroger - which owns Ralphs also has a listing for the jerky, but does not yet have a price. Each half-cup (30 gram) serving of jerky contains 10 grams of protein, 90 calories, 4-5 grams of sugar and 450-500 grams of sodium, and is made with a proprietary blend of mung bean protein, pea protein and gluten-free oat bran and fi ber. The jerky’s packaging states it has no GMOs (though is not Non-GMO 18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Project certifi ed), and has no gluten or soy. Beyond Meat’s name is on the front of pack, with the product referred to as Beyond Jerky in romance copy on the back of the bag. The only reference to PepsiCo, and The PLANeT Partnership comes via small text at the bottom of the bag regarding manufacturing. Beyond Meat has relied heavily on partnerships to help build brand awareness and drive trial. The company has launched co-branded products with companies such as RealGood Foods, Thrive Market and Simply Fresh, and has helped develop custom branded menu items at restaurants such as Panda Express, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. The company is entering a competitive category. While Conagra has a line of soy-based jerky under the Gardein brand and former Hershey’s owned Krave has its own line of legume based jerky, emerging brands including Chef’s
Cut, Eat the Change and Pan’s have also all launched mushroom-based jerkies. Beyond Meat has long promoted its meat-like taste and appearance, promising that its products can be substituted with no noticeable compromise in taste. However, the question remains if this will be a selling point in jerky, or if consumers will pay a higher price for a plant-based option. Other premium meat snack brands have also tried to launch in convenience, a key channel for jerky, but have struggled to compete in price with larger conventional players such as Jack Link’s and Slim Jim. Consumer interest in plant-based meat alternatives has still been on the upswing, but on its Q4 2021 earnings call, Beyond Meat reported a decline of 8% year-over-year in US retail sales, citing increased competition and a decline in growth in the plant-based meat category from 45% in 2020 to negative 0.4% in 2021.
NOSHSCAPE Plastic-free Zero Grocery Closes; Analysts Say Model Was Unsustainable In the case of Zero Grocery, sustainable grocery delivery does not make for a sustainable business model, according to retail analysts. In early February, the California-based, plastic-free grocery delivery platform celebrated the closing of an $11.8 million funding round led by tech-driven VC fi rm SWAY Ventures, capital which brought the company’s total investment to-date to over $16 million. Yet despite this influx of capital, last month, Zero Grocery abruptly announced on its social media platforms that it had closed up shop, accompanying the message with an image stating it was “The End.” The reason, said founder and CEO Zuleyka Strasner in a tweet, was that despite the new investment and having generated “millions in revenue” over the last three years, the company remained “chronically undercapitalized.” “With great regret, effective immediately, Zero will be shutting its doors and stopping all further deliveries,” the announcement states. “How did this happen? Fundraising has always been the biggest battle we have faced. Unfortunately, it’s the battle we’ve lost.” According to Brittain Ladd, a retail analyst and micro-fulfi llment center expert, the latest funding round wasn’t nearly enough capital for Zero “to create and sustain the required operations.” He believes the company “simply couldn’t raise enough money to cover their increased operational costs.” At the beginning of the new year, Zero announced it had entirely relaunched its delivery platform shifting from next-day to same-day deliveries in under 2 hours and removing its $25 monthly membership fee. The San Francisco-based service also cut back the number of delivery zones in its home market in order to prioritize its 20 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
expansion into Los Angeles. While the new service zones included only select East Bay and San Francisco neighborhoods, Zero said in a social media post it expected to “rapidly” re-expand to previously served zip codes. Zero Grocery had differentiated itself within the waste-free and plastic-free grocery space by eschewing the bulk commodities like grains, nuts, dried fruit and coffee and tea other retailers such as The Wally Shop and Tare Grocer focused on. Instead, Zero aimed to bring branded products direct-to-consumers, buying stock in bulk directly from brands and packaging them in plastic-free, returnable and reusable containers. The operation drew similarities to Terracycle-owned company Loop, which began online and over the past two years has shifted its focus to retail partnerships including Kroger and restaurants like Tim Hortons and Burger King. Like Zero, Loop aims to create a circular economy by selling products from brands such as Häagen-Dazs, Nature’s Path and Tropicana, in its own reusable and returnable containers. Although it began online to “test and learn for its partners,” the company said the intention was always to move to physical stores where “the majority of purchasing happens.” “Loop is about buy anywhere and return anywhere and we are set up today so that consumers are able to purchase at Fred Meyer and return at Burger King, for example,” said a spokesperson
for the company. According to Ladd, Strasner’s goal of modernizing the milkman model would never have been successful long term, calling it “nearly impossible.” He believes that sustainable change within the current grocery model will only be achieved through larger, established grocery retailers and delivery companies such as Instacart, GoPuff and Doordash. However, “Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert, an analyst focused on consumer behavior and the changing retail landscape, doesn’t believe that even Instacart or Doordash could have made a zero waste delivery model a success. Lempert said it is less of an issue with plastic-free, zero waste, or even business models altogether, but a lack of consumer commitment to the issue. “What the American consumer wants, and I’m not saying this kindly, is 50,000 products, and we want them pretty, packaged and perfect,” Lempert said. “Look at [imperfect] fruit, for the most part it’s tastier and less expensive, it eliminates waste, it hits ‘all the above’ but consumers just didn’t buy it.” However, Lempert doesn’t believe all hope is lost for grocery waste reduction measures, stating that somewhere in-between zero waste and current shopping habits is feasible. He said most retailers are looking to embrace waste-reduction practices such as leaving behind petroleum-based plastic bags and, in the post-pandemic world, shifting back to reusable bags and containers. “Here in the U.S., we think in terms of extremes,” said Lempert. “It’s either plant-based or animal-based. Zero waste or wasteful. There’s something in between and I think we need to take, not baby steps, but small steps to get there. Whenever anybody tries to go to the furthest degree, that’s when it fails.”
NOSHSCAPE
For more stories, check out nosh.com
Acid League Raises $6M, Launches Refrigerated Dressings As Part of ‘Third Wave Pantry’ Push Coming on the heels of launching 15 new products into Whole Foods this winter, condiment and beverage brand Acid League announced it has closed a $6.2 million funding round aimed at supporting expansion into new product categories and reinforcing manufacturing and marketing. The round was led by existing investors InvestEco Capital and BrandProject, with new fi rm Springdale Ventures and several family offices also taking part. Capital was raised on a rolling close since November, with the fi nal funds arriving in March, CEO Scott Friedman said. In total, the company has raised roughly $11.5 million since launching in 2020, reporting revenues north of $10 million. “Like any growing startup, we’re investing in people, we’re investing in inventory. And in a supply chain constrained world, you have to build up inventory a lot sooner and a lot higher,” Friedman said. “We’re obviously also spending money acquiring consumers, marketing and DTC acquisition.” The company also is moving to a new 40,000 square foot production facility in Guelph, Ontario and plans to hire a plant manager, assistant plant manager, head of QC/QA/ safety, product launch managers and an operations team. Though self manufacturing is a more capital intensive production option, Friedman said, it does alleviate some of the constraints the brand might face from a co-packer and offers Acid League an easier way to quickly take advantage of retailer requests. That speed was exemplified by the brand’s recent launch of 12 new SKUs in Whole Foods Market, including hot sauces, mayos, ketchup, BBQ sauces, salad dressings and more cooking sauces. The pace isn’t unusual for Acid League, Friedman added, which launched 110 products in 2021 across D2C and retail; its non-alcoholic wine alternative Proxies account for 36 SKUs alone. Now that it has a solid brand block, the release schedule will slow this year 2022, he said, as the company prioritizes selling in existing products. “The strategy was to, you know, get a broad offering in retail,” Friedman said. “It’s going slow down for sure [in stores]...[but] we’re still doing a lot of innovation in the DTC space with collaborations and in our living pantry line.” Still, the company doesn’t plan to leave any opportunities on the table, introducing three new prebiotic salad dressings 22 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
in March – Hot Honey, Oat Milk Ranch, and Miso Caesar – at Whole Foods. Though dressings are a core part of the brand’s existing portfolio, the prebiotic varieties are unpasteurized and refrigerated, taking the brand into a new section of the store and offering a slightly higher price point at $8.99, compared to $7.99 for its shelf stable dressings. Direct-to-consumer, which currently accounts for roughly 50% of sales, will also continue to be a priority, though the company is keeping an eye on customer acquisition costs. The channel is already profitable, which Friedman attributes to its premium price. Acid League’s average order value is north of $60 per customer, he said, and the company at least breaks even on customer acquisition costs from a shopper’s fi rst order. While $7.99 salad dressing and $16 Worcestershire sauce may seem expensive to shoppers facing increasing infl ationary pressures, Friedman said he believes customers will actually be willing to pay more for a premium product, leaving the brand better off than some global corporations. “We are one of the leaders in what I call ‘third wave pantry.’ So if you look at what happened in third wave coffee, I think it’s happening in the pantry..[and] is coming to the grocery store,” Friedman said. “We’re seeing infl ation, as everybody is..[but] it’s one thing to say, ‘we’re going to give you a better product, and we’re going to ask you to pay more, because we’re investing more,’ it’s another thing for a brand to say, ‘oh, we’re selling you the same ho hum products, but we’re going to put it up by $1.’”
BREWSCAPE
THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS
Jim McGreevy to Join Coca-Cola PACS Following Beer Institute Departure The next chapter for Jim McGreevy, the outgoing president and CEO of the Beer Institute (BI), will be at the Coca-Cola Company’s North America Political Action Committees (PACS), as VP of public policy, federal government relations and political engagement (PPGR).
McGreevy announced in mid-April that he would be departing the BI in May after eight years of leading the trade group. His first day at Coca-Cola will be May 16. In his new role, McGreevy will “lead the company’s strategic engagement on public policies,” including “environmental policy, health, nutrition and ingredients to social policy, human rights and beyond,” Joanna Price, chief of publics affairs, communications and sustainability for Coca-Cola’s North American unit, wrote in an internal memo. Additionally, McGreevy and his team will be responsible for the development of Coca-Cola’s “FOR” policy work, which will “engage with government, trade associations and NGO stakeholders,” on topics including: environment; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); health and wellness; and international trade. He will also help “protect the Coca-Cola system’s reputation across federal, state and local government and NGO stakeholder groups,” Price wrote. “A new challenge is always great,”
McGreevy told Brewbound. “And it’s an industry I know well and can bring value to in a different kind of role at a company as opposed to trade association. “I’m sad to leave the beer industry,” he continued. “There’s that old adage that your worst day in the beer business is better than your best day in any other business. I’m gonna go find out if that’s true.” During his tenure at the BI, McGreevy successfully led an initiative to make federal excise tax relief for brewers and importers permanent via the 2020 Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. The BI, under McGreevy’s leadership, also successfully lobbied to include brewers as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and created the Brewers’ Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, providing “greater transparency to the consumer of the contents of beer.” The BI will conduct a “comprehensive search” for McGreevy’s replacement, Gavvin Hattersley, the BI’s chairman and the president and CEO of Molson Coors, wrote in a member update.
Stone Seeks Added $284M in Trademark Infringement Case with Molson Coors The Stone-Molson Coors trademark infringement legal saga continues to play out in a series of post-trial motions. Each side has filed motions, with Stone seeking additional damages on top of its $56 million jury award, and Molson Coors attempting to block Stone’s request for a preliminary injunction earlier in April. The moves follow a jury siding with Stone in its trademark case against Molson Coors over its 2017 rebrand of Keystone Light, which separated the words “Key” and “Stone” on cans and packaging. However, jurors said Molson Coors did not willfully infringe upon Stone’s trademark. On April 18, Stone’s attorney, J. Noah Hagey, filed a motion asking the court to order Molson Coors to “disgorge $116 million in profits attributable to the infringing ‘Own the Stone’ campaign,” as well as “award treble damages in the amount of $168 million” in addition to the $56 million jury award and an undisclosed amount of attorneys’ fees. Hagey called the harm caused to Stone “very real,” adding that the jury award “while more than justified, does not adequately compensate Stone for the full extent of the injury it has suffered.” He continued that the verdict alone would allow Molson Coors “to enjoy hundreds of millions of dollars of benefit from a five-year campaign of infringement.” At trial, Stone sought a $216 million jury verdict. “The rebrand caused a fundamental change in the trajectory 24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
of Stone’s business from which it has not recovered today and will likely never recover,” Hagey wrote. “Meanwhile, Stone’s valuation plummeted following the rebrand from $830 million to less than $475 million. “The quantum of this harm far exceeds $168 million,” he continued. “The Court should award treble damages of $168 million as authorized by Section 1117(a) to fully compensate Stone for the harm caused by MillerCoors’s knowing infringement.” During the trial, Stone’s attorneys argued that Molson Coors’ Keystone Light rebrand confused consumers and led to a 20% decline – or $174 million drop – in Stone’s business. According to Stone’s fi ling, Molson Coors has sold more than 4 billion cans of the rebranded Keystone Light beer since April 2017, generating $1.7 billion in revenue and $764 million in profits. Also on April 18, Daniel R. Lombard, an attorney for Molson Coors, filed a response to Stone’s request for a permanent injunction that would force Molson Coors to “immediately cease producing and distributing the infringing [Keystone Light] packaging,” and “withdraw all infringing packaging and advertising from the marketplace.” Lombard called Stone’s request for a permanent injunction “overly broad and unenforceable” and “not warranted.”
BREWSCAPE Reyes Picks Up Bell’s Brewery Portfolio Within Its Indiana Territory The Bell’s Brewery portfolio is moving to the Reyes Beer Division in the majority of the wholesaler’s Indiana territory. Reyes, the largest beer distributor in the U.S., announced on April 18 that its Monarch Distributing subsidiary has closed on agreements for the Michigan craft brewery’s brand rights in its Indiana footprint, adding about 175,000 cases to Monarch’s operation. It is unclear as of press time which wholesalers sold Bell’s distribution rights to Reyes. A Monarch, which Reyes acquired in 2020, operates warehouses in Indianapolis and Evansville and distributes beer to Marion, Hamilton, Hendricks and Tippecanoe counties. At the time of Reyes’ Monarch acqui-
sition, Bell’s portfolio was carved out of the transaction, as Bell’s founder Larry Bell was unwilling to sign off on Reyes distributing his offerings. By December 2020, Bell’s had reworked its distribution network in southern Indiana, going with 15 independent Anheuser-Busch wholesalers, while Indiana Beverage distributed Bell’s offerings in the northern half of the state. However, the dynamic has changed following the sale of Bell’s to New Belgium parent company Lion Little World Beverages, as New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer explained in March when the two companies announced plans to consolidate their footprints in a number of markets.
“We have a long standing, strong and strategic partnership with our friends at New Belgium,” Reyes Beer Division CEO Tom Day said in a press release. “With New Belgium recently joining with Bell’s Brewery, we are excited to expand our offerings and live out our company’s purpose of connecting customers, consumers and brands every day, everywhere we operate.” “Our Monarch team is eager to start warehousing, selling, delivering and merchandising this great portfolio,” Reyes Beer Division east president Stephen Reyes added. “With both companies having Midwest roots, we’re grateful for the opportunity to represent Bell’s in Indiana.”
Spirit-Based Truly Vodka Seltzer to Release in Summer Boston Beer Company revealed its answer to E. & J. Gallo’s High Noon Sun Sips ahead of its earnings call in late April. Truly Vodka Seltzer, a vodka-based version of the sugar-based original that will be released “late this summer.” Truly Vodka Seltzer (5% ABV, 110 calories, 2g sugar, 4g carbs) will be made with six-times distilled vodka and real fruit juice. The line extension will come in four flavor varieties: Cherry & Lime, Blackberry & Lemon, Peach & Tangerine, and Pineapple & Cranberry. Vodka Seltzer will be sold in 12 oz. slim can variety 8-packs, 8-packs of Cherry & Lime, and single-flavor 4-packs. Truly Vodka Seltzer is in addition to the previously released Truly Flavored Vodka, a one-liter bottled vodka being produced and sold by Beam Suntory. Burwick called Truly Vodka Seltzer “a complementary companion” to the Truly line, which he said will attract a different consumer than the existing 21-to-34-year-old Truly drinkers — consumers in the 45-plus age range, female, African-American, with higher incomes. “We see there is a window here and there is a place to go with Truly Vodka seltzer at the high end of hard seltzer with a different consumer,” Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said. With its spirit-base leading to a higher tax rate, Truly Vodka Seltzer will be priced in line with products such as High Noon. Truly Hard Seltzer, which is sugar-based, falls under beer’s lower tax rate.
BrewDog Closes Indianapolis Taproom BrewDog USA has permanently shuttered its Indianapolisbased taproom, a spokesperson confirmed in mid-April. “[W]e made the tough decision to permanently close our Indianapolis bar,” the company said in a statement. “We are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth and fair transition for our Indy-based team members, including offering all team members full-time jobs at our other locations, a stipend for relocating, and helping facilitate future career moves.” BrewDog explained that the closure “was a result of a combination of factors.” “We exhausted all of our options prior to making the tough decision to permanently close,” a spokesperson said. News of the closure was broken by beverage-alcohol industry journalist Dave Infante, who publishes the Fingers newsletter. 26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
BrewDog opened the Indianapolis location, the Scottish craft beer maker’s first U.S. taproom outside of its homebase of Ohio, in September 2019. Last year, the Indianapolis taproom terminated three women and one non-binary person. All four belonged to the LGBTQ community and were told they were being dismissed because the company “wanted a change in culture.” After an internal investigation, BrewDog USA also terminated the manager who approved the firing. Earlier in April, BrewDog CEO James Watt wrote on LinkedIn that BrewDog is in the process of opening 27 taprooms in 2022, including Atlanta, Waterloo, Brisbane, Paris, Basingstoke, Las Vegas, Berlin, Hull, Cork with Ipswich, Lincoln, Durham and three in India.
