BevNET Magazine May/June 2019 by BevNET.com

MAY-JUNE 2019

2019

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Contents / May – June 2019 / Volume 17 / No. 3

SUPPLIER & SERVICES GUIDE • 2019

COLUMNS

FEATURES

4 First Drop Losing Combinations

26 Energy Drinks “Fit” Energy Arrives With a Bang

6 Publisher’s Toast We’re Getting Closer to Equality

34 Coconut Water Vita Coco Takes On the World

DEPARTMENTS

40 FMBs Answer Consumer Demand Consumers looking for flavor, convenience and ‘better-for-you’ products are choosing flavored malt beverages.

8 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Bolthouse Farms Sold, Alpha Foods Quest to Become Plant-Based Leader, Stone Brewing Sells Berlin Brewery 16 New Products Pepsi Flavors and More CBD 20 Channel Check Bottled Water Spotlight 74 Promo Parade Grey Goose Lives Victoriously

SPECIAL SECTION

44 Hemp Horizons Exploring Issues and Challenges in the Hemp/CBD Ingredient Market

SHOW COVERAGE 24 Summer Fancy Food Show Preview 50 Natural Products Expo West 2019 Review 52 Craft Brewers Conference Review

55 Supplier and Services Guide COVER PHOTO BY MARCO LÓPEZ ON UNSPLASH

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THE FIRST DROP BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

Losing Combinations Not long ago – and I apologize if you’re reading this and it was your idea, and maybe you’ll prove me wrong by really setting the world on fire but as you’ll see in a second I’m just using it to make a point – we got a note from a meat snack entrepreneur asking whether he should start making a bone-broth kombucha. I thought this was not a good idea. Not because there aren’t potential reasons for this product to exist in someone’s home or life. Maybe it’s good for you. Maybe it represents a culture of 10,000 years that has been floating around and I’m being culturally ignorant. Maybe – and this is the simplest reason – you make it already and you actually like it. Certainly, plenty of brands have been launched for any of these three reasons. But I thought it smacked of a kind of syndrome that we’ll call subtraction by addition – the idea that two trends can go together in a way that has little to do with their particular meaning and much to do with the idea that someone might be able to make a quick buck off the combination. It’s worked in some spaces, of course. The fast growth of alcoholic sparkling water brands and, to a lesser extent, “hard” kombucha shows that it’s possible to launch quickly into fast growing trends by combination – but it shows that it also helps to add booze if you’re going to make that combination. We’re seeing other companies, like Cannabiniers and Ceria, try to base brands around the combination of zero-alcohol craft beer and cannabis. In a field in which new ideas are being bottled furiously as regulations and technology change, a brand or idea gaining a little traction can seem like a runaway win. We hear constantly about this beverage or food selling out at Erewhon or in a few popular coffee shops, and of course we are fascinated by innovative formulation and branding because they show us all creative possibilities – and even occasionally taste good. One trend is getting attention, the thinking goes, so why not combine it with another? After all, there are so many new brands fighting for consumer attention, both online and in stores, that clear signals of 4 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 2018

long-term success – i.e. regular same store sales and resonant brand stories supported by sustainable margins and growth capital – seem to exist on a different plane from the coastal incubation zones of Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Smorgasburg. But while it might seem like a good idea to marry two emerging trends, and it might even be something you secretly enjoy at home, these combinations often don’t work commercially. Sometimes, the issue is that one or both of the base propositions are already aimed at a limited audience. Carrot juice and green juice have existed in one commercial format or another for years. The growth of HPP, a technology that could keep them fresher, longer, and hence tasting better, expanded alongside juice shops to allow the growth of quite a few brands, but the expansion ultimately may have outpaced audience estimates, particularly given a product cost that may have been too high for consumers to justify taking the risk. New propositions become even harder to prove out when you’re dealing with a combination product. As an organization, we – and Bonafide’s investors and founders – loved the idea of Drinkable Veggies, a combination bone broth/HPP veggie juice that could be drunk cold. It turned out the idea ultimately reduced the available audience rather than increased it, and the Bonafide team has since turned more toward its core broth consumers

and looked for brand expansion behind more conventional soups. Other times, the combined ideas are better fulfilled by a better product set: a while back, as Red Bull and Monster started to take off, there was a rush to try to come up with energy mixers, tonics and club sodas and the like that would also bring a rush of caffeine into a cocktail. The problem was, the same audience that would embrace that kind of product had already found mixers they liked a lot that would give them the same kind of energy drink kick – they were called energy drinks, and they worked just fine with booze. One thing we’re seeing a lot of now is an attempt to ignite a flailing brand by crosspollinating it with something trendy, like CBD or probiotics or turmeric, although that should be a concern for those companies who are basing their own potentially legitimate brands around these ingredients. “Fairy dusting” of functional ingredients can have a disastrous leveling effect for emerging categories, and trying to prop up a flagging brand with even functional amounts of a trendy ingredient can kill off a more promising new entrant in an evolving space when buyers don’t see the older brand getting a lift from the innovation. That’s not to say that these combinations never work out. But there’s a lot more to it than just stirring the pot and adding the mother, so like with all relationships, look around and within to think about just how far it can go. Photo by Samara Doole on Unsplash