For more stories, check out brewbound.com
Judge Grants Sycamore Brewing Injunction Against Stone’s Use of ‘Keep It Juicy’ Phrase A federal judge in April granted a nationwide injunction to Charlotte’s Sycamore Brewing Company in its trademark infringement case against Stone Brewing Company. The preliminary injunction went into effect following Sycamore posting a $50,000 cash bond. Sycamore Brewing fi led a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against Stone on April 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. In the suit, Sycamore contended that Stone infringed upon its tagline trademark “Keep It Juicy” — which Sycamore registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August 2021 and uses on packages of Juiciness IPA — on packages of the California craft brewery’s Hazy IPA. During an April hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Frank Whitney ruled in Sycamore’s favor and rejected Stone’s argument that the description “juicy” and the phrase “keep it juicy” are interchangeable terms. In his order, Whitney wrote that Stone and its affi liated parties are “immediately enjoined nationwide from using the Keep It Juicy name and mark, or confusingly similar variations thereof.” Whitney added that Stone can sell through its existing supply of Hazy IPA “packaged in the infringing box” so long
as the brewery covers the infringing language with an opaque label or “a new, non-infringing phrase or slogan.” According to Whitney’s ruling, Sycamore “has shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its claims for (1) Trademark Infringement … (2) Unfair Competition … and (3) Deceptive Trade practices …” and Stone’s attorney’s failed to “rebut the presumption of the validity and ownership” of “Keep It Juicy” by Sycamore. “The mark is distinctive in the craft beer context,” Whitney wrote. “The similarity of the marks is astounding, and the goods are not just similar, they are the same — a craft India Pale Ale. “In some retail locations, the two products are placed beside or above/below one another,” he continued. “Accordingly, the proximity of products as sold is again staggering. Moreover, the mark has been placed, as a prominent part of the packaging, on both Juiciness IPA and Hazy IPA’s retail boxes.” A trial in the case is expected later this year.
27
NEW PRODUCTS
THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS
THC Drinks Boulder-based functional wellness brand Weller has announced the launch of its new lineup of THC-infused sparkling waters. The lineup will offer three flavors: Tropical Peach, Blackberry Hibiscus and Starfruit Lime. The new SKUs will come in 12 oz. cans, each containing a 1:1 ratio of 5 mg of THC and 5 mg of CBD. For more information, call (303) 495-6989. Jones Soda has entered the cannabis-infused beverage category with the launch of its new brand, Mary Jones. The portfolio includes cannabis-infused sodas offered in four of the most popular Jones Soda flavors: Root Beer, Berry Lemonade, Green Apple and Orange Cream. The new offerings include a 10 mg cannabis-infused soda, which will be sold in single-dose 12 oz. bottles with a 4-pack carrier and a 100 mg cannabis-infused soda packaged in a 16 oz., 10-serving can. For more information, visit gomaryjones.com.
CSDs MTN DEW has released Championship Citrus Cherry as the newest flavor in its caffeinated Game Fuel line, marking the return of a fanfavorite flavor with a “revamped taste,” according to the company. The limited-edition flavor was developed in partnership with YouTuber Dr. Disrespect and will be available in 16 oz. cans featuring his likeness and logo. For more information, contact PEPConsumerRelations@pepsico.com. On the heels of Starlight, the fi rst flavor release from the Coca-Cola Creations line, The CocaCola Company has introduced Coca-Cola Byte, a new LTO “Pixel-flavored” version of its classic formula. The soda, available in full flavor and Zero Sugar varieties, is targeted toward gamers and is backed by an online experiential marketing campaign. For more information, call (800) 438-2653. Pepsi partnered with IHOP for the launch of its latest flavor, Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola, a limited-edition offering reminiscent of Sunday morning breakfast. The new SKU combines the “indulgent flavor profi le of maple syrup” with “crisp, refreshing caramel notes” of Pepsi, according to a press release. Maple Syrup 28 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Cola comes on the heels of several other Pepsi flavor innovations, including PEPSI x PEEPS, Pepsi Apple Pie, and Pepsi x Cracker Jack. For more information, call (800) 433-2652.
FUNCTIONAL Nuun has re-launched its functional hydration tablet portfolio with the introduction of Nuun Daily Hydration. The new offering was “specially formulated for the no-sweat occasion” and contains five essential electrolytes and zero sugars, according to a press release. Nuun Daily is available in Lemon Splash, Orange Sunrise, Raspberry Lemonade and Wild Strawberry both online and in-store at Whole Foods Market and Target. For more information, call (855) 426-6886.
ALT DAIRY Nutpods, a producer of plant-based creamers, is branching out from the creamer case with the launch of its zero-sugar Barista Oat Milk line, specially crafted for at-home espresso drinks. The dairy-free milk will be offered in Original and Cinnamon Dolce flavors and is designed to foam and froth easily “to create barista-quality lattes and cappuccinos at home, without the high levels of sugar often found in oat milks.’’ For more information, call (800) 977-6094. Pressed is releasing three new plant-based milk flavors at its stores nationwide. The additions include Morir Soñando, a Dominican-style flavor similar to an orange creamsicle made with orange, coconut cream, cashews, carrot, cinnamon and sea salt; Horchata Azul, a Mexican classic made with coconut cream and spirulina; and Saffron Badam, an Indian style beverage made with a blend of almond and walnuts and spiced with curry powder, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cardamom and saffron extract. For more information, call (888) 445-8423.
RTD COCKTAILS Just in time for summer, Loverboy has debuted the newest addition to its roster of sparkling hard teas, spritzes and canned cocktails– Strawberry Lemonade Sparkling Hard Tea. The lightly-carbonated beverage – which offers a fun twist on a
NEW PRODUCTS classic summertime drink with organic brewed green tea, crisp lemonade and sweet, juicy strawberries – contains just 100 calories per 11.5 oz. can. Loverboy’s Strawberry Lemonade Sparkling Hard Tea is available for an SRP of $11.99-$14.99 per 6-pack. For more information, contact orders@drinkloverboy.com. Luxury vodka brand CÎROC has launched its first ready-to-drink line, CÎROC Vodka Spritz, available in Watermelon Kiwi, Sunset Citrus, Pineapple Passion and Colada flavors. Made with vodka produced from French grapes, the line is available in 4-packs for $16.99. For more information, call +44 (0) 20 7947 9100. SVEDKA Vodka is looking to liven up the summer with its latest line extension, SVEDKA Tropics Tea Spritz. The spirits-based hard seltzers are made with the company’s vodka, real tea, sparkling water and natural tropical fruit flavors. Available in Pineapple Guava, Raspberry Kiwi and Orange Mango flavors, each can has an ABV of 5% and will be available in single cans for $2.99, single flavor 4-packs for $12.99 and variety 8-packs for $19.99. When vacationers make their way down to Massachusetts’ Cape Cod this summer, ready-todrink cocktail brand Cape Cod’r will be there to greet them. The new brand produces a line of 4.5% ABV craft cocktails in 12 oz. cans designed after the classic Cape Codder drink. The drinks come in Classic (vodka, cranberry, mint), Bae Breeze (vodka, cranberry, grapefruit), Perfect Storm (white rum, ginger, lime) and Ocean Breeze (white rum, blueberry, lemon) flavors. Cape Cod’r will be distributed through Craft Collective in 500 Massachusetts stores by the summer as well as select resorts, hotels and restaurants on the Cape. For more information, visit capecodr.com.
SPARKLING Aura Bora has launched its newest flavor, Lime Cardamom. The limited-edition offering was crafted to taste “like a fresh bundle of herbs on a crisp Spring day,” according to a press release. Aura Bora Lime Cardamom contains no added sugar and no citric acid and is available for $30 per case. For more information, contact hello@aurabora.com.
30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Ruby Hibiscus Water has gone bubbly with the debut of its Sparkling Hibiscus line — available in one unsweetened and two juicesweetened (Blood Orange and Concord Grape) varieties. The new line is available online via Amazon. North Carolina-based Earth Fare is also taking on the line, as is convenience chain Foxtrot and grocery delivery platforms Gorillas and Gopuff. The line will be available for $2.99 per 12 oz. can and $35 per 12-pack. For more information, contact hello@ruby.fun.
SPIRITS Luxury whiskey maker WhistlePig Rye teamed up with baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz to launch the world’s fi rst toasted baseball bat-fi nished whiskey. The Big Papi Barrel– a limited-edition, single-barrel series– was aged for six years in American Oak barrels and fi nished in barrels containing toasted DO34 maple wood bats, Ortiz’s signature. The whiskey will be available for purchase online for $49.99 per 750 ml bottle. For more information, visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. Boston-based distillery GrandTen Distilling has launched a new product, South Boston Godfather. The new spirit (35% ABV) consists of a blend of the distillery’s homemade South Boston Irish Whiskey and Amandine Almond Liqueur and features “a rich taste of caramelized bananas and pecans at the fi rst sip.” South Boston Godfather is available in 750ml bottles in the South Boston Distillery, GrandTen Distilling’s bar, and in stores throughout the Bay State. For more information, call (617) 269-0497. Maverick Spirits is rolling out its newest release, Samuel Maverick Agave Blanco, across Texas at select retailers. The new offering, distilled from 100% blue agave nectar, has a palate that is loaded with agave, green fruit vanilla and honeysuckle. Samuel Maverick Agave Blanco is available online and at the distillery in San Antonio, Texas for $40 per 750 ml bottle. For more information, call (210) 447-7010.
CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT
SPOTLIGHT CATEGORIES BOTTLED LEMONADE AND REFRIGERATED LEMONADE
Summer is — believe it or not — around the corner so we hope you’ve done some stocking up on lemonade. In the refrigerated section, it looks like Simply is all you need. But if you’re looking ambient, check out the moves that Calypso is making now that it’s in New York — way, way up with a lot of momentum. Also starting to chart in mainstream channels: natural channel upstart Me & the Bees. Great to see this tiny, purpose-driven brand grow up!
REFRIGERATED LEMONADE
BOTTLED LEMONADE BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs YEAR EARLIER
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Minute Maid
$159,079,110
11.7%
Simply
$639,602,220
7.0%
Calypso
$102,826,427
40.4%
Private Label
$190,818,117
29.0% -4.9%
Private Label
$65,403,281
16.2%
Minute Maid
$113,006,668
Brisk
$59,281,716
4.6%
Turkey Hill
$38,354,589
-3.8%
Dole
$36,691,422
45.0%
Milos
$34,485,379
67.3%
Snapple
$24,323,794
-19.1%
Floridas Natural
$32,888,527
21.7%
Sprite
$22,243,378
-27.4%
Newmans Own
$18,980,745
-10.1%
Bai
$20,732,623
-30.2%
Tropicana
$17,103,363
5.8%
Santa Cruz
$13,470,768
12.1%
Califia Farms
$5,178,077
27.7% 50.7%
Country Time
$12,533,354
5.8%
Uncle Matts Organic
$3,327,797
Natures Twist
$8,527,713
205.5%
Swiss Premium
$2,718,854
4.5%
Hawaiian Punch
$5,957,414
-23.7%
Mayer Bros
$2,291,362
112.4%
Sunny Delight
$3,916,729
302.0%
Welchs
$2,149,234
41.7%
V8
$3,436,712
-26.3%
Prairie Farms
$1,707,039
-2.4%
Tropical Fantasy
$2,842,366
20.9%
Purity
$1,395,108
5.2%
Me & The Bees
$1,929,866
91.0%
Oakhurst
$1,310,954
30.0%
Old Orchard
$1,492,070
-33.6%
Natalies
$1,175,706
17.3%
Hog Wash
$1,433,299
20.3%
Oberweis
$1,016,314
-1.6%
$775,515
-9.4%
$634,104
1.8%
Sun Fresh
$1,273,079
33.5%
Zeiglers
Dels
$1,249,361
177.5%
Rutters
TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME Sports Drinks
$9,865,657,142
19.3%
Energy Drinks
$17,118,237,244
13.7%
Bottled Juices
$8,125,501,191
4.1%
Tea/Coffee
$7,889,692,395
4.4%
Bottled Water
$22,147,001,561
13.7%
Liquid Drink Enhancers
$523,155,269
9.3%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 4/17/22
32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
CHANNEL CHECK BOTTLED STILL WATER
RFG READY-TO-DRINK COFFEE
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Private Label
$4,135,241,223
17.8%
Starbucks
$376,878,905
32.0%
Aquafina
$1,269,549,760
18.8%
Stok
$188,042,268
34.9%
Glaceau
$1,039,704,546
19.1%
Intl Delight
$159,424,025
36.3%
Dasani
$992,530,358
4.3%
Califia Farms
$56,184,375
29.3%
Poland Spring
$828,862,126
16.4%
Coca Cola
$41,966,765
74.5%
Pure Life
$747,778,860
3.2%
Bolthouse Farms
$21,354,972
30.9%
Fiji
$510,427,038
9.0%
Private Label
$17,009,578
42.7%
Deer Park
$502,721,072
20.0%
La Colombe
$13,253,155
86.0%
Essentia
$467,287,537
52.1%
Chameleon
$9,212,105
23.2%
Ozarka
$426,095,712
16.3%
Bizzy
$7,236,534
314.4%
BOTTLED UNFLAVORED SELTZER BRAND
CANNED/BOTTLED RTD TEA
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Topo Chico
$193,793,219
-0.3%
Lipton
$1,506,153,421
3.9%
Perrier
$187,770,134
15.0%
Arizona
$866,828,733
1.7%
San Pellegrino
$178,552,918
0.6%
Gold Peak
$473,667,757
1.2%
Private Label
$68,551,482
-1.5%
Brisk
$405,189,762
12.6%
La Croix
$37,421,139
5.4%
Snapple
$371,811,168
-7.2%
Polar
$32,421,164
20.7%
Monster
$194,394,195
-5.3%
Jarritos
$22,174,346
45.2%
Guayaki
$136,863,027
26.0%
Canada Dry
$13,726,905
-8.0%
Peace Tea
$94,886,337
-18.1%
Schweppes
$12,621,785
-9.1%
Private Label
$64,244,830
5.9%
Liquid Death
$10,127,758
580.4%
Honest
$40,659,943
18.8%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 4/17/22
34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
JUICE DRINKS BRAND
DOMESTIC BEER
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Capri Sun
$542,735,614
19.4%
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Bud
$6,615,239,179
-8.7%
$3,359,015,679
2.6%
$2,621,817,411
-4.4% -6.8%
Kool Aid
$344,632,200
14.8%
Michelob
Honest
$103,727,409
12.1%
Coors
Hi C
$52,530,600
-23.3%
Miller Lite
$2,105,666,600
Jumex
$43,446,301
24.7%
Busch
$1,723,354,437
-1.3%
Goya
$17,311,860
11.6%
Natural
$1,319,208,521
-8.5%
Private Label
$15,591,934
10.3%
Bud Specialty
$636,674,879
-19.4%
Petit
$15,314,118
33.5%
Keystone
$405,357,296
-14.5%
Minute Maid
$8,252,076
104.7%
Miller High Life
$393,346,032
-10.5%
Motts
$5,578,237
23.5%
Yuengling
$385,967,070
3.2%
SPORTS DRINKS
CRAFT BEER
BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Gatorade
$6,221,143,358
11.7%
Blue Moon
BRAND
$365,371,558
-9.9%
Bodyarmor
$1,636,830,869
44.2%
New Belgium
$364,610,932
10.7%
Powerade
$1,253,674,868
3.7%
Sierra Nevada
$316,654,431
-4.7%
Electrolit
$284,687,619
110.4%
Samuel Adams
$227,538,180
-5.0%
Private Label
$52,943,082
65.3%
Lagunitas
$176,264,431
-14.1%
Biolyte
$30,506,964
96.5%
Shiner
$138,196,205
-10.1%
Pedialyte
$26,015,406
209.6%
Firestone
$120,089,852
-1.5%
Prime
$6,766,494
-%
Elysian
$116,400,399
-7.0%
Suerox
$5,851,873
516.5%
Founders
$115,334,250
-15.8%
VPX
$3,377,498
-%
Bells
$104,871,825
-11.4%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 4/17/22
35
GUEST INSIGHTS BY TACHELLE LAWSON
Consumers want Personalization; Diversity is the Key We all know that the internet and social media have acted as the great disruptor for product sales and marketing. How we buy, how we view ads, and how we decide what brands to support have all been revolutionized over the past 20 years. But just when brands were starting to figure out how to utilize social networks like TikTok and Instagram to appeal directly to consumers, the world was hit with another disruptor. The COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movements following the murder of George Floyd made it clear that even corporations and seemingly innocuous product brands now need to offer consumers more than shiny packaging or free shipping. Consumers are dialed in to current events on the same platforms that are advertising CBD infused lemonade and deodorant. To think that there is no overlap in the values consumers bring from consuming content to purchasing products is the mentality of a dying brand. According to a recent StudioID study for Food Dive, consumers are 80 percent more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences. While levels of personalization can vary greatly from product to product, it’s clear that consumers are no longer interested in simply getting the best deal or one specific trendy item. Of course, those things still matter, but in a world dominated by social media, personalization is the new trend. Ironically, American consumers are demanding greater personalization at the same time that the country is primed to become more diverse than ever before, making true personalization that much more challenging for brands. In less than 25 years, the proportion of white Americans is projected to fall under 50% (to 49.7%) for the first time in history - thus, becoming the new “minority,” while the combined minorities will then become the “new majority,” representing 50.3% of the population. And just 15 years later, that new majority is projected to comprise more than 55% of the population, while the white population falls to a little over 44%. Diversity within this country exists, and it is ultimately unavoidable. The old 38 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
diversity mindset of just checking boxes could cause significant damage to brands considering how drastic the demographic shifts will be. To successfully continue to operate and understand customers, every brand will need to have an effective DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) strategy in place. How can a brand offer a unique personalized experience to an increasingly diverse consumer base if the people developing and marketing products aren’t also diverse? DEI isn’t just a marketing strategy, and it’s not just a performance for the consumer. Diverse thinking requires actual diversity, it’s not something companies can fake through unconscious bias training or clever marketing techniques. You can’t hire a diverse entry level workforce and think that will make up for lack of overall inclusivity and diversity at the decision making level. Companies can’t hire and train employees based on a homogeneous idea of “company culture” and expect them to innovate in a way that will attract a substantial consumer base. Behind the scenes, brands need a diverse and inclusive workforce in order to produce the products and innovation that will appeal to their diverse customers. Inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovative, they get 2.3 times more cash flow per employee, and are 120% more likely to hit financial goals. Today’s consumers are dialed in. They follow their favorite brands on Twitter and listen to recommendations from influencers and celebrities on Instagram. They care whether or not brands “get” them. The marketing profession knows this and yet boardrooms across America continue to lack diversity. The delusion still exists that brands can project a message of diversity - talk the talk - without actually walking the walk. Unfortunately for them, it has become increasingly clear over the past two years that if brands are out of touch or tone deaf towards a certain community, consumers can and will catch on very quickly. If a new brand emerges that speaks to them on a more personal level, they will switch. If a boardroom is filled with 40 year old white men - even if
those white men are dialed in, smart, and consumer savvy - there will be missing pieces and glaring holes that will eventually be spotted by consumers. Diversity has become massively important, not only for brands to “look good” or have talking points during Black History Month, but also as a necessary key to success in an increasingly competitive marketplace. An office filled from top to bottom with diverse talent that is able to speak to the experience of different races, genders, intellectual abilities and languages is uniquely positioned to communicate with consumers and offer the level of personalization they demand. How brands get there will vary, and DEI is a long game, but ultimately those that rise to the top and are able to wow “the new majority” will be those that succeed. TaChelle Lawson is Founder and President of FIG Strategy & Consulting. Lawson counsels a diverse and elite clientele who’ve come to rely on her brand-building and preservation prowess.
SHOW PREVIEW BY BEVNET STAFF
2022 Summer Fancy Food Show Returns to New York City After a two-year hiatus, The Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, the largest U.S. show devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages, is set to return to its hometown at its regularly scheduled time of year. The 2022 edition of the Summer Fancy Food Show will take place in person on June 12-14 at the Javits Center in New York City and will feature a variety of educational seminars and exhibit halls. Organizers are expecting an even greater turnout of domestic and international exhibitors than the approximately 10,000 in-person participants who attended the 2022 Winter Show in Las Vegas. “After nearly three years, we are excited to gather with the specialty food community for what we anticipate will be a sold out show,” SFA President Bill Lynch said in a press release.
40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Highlights of the Summer Fancy Food Show program include: • David Lockwood and David Brown will deliver the SFA’s State of the Specialty Food Industry, during which they will provide participants with an in-depth look at dollar and unit sales data in retail, ecommerce and food service channels, five-year forecasts in key categories, and supply chain insights on how the specialty food industry is evolving. • SFA’s panel on the supply chain crisis on June 13, focused on supply chain disruptions, strategies to reduce risk and insight on how to man age uncertainty. • Dan Pashman, creator and host of the Sporkful podcast, will team up with Sfoglini founders Scott Ketchum and Steve Gonzalez for a live podcast session discussing the creation of the brand new pasta shape taking the world by storm, cascatelli. The show will also feature a startup pavilion, state and international pavilions, what’s new and what’s hot showcases, end-of-show food rescue and donation, and more. Additionally, scheduling will include ample time for networking, per feedback from exhibitors and attendees.
42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022 2021
W
hen it comes to getting energy from a drink, consumers aren’t exactly short on options these days. Whether its caffeinated sparkling water, enhanced coffee, a buzz-boosting sports drink or something else altogether, the lines between traditional energy drinks and new functional beverages have been sufficiently blurred as to create both opportunities and challenges for brands across the industry. Though sales keep accelerating, even the term “energy drinks” feels increasingly outdated with each passing year. How are brands responding to this shifting dynamic? Every which way they can: integrating popular candy flavors, shifting packaging formats, adding CBD — you name it. Even as perennial leaders like Red Bull and Monster keep growing, the energy
drink category is perhaps more dynamic than ever, as a confluence of issues related to ingredients, use occasion, functionality, audience and flavor are combining to create powerful momentum across different pockets of the category. Up and down the energy landscape, there’s plenty of action to be found.
The Leaders
While most of the buzz is on the emerging end of the category, Red Bull and Monster remain at the top of the pile and aren’t looking to cede that position anytime soon. Red Bull has been able to grow steadily — posting over $6 billion in sales on a two-year stack basis during the trailing 52-week period ended April 23 — while keeping prices relatively f lat. Meanwhile, Monster Energy continues to diversify 43
In the words of former England striker Gary Lineker, there’s a simple way to explain the game of soccer: “22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and, in the end, the Germans always win.” That sense of inevitability echoes when looking at the sales data for the energy shot category; not for lack of trying, the raft of ambitious brands looking to make a dent in 5-Hour Energy’s dominance of the $982 million-plus market must settle for lower places on the podium yet again. 5-Hour Energy reported over $869 million in sales during the 52-week period ended on April 14, per IRI data, good enough for an eyewatering 88% share of the space. While the brand turned heads with the launch of its full-size 16 oz. RTD energy line at last year’s NACS trade show, the shots themselves have continued to keep expanding despite a relative lack of innovation, indicating that the Regular and Extra Strength lines are complementing each other effectively. Vitamin Energy has also made strides in the space with a better-for-you positioning that includes callouts for immune support and recovery. Under the leadership of CEO Rise Meguiar, a former 5-Hour Energy sales executive, the brand – which notably claims 7+ hours of energy per dose – entered GNC stores chainwide late last year. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Energy and caffeine have popped up in various guises: FORTO Coffee Shots are still out there, while Pickle Juice Co. enjoyed significant double-digit growth for its energy shot last year, but also expect refrigerated leaders like Vive Organic and Suja to help drive adoption through their respective natural entries into the category. When you continue expanding the lens further from ‘energy’ to ‘functional’ shots – brands like GNGR, KOR and others – the potential for disruption is clear. Unless you’re playing soccer. 44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
its portfolio with products like True North Pure Energy Seltzer and a slew of new coffee innovations like nitro-infused, zero-sugar Java Monster Cold Brew. While Wall Street’s attention has mostly been on rumors around a potential merger with spirits giant Constellation Brands, the company also picked up a beer company and recently scored a big legal win against rival Bang (see BevScapes for details). PepsiCo is maybe the most ambitious of the corporate players, as it seeks to marshal a diversified array of highawareness brands into a cohesive growth strategy. That plan — dubbed “Choose Your Energy” and unveiled at last year’s NACS show — has seen the launch of several new innovations, none more splashy than the Starbucks-branded natural energy line Baya, which launched nationwide on March 1. With Baya, Pepsi is traveling down a well-worn path in the energy space; natural-focused brands like CLEAN Cause, Runa, Hiball, and Guru have seen gains from consumers switching from conventional energy beverages, but not as rapidly as many expected. Yet Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta is high on the line playing a key role in the company’s energy mix, offering a natural, fruit-forward play to contrast with MTN DEW’s gamer-oriented products and Bang’s fitnessfocused drinks.
Within that busy mix, where does that leave Rockstar, Pepsi’s big-ticket purchase from 2020? The brand continues to experience f lagging dollar sales — down 24.4% to around $231 million on a two-year stack basis, according to Goldman Sachs — and somewhat awkward attempts at innovation, as with the foodservice-exclusive Rockstar Energy Fruit Punch and Rockstar Unplugged, a three-SKU line available in Passion Fruit, Raspberry Cucumber and Blueberry that features zero-sugar, 80 mg of caffeine and hemp seed oil (not CBD, mind you) for relaxation (or at least maybe a less edgy experience). Whether any of those connect with audiences remains to be seen, but the brand nonetheless provides Pepsi with a platform to take chances; last June, the beverage giant filed an application with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office to trademark its Rockstar in the beer and “alcoholic fruit cocktail drinks; alcoholic malt beverages, except beers; hard seltzer” categories.
Yet Pepsi’s future in energy remains clouded by uncertainty over its contentious three-year distribution deal with Bang, which is set to conclude in October 2023. Some have speculated that a pricey buyout could be on the cards, a move that would free Pepsi to potentially pursue another big-ticket acquisition in the category.
The Challengers Outside of the Red Bull-Monster-VPX trifecta sitting atop the heap, there’s an ever-growing set of fast-rising energy brands that are eagerly banging on the door and jockeying for position in hopes of entering that elite club — and, in some cases, give their strategic backers a seat a the table. That applies to brands like Zoa, the Dwayne Johnson-created, MolsonCoors-backed brand that has quickly generated over $34 million in MULO dollar sales despite having been on the market for just over a year, according to IRI sales data through April 17, 2022. Elsewhere, GHOST, of which Anheuser Busch InBev is an investor, has enjoyed explosive sales growth (+1505% year-over-year through April 17) for its RTDs, thanks in part to its officially licensed candy f lavors like Sour Patch Kids and Warheads. For both MolsonCoors and AB InBev, the broad fitness46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
cum-lifestyle positioning of each of their respective brands gives them strong foundations from which to branch out: Zoa has already done so with a complementary pre-workout drink and a shift to exclusively zero-sugar 12 oz. cans, while Ghost continues to do swift business with its powders and merchandise. Both brands also have another thing in common: they each got their start in the sports and nutrition channel, a theme that also extends to some of energy’s other fastest growing companies. By focusing on a female audience, Alani Nu has somewhat quietly turned into a force to be reckoned with, rising 568% to over $209 million in dollar sales. Cellucor’s C4 line, which just deployed entertainment and brand investor Kevin Hart to lead its latest summer marketing campaign, has also impressed, with sales up 170% year-over-year. For the latter, the success of its mental performance line SmartEnergy demonstrates how brands can use equity built in the supplement market to make the leap into other energy-adjacent need states. This spring the brand introduced a new f lavor, Watermelon Burst, for SmartEnergy, and also published the results of a clinical trial conducted in partnership with the University of Iowa that backs the product’s claims for improving cognitive performance. According to the study, participants in the study, many of whom were already energy drink consumers, experienced 47% improvement in complex gaming performance, 33% improvement in energy levels and 10% improvement in mental multitasking. In a release touting
the study’s results, C4 affirmed SmartEnergy’s appeal for everyone from “college students studying for exams, gamers preparing for their next e-sports match, journalists writing multiple articles at once, and entrepreneurs meeting deadlines.” But the most sustained growth has come from Celsius, which, despite a long struggle in the fitness-energy space, has spent the last three years on a roll. The company reported over $383 million in dollar sales over the trailing 52-week period ended on April 23, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research. The brand reported a 402% increase in dollar sales year-overyear through April 17, per IRI. The company has sought to use its current momentum to broaden its offerings — exemplified by the three-SKU, f lavor-forward Vibe line co-existing alongside the fitness-oriented core SKUs and thermogenic Celsius Heat — while staying aggressive in pursuing high-visibility partnerships with inf luential individuals (the latest being Olympic snowboarding legend Shaun White) and events like Sun Fest and Revolve Fest, the latter an exclusive invite-only event tied to the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
The Disruptors Launched in 2019 by beverage entrepreneur Lance Collins and former Monster Energ y VP of innovation Scot De Lorme, A Shoc has been quietly seeding growth over the past two years, generating over $ 60 million in dollar sales over the 52-week period ended on April 17, according to IR I. Now the Keurig Dr Pepper-distributed brand is ready to come into its own with a clear standard of identity that allows it to stand out from the crowd. 48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
ENERGY DRINKS BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Red Bull
$6,818,983,274
14.9%
Monster
$4,942,062,971
13.1%
VPX
$1,338,732,096
5.9%
Rockstar
$703,596,204
-7.1%
Reign
$439,006,243
-3.9%
NOS
$415,689,458
-8.9%
Mtn Dew
$209,965,931
174.6%
Alani Nu
$209,102,522
568.6%
Cellucor
$201,380,032
170.2%
Full Throttle
$112,178,076
9.5%
Celsius
$70,696,348
402.0%
Adrenaline Shoc
$61,061,463
2.9%
Ghost
$55,526,767
1505.0%
Up Time
$48,781,278
21.1%
Venom
$48,289,117
-14.7%
G Fuel
$36,468,755
338.0%
Zoa
$34,526,549
-
Xyience
$28,293,344
-13.0%
Coca Cola
$24,438,305
-72.3%
Rip It
$23,799,286
-23.3%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 04/17/22
According to De Lorme, even as A Shoc was welcoming a new group of star athlete investors — including New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, pro golfer Brooks Koepka and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers — to its cap table, they remained unable to actively endorse the product “with conf idence.” That sparked the decision to go after NSF Certif ied for Sport certif ication, meaning teams in pro sports leagues like Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League ( NHL) can provide the product to their players and are considered safe to use. Securing the certif ication took months, and required some work on A Shoc’s core formulation itself: caffeine was dropped to from 300mg to 200mg per 16 oz. can, the maximum allowed under NSF regulations. The company must also submit to twice-annual auditing and regular ingredient screenings, but De Lorme said that’s a small price to pay for the integrity and conf idence that the NSF Certif ied for Sport badge brings to its products. “Quite honestly, I think for us and where we’re heading with this brand as a modern energ y drink created for today’s active generation, we’re going to hit a much bigger audience as we come down to a more comfortable level on the caffeine side, because I think that’s where the categor y is going,” he said. “Now we have the perfect scenario where we have athlete-investors that can actually conf idently and comfortably drink our products that really elevate their performance, and it’s being as authentic as we can be to our brand positioning.”
A Shoc’s embrace of NSF Certif ied for Sport is indicative of a category in which brands have found success in starting with a niche focus and branching out from there: see gamer-centric G FUEL, which earned a bullish response from retailers in Goldman Sachs’ most recent Beverage Bytes survey, or Uptime, which continues to generate solid numbers with limited exposure and a non-traditional bottle format. Even as other products encroach on and evolve the category’s established bonafides, consumers are still buzzing for energy drinks.
49
BRAND NEWS ENERGY DRINKS
EBOOST is expanding its SUPER FUEL Natural Energy + Vitamins Drinks with a national launch in over 6,000 CVS stores in May, as well as 150 Walmart stores and 150 Publix stores. SUPER FUEL also introduced a new f lavor, Blue Raspberry, adding on to the three existing SKUs: Orange Mango, Strawberry Lemonade and Ginger Lime. Summer 2022 has arrived early with the launch of Red Bull Summer Edition Strawberry Apricot. The drink offers a sunny taste of strawberry, apricot and a hint of peach that can be enjoyed on its own or in a mocktail. Red Bull Summer Edition Strawberry Apricot is available in 8.4 f l oz and 12 f l oz cans in matte orange to be easily identifiable within the rainbow of colors offered in the Editions line. Boomerang’s Blueberry Citrus will soon be getting a tropical mamacita: Pineapple Orange. The new f lavor, as well as 4-packs, will be available this summer. The natural, non-GMO and vegan energy drink is expanding distribution in the Upper Midwest, Texas and the Southeastern U.S. throughout 2022. After expanding into the pre-workout supplement category earlier this year with the launch of ZOA+, ZOA Energy is expanding its energy drink line with the launch of 12 ounce cans, which each contain 120mg of natural caffeine from green tea extract and green coffee. ZOA is the only healthy energy drink that combines turmeric and camu camu, which includes 80% of the daily value of vitamin C, as well as an abundance of focus-supporting B vitamins. Razorwire Energy is pulling out all the stops with its 4-in-1 energy drink, consisting of three sources of caffeine, nootropics and electrolytes along with Vitamin C for immune
50 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
support. All three f lavors – Sweet Lemonade, Tropical and Watermelon – are naturally f lavored and preservative free. A fourth SKU, Cherry, is set to be released this summer. In March, Rowdy Energy announced its newest product line, Power Burn. The multi-functional beverage is available on Amazon and nationwide in 7-Eleven in four f lavors: Watermelon, Pineapple Passionfruit, Pink Lemonade and Mango Dragonfruit. GURU Organic Energy will be adding Guayusa Tropical Punch to its growing plant-based energy drink family in the U.S. this September, following a successful launch in Canada. The new drink is packed with tropical fruity goodness, and features organic Guayusa, a naturally caffeinated plant traditionally used in Ecuador. Purpose-driven coffee company Riff has announced that its latest offering, Riff Energy+, has officially been certified carbon neutral by Carbonfund.org. With this certification, Riff Energy+ –a tasty plant-powered, climate-friendly energy drink made from upcycled, nutrient-rich cascara and other plant-based ingredients – becomes the nation’s first energy drink and functional beverage to be certified carbon neutral. Watermelon Burst joins Freedom Ice, Peach Mango Nectar, Black Cherry and Icy Blue Razz as the fifth f lavor in C4’s Smart Energy lineup, providing fans with another mouth-watering f lavor to help them conquer any task, anytime. Perfectly released nationwide ahead of summer, C4 Smart Energy Watermelon Burst has a fresh, lush, and pleasant f lavor profile, ideal for a season of next-level performance and hustle. UPTIME is partnering with H-E-B to launch two zero-sugar SKUs: Green Mandarin and Ruby Red Grapefruit.