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PUBLISHER’S TOAST BY BARRY NATHANSON

www.bevnet.com/magazine

We’re Getting Closer to Equality

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 Chris Furnari EDITOR, BREWBOUND cfurnari@bevnet.com Justin Kendall NEWS EDITOR, BREWBOUND jkendall@bevnet.com Carol Ortenberg EDITOR, NOSH cortenberg@bevnet.com Erin Cabrey EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ecabrey@bevnet.com

SALES

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 SENIOR BRAND SPECIALIST jlandis@bevnet.com Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi SALES & MARKETING ADMIN kadugyamfi@bevnet.com

Earlier this week, in advance of our BevNET sales and marketing call, I dialed in from my satellite office in NYC, the one with my oft-mentioned shelf of failed brands. Two of my compatriots were already on line, and they were discussing and raving about a new lemonade brand that was sent in to the office. It was a low -calorie drink that was terrific and they felt would be a winner. They marveled that one could not taste the sweetener that was obviously in the drink. It got me to thinking about my sense memory of sweeteners. Over the years, as brand marketers would stop by, extolling this or that terrific-but-no-calorie taste, I would objectively – and sometimes harshly – give my opinion that they were delusional. Not that I had such a discerning palate, but these drinks just weren’t the same as their full- bodied counterparts. In my early years, the only drink that tasted as good as the original was Diet Dr Pepper. Try as so many marketers did, the masking of the diet taste remained elusive. To the industry it was the Holy Grail – make a fantastic tasting beverage while keeping the calories down. Back then it just wasn’t happening. As the years progressed and more options were added to the formulations, there was hope that we’d break through.

6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

I thought back to the first sweetener I encountered. My mother was a frequent user of saccharine, really the first on the scene. I always marveled that she would drop three of those suckers into a tiny cup of Chinese tea. I shudder at the thought of that today. Thankfully, saccharine was retired before the full harmfulness could have a greater impact than it did. I regress. Today we formulate using a plethora of sweeteners. Between Stevia, Ace-K, sucralose, erythritol, aspartame and monkfruit, we have a rainbow of selections. They are all formidable choices for beverage marketers to trip the lite fantastic. The variables and combinations of these options have created a new generation of drinks that are good tasting, fit with the criteria of healthy and low calorie and are part of our social fabric. Simply put, the marketers are doing a much better job of creating pleasant tasting beverages. I always categorized drinks as the full bodied and diet types and was pretty snobbish about my selection. Now there is a blurring of the lines between these drinks. When I reach into my office refrigerator I just grab what’s in front of me. That’s a good thing. Kudos to the marketers who have put democracy in my beverages.

ART & PRODUCTION

Matthew Kennedy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Willette SENIOR DESIGNER Nathan Brescia PHOTOGRAPHER

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BEVSCAPE

THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS

Bolthouse Farms Sold to Butterfly Equity for $510 Million

LifeAID Raises $7.7 Million to Support Distribution Growth

Los Angeles-based private equity firm Butterfly in April agreed to acquire Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company for $510 million in cash – roughly $1 billion less than what the soup conglomerate paid when it acquired the 104-year-old food and beverage brand in 2012. The deal will return control of Bolthouse to Jeff Dunn, an operating partner at Butterfly who will again assume the chief executive role at Bolthouse upon the deal’s close. Dunn previously served as president and CEO of the brand from 2008 until 2012 when it was purchased by Campbell for $1.55 billion. With Dunn still at the helm, Bolthouse became a part of Campbell’s Fresh Division. In 2014 he took over as president of the division until his departure in 2016, when he left Campbell to head up nowdefunct beverage technology company Juicero. Based in California, Bolthouse Farms produces plantbased milks, juices, protein drinks, salad dressings, and baby carrots. According to a press release, the company employs about 2,200 people and owns manufacturing facilities in California, Illinois, Washington, and Ontario. Founded in 2016, Butterfly Equity has primarily focused its acquisitions on the food sector, previously purchasing striped bass producer Pacifico Aquaculture, farm-to-table fast casual restaurant Modern Market, and Los Angelesbased restaurant Lemonade. Bolthouse Farms is the firm’s first foray into the CPG space.