BRAND NEWS Another exclusive launch will be with Buc-ee’s (Tropical Passionfruit), also available in zero sugar. UPTIME’s ecommerce channels will also feature Ruby Red Grapefruit with cane sugar later this summer. A SHOC ENERGY has secured the NSF International Certified For Sport Certification. This certification is a commitment to professional athletes as they continue to push the envelope and look for new ways to maximize their competitive performance in a healthier manner. Australian beverage brand Remedy had added a new product to its portfolio: Remedy Energy, featuring the light, refreshing and sparkling taste you can expect from all Remedy drinks, with added caffeine from green coffee beans and ginseng for a clean, antioxidant-rich energy kick with no sugar. Made with 80mg of natural caffeine per 11oz can available in refreshing fruit flavor Blackberry. In March, Kill Cliff launched Laser Lemons, the newest f lavor in its Octane line that blends high caffeine (125mg) with high CBD (25mg), featuring a lemon explosion mixed with ginger, honey and herbs to make a uniquely refreshing drink. With warm weather and longer days finally on the horizon, Hiball is introducing its latest addition, Hiball Blood Orange, to its line of sparkling energy seltzers. Hiball Blood Orange joins the brand’s existing flavor portfolio, which includes Grapefruit, Watermelon Mint, Wild Berry, Blackberry, Lemon Lime, Peach and Vanilla. Starbucks has entered the energy category for the first time with the introduction of Starbucks BAYA Energy, crafted from caffeine naturally found in coffee fruit as well as antioxidant vitamin C for immune support to
52 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
give consumers a boost of feel-good energy. Starbucks BAYA Energy is available in three delicious fruit f lavors – Mango Guava, Raspberry Lime and Pineapple Passionfruit – and contains 90 calories and 160 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. can. The line is currently available nationwide for $2.89 per can. Celsius is inviting consumers to open up the refreshing f lavors of summer and energize their day with its newest f lavor, Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade. Made with clinically proven ingredients, this carbonated f lavor of Celsius has the perfect balance of f lavor and energy that serves as an awesome pick-me-up for active lifestyles. LIFEAID has released a new line of clean performance energy drinks. The FITAID Energy collection is the long awaited clean-caffeine addition to their original Sports Recovery product, FITAID, boosted with 200mg of caffeine from green tea. The FITAID Energy + Sports Recovery blend is naturally sweetened with only 15 calories, no sucralose, no aspartame, no fillers, and no synthetic caffeine. Available in four electric f lavors: Mango Sorbet, Peach Mandarin, Blackberry Pineapple, and an online exclusive Raspberry Hibiscus, FITAID contains no artificial f lavors or colors. Marquis has officially launched its newest f lavor, Lychee Peach. After launching a successful rebrand in January, Marquis decided to add to its portfolio in order to meet consumer demand for unique f lavor combinations. Marquis Lychee Peach offers a smooth tasting experience that complements the rest of Marquis’ portfolio, providing a lush and bright Lychee f lavor paired with that of a sweet Peach, packaged in a pastel pink can, that is all it’s own.
PROTEIN
Presses On
WHY BETTER-FOR-YOU IS STILL PUSHING PROTEIN SALES POST-PANDEMIC By BRAD AVERY When the pandemic hit in Spring 2020 and many food and beverage producers found themselves struggling to keep up with the rush on grocery shelves, protein was one space that found itself in a more precarious situation. Peter Burns, managing partner at investment firm Sunrise Strategic Partners and the former president and CEO of protein bar maker ONE Brands, told BevNET that despite sales spikes for most categories, certain parts of the protein space, particularly bars and other grab-and-go formats that thrive in the convenience channel, felt the brunt of lockdowns as foot traffic dwindled. Similarly, some at-home formats like powdered meal replacements also reported taking sales hits during the early days of the pandemic; Huel founder Julian Hearn said his business – primarily direct-to-consumer – suffered as shoppers saw less need to drink their meals while stuck indoors. Home cooking -- and home cooking hacks -became the hobby du jour. Two years out, however, the category has rebounded amid a return to normalcy – or some notion of normalcy at least. While commuting is back, Burns noted the supply chain disruptions and rising inflation has begun impacting ecommerce sales, where consumers are potentially facing higher shipping costs and wait times. Meanwhile, as companies try to get their employees back into the office and the gym channel swings back, on-the-go sales are back up and now benefit from heightened awareness around health. “The latest data is suggesting that the whole order-itonline and have it delivered to your house [model] is slowing down in an inflationary environment with all the fuel charges 54 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
added,” Burns said. “That is beginning to make an impact. So, you know, the pendulum swings hard and fast both ways, and I think we’re beginning to see a swinging back towards health and wellness activity, going to work, traveling, being on-the-go – and I think that’s going to lead to a normalization in the better-for-you space.” As consumers have returned to stores, they’re being met with a diversified protein category filled with better-for-you brands in a variety of formats, from plant-based ready-todrink brands like Koia and Only What You Need (OWYN) to nutrition bars like Perfect Bar that have grown their footprints in conventional retail significantly over the past several years. As well, multi-serve powdered drinks have also seen innovation focusing on flavor, health and function from brands like KOS (which raised $12 million this winter). The expansion of formats alongside taste and functionality has led to a greatly expanded category where consumers are flush with protein options, whether they are on-the-go or at home. At Huel, which primarily sells direct-to-consumer meal replacement powders in the U.S., Julian Hearn reiterated that taste is key to making better-for-you formats resonate with shoppers whether it’s in powdered or RTD formats (Huel offers both, along with bars). Still, there’s cost sensitivity: for many of his consumers, he said, the pandemic did indeed serve as a wake up call to improve their health, but now inflation is creating a new problem for the business and “price is still key.” The company had to raise prices last year,
seeking out protein solutions in their diets. “Generally speaking, post-COVID, the data shows that people gravitated towards things that were more nutrient dense,” McCoy said. “Even things like dry beans were way over-indexing. People are reading labels, they are more focused on macros, and people are buying more proteins.” For startups and entrepreneurial brands, that overindexing is also now helping them to reach new consumers for whom the pre-pandemic protein set fell short.
AS DEMOGRAPHICS EXPAND, TASTE IS KING
prompting a wave of subscription customers to cancel their orders. However, the demand for cleaner, healthier and better tasting protein and meal replacement options, he said, hasn’t abated. “Some people did leave [after the price increase], but interestingly enough a lot of those customers – yes they canceled their subscriptions – but they came back several months later,” Hearn said. Citing SPINS data, Nick McCoy, managing director of investment bank Whipstitch Capital, told BevNET that retail sales of beverages classified as liquid protein meal replacement were up about 10% in the four-week period ending April 28, led by products like Boost and Premiere, while brands like Pure Protein and Orgain both saw 20% spikes. Data firm IRI reported that products classified under shelf-stable liquid weight control, including RTDs such as Muscle Milk and Fairlife, were up 21.5% in the 52 week period ending February 20, while refrigerated products (including Rebbl, Koia and Bolthouse Farms) were up 42.9%. For the moment at least, although protein product formats – bars, shakes, powders – do have to compete with one another for share of stomach, the resurgence of the category and rising interest in better-for-you products has also expanded the number of occasions where consumers are
Interest in better-for-you products tends to transcend age groups as well. Chris Hunter, co-founder and CEO of Koia, said his brand has seen the most growth over the past year from Gen Xers and younger Baby Boomers in the 45-60 year-old range. “It suggests that there’s broader adoption around protein, and specifically plant protein,” Hunter said. “As you get even higher in age than that, there’s [health] studies that show your protein consumption should increase, so I think that’s an interesting kind of revelation for us.” Hunter suggested a few possible reasons for Koia’s adoption by older consumers, key among them simply being the brand’s expanded retail footprint in the conventional channels where older consumers shop, and where Koia’s expanded facings have sometimes taken the place of discontinued legacy brands like Odwalla. Plant-based itself, meanwhile, may not be that important a differentiator to this shopper, whereas Koia’s strong taste profile connects with trial consumers and drives repeat sales. Many older consumers, he suggested, could be ingrained in an “I eat what I like to eat” mentality and less likely to sacrifice taste for health – prompting the company to pitch its products as a “healthy milkshake” that can win on-shelf by backing up its flavor with better-for-you bona fides. “We really focus on ‘delicious’ first and foremost,” Hunter said. “If we’re in a Whole Foods, or any natural retailer, we’re talking about plant-based, we’re talking about nonGMO, we’re talking about low sugar, and things like that. But when I went into a 7-Eleven, as an example, I mentioned
that this is a plant-based protein beverage to the shopper and he immediately said ‘I’m not interested in even tasting it.’ And I said, ‘No, no, actually, this is a healthy milkshake.’ That’s the way [to sell it] if it’s healthy, because all I need them to do is taste it and they go ‘Oh my god, that’s a healthy milkshake.’” McCoy noted that Koia has significantly increased its business in the conventional channel over the past two years, with velocities nearly 13 times their rates in the natural channel. Outside of RTD, powdered protein drink makers are also fi nding that while health is a hook, taste remains a necessity. One brand focusing on a more niche set of consumers is Ladder. Founded in 2018, Ladder was developed by NBA All-Star LeBron James, who was seeking a more complete nutritional profile from his protein supplements that could match the needs of a professional athlete. James worked with his trainer Mike Mancias to restructure his nutrition and workout regimen and assembled a team of experts to formulate a line of clean performance products. He also consulted with actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about his knowledge of the sports nutrition industry to help launch the brand. The company now produces a full portfolio of powdered nutritional supplements, including plant-based shakes, preworkout, whey protein, pea-derived plant protein, superfood greens and hydration. The powders are sold online direct-toconsumer and are also sold to 45 professional sports teams and are NSF certified for athletes. Speaking with BevNET, Ladder CEO Christina Cartwright said the brand has found an unserviced segment of consumers in pro athletes who, despite the myriad of supplements available on the market, can still struggle to fi nd a complete nutrition product line under a single umbrella. Significantly, the brand has also invested in shoring up its fl avors; its pre-workout is strawberry lemonade fl avored while the plant and whey proteins come in chocolate and vanilla. The strong taste has been key to securing contracts with sports teams and driving word of mouth among the select target demographic, she said. “It’s about drinkability and the ability for them to consume it and to be open and willing to consume it,” Cartwright said. “They’re not feeling like they have to [drink it].” While that demographic will continue to be the core focus for the company, Ladder has also begun servicing an everyday consumer as well through its protein-rich nutrition shakes. Cartwright said the product was developed to meet the influx of
56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
consumers coming into the powdered protein category today who are seeking out more protein. Beyond taste, the powdered format also offers convenience. “That consumer tends to be more female and there’s kind of two different groups,” Cartwright said. “One that is looking to actually lose weight, and this is a good solution for them as either a snack or a meal replacement when they mix it with other things. The fl ip side to that is a very busy, active female who likely has children in the home, so it’s serving as kind of a quick meal for herself. But also she’s more likely to be active in general, whether it means she works out on a daily basis, or she’s doing things with the kids. She’s looking at this as another source of protein.” Back at Sunrise Management Partners, co-founder and managing partner Stephen Hughes noted that brands have to be trend-sensitive as well: the keto diet has “echoed” across the protein sector, impacting everything from readyto-drinks to breakfast products like pancakes (Sunrise is an investor in protein-rich brand Kodiak Cakes). Hughes’ partner, Burns, added that going forward and meeting the changing, specified needs of consumers will continue to be a necessity for protein-focused brands. “I think what you’re going to see with, whether it’s bars, whether it’s powders or shakes, you’ve got the keto aspect,” Burns said. “You’ve got additives like MCT, greens, different sweeteners – all those different things are going to be in the mix as companies try to differentiate themselves from each other. And I think you’ve seen a lot of differentiation between, ‘I’m going to deliver products specifically for women or specifically for men,’ folks have taken that angle a little bit, and at some point, given the changing world we live in [the question is] do things like CBD come into play at some point?”
BRAND NEWS
PROTEIN + MEAL REPLACEMENT
Après, the enhanced plant-based protein drink made with plant protein, MCTs and electrolytes, has secured distribution in 1,150 Publix stores for its newly launched RTD 4-pack, available in Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt Chocolate. The company also secured national distribution in Lifetime Fitness, as well as in Bristol Farms, Central Market and Haggen.
released a “new and improved” version of one its most popular products – Superfood Greens. The new formula adds probiotics, new ingredients and a refreshing lemon-ginger f lavor. All Ladder sports supplements, including Superfood Greens, are NSF certified and formulated to meet the highest standards of quality and taste.
For the first time, OWYN Meal Nutritional Shakes are now available for consumers to purchase at retail. All Publix locations will carry OWYN Nutritional Shakes in Chocolate and Vanilla, sold in 4-packs. The brand is also set tol launch its new Sea Salted Caramel f lavor online in May.
In February, Orgain announced a partnership with Emmy-winning host, actress and producer Tamera Mowry-Housley to inspire fans to feel their best through the power of clean nutrition, including with a “That Orgain Feeling” bundle that featured Tamera’s hand-picked favorites and signature smoothie bowl recipe.
Koia’s newest release is Koia Protein Cinnamon Horchata, a limited-edition, low-sugar, plant-based protein shake. The f lavor, a favorite of Koia investor/ambassador and NBA AllStar Chris Paul, was reimagined in collaboration with Paul and Support Black Colleges, a non-profit clothing line, to raise awareness about the educational opportunities at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and to help increase the availability of plant-based nutrition options for people everywhere. Koia will donate 100% of proceeds to support student scholarships at HBCUs. In March, orro, the nutritional plantbased RTD meal solution, welcomed actress Tabitha Brown as an equity partner in the company; the partnership will be expanding later this year with more delicious f lavors inspired by Brown’s favorite vegan recipes. The product contains 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals, and is free of gluten, lactose, soy, allergens, and artificial sweeteners. Orro is available in Vanilla and Chocolate f lavors and is shelf-stable. Ladder, a line of premium supplements co-founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger, has
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Dairy company Lactalis has launched UP2U RECOVER protein drinks and unf lavored protein powder. The f lavored protein drinks feature a formula of fastabsorbing protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes that stimulate muscle recovery within 30 minutes after physical exercise, according to the brand. The unf lavored, versatile protein powder was designed to be added to food and other drinks. All UP2U RECOVER products are currently available in the U.S. through Amazon. Nutrition supplement maker Alani Nu has launched two new f lavors: frosted f lurry and cinni buns, each of which feature 21g of plant based protein and are vegan and glutenfree. The new f lavors are on sale now for a suggested retail price of $44.99 each. Kate Farms, which specializes in bringing plant-based nutrition into healthcare, released its newest RTD shake:, Glucose Support 1.2, designed to help manage blood sugar as part of a balanced diet.
MALTERNATIVES: Reading the Hard Tea Leaves By Beth Demmon
After hitting a zenith in the early-to-mid 1990s, flavored malt beverages (often referred to as “FMBs” or “malternatives”) never got back to that peak. Nevertheless, they’ve remained a surprisingly dogged presence in beverage alcohol, existing peacefully alongside other segments without causing too much disruption – until the hard seltzer sub-segment came along, and the category found itself as disrupted as everything else in a can or a bottle. FMBs’ pendulum swing between expansion and refraction continues to this day, with the March 2022 NBWA Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) reporting a category drop from 85 in March 2021 to 42 in March 2022. For context, a rating over 50 indicates expansion, while anything below 50 indicates a contraction. Why do malternatives fluctuate, and why are these numbers dropping now? Liz Paquette, head of consumer insights at Drizly, has a theory. “The growth of spirit-based RTDs may have contributed to the slowing growth of the hard seltzer-slash-beer alternative category, as many of these products compete directly, despite technically falling into different categories,” she says. But here’s another thought, she says: many consumers just don’t know the difference between RTDs and hard seltzers. Drizly’s 2021 Consumer Report, she says, showed “just 32% of respondents correctly defi ned hard seltzer while the majority confused it with the defi nition of RTDs.” Nielsen data seems to confi rm this notion of RTDs claiming former FMB purchasers. “Flavored malt beverages” only gained 2.1 % in dollar share from January 2021 to 2022 (compared to a 17% increase from the previous year), but “Cocktails ready to drink” (or “RTDs”) jumped a massive 117.1% in the same timeframe (with a 157.4% from the previous year).
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Comparatively, hard seltzer also saw a slowdown from 158.9% (2020-2021) to a mere 11.5% (2021-2022).
Not All FMBs are Fading Not all FMB brands are waning, however. FMB brand director for Smirnoff, Lisa Lee, points to a 17.2% growth rate for the Smirnoff ICE Portfolio over the past six months, with a 13.1% increase for Original Smirnoff ICE in the same timeframe. “We still see consistent YOY growth with our FMBs as we leverage new and different flavor offerings to satisfy consumer demands,” she explains. Twisted Tea, Boston Beer’s submission into malternatives, is another longstanding success story in the FMB space. “We see Twisted Tea’s growth as a category all of its own,” says Twisted Tea brand director Erica Taylor, explaining the brand has experienced double-digit growth for 14 years and “is now the #1 FMB and the fastest growing brand in top 25 beer,” according to IRI data. In a recently published piece for Good Beer Hunting on the brand, reporter Kate Bernot revealed that Twisted Tea “outsells Boston Beer’s flagship Samuel Adams beer family 3 to 1 in chain retail” and only Truly hard seltzer is a bigger seller in the company’s overall portfolio. In the same piece, Taylor shared panel data that shows “Twisted Tea has more than doubled its share of non-seltzer packaged FMB sales from 10% in 2017 to nearly 23% in 2021. Last year, Twisted Tea’s chain retail sales growth rate was triple that of the overall FMB category.”
says that to date in 2022, “the alternative beer category—which includes hard seltzer plus other FMB subcategories like hard iced tea, hard lemonade, etc—accounts for 3.7% share of overall sales on Drizly. This is down year over year from 4% share during the same time period in 2021.” Considering RTDs currently make up 1.8% share of sales on Drizly (up from 1.4% from 2021), brands who occupy the more traditional FMB space should consider continuing the trend of category crossover in order to remain competitive.
Future Challenges and Changes
An outlier? Maybe, but considering it leads the hard tea category with 93% share, according to Taylor, it’s one whose impact can’t be ignored.
How the Pandemic Affected Malternatives Time, especially the couple of year segment of time that has involved COVID-19, has irrevocably changed the trajectory of the segment. Piotr Jurjewicz, chief marketing officer for FIFCO USA, says that this leveling out was inevitable, as the pandemic contributed to unsustainable growth that proliferated under unpredictable circumstances. “Growth has slowed as the hard seltzer segment becomes more mature and the marketplace stabilizes cycling the impact of COVID,” he explains, saying that while hard seltzers are still growing, their rate has slowed, which may eventually affect adjacent categories such as other FMBs and RTDs. Even with decades of growth, Twisted Tea says they benefited from the consumer shift from on- to off-premise consumption during pandemic shutdowns. Smirnoff’s Lee adds that convenient formats and an increase in demand for “better-foryou” options with fewer calories, less sugar, and no gluten also spurred Smirnoff’s growth during the pandemic. The main drivers of consumer decision making changed during the pandemic, including an emphasis on variety packs and flavor innovation. As that disruption’s influence diminishes, we’re sure to see at least a decline in chaotic purchasing trends, but will there be a return to pre-pandemic normalcy? Only time will tell.
Blurring Between RTDs and FMBs Continues As alcohol segments continue to criss-cross over each other, blurry boundaries between products won’t just continue—they may increase. FIFCO’s Jurjewicz already sees it happening. “Seltzers are also expanding into more full flavor options that better compete with traditional FMBs like tea, lemonade and punch,” he says, adding that the opposite is happening as well. “There are FMBs taking on some of the characteristics of seltzers like lower calories.” He explains that FIFCO USA recently introduced Seagram’s Escapes Cocktails specifically to cater to consumers looking for a premium FMB experience with low alcohol, sugar, and carbohydrates. This new direction of product development will likely continue to influence how online alcohol platforms like Drizly showcase and categorize different brands. Paquette 62 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
As the pandemic’s influence continues to diminish its economic impact, the residual effects are still hitting everyone’s wallets. From buyers to makers, higher prices, limited availability, and supply chain disruptions have yet to settle and we’re all still feeling the pinch. “With inflation and costs increasing, shoppers will make hard choices at the store,” says Jurjewicz. This, of course, will affect well beyond the confi nes of the FMB category, but even considering these ups and downs, more brands are still entering the FMB space. In February 2022, Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo Beverages partnered together to release four flavors of Hard MTN Dew in three states with plans for 13 more by May. Despite entering what PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta calls a “relatively crowded market,” the fact a partnership of this magnitude took place signals high-level optimism that there’s still opportunity in the category. Drizly’s Paquette says in the past year, “the number of RTD products available to shop on Drizly has grown 27%, while beer alternative/FMBs’ inventory products have grown 18% year over year.” And respite new entrants into the space, top players like Twisted Tea remain confident in their position. “Despite new entrants in the space, Twisted Tea continues to grow,” says Taylor. We may see the category continue to decline (or simply grow more slowly), but if history is any indication, malternatives’ focus on the long-term may help them remain a dark horse contender in beverage alcohol. FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER
Twisted
$711,032,748
23.8%
Smirnoff
$484,028,503
4.4%
Mikes Harder
$418,331,582
1.8%
Mikes Hard
$306,655,568
-5.9%
Seagrams Escapes
$200,591,394
-1.3%
Redds
$139,190,563
-22.1%
Four Loko
$137,584,199
-2.4%
Cayman Jack
$123,818,563
43.9%
Clubtails
$115,192,586
14.1%
Bud Light Lime Rita
$97,872,192
-37.0%
Johny Bootlegger
$78,054,908
10.8%
Steel Reserve FMB
$65,900,801
-16.7%
Jack Daniels
$64,056,539
16.1%
Arnold Palmer
$46,236,361
9.1%
MXD
$23,556,732
0.8%
Corona Refresca
$21,695,589
-8.0%
Pabst FMB
$20,059,917
-25.7%
Seagrams Escapes Spiked
$16,500,668
-5.4%
Four Loko Pregame
$14,509,191
206.3%
Malibu Splash
$14,324,800
51.4%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 04/17/22
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE • 2022
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Tea, Coffee & Specialty items A. Holliday & Company Inc.
Scientific & Regulatory AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.
For over 47 years, we've traveled the world to connect people with the finest products. At A. Holliday & Company, we source, test, and ship every product we carry. We supply bulk tea varieties (extracts & leaf), coffees (extracts), antioxidants, herbal & superfruit extracts, natural caffeine, polyphenols, EGCG, Rooibos, coconut water powder, and our newest product, oil soluble tea polyphenols.
AIBMR is an industry-leading scientific and regulatory consulting firm, founded in 1978. AIBMR offers key services specifically tailored to the natural products marketplace, including GRAS Independent Conclusions, FDA GRAS & NDI Notifications, toxicology studies, label reviews, claims substantiation, FDA & FTC compliance, and manuscript preparation & publication.
Flavor Manufacturer Abelei Flavors
Proven Ingredients for Health AIDP, Inc.
Super concentrated natural infusions. Amoretti
Amoretti, a California based company, specializes in super concentrated natural infusions for artisan craft beverages. Brewers, distillers and cider makers find the consistency of our product makes bringing creativity to life, easier than ever. Sourcing the freshest fruits, herbs, spices, chocolates from around the world, paying meticulous attention to quality & consistency to create over 2000 of the finest ingredients all made from scratch.
As a flavor manufacturer abelei creates delicious, application-specific flavors assisting our clients in getting to market faster with flavorings that fit their product requirements. abelei specializes in creating great-tasting sweet brown, citrus fruit, soft fruit and other top-note flavors perfect for the beverage, food, dairy, confectionery, health & performance nutrition, and pet industries.
AIDP, Inc. is an industry leader in developing and sourcing innovative ingredients for the health, functional food and beverage industries. We specialize in clinically researched products providing benefits for immune health, cognitive wellness, digestive health, and more. We source clean label ingredients, products solving formulation challenges, and provide a wide variety of plant proteins.
Probiotic Ingredients ADM/Deerland
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Amoretti has mastered the minimalistic approach in creating ingredients that contribute delicate aromas, and sophisticated flavors to Artisanal craft beverages.
Organic Functional Ingredients Applied Food Sciences (AFS)
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE The POS That Powers Places with Personality Arryved Point of Sale
Dairy Alts + Neutral Pea, Rice, Pumpkin, Hemp, Sacha Inchi Proteins Axiom Foods
polyclar™ beer stabilizers Ashland
Contract Manufacturer Azpack
Connecting Nutrition & Health BENEO Inc.
Fully automated canning for high-acid beverages with variety pack capabilities, state-of-the-art 350,000 sf facility, 2 million can daily capacity, tunnel pasteurized or cold fill preserved carbonated, still or alcoholic beverages, organic, kosher, halal and sqf level 3 certified. *AZPACK is a refresco beverage company.
From energy drinks to protein and meal replacement beverages, low glycemic Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) opens the door to nutritionally optimised beverages. Its slow release of glucose, the main fuel for body and brain, supports blood sugar management while keeping you supplied with sustained energy, whether for exercising, training/competitions, or simply for those long, demanding days.
Away From Home Redistributor B.K. Miller Company
Beverage Canning Copacker Bev-Hub
BK Miller is a redistributor for away from home distributors in the Mid-Atlantic region. We sell national and regional brands to national, regional and local distributors. Our network facilitate refrigerated distribution all the way to the operator and consumer. We report sales back to the manufacturer and have a sales force to manage distributors and develop brands.
Quality focused Beverage Co-Manufacturing company specializing in aluminum cans and thermal processing capabilities. Leading the way for startups and large production, while maintaining SQF quality and food safe manufacturing practices.
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Take Your Packaging to New Heights Berlin Packaging
Re-imagining Ingredients for Healthier Living Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)
BLS is your Total Solution Provider. We thrive on innovation! Our science based, all-natural ingredients help us re-imagine the possibilities for dietary supplements, functional foods, beverages, cosmetics and personal care products. Our patented, extensively researched ingredients will propel your products ahead: Bioenergy Ribose, our healthy, functional sugar that increases cellular energy by enhancing the body’s ability to make ATP; RiaGev, uniquely increases NAD, ATP and glutathione production simultaneously; gender-specific RiaGev-FEM (addresses symptoms across menopausal spectrum) and RiaGev-M are clinically proven to lower cortisol levels naturally in shorter amounts of time than other ingredients. New: Our new low-dose Ribose, RiboActiv, is the AMPK activator. AMPK is the enzyme that regulates energy metabolism, with and without exercise. Customers feel the difference with our ingredients. Let’s partner to develop or refine your formulations and line extensions with our game-changing, branded ingredients. We also have the skills to support your marketing and promotions. Contact us today to advance your business to the next level.
Co-packer in Mexico City BevLab
Quality Cold Coffee Extracts BKON
Co-packer of beverages located in Mexico. No waiting on overseas deliveries. Complete services under one roof. Small & large batches, in-house research lab, quality control, cold pressed and HPP bottling. Additional services include R&D, labeling and encoding, sourcing and procurement, logistics management and personalized services.
We create the most flavorful beverage extractions for quality-conscious brands and help you design, commercialize, and grow a scalable cold coffee program. BKON’s proprietary brewing technology offers unmatched flavor, yield advantages and concentrates that dilute to optimal RTD flavor. We're SQF, Kosher & Organic Certified.
Beverage Industry Navigators BevSource
Canning Line Time Available Blue Marble Productions, Inc.
Since 2002, BevSource has partnered with new and established beverage visionaries to take their products to market efficiently and profitably. We offer solutions tailored to your needs at every stage, from pilot concept to startup and beyond. With expertise in 20+ categories, we give you the confidence to focus on revenue-generating activities while we manage your supply chain and manufacturing.
Blue Marble Productions, Inc. specializes in private labeling and co-packing beverages in slim, sleek and standard cans. One of North America's largest manufacturer, 425,000 sqft. facility is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. We're happy to help scale and maintain your readyto-drink alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, including award-winning cocktails for those interested in private labeling.
Organic & Natural Flavors | Fast-Track Beverage Development Blue Pacific Flavors
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Water Soluble Cannabinoids Caliper Foods
Can Supply Nationwide CanSource LLC
Caliper ingredients are fast-acting, water-soluble cannabinoids that are easily introduced into any application using standard production equipment and with no noticeable impact to flavor, consistency, texture, or appearance. Designed for rapid go-to-market and scalable manufacturing across food, beverage, supplements, and topical care applications, and come with FDA-ready documentation.
With a decade of experience, CanSource is your one-stop-shop for cans. Sleeved, brite and printed cans - we have them all plus a team dedicated to customer service! We leverage 6 locations (CA, OR, CO, IN, PA, NC) to dependably provide short lead times and high on-time delivery. Call us today to ensure your cans look as great as your beverage tastes and ask about our low MOQs.
Real People. True Flavor. Callisons
Strategic Branding for Success Christie & Co.
Since 1903, Callisons has created authentic flavors using the highest quality, natural extracts directly from nature. Known as the leader in mint, Callisons develops a diverse portfolio of true flavors with a passion for the Beverage, Confection & Oral Care industries. As tastes change and the market expands, we evolve and innovate to always remain on the forefront of the next flavor revolution.
Our clients say it best: "We are grateful to have Christie & Co as our communications, social media and influencer partners. From helping us craft our brand journey and strategy to building our thought leadership, they have been by our side every step of the way. Their deep intrinsic understanding of our purpose and core values has helped at all touchpoints. We highly recommend them." CEO, REBBL
Process Authority for Beverages Caporale Consulting
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Functional Ingredient Chemi Nutra
CLEAR Beverage Cans ClearCan Company
Speciality Hydrocolloids CP Kelco
Having trouble getting beverage cans? Now available, "Clear" Cans perfect for getting noticed on a crowed shelf and for new product launch & sampli. Let consumers 'see' your beverage. Pressure Sensitive Labels applied. Perfect for carbonated and non-carbonated cold-fill beverages. Made in the USA from 100% recyclable materials. Drop-in to standard can filling lines. Over 100 million cans in market
CP Kelco is a nature-based ingredient solutions company with 90 years’ experience working with food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. We apply ingredient innovation and problem-solving to help you meet your clean label goals. Key product lines include citrus fiber, gellan gum, pectin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, refined locust bean gum and microparticulated whey protein concentrate.
We Make Your Packaging Work Closure Systems International
Sustainable by Nature Doehler North America
Closure Systems International Inc (CSI) is a global leader in designing and manufacturing innovative closures for a wide range of applications in consumer and industrial markets. In addition to high quality closures and capping equipment, CSI provides unparalleled customer and technical services for high-speed application systems.
Doehler is a global producer, marketer and provider of technology driven natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions for the global food, beverage and nutrition industry. Our ingredients are derived from natural raw materials. Being sustainable by nature, we help to nourish the world better – good for people, good for planet. WE BRING IDEAS TO LIFE.
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Add a New Flavor to the Mix with El Dorado® Hops CLS Farms, LLC
Logistics Superpower for Beverage Retailers Deliverr
Stand out by flavoring with El Dorado® hops. Bright pineapple and lemon, juicy peach, and hard candy come together for a tropical juice bomb. Highly concentrated total oils make El Dorado® the ultimate flavoring hop, creating a unique experience for every drinker. Learn more at www. eldoradohops.com. Cream Liqueurs & Emulsified Beverages Creamy Creation
At Creamy Creation we develop and produce a wide range of cream-based beverages for customers around the world; from traditional cream liqueurs, vegan, oats, and egg nog options to mixable creams, as well as no and low alcohol drinks. We are the global leader in the B2B cream liqueur segment, while also specializing in nutritional and other non-alcoholic emulsified beverages. From ingredient solutions to tailor-made formulations, concept development & product launch support, we work with our customers to bring their ideas to life. To ensure a smooth launch, we offer support every step of the way by providing market and regulatory knowledge, quality assurance and technical sales support. Our story started in 1979, in the heart of dairy country in the Netherlands and expanded from there. Flash forward to today, we have production facilities in both Rijkevoort, the Netherlands and Batavia, New York and a sales team that covers every corner of the globe.
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Replace Refined Sugar Today! Desert Valley Date
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Secondary Packaging Equipment Douglas Machine Inc
Labels, Sleeves & Sleeved Cans DWS Printing & Packaging
For 55+ years, Douglas has provided customers with high quality automated packaging solutions for paperboard, corrugated and shrink film. We specialize in the design and manufacture of case and tray packers, shrink wrap systems, cartoners, sleevers and variety pack systems. Based in Alexandria, Minnesota, USA, Douglas is a 100% employee-owned company. Employee Owned, Customer Driven.
Established in 1865, DWS is a 5th-generation family-owned label printing and can-sleeving operation. Capabilities include Shrink Sleeves, PSL, Cut-&-Stack and Roll-Fed labels, and in-house Can-Sleeving. Manufacturing facilities in Austin, TX and Deer Park, NY. Let us help tell your story!
Clean Label Formulations Drink Me Taste Solutions
The Super Hero of Hang Tags ElastiTag® - Bedford Ind.
Drink Me Taste Solutions is founded on 2 basic principles: First, by educating the consumer on what a true natural, functional, clean label beverage is. Second, providing the beverage industry with natural, clean label, functional product development solutions. The owner is a proven expert in delivering high quality nonalcoholic solutions and will work with you every step of the way.