On April 1, functional beverage brand LifeAID announced it had raised $7.7 million to support expanded nationwide distribution as the company seeks to grow in mass, grocery and convenience accounts across the country. The round included a combined $4.7 million in equity investments from firms Everplus Capital and Cambridge Companies Special Projects Group (SPG), as well as several angel investors. An additional $3 million in debt financing was raised from an asset-backed line of credit with Dwight Funding. Under the terms of the deal, Everplus Capital and Cambridge SPG will work with LifeAID in an advisory capacity, but will not gain board seats. “Working with the LifeAID team on this transaction has been highly rewarding,” Filipp Chebotarev, COO & Partner at Cambridge SPG, told BevNET in an email. “Aaron and Orion have built an innovative, fast growth, high margin business that has struck a loud chord with core customers focused on health, wellness and fitness. We look forward to being a partner in their growth journey.”

“We are thrilled to partner with a vertically-integrated produce and fresh food leader with a history as rich as Bolthouse Farms, and we believe the company’s future is very bright especially given the continued rise of plant-based food in the diet of today’s consumer,” said Butterfly co-founder Adam Waglay in a press release. In August 2018, following the abrupt departure of CEO Denise Morrison earlier that spring, Campbell announced a large scale cost-saving strategy which included shuttering its Fresh Division and putting brands including Bolthouse and salsa brand Garden Fresh Gourmet on the market. Though the division accounted for $2.1 billion sales – 25 percent of Campbell’s overall revenue – the conglomerate had long struggled to turn around its overall declining sales (down 3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018) and felt the division’s fresh focus was outside its core competency. During Campbell’s 2018 end of year earnings call with investors, interim president and CEO Keith McLoughlin said the company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Fresh Division brands to pay off debt.

8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Speaking to BevNET, LifeAID co-founders Orion Melehan and Aaron Hinde said the company recently secured a chainwide expansion with Walmart, rolling out to the retailer’s 4,300 stores in the near future. The company is also now in 15 Kroger divisions and recently received authorization with Wegmans. LifeAID is also growing its footprint in the travel channel, adding 90 retail locations across ten East Coast airports. Melehan said one of the company’s goals for 2019 is to provide additional support to its full functional product portfolio. Having initially built a consumer base with its FitAID line in gym channel accounts, LifeAID is now looking to provide additional marketing support for its FocusAID, ImmunityAID, and PartyAID products. “We’re going to build a sales story around FocusAID and prove out the platform that we can build a better-for-you company with vitamin drinks that consumers actually enjoy drinking,” Melehan said. “Part of the funds is not only to back up our retail authorizations, but to create additional sales stories for our other SKUs.” The company has established a DSD network in the Pacific Northwest which includes distributors The Odom Corporation, Sound Beverage Distribution Inc., Craig Stein Beverage, and NW Beverages. In Northern California, the company has partnered with DBI Beverage.

BEVSCAPE Monster and Bang Litigation Row Rolls On Monster Energy fired back against Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX Sports) in April in a First Amended Complaint that accuses the Bang maker of “flagrant consumer deception and anti-competitive business practices.” The compliant, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, followed a lawsuit filed by VPX in late March accusing the energy drink maker of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, and unfair competition over its use of “REIGN,” which Monster announced as the name of its new performance energy drink, positioned as a direct rival to VPX’s Bang. The complaint lists a litany of charges, including unfair competition, false advertising, trade libel, and several violations related to the protection of trade secrets. In the complaint, which names VPX founder/CEO/ chief scientific officer Jack Owoc as a plaintiff, attorneys for Monster decry VPX and Owoc’s actions as “damaging, dangerous and despicable.” These actions, according to

plaintiffs’ attorneys, include lying to consumers, cheating government regulators, stealing from competitors, and misappropriation of confidential trade secret information. “From fraudulent health claims to touting an invalid patent to outright theft, our complaint provides many documented examples of Bang’s false, misleading, anti-compet-

itive, and improper actions,” the company said in a statement emailed to BevNET. “It is time that Bang is finally held accountable for its deception. We look forward to presenting all of the facts and revealing the truth about Bang.” The complaint also includes new accusations against VPX of attempting to steal trade secrets and employees from

Monster. The documents cite an incident in which a Bang product manager offered a Monster employee a job in exchange for stealing proprietary pricing data from the company, and a second incident in which former Monster employees downloaded confidential information from the company before starting new roles at VPX. In an email response to BevNET, Marc Kesten, general counsel and ‘change implementation strategist’ at VPX, called Monster’s FAC “unsworn and unverified” and a “cheap, sensational ‘press release’ dressed up as a complaint. “It is evident that Monster is desperate to divert attention from VPX’s legitimate lawsuit against Monster’s knockoff Reign energy drink, which not only infringes VPX’s Bang energy drink’s distinctive trade dress, but also VPX’s rights to the registered trademark REIGN (U.S. Reg. No. 5,107,809), which was registered and used years before Monster and its spinoff company, Reign Beverage, decided to usurp it,” Kesten wrote.

Q Mixers Lands $40 Million Investment Brooklyn-based mixer brand Q Mixers on April 4 announced a $40 million investment from Eurazeo Brands, the CPG-focused arm of French investment company Eurazeo. Launched in 2008, Q Mixers has emerged as a success story within the fastgrowing premium cocktail mixer segment. The brand markets a variety of non-GMO tonics and sodas in retailers nationwide, including Target, Kroger and Whole Foods. The company previously secured an $11 million funding round led by First Beverage Group in 2016. As part of the deal, Jim Goldman, a senior advisor at Eurazeo and a former 10 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

president of Campbell Soup’s North American Food and Beverage Division,

will join the board of directors at Q Mixers. He will be joined by George Birman, consumer growth investor at Eurazeo. Silbert noted the appeal of bringing in senior level operators with experience in high-end branded products to guide Q Mixers forward. He said the new funding will go towards growing both the company’s trade and consumer marketing efforts, the details of which were yet to be determined. “We are really excited about playing this game to win,” said Silbert. “We’ve been really disciplined for 12-13 years now. We feel this inflection point and we want to race ahead and act as a category leader.”

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NOSHSCAPE

For more stories, check out nosh.com

THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS

Mondelēz Invests In Hu Kitchen and Products

Alpha Foods Raises $7M in Quest to Become Plant-Based Leader Plant-based frozen foods brand Alpha Foods announced in March the close of a $7 million round of capital with $6 million in direct investment and a convertible note of $1 million. The round consisted of two tranches – one that closed in December and one that closed in March. New Crop Capital and AccelFoods led the round with Stray Dog Ventures and other previous investors also taking. According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Alpha Foods previously raised $5.4 million dollars in March 2018. Previous investors have included VegInvest and Arbell Growth Partners (which is headed by former Snyder Lance CEO Carl Lee). Co-founder and CFO/ COO Cole Orobetz and co-founder and CEO Loren Wallis told NOSH that, for now, they have chosen to raise smaller rounds more frequently rather than a single large round.

Just over a month after taking a stake in Uplift Foods, Mondelēz International announced in April its second investment in Hu Master Holdings, the parent company of both CPG brand Hu Products and fast-casual restaurant concept Hu Kitchen. Hu Chairman and Co-Founder Jason Karp told NOSH the investment will allow the emerging brand to scale. Last year sub-brand Hu Products closed a small funding round led by venture firm Sonoma Brands. Since closing that round, the company has grown to be sold in over 3,000 stores and now has a staff of 20 employees. Karp has also departed his multibillion dollar fund, Tourbillon Global Master Fund, to focus on Hu and is investing in the wellness space. Karp and Hu co-founder Jordan Brown told NOSH the company wasn’t seeking more capital for the business but had been approached by several strategic investors, including Mondelēz’s venture and innovation arm, SnackFutures. The duo told NOSH that, in the end, they realized Mondelēz would bring more than just

capital to the company. Karp and Brown said they were impressed by both leadership additions at Mondel¯e z as well as the company’s recent increased focus on better-foryou snacking. The hope, the duo said, is that Hu can inspire Mondel¯e z’s own innovation, while the strategic provides assistance with operational efficiencies and supply chain. Mondelēz currently has one of the larger brands in organic chocolate with Green & Black as well as several of the leading cracker brands in Ritz, Triscuit and Wheat Thins. Hu Products initially launched with organic chocolate bars before branching into other chocolate confections. In April the brand debuted a line of grain-free, gluten-free crackers in sea salt, everything and pizza flavors. The company plans to bring the crackers, initially sold exclusively online and at its Hu Kitchen restaurant in New York City, to retail later this year. The partnership, Karp said, will help both product lines scale faster and reach more accessible price point sooner.