Grab attention and engage shoppers with the ElastiTag®. This custom-designed hang tag can kick off a promotion, offer a coupon, or provide valuable information in a look unique to your brand. The colorful elastomer loop grips bottles and cans and stays put. Even in refrigeration this durable tag keeps its cool. Versatile and easy to apply, this over-achiever is the Super Hero of Hang Tags.
Mix Today. Profit Tomorrow! Drink Labs
Durable, Vacuum Insulated Growlers + Cups DrinkTanks
Certify Sustainable Sourcing - Fair Trade USA™ Fair Trade USA
Did you know? • 83% - Millennials indicated increased trustworthiness of our Fair Trade Certified™ label and the impact it has on decision making • 76% - Millennials recognize our Fair Trade Certified label • 50% - Gen Zs will pay a premium for our Fair Trade Certified products By incorporating sustainability into your business, consumers will trust that your brand has ethical practices. Brands, retailers, and distributors who get Fair Trade Certified benefit from supply chain resiliency, accelerated ESG goals, strengthened reputation, and customer loyalty. JOIN US! 1,400 companies have chosen Fair Trade Certified to meet their sustainability goals, increase brand trust, and reach more shoppers. To learn about the benefits of a Fair Trade USA partnership, and to access the 2021 Consumer Insight Report: Taking Action: Now is the Time For Conscious Consumerism and Fair Trade, visit our website, fairtradecertified.com. 74 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Clean Label Ingredients Farbest Brands
Beverage Development Services Flavorman
Our Ingredients. Your Sourcing Simplified. We can help you meet the demand for clean-label ingredients with a full range of high-quality dairy and plant proteins, gum acacia, vitamins, sweeteners, natural colors, as well as USDAcertified organic, and NON-GMO Project Verified ingredients No matter your budget, application, or label claim we can guide you to the ingredients that are right for you.
Creating beverages in every drink category is what we do—but it’s not all we do. With nearly 30 years in the business, Flavorman offers a wide range of professional services—from R&D, product re-formulation, and value-engineering, to shelf life testing, regulatory assistance, production support and planning, consulting, and much more. Partner with Flavorman and change what the world is drinking.
Custom Flavor Development Flavor Dynamics, Inc.
FONA Flavor & Taste Solutions FONA
Custom Flavor Solutions Foodarom
We personalize flavor solutions to meet your needs and create flavor profiles that help your products to stand out above the rest. Our experienced team knows the functional beverage market and understands the impact your active ingredients have on taste. Our flavor development capabilities will help you stay ahead of the competition.
We are the perfect choice for your beverage flavors. Our experienced team is guided by a commitment to creating innovative, superior quality products. Our "AA" BRC audit grade represents our commitment to food safety and quality assurance. Ask us for your clean label requirements, including Organic, Non GMO, Natural, Gluten free and Vegan. Our team is up to the challenge. Call us today. Bottle Filling Lines Fogg Filler
Consumers today want it all. You’re balancing the demands of great taste, regulatory hurdles and consumer acceptance. The experts at FONA can help. From ideation to launch, we can create a seamless, winning path for you. Design, develop and scale up using our Beverage Innovation Studios in Geneva, IL and Irvine, CA. We are FONA. Let us bring the best taste solutions to the table for you.
We understand the complex issues manufacturers are facing and we offer support and coaching in formulation development. OUR JOB IS TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT TASTE LIKE HEAVEN!
Coffeeberry® Energy FutureCeuticals
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Coconut Beverage Ingredients Franklin Baker, Inc.
Nut Butter-Seasoned Roast Nuts Grower Direct Nut Ingr. Supply
Franklin Baker, Inc. is the largest processor of coconut ingredients in the Philippines and the premier supplier to the global beverage & food market. Franklin Baker offers an extensive portfolio of coconut products including Coconut Water, Coconut Milk/Cream, Coconut Concentrate, Creamed Coconut. Our extensive third-party certifications are unrivaled to the highest product standards.
Grower Direct Nut Ingredient Supply is part of Grower Direct Nut, a California grower, processor, packer of walnuts and value-added walnut, almond, pecan, pistachio (and more) ingredients including beverage-grade Nut Butter for plant based milks. Roasted and Seasoned walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and more. State of the art BRC Certified facility. Organic Certified. OU Kosher Nutty Gourmet brand.
Prickly Pear Cactus Ingredient GAIA fruits
Gusmer Brewing Solutions Gusmer Enterprises
Prickly Pear strengthens the Immune System. It is been attributed with healing properties since it is rich in Bioflavonoids that have strong antioxidant properties and give this fruit its distinctive bright red-violet color, and help the body detoxify and reduce inflammation. GAIA fruits is your trusted supplier of prickly pear puree and concentrate as a functional ingredient with an exotic flavor
For over 95 years, Gusmer has taken a revolutionary approach to serving the brewer’s vision. It’s why Gusmer offers a full line of solutions for the brewing industry including fermentation and processing aids, filtration media and equipment, analytical products and instrumentation, processing equipment, and analytical laboratory services.
Going beyond great taste Givaudan
As the global leader in taste and wellbeing, Givaudan recognizes that the beverage market is now more fluid than ever. The pace of beverage innovation is speeding up at an unprecedented pace. This can be attributed to the fact that people are very open to trying new drinks. It’s an inexpensive way to discover an enjoyable food experience and has led to a lot of creativity in the beverage space. For Givaudan, this means that customers constantly rely on our pipeline of innovation to create and respond to trends. Whether it’s a relaxing cup of tea, an invigorating wake-me-up coffee, a refreshing citrus drink or a botanically balanced beverage, we have you covered. Afterall, beverage is our largest segment for a reason. Our expertise and portfolio span across the entire spectrum of beverage possibilities. By partnering with us to co-create your next beverage innovation, you have access to our vast array of research and product expertise to help meet your consumer’s needs - including taste, natural colors, botanical ingredients for wellness, maskers, mouthfeel, delivery, shelf life enhancements, clean and clear label solutions, sugar reduction and much more. Visit https://www.givaudan.com/taste-wellbeing/solutions-segment/beverages to learn more about our expertise in beverages. Together, let’s shape the future of food. 76 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
Next-Gen Formulation and Product Development Experts Glasgow Consulting Group
Aseptic Packaging GoodWest Industries
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE National Sales and Merchandising Gotham Brand Managers
Beverage Logistics, Keg Management, and Beverage Disposal Solutions Hillebrand Gori
Advanced Beverage Formulas Hidell International
Ingredient Supplier International Food Products Co
The company creates innovative nutritional formulations for the bottled water industry. These formulations are water neutral in that they have no color, taste or odor. They are pleasing to the palette and yet offer highly efficacious micronutrients for human consumption. The effort is to provide healthy hydration to bottled water consumers. The company has six international patents on file.
Over the last two generations, our family-owned company has grown from a sugar supplier to a one-stop ingredient shop. We have 14 distribution centers across the country and manufacture custom ingredient systems at our SQF-certified facility, Aviator. From functional ingredients to custom sweetener systems, we have what you need to create a successful beverage.
Natural Clean Label Sweeteners Icon Foods
Mobile Canning Solutions Iron Heart Canning Co
Established in 1999, Icon Foods is a global ingredient supplier with a focus on all-natural, high-intensity sweetening blends and fibers for manufacturers. Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit, stevia and more are available in conventional and organic, in bulk or pre-blended for added cost savings. Icon Foods is your Clean Label Sugar Reduction partner, offering reformulation and R&D assistance.
IHC is your solution to guide you through the canning process! With over 250 MILLION cans filled to date, IHC offers unmatched Experience and Expertise. We service the Eastern US and deliver Quality you can count on – Guaranteed seams, All beverage types, All can sizes, Materials sourcing, & Co-Packaging Partners – whatever your situation we can get your product canned. IHC is your one stop shop!
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Taste the Innovation: Novel F&B for Next-Gen Wellness Products IFF
Ready to formulate exciting snacks and sips with demonstrated health benefits? Today’s consumers would much prefer to reach for a nutritious, tasty treat or beverage over a traditional tablet or capsule. Let us help you keep pace in this rapidly evolving market. From product ideation to formulation, we’re your full-service partner in crafting nutrient-rich solutions in innovative formats. Our premium probiotic strains, functional ingredients and top-to-bottom expertise allow us to develop products that target specific health concerns while delighting consumers with eye-popping colors, enticing aromas, unforgettable tastes and desirable textures. Whether you’re looking to create a ready-to-drink beverage, real fruit gummy with Vitamin C, probiotic chocolate, or a “brain-health bar”, we’ll help turn your idea into a reality. For your next one-of-kind F&B product, tap into our broad portfolio of holistic, functional ingredients. Leverage our Health Concepts Lab for unmatched application expertise. And explore our expanded capabilities, ranging from advanced taste modulation tools and in-depth scent capabilities to naturally sourced flavors for clean-label products. Your customers’ needs are evolving. We’ll help you evolve alongside them.
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Clean Label Extracts Javo Beverage Company
Beverage Industry Recruiters Kinsa Group
Founded in 2001, Javo is an extraction company that uses a proprietary process to produce fresh, clean-labeled coffee, tea and botanical extracts for the food and beverage industry. We use clean ingredients to craft products for global and emerging brands. Our production facilities located in Vista, Calif. and Indianapolis, Ind. are Safe Quality Foods (SQF), QAI organic and kosher certified.
For more than 35 years, Kinsa Group has matched top food and beverage professionals, managers, and executives with leading employers, nationwide. Our recruiters are discerning industry experts in all disciplines. Connect with us. No matter what corner of the food and beverage world you reside in, we’ll help you thrive—in your business or in your career.
HPP for Beverages JBT Avure Technologies
Bulk Matcha - MATCHA.COM MATCHA.COM
JBT Avure’s HPP systems inactivate foodborne pathogens, like salmonella at 87,000-psi. Unlike thermal processes, HPP retains taste, texture and nutrition. Flavor isn’t the only reason manufacturers choose JBT Avure. HPP beverages last longer – up to 120 days in their final consumer packaging. We also revolutionized the HPP industry with the most efficient HPP bulk solution for liquids - FlexiBulk
Choose the best quality, lowest price source of bulk matcha on the market! We have an independent network of matcha producers and farms in Japan and have been able to consistently save companies 5%-20% over their previous bulk matcha source, including vs. the incumbent bulk suppliers. We can service POs of all sizes and many of our customers place orders 1,000KG-10,000KG range. Get samples today!
Beverage Repack Specialists Keller Whse & Co-Packing
From Concept to Commercialization Kerry
Clean & Natural Protection Lanxess Corporation
Looking to safeguard the quality and shelf-life of your beverage? LANXESS Corporation offers two unique and innovative technologies, Velcorin® and Nagardo®, that provide microbiological protection in a wide variety of beverages. Velcorin® (Dimethyl Dicarbonate) is a cold sterilization agent that kills microorganisms during production, resulting in cleaner and more stable beverages. Benefits of Velcorin® include: • No impact on sensory profile • Clean label solution • Compatibility with all types of common packaging • Cost-effective • Application-specific advice and services from Velcorin® team Nagardo® (Dacryopinax Spathularia) is a natural guardian that protects against beverage spoilage to secure and prolong shelf life. Benefits of Nagardo® include: • Achieve natural & consumer friendly claims • Efficient control of a broad range of spoilage organisms • No impact on sensory profile • Broad application in a variety of beverages • Easy integration into production process • Application-specific advice and services from Nagardo® team LANXESS Corporation hopes to conveniently meet all of your microbiological protection needs with our widely applicable technologies and services. For more information on Velcorin®, please visit https://velcorin.com/. For more information on Nagardo®, please visit https://www.nagardo.com/. 79
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Full Service Contract Manufacturing and Packaging Lion Beverage
Trust the monk.™ Monk Fruit Corp.
Premium Natural Actives Mibelle AG Biochemistry
Enhance and Fortify. Morre-Tec Industries
MORRE-TEC Industries is a multifaceted manufacturer and supplier of ingredients to the pharma and cosmetic industries since 1987. Vitacyclix, a division of MORRE-TEC Industries, formulates and manufactures a variety of unique water-soluble dry powders and liquid emulsions for the fortification of all types of beverages. Our products include water soluble vitamins A, D and E, in both powder and liquid forms. We also have a full selection of vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and protein, as well as vegan and kosher options, that can be customized to your specific needs.
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Flavor Manufacturer Mother Murphy's Flavors
Clean third-party labeling Non-GMO Project
Mother Murphy's is a full service flavor manufacturer dedicated to supporting customer needs through quality and flavor innovation. At Mother Murphy's we specialize in flavor and prototype development for the beverage industry and have over 60,000 flavors in our portfolio. We have made the world taste better for 76 years!
At the Non-GMO Project, we are growing a movement. We are on a mission to create a more transparent food system that is better for people, the planet, and future generations. The Butterfly is the leading third-party certification for GMO avoidance. Brands know customers are more likely to buy Non-GMO Project Verified products, which is why they trust us and proudly carry our Butterfly logo.
Organic & Natural Ingredients Nexira
Contract Manufacturer NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO
Nutraceutical Ingredients for Successful, Nutritious Products Nature’s Power Nutraceuticals
For over twenty years NP Nutra® has supplied the finest quality plant-based nutraceutical ingredients at competitive prices. Our diverse catalog features more than 130 ingredients, and in addition to a unique Signature Ingredient line and an extensive certified Organic product line (Nutra Organics), our portfolio includes popular categories such as Nutra Protein, Nutra Flow, Nutra Pura, Nutra Ayurveda, SuperFruits, SuperGreens and Nutra Pet. Prioritizing quality, NP Nutra’s Triple-T Verification® program follows industry best practices and ensures supply chain transparency, and ingredient quality, safety and traceability. As part of this program our carefully selected manufacturing partners comply with GFSI regulations and have passed a rigorous validation process. Agreements established with these worldwide manufacturing partners ensure uninterrupted supply year-round, enabling us to offer customers the reliability that large projects require.
Inspired by Nature since 1895, Nexira has developed a wide range of natural & plant-based powders for beverages. From superfoods, botanical extracts and acacia fiber for nutritional fortification, to branded ingredients with targeted health benefits such as digestive comfort or cognitive performance, Nexira’s solutions meet consumer’s increasing demand for functional & clean label drinks.
Nor-Cal Beverage Company, Inc. is a full-service Contract Manufacturer with two production facilities in Northern and Southern California. Both locations offer a range of production capabilities and certifications. We also offer finished goods and distribution service centers positioned to supply West Coast fulfillment needs. Family owned and operated since 1937 also Women's Owned Business.
All-In-One Point of Sale (POS) System Bundle National Retail Solutions
National Retail Solutions operates a point-of-sale (POS) terminal-based platform and digital payment processing service for independent retailers and bodega owners nationwide. Retailers utilize NRS offerings to process transactions and manage operations more effectively. Advertisers access the terminal’s digital display network to reach these retailers’ massive, predominantly urban customer bases. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) suppliers leverage the NRS platform to provision promotions, coupons and special offers to independent retailers. NRS is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT).
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NP Nutra’s ongoing commitment to purity, quality and reliability has earned the trust of the world’s leading functional food and beverage, dietary supplement, cosmetic and pet food manufacturers, who have become loyal customers. Our experienced, friendly team is committed to helping satisfy your ingredient needs and developing a long-term partnership. Visit npnutra.net to request Free Samples!
De-Sugared™ Fruit Juice: Nature + Science Working Together NewTree Fruit Company
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Custom Branded Marketing Nugogo Branding Solutions
Petainer one-way keg Petainer Manufacturing USA
Call Nugogo for custom branded trade marketing, field marketing, sales and promotional merchandise and supplies. We provide the tools you need to elevate brand awareness, engage with customers, and increase case sales. Printed POS, Custom Product Displays, Dealer Loaders, Tents & Table Covers, Cooler Barrels, Shelf Management, Sampling/Demo Supplies, Sales Kits, Apparel, SWAG and so much more!
Petainer offers lightweight, recyclable PET kegs designed for one-way use and universal compatibility with a wide range of beverages. Our kegs are lighter and easier to handle than stainless steel, yet function and protect the same. Our kegs are fully functional with High Pressure Processing (HPP) of juice, which is an innovative non-thermal approach to pasteurization that extends shelf-life.
Natural, Clean Label Flavors Omega Ingredients Ltd
Retail Strategy & Design PINE Strategy & Design
We are Omega Ingredients, Award Winning Creators of Natural Flavors & Clean Label Ingredients for Manufacturers of Beverage, Food, & Flavor Products Worldwide. Our focus is on 100% Pure & Natural ingredients, helping to create your next beverage from ‘Source to Sip.’ We specialize in the innovative fusion of biochemistry & natural materials to provide the finest extracts & natural flavors.
PINE helps leading consumer goods food and beverage companies navigate the now, next and future of retail. Whether it is gaining insight into consumer trends, shopper behaviors, or creating innovative aisle and category solutions, or delivering an effective omni-channel strategy, we have proven success. Visit our website for detailed case studies.
Instant Delivery for Beverages Ohi
100% Recycled Packaging Handles PakTech
WE BUY BEV Pioneer Marketing, Inc
Cutting Edge Formulation PTM Food
Excess, Short dates, Package Changes, Etc Cash Paid * Freight Paid WE BUY ALL! Food & Bev
PTM Food is your premier food & beverage product development and manufacturing team. Our wide range of formulation expertise and trend-setting creativity achieves an exciting point of difference between your product and others in the market. We uncover key industry insights and innovative ingredients to create products that give brand owners a competitive edge.
Ideal Flax for Beverages Pizzey Ingredients
We package customers dreams Saxco International
Pizzey Ingredients’ BevPur™ Flax enhances beverages with the nutritional benefits of flaxseed (ALA Omega 3, protein, fiber and lignans) while providing a smooth and rich texture. BevPur™ has a guaranteed shelf life of two years and is non-GMO and pesticide-free. BevPur™ is ideal for a variety of ready to mix and ready to drink beverages.
One supplier, limitless solutions. Saxco makes it easy for food and beverage companies to package products and focus on what really matters, realizing their dreams. With an 80-year legacy of packaging expertise we know what it takes to help differentiate your brand. OneStop-Shop- Glass, Aluminum, Plastic containers, closures, corrugated containers. You name it, we can get it.
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Creative Strategies, Branding and Advertising with Impact Pixelslave
DSD and Route Accounting Delivery Software Prism Visual Software
A Century of Canning Expertise Scaled For Craft Beverage Pneumatic Scale Angelus
Extracting the Essentials Prova
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Pyure Sweetness Ingredients Pyure Brands, LLC
Pyure Brands sells clean label high & low intensity sweeteners, no-sugar-added chocolate chips & coatings and sugar-free baking mixes, syrups & spreads for ingredient, foodservice and turnkey retail channels. Pyure is distinguished for pioneering the first-to-market third party certified Stevia, Erythritol, Allulose & No-Sugar-Added Chocolate to consumers & manufacturers worldwide. Our team of customer driven sourcing, regulatory, logistics & innovation experts have over 80 years of experience creating & supporting our business partners. Got a cobranding idea ? Pyure is trusted for taste & quality by millions of brand producers, retailers & families who insist on reducing sugar consumption without sacrificing taste. Visit www.pyureingredients.com or email ingredients@pyurebrands.com directly now.
Hard Seltzer Production Scott Laboratories
Natural & Sustainable Flavors Sensegen
Specialty Beverage Insurance Specialty Food & Bev Ins-PCI
Sensegen™ - The Science of Good Sense. We're the Taste, Smell, & Beauty division of Blue California. Our flavor and fragrance hub creates plant-based, natural, and sustainable solutions. Our flavor creation experts, co-create with advanced bio-techniques, to support our customers with quality, custom solutions for food and beverage applications. Ask about our capabilities and strategic partners.*
Personal Coverage, Inc.-Specialty Food & Beverage Insurance works with new and existing brands purchasing insurance. Manufacturers and importers looking for liability coverage for all types of beverages. General Liability, Product Liability and Excess limits of insurance. Need inventory coverage? We can help with that as well along with Workers Compensation, Product Recall and Transit.
Mastering the Art of Flavoring Sovereign Flavors, Inc.
Blending and Process Experts Statco-DSI Process Systems
At Sovereign Flavors, it is our mission to craft the best tasting beverages and highest quality flavors in the industry. From sourcing commercially viable ingredients, to flavor matching and custom blends, our highly skilled team of experts offers full service, turnkey solutions - all while offering low minimum orders, quick lead times, and extraordinary value to our customers.
Statco-DSI is a full-service equipment and integration service provider to the food and beverage industry, with specialties in dry powder mixing, continuous inline blending, as well as de-aeration and carbonation. Operating from 11 offices coast-to-coast, we are able to assist with all of your beverage processing requirements.
Partnership Makes all the Difference Sensient Flavors & Extracts
Sensient Flavors and Extracts offers value-added flavors, systems and extracts that bring life to products. We inspire our customers to deliver products that offer multi-sensory experiences that are “just picked from nature.” Thanks to our wide-ranging product library, development teams and cutting-edge facilities, we’re able to implement thoughtful solutions for complex challenges. With industry-leading expertise in the savory, beverage and sweet markets, we provide comprehensive solutions that meet our customers’ flavor, color, and functionality requirements. At Sensient Flavors & Extracts, we use our advanced proprietary development technologies to create fresh, unique flavor systems. Additionally, we have a complete line of masking & flavor enhancing technologies. Particularly in beverage, we have a TrueBoost portfolio that enhances mouthfeel & creaminess, and a natural extract portfolio from named sources. We are experts in the science, art and innovation of taste. We are market-savvy influencers, grounded in facts and driven by the needs & occasion of our consumers. We are problem solvers,and you are what makes us a collaborator, and a true partner. Together, we can solve the most challenging product puzzles and together, we can make products that are delicious, craveable and truly inspired. 85
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Packaging Line Automation Ska Fabricating
Ingredients for Innovation Stauber
Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Stiebs
Leading Sucralose manufacturer Techno Food Ingredients USA
Stiebs, since 2005, has been devoted to sourcing, processing & delivering the world's finest plant-based products. We offer a full line of fruit & vegetable based ingredients as Single Strength Juice, Juice Concentrates, Purees and IQF Cubes. From the beginning stages of product development to delivering an on-going supply of premium natural products, our team is here to help you succeed.
Techno Food is one of the leading Sucralose manufacturers in China. Our unique and self-developed production process enables us to produce the highest quality Sucralose which has been approved and chosen by Top food&beverage, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical companies globally. Nutraceutical line we carry: Fermented L- Tyrosine, Vegan GABA; R-alpha lipoic acid, Melatonin, NMN. Email/ask us today!
We Design to Taste Takasago International Corp
Upcycled, Tasty, Nutritious The Coffee Cherry Co.
Built on technology, Takasago has an extensive innovation platform including true to nature VIVID® Natural Flavors, taste modulating INTENSATES® Flavors, Consumer Insights and Market Research, etc. Vertically integrated in citrus, coffee, tea, mint, and vanilla to drive quality and sustainable raw materials for flavor creations, we promise to deliver impactful flavors for your product development.
Coffee Cherry is ideal for functional beverages, loaded with antioxidants, multiple beneficial nutrients, protein, fiber and a hint of caffeine. Upcycled ingredients are hot with consumers, and deliver flavor, nutrition and sustainable benefits. Let Coffee Cherry be a key part of driving your consumers purchase decision. Contact us now to learn how Coffee Cherry can help your brand!
Beverage Processing & Packaging Solutions TechniBlend
At TechniBlend, we supply beverage companies with the highest-quality turnkey, technologically advanced liquid processing systems & equipment. Our success comes from providing innovative technology & solutions, and industry-recognized service and support, to companies ranging from craft beverage producers to Fortune 500 customers like Boston Beer and Pepsi. TechniBlend designs, engineers, and manufactures batching and blending systems with patented LoDO (Low Dissolved Oxygen) technology, Membrane and Spray Deaeration technology, HTST Flash Pasteurization solutions, ProCarb Inline Carbonation & Nitrogenation technology, Ethanol Cut Skids, ProFill Can mechanical and volumetric can fillers, and more. With over 150+ years combined engineering and manufacturing experience, TechniBlend, now a part of the ProMach family of industry-leading experts, focuses on supporting our customers through advancements in liquid processing that generate higher yields, superior products, and a greater return on investment. Visit www.techniblend.com for more information. TechniBlend is now a brand extension of ProMach. Performance, Packaged.
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Beverage Premix Solutions The Wright Group
Win at the shelf with Trax Dynamic Merchandising Trax
The Wright Group delivers custom nutritional blends, vitamin & mineral premixes and microemulsion-value added ingredients for the beverage and nutritional supplement markets. Beverages create ideal systems for functional ingredients since flavoring /sweetening systems can often mask unfamiliar tastes from functional ingredients. Microemulsion value-added ingredients often perform better in beverage delivery systems since they may not be subject to the same cooking or mechanical stresses as in food production. Value-added premix solutions deliver performance and stability to your products...often at a cost savings! The Wright Group’s SuperBlend© custom nutrient premixes are engineered to increase homogeneity of your final product and prevent the de-mixing of ingredients. We deliver economy of scale by simplifying ingredient procurement from a single source. Our 100+ years of innovative expertise, accomplished technical team, and comprehensive production capabilities allow us to provide shorter lead times enabling you to successfully bring your products to market. Connect with the team of experts at The Wright Group, today! Call us at 800-201-3096 or visit www.thewrightgroup.net.
Functional Plant-Based Ingredient Solutions for Beverages! Top Health Ingredients, Inc.
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Shrink Sleeve Solutions Tripack
SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Beer & Wine Centrifuges Trucent
Brewery Software System Vicinity Software
Efficient operation and consistent, high-quality production is more critical than ever. If you're experiencing drags in production, a centrifuge could significantly enhance your process. Trucent sells, rents, and services centrifuges designed for beverages. With ten different sizes and multiple automation options, Trucent accommodates all beverage styles and facility sizes. Contact us today.
VicinityBrew is flexible brewing software. Vicinity eliminates time-consuming recipe conversions, provides quick batch processing to ease your reporting requirements, gives you enhanced visibility to eliminate inventory blind spots & much more. With our brewing software, you can integrate all aspects of your business, improve operations, produce better products and drive smart growth.
Branding & Package Design Watermark Design
Quality Used Equipment for Food and Beverage Plants United Food and Beverage, LLC
Your Partner in Fermentation White Labs Inc.
United Food and Beverage specializes in buying and selling used processing, packaging, bottling and canning equipment for the Food and Beverage Industry. Our 23 years experience propels United to be a worldwide leader in used equipment. Our 80,000 square foot warehouse is based in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Services include plant liquidations, rigging, certified appraisals and auctions. Industries that we serve include bottled water, soft drink, dairy, copackers, tea, breweries and food production plants. Quality Late Model assets are our specialty.
Turnkey Beverage Services US Beverage Manufacturing
Domestic Cans & Ends Available West Coast Container, Inc.
We can turnkey develop and copack/manufacture all types of beverages, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, liquid and powder, in aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, and flexible packaging. If you are looking for a one stop shop that can develop, formulate, and manufacture your new beverage concept, then look no further! We can help supply all ingredients, materials, and manufacturing services.
We deliver competitively priced packaging solutions to customers of all sizes. Our customer service is second to none. We sell BPANI Printed and Brite cans, along with glass, plastic and closure solutions to meet your everyday packaging requirements. Delivery options include direct full truckloads or purchasing pallet quantities from our convenient warehouse network. Call us for a quote, today.
White Labs Inc. provides liquid yeast, fermentation products, services, analysis and education to brewers, winemakers, distillers, kombucha and other fermentation professionals. We are committed to giving you the highest quality liquid yeast cultures and being your partner in creating the best products possible. White Labs has production facilities in premier beer regions in the U.S. and Europe and is dedicated to making yeast cultures accessible to all in the fermentation industry. White Labs offers instant ordering through the White Labs app, online at yeastman.com or through our Customer Service Representatives. Visit whitelabs.com for more information.
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SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE Premier Packaging and Printing Zion Pack
Packaging: Bottles & Cans Zuckerman Honickman
Zuckerman Honickman is a full service packaging company specializing in supplying glass and plastic bottles and aluminum beverage cans. With more than 100 years of experience our fourth generation family owned company prides itself in being experts in the supply side of the beverage industry. Our strengths are in our ability to provide beverage brand owners with many unparalleled advantages, such as volume buying, preferred production scheduling, custom packaging design, supply side networking, logistical planning, and much more. Our market expertise lies within our ability to supply a full spectrum of glass, plastic and metal containers to companies of all sizes. Our knowledge base gives us the unique opportunity to enable beverage brand owners to take their ideas from inception to reality to success. With hundreds of manufacturer supplier partners Zuckerman Honickman prides itself in being able to supply custom packaging, hard to find packaging, as well as stock packaging...all at a competitive price. Our National footprint enables us to supply packaging to all corners of the US and beyond. Zuckerman Honickman provides bottles and cans to all beverage verticals, including sports drinks, sparkling beverages, craft beer, craft soda, bottled water, tea, coffee, enhanced beverages, wine, spirits, and many more! Reach out to us and let’s see how Zuckerman Honickman can help! Changing the paradigm in flavor creation and delivery ZoomEssence
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COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
A. Holliday & Company Inc.
Christine Renken
Toronto
-
(416) 225-2217
teacoff.com
Info@abelei
North Aurora
IL
(630) 859-1410
abelei.com
ADM/Deerland
Leanne Levy
Kennesaw
GA
(678) 391-7414
deerland.com
AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.
Jared Brodin
Seattle
WA
(253) 286-2888
aibmr.com
Abelei Flavors
CITY
STATE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
AIDP, Inc.
Brandon Babers
City of Industry
CA
(626) 964-6910
aidp.com
Amoretti
Debra Coletti
Oxnard
CA
(855) 855-3505
amoretti.com
Applied Food Sciences (AFS)
Jackson Zapp
Austin
TX
(512) 732-8300
appliedfoods.com
Arryved Point of Sale
Rachel Kesley
Boulder
CO
(720) 441-4863
arryved.com
Jennifer Rodriguez
Wilmington
DE
(302) 438-6388
ashland.com
Rick Ray
Los Angeles
CA
(800) 711-3587
axiomfoods.com
-
Tempe
AZ
(480) 449-7770
azpack.com
B.K. Miller Company
Brian Korody
Temple Hills
MD
(301) 423-6200
bkmiller.com
BENEO Inc.
Kyle Krause
Parsippany
NJ
(973) 867-2140
beneo.com
Berlin Packaging
Jason Loper
Chicago
IL
(312) 607-6642
berlinpackaging.com
Ashland Axiom Foods Azpack
Bev-Hub
Customer Service
-
KS
(316) 339-0360
BevLab
Alan Cohen
Mexico City
FL
-
BevSource
Kathy Evgen
Saint Paul
MN
(866) 956-4608
bevsource.com
Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)
Penny Portner
Ham Lake
MN
(763) 746-3926
bioenergylifescience.com
Christina Shestack
Moorestown
NJ
(856) 206-0175
Ben Miller
Indianapolis
IN
-
Roya Sayyah | Hedy Gorski
City of Industry
CA
(800) 248-7499
bluepacificflavors.com
Jolene Jacobs
Denver
CO
(720) 273-3824
caliperingredients.life
Kim Carson
Cincinnati
OH
-
Dan Reese
Longmont
CO
(833) 228-3959
cansource.com
Mark Caporale
Middletown
CA
(707) 987-9703
caporaleconsulting.com
BKON Blue Marble Productions, Inc. Blue Pacific Flavors Caliper Foods Callisons CanSource LLC Caporale Consulting
bev-hub.com bevlab.com.mx
bkonbrew.com bluemarbleproductionsinc.com
callisons.com
Chemi Nutra
Chase Hagerman
Austin
TX
(512) 823-2500
cheminutra.com
Christie & Co.
Gillian Christie
Santa Barbara
CA
(805) 969-3744
christieand.co
ClearCan Company Closure Systems International CLS Farms, LLC CP Kelco
Bill Brandell
Saint Charles
IL
(630) 800-9744
clearcancompany.com
Clint Rush
New Palestine
IN
(317) 503-1277
csiclosures.com
Claire Desmarais
Moxee
WA
(509) 952-7911
eldoradohops.com
-
-
GA
(678) 247-7300
cpkelco.com
Georgia Dina Konstantopoulos
Rochelle Park
NJ
(551) 775-3400
creamycreation.com
Deliverr
Amaan Virani
San Francisco
CA
(210) 379-2357
deliverr.com
Desert Valley Date
Chris Rogers
Coachella
CA
(760) 398-0999
desertvalleydate.com
Doehler North America
Customer Service
Cartersville
GA
(888) 367-8327
doehler.com
Douglas Machine Inc
Todd Welker
Alexandria
MN
(320) 763-6587
douglas-machine.com
Dennis Morlaes
Los Angeles
CA
(833) 437-4657
thedrinklabs.com
Creamy Creation
DRINK LABS Drink Me Taste Solutions DrinkTanks
Rachel Dannemeyer
Reno
NV
(949) 677-5369
Ryan Boyle
Bend
OR
-
drinktanks.com
drinkme.substack.com
DWS Printing & Packaging
Andy Staib
Deer Park
NY
(516) 769-1907
dwsprinting.com
ElastiTag® - Bedford Ind.
Patsy Youngblom
Worthington
MN
(507) 376-4136
elastitag.com
Fair Trade USA
Vernae Graham
Oakland
CA
(510) 663-5260
fairtradecertified.org
Farbest Brands
Cheryl Pasiut
Park Ridge
NJ
(201) 573-4900
farbest.com
Colleen Roberts
South Plainfield
NJ
(908) 822-8855
FlavorDynamics.com
Flavorman
Phil Icsman
Louisville
KY
(502) 289-5549
flavorman.com
Fogg Filler
Karl Walby
Holland
MI
(616) 786-3644
foggfiller.com
FONA
John Fishel
Geneva
IL
(630) 578-8638
fona.com
Foodarom
John Murphy
-
-
(801) 975-2604
foodarom.com
Flavor Dynamics, Inc.
92 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
CITY
STATE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
Franklin Baker, Inc.