12 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Orobetz said this current round will help the company staff up and invest in marketing programs. He expects the brand will start fundraising for its next round in six to eight months. Many of Alpha’s investors are also stakeholders in other plant-based companies, but Orobetz and Wallis say that’s not a concern. The path to building the company has been deliberate. Alpha spent two years developing its products and then locking down the intellectual property around the formulation of its plant-based proteins. Despite that, Alpha is focusing on selling “prepared meal solutions,” Orobetz said, rather then ingredients (such as patties or ground “meat”) to be used in cooking. When developing new products, Wallis said, Alpha tries to look for white space in the category and build out a shelf that either doesn’t already exist in plant-based (such as tamales) or has only lower quality options (such as “meat” pies).

KIND Takes on the FDA, While Clif Takes on KIND What constitutes a “healthy” product has long been contested in the snack industry, but a recent back-and-forth on the issue between KIND Snacks and Clif Bar has expanded the debate, bringing environmental causes and outside financial backing into the mix while putting two significant natural food brands on opposite sides of more than one issue. For almost a month, the two nutrition bar companies sparred – online and in print – over their products’ respective ingredients. KIND is also continuing to push the FDA into changing its stance on nutrition labels, an effort that might also rub Clif the wrong way. It started in early March, when Clif ran an audacious full-page ad in The New York Times challenging KIND to use organic ingredients in its products. The ad was structured as an open letter from

Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, founders and co-CEOs of Clif Bar, to Daniel Lubetzky, CEO of KIND. KIND promptly responded on Twitter, replying to Clif ’s tweeted link to the letter

with an image of a Clif Bar with the words “31% sugar” printed over it, accompanied by the text: “Brown rice syrup is sugar, whether it’s organic or not.” The tweet went on to allege that Clif attempting

to pass the ingredient off as healthy was “deceptive.” While KIND nut bars each contain less than 10 g of sugar, some Clif Bar varieties contain over 20 g. Meanwhile, KIND’s ongoing efforts around nutritional claims may be sideswiping Clif’s efforts to appear as a healthy choice. KIND announced that, along with public health experts, the company had filed a Citizen Petition pushing the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to address “misleading nutrient content claims,” according to the press release. Lubetzky told Inc. that the petition was not related to the clash with Clif. KIND has been battling with the FDA on what constitutes a “healthy” product for several years, trying to get the agency to bring its regulations in line with new dietary findings around fat and calories.

Sans Crickets, Exo Founders Try to Revamp Cereal In April, Exo co-founders Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz announced their intent to bring back the tradition (or at least the memories) of big bowls of cereal accompanied by Saturday morning cartoons with the launch of their newest endeavor, Magic Spoon. According to the pair, the goal is to do for cereal what Halo Top did for ice cream: revamp an “outdated” indulgence product type with engaging branding and a strong macronutrient profile. After selling Exo, their cricket-protein bar brand, in early 2018 to Aspire Food Group, Lewis and Sewitz decided they couldn’t go back to “normal jobs,” and instead began searching for their next business venture. Cereal, a stale yet massive category, caught the duo’s attention. Research firm Mintel estimates that despite slowing sales, the category will

hit $11.1 billion in sales this year. And although the segment is dominated by three large players – General Mills Kelloggs, and Post – Lewis and Sewitz believe that their understanding of the modern consumer will give them an edge despite their considerably smaller budget. Launching in four flavors (Fruity, Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Frosted) Magic Spoon will initially be sold online for roughly $10 a box, with a four-box minimum order. Monthly subscribers receive a 10 percent discount and free shipping. Each serving has 12 grams of protein and 3 grams of net carbs – the antithesis of the high-carbohydrate, high-sugar offerings typically found in the cereal aisle. The brand also avoids artificial ingredients and sugar alcohols by using a blend of stevia, monk fruit and allulose for sweetness

along with a blend of whey protein isolate and milk protein isolate for protein. General Mills, Post and Kellogg’s have each tried to adapt their classic SKUs by cutting back on using artificial colors and flavors or lowering sugar content, but consumers have generally disapproved. For example, when General Mills revamped Trix for a slightly better-foryou nutritional deck, the response was so negative the company soon reverted back to the original recipe. Lewis noted that other big cereal brands are leaning into indulgence, citing Post’s chicken and waffle cereal or Kellogg’s’ Peeps cereal as examples. However, he added, these releases only cater to current cereal consumers, while Magic Spoon hopes to capture shoppers who have already left the aisle for more nutritious options. 13

BREWSCAPE

For more stories, check out Brewbound.com

THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS

Craft Brew Alliance Agrees to Settle Canarchy Appoints New CEO Kona Labeling Dispute Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) has agreed to settle a yearslong class action lawsuit over alleged “false and deceptive advertising” for its Kona Brewing beer brand. In an SEC filing, the publicly traded Portland, Oregonbased craft beer company – which also owns the Widmer