John Slade
Memphis
TN
(901) 881-6681
franklinbaker.com
FutureCeuticals
Ryan Wories
Momence
IL
(888) 452-6853
futureceuticals.com
GAIA fruits
Roberto Garfias
San Luis Potosí
-
524441595829
gaiafruits.com
Givaudan
-
-
OH
-
givaudan.com
Glasgow Consulting Group
Jady Conboy
Narragansett
RI
(518) 376-4374
GoodWest Industries
John Ludwig
Douglassville
PA
(800) 948-1922
goodwest.com
Gotham Brand Managers
Trent Moffat
Long Island City
NY
(877) 931-3030
gothambrands.com
Grower Direct Nut Ingr. Supply
glascg.com
Tony Varni
Hughson
CA
(209) 448-6105
gdnis.com
Gusmer Enterprises
-
Mountainside
NJ
(866) 213-1131
GusmerBeer.com
Hidell International
Henry "Bob" Hidell
Hingham
MA
(781) 749-8040
hidellinternational.com
-
Houston
TX
(281) 902-5518
HillebrandBeer.com
Thom King
Portland
OR
(310) 455-9876
iconfoods.com
Hillebrand Gori Icon Foods IFF
Tatum Teskey
-
-
-
International Food Products Co
Mathew Brady
Fenton
MO
(314) 422-2324
iff-health.com ifpc.com
Iron Heart Canning Co
Roger Kissling
-
-
(908) 619-5449
ironheartcanning.com
Javo Beverage Company
Joanne Sheean
Vista
IL
(760) 330-1141
javobeverage.com
JBT Avure Technologies Keller Whse & Co-Packing Kerry
Shae McKee
Middletown
OH
(513) 783-3661
jbtc.com
Michael Ramirez
Defiance
OH
(419) 980-4857
kellerlogistics.com
Shawn Gerstenkorn
Huntley
IL
(608) 201-5470
kerry.com
Kinsa Group
Laurie Hyllberg
-
-
(414) 421-2000
kinsa.com
Lanxess Corporation
Michael Turpin
Pittsburgh
PA
(817) 357-5851
lanxess.com
Lion Beverage
Andrew Van Blargan
Wilkes-Barre
PA
(814) 935-1355
lionbeverage.com
MATCHA.COM
Sean Matteson
Tucson
AZ
(520) 273-2110
matcha.com
Mibelle AG Biochemistry
Alice Olufeso
Buchs
-
(416) 283-6173
mibellebiochemistry.com
Monk Fruit Corp.
Paul Paslaski
Libertyville
IL
(847) 367-6665
monkfruitcorp.com
Maria Jewelyn Mendoza
Union
NJ
(908) 688-9009
morretec.com
Mother Murphy's Flavors
Morre-Tec Industries
Michael Oden
Greensboro
NC
(336) 273-1737
mothermurphys.com
National Retail Solutions
Elie Katz
Newark
NJ
(183) 328-9276
nrsplus.com
Nature's Power Nutraceuticals
Eric Guggenheim
Gardena
CA
(310) 694-3031
npnutra.net
NewTree Fruit Company
Kimberly Anderson
De Pere
WI
(920) 366-9024
newtreefruit.com
Nexira
Franck Gillet
Sommerville
NJ
(908) 707-9400
nexira.com
Non-GMO Project
Megan Murray
Bellingham
WA
(360) 255-7704
nongmoproject.org
Nor-Cal Beverage Co Nugogo Branding Solutions Ohi Omega Ingredients Ltd PakTech Petainer Manufacturing USA PINE Strategy & Design Pioneer Marketing, Inc Pixelslave Pizzey Ingredients Pneumatic Scale Angelus Prism Visual Software
Pete Grego
West Sacramento
CA
(916) 372-0600
ncbev.com
Todd Gatzow
Pasadena
CA
(626) 379-1700
nugogo.com
-
New York
NY
(626) 215-8212
ohi.com/bevnet
Jim Kavanaugh
Philadelphia
PA
-
-
-
OR
(541) 461-5000
omegaingredients.com PakTech-opi.com
Matthew Neely
Miami
FL
(614) 361-8320
petainer.com
Raj Shroff
Columbus
OH
(614) 233-1686
pinesd.com
Rob
San Clemente
CA
(949) 388-7105
pioneermktg.com
Allan Finkelman
Boca Raton
FL
(305) 393-0260
pixelslave.com
Mary Ekman
Rockford
MN
(651) 797-3168
pizzeyingredients.com
Gigi Lorence
Stow
OH
(800) 992-0491
psangelus.com
Marlene Bingaman
Roslyn
NY
(516) 944-5920
prismvs.com
Prova
Julie Pickette
Beverly
MA
(978) 739-9055
provaus.com
PTM Food
Don Rodgers
Wall Township
NJ
(888) 736-6339
ptmfood.com
Pyure Brands, LLC
Gregory Drew
Naples
FL
(201) 388-9789
pyureingredients.com
Saxco International
Saxco
Concord
CA
(877) 641-4003
saxco.com 93
COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
CITY
STATE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
Scott Laboratories
Joscelyn Just
Petaluma
CA
(707) 765-6666
scottlab.com
Sensegen
Sensegen Info
Rancho Santa Margarita
CA
(949) 635-1991
sensegen.com
Sensient Flavors & Extracts
Sydney Byrne
Hoffman Estates
IL
(847) 645-7031
sensientflavorsandextracts.com
Ska Fabricating
Elise Mackay
Durango
CO
(970) 403-8562
skafabricating.com
Sovereign Flavors, Inc.
David Ames
Santa Ana
CA
(714) 437-1996
sovereignflavors.com
Specialty Food & Bev Ins-PCI
Tom Wallace
Ballston Spa
NY
(866) 461-0709
specialtyfoodbeverage.com
Randy Smith
Huntington Beach
CA
(714) 375-6300
statco-dsi.com
Becki Schwietz
Roseville
MN
(714) 441-3648
stauberusa.com
Brian Nova
Madera
CA
(559) 455-8606
stiebs.com
Walter Crawley
Rockleigh
NJ
(201) 767-9001
takasago.com
Statco-DSI Process Systems Stauber Stiebs Takasago International Corp TechniBlend
Roxanne Gorham
Hartland
WI
(262) 278-4944
techniblend.com
Rina Fong
San Gabriel
CA
(626) 288-8478
techno-fi.com
Carole Widmayer
Seattle
WA
(131) 295-2910
coffeecherryco.com
Customer Service Teams
Lafayette
LA
(337) 783-3096
thewrightgroup.net
Brittany DeMarco
Edmonton
-
(780) 439-1425
tophealthingredients.com
Trax
Lee Barwin
Boulder
CO
(079) 669-2016
traxretail.com
Tripack
Travis Linz
Milford
OH
(513) 964-1428
tripack.net
Techno Food Ingredients USA The Coffee Cherry Co. The Wright Group Top Health Ingredients, Inc.
Trucent
Jeremy Vogel
Dexter
MI
(734) 474-8554
trucent.com
United Food and Beverage, LLC
Jeremy Sanders
Hickory
NC
(843) 622-8434
unitedfoodandbeverage.com
US Beverage Manufacturing
Zach Mosesian
Las Vegas
NV
(702) 476-1021
usbeveragemanufacturing.com
Vicinity Software
Jamey Kirsch
-
GA
(770) 421-2467
vicinitybrew.com
Watermark Design
Watermark Design
Charlottesville
VA
(844) 544-5625
watermark.design
West Coast Container, Inc. White Labs Inc. Zion Pack
Kevin McInerney
-
-
(614) 420-1830
westcoastcontainer.com
JoAnne Carilli-Stevenson
San Diego
CA
(858) 693-3441
whitelabs.com
Brad Martin
Corona
CA
(951) 335-4600
zionpack.com
ZoomEssence
Heather Gaynor
Hebron
OH
(513) 403-5693
zoomessence.com
Zuckerman Honickman
Jon Zuckerman
King Of Prussia
PA
(610) 962-0100
zh-inc.com
94 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
PROMO PARADE
INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS
Ja Morant, Mookie Betts, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kyler Murray Star in First-Ever National Television Ad Campaign for BODYARMOR EDGE BODYARMOR EDGE has announced the launch of its firstever national television ad campaign, “EDGE vs. EVERYBODY.” The campaign features star athlete partners Ja Morant, Mookie Betts, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Kyler Murray in larger-than-life, animated action, as they take on the literal embodiments of their toughest adversaries thanks to the added boost of hydration and caffeine found in BODYARMOR EDGE. Designed to deliver the latest in active hydration and sports nutrition, BODYARMOR EDGE combines the premium qualities of BODYARMOR Sports Drink with natural caffeine to give consumers an added boost. Developed with the same coconut water-based formula as BODYARMOR Sports Drink, BODYARMOR EDGE provides more than 1,000mg of electrolytes, plus 100mg of natural caffeine. “The constant drive to be better, outwork the competition and prove ourselves are qualities that BODYARMOR and I have in common,” said basketball star, Ja Morant. “In the new BODYARMOR EDGE spot you’ll see the motivation to put in late hours and take on even the fiercest competition firsthand. I’m proud to be part of this campaign and ready to show fans that there are betterfor-you sports drink options out there.” In addition to the campaign, BODYARMOR EDGE recently announced the launch of two new, great-tasting flavors to its existing lineup: Strawberry Slam and Watermelon Wave. Launched in 2021, BODYARMOR EDGE comes in a 20.2oz. bottle and contains antioxidants, natural flavors and sweeteners with no colors from artificial sources. Both Watermelon Wave and Strawberry Slam are available in-stores nationwide and online via Amazon. BODYARMOR EDGE also comes in four additional flavors including Berry Blitz, Tropical Chaos, Power Punch and Orange Frenzy. “This new campaign really brings to life the intense, neversatisfied mentality that BODYARMOR EDGE is all about,” said Michael Fedele, VP of Marketing at BODYARMOR. “Being able to collaborate on this with some of our incredibly talented partners
like Ja, Mookie, Skylar and Kyler – who are truly dedicated to their craft and have taken their game to the next level – afforded us the opportunity to put out a one-of-a-kind spot this year. We’re excited to share it and show the next generation of athletes all that EDGE has to offer.” “Since partnering with the brand over four years ago, I’ve been witness to the game-changing innovation that BODYARMOR has brought – and continues to bring – to the sports drink category and BODYARMOR EDGE is just the latest example of that,” said baseball star Mookie Betts. “Whether I’m heading to a game, practice or just getting ready for the day, I’m always looking for an extra boost and BODYARMOR EDGE Watermelon Wave is now my go-to.” “EDGE vs. EVERYBODY” is BODYARMOR EDGE’s largest multi-faceted campaign to-date consisting of television (for the first time), digital creative, out-of-home, radio, and social executions. It debuts tonight on national broadcast with a spot during the 1st round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The campaign comes at a pivotal time for the brand as BODYARMOR continues to grow and redefine the $40 billion active hydration category. BODYARMOR has incredible momentum at retail and has generated more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. With its launch in 2011, BODYARMOR has brought innovation to the sports drink category. First with BODYARMOR Sports Drink, then the first naturally sweetened low-calorie sports drink called BODYARMOR LYTE, followed by BODYARMOR SportWater and now, BODYARMOR EDGE.
Chopin Vodka Launches Relief Initiative to Aid Ukrainian Refugees Chopin, the Polish family-owned vodka brand known for its potato vodka that launched in 1993 and catalyzed the luxury vodka phenomenon, is making a proactive effort to help their Ukrainian neighbors. From March 17th to May 17th, Chopin donated all profits from online sales of Chopin products (Chopin Potato, Chopin Wheat, Chopin Rye, and Chopin Family Reserve) made through their website to World Central Kitchen, Chef José Andrés’ non-profit organization dedicated to providing meals for people in need, including Ukrainian refugees in the country as well as those who have fled the war to neighboring countries like Poland. “We can’t just stand by, we need to help our neigh-
96 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
bors,” says Tad Dorda, Chopin Founder and CEO. “The Chopin distillery is about 70 miles from the Russian border so this hits very close to home and feels as if Eastern Europe’s painful history is repeating itself. There are millions of refugees who have fled the war to neighboring countries that need shelter and food — it’s our responsibility to use the resources we have to help those in need.” More than two million Ukrainian refugees (according to NPR) have fled to Poland and the Dorda family, who owns and operates Chopin, is personally working directly with families to find them housing and work. So far, they have been able to arrange housing in Warsaw for several Ukrainian families (25 people and counting) and are continuing to help place more in homes. They are also offering jobs to Ukrainian refugees at the Chopin factory.
PROMOS New Ripple Campaign Encourages Consumers To “Moove Over” To The Plant-Based Milk Rated Closest to Dairy Ripple Foods has announced the launch of its new 360-campaign, Moove Over To Ripple. The campaign educates consumers on the nutrition and taste benefits of its plant-based milk and encourages consumers to make the switch from dairy or alternative milks to Ripple. The campaign kicked off with a new TV spot called “Cows on Vacation” which features a tongue-in-cheek look at vacationing cows who finally have a day off thanks to Ripple, since the brand has created plantbased milk that delivers everything consumers are looking for in a dairy alternative: great-taste, great nutrition, and better for the planet in water usage and overall carbon footprint. The spot will run on network, cable and connected TV, including popular national prime time evening and morning shows, with additional campaign support
across digital and social media. During the month of May, Ripple will conduct a one-of-a-kind in-person “Milk Trade-In” effort to give consumers the opportunity to trade in their empty milk or other dairy-alternative brand containers to be recycled in exchange for a free bottle of Ripple, or they can participate online for opportunities to receive free Ripple products. “We want to spread the word about Ripple – which consumers rate as the ‘best plant-based milk’ – and educate people in a fun and entertaining way about Ripple’s unique benefits,” said Laura Flanagan, CEO of Ripple Foods. “Ripple milk contains the same amount of protein as dairy milk and has more protein than regular almond and oat milks, all while delivering on the creamy taste and texture consumers are craving. We hope we can encourage people to ‘moove
over’ to Ripple by putting our money where their mouth is – giving them a no-cost opportunity to try Ripple so they can see and taste the difference for themselves.” Additionally, the brand is rolling out refreshed packaging at retailers nationwide, aimed at helping people easily spot its products on store shelves and understand key nutritional attributes, such as 50% less sugar and 50% more calcium than dairy milk, and 8 grams of protein per serving which is eight times the protein of regular almond milk.
C4 Energy Announces Kevin Hart as the Face of “Get That Hart Smart Energy” Campaign in Extension of “Ignite Your Fire” Platform C4 Energy, one of the fastest-growing energy drink brands in the United States, has announced “Get That Hart Smart Energy,” a multifaceted brand campaign fueled by the world’s most recognized multi-hyphenate as the face – comedian, actor, entrepreneur, and producer, Kevin Hart. Through this campaign, which includes a multimedia digital program, C4 Energy and Kevin Hart want you to Ignite Your Fire and maximize your human potential by enhancing your mental performance with C4 Smart Energy. C4 Smart Energy, the drink formulated to boost mental focus and alertness, and Ignite Your Fire, the brand’s mission to unlock your limitless performance, are both personified through Hart. As an entrepreneurial-minded man of many talents, Hart’s hustle has branched out into many different areas of focus, becoming a man who truly wears many hats – actor, comedian, producer, entrepreneur, father, and husband. Hart manages to juggle the many facets of his life by incorporating C4 Smart Energy into his everyday routine, leveraging the drink to fuel his energetic lifestyle. “My life is non-stop. You might think it’s super human to move as quickly as I do, but it’s really C4 Smart Energy powering me through, helping me stay sharp and laser focused,” said Hart. “I’m always on the move. Through being on tour, closing deals, on set filming, or just at home running after my kids, C4 Energy, especially C4 Smart Energy, is a crucial part of my daily hustle, making multitasking my best talent.” The brand will be kicking off “Get That Hart Smart Energy” with their first-ever collaborative hero video with Hart, featuring C4 Smart Energy, the only product that can keep up with the hardest working man on the planet. 98 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2022
“C4 Energy is doubling down on our mission to Ignite Your Fire as we gear up for this unique, larger than life omnichannel brand campaign, focused on C4 Smart Energy, which positions the brand squarely into the mental and cognitive performance category” said Rajaa Grar, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at Nutrabolt. “Kevin’s hustle and growth mentality exemplifies the very essence of C4 Smart Energy and we’re excited to launch this new campaign with such extraordinary talent at the helm.” The first part of the digital campaign, KevinVision, is an aptlynamed, multi-dimensional, multi-episode video series, which will provide an immersive look at Kevin Hart in ways that consumers have never seen him before. KevinVision will showcase Hart’s multihyphenate lifestyle and explore his many transformations by placing him in three creative mediums including illustration, 8-bit/stop motion, and anime. To charge up C4 Energy’s growing cult following and lean into C4 Smart Energy’s mental performance benefits, the brand will be launching “Ignite Your Side Hustle”, a TikTok Challenge encouraging consumers to share with Hart their side hustle and the fuel that fires it. TikTokers will be challenged to show off their passion and get selected by Hart himself for the chance to win prizes that total up to $50,000 so they can turn their side hustle into their front hustle. Additional elements of “Get That Hart Smart Energy” launch will include a larger-than-life media partnership with Hart’s LOL! Network, which will deploy campaign assets across OTT, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as product integration in Hart’s hit sports talk show, “Cold As Balls,” featuring C4 Energy brand ambassador, Marshawn Lynch.
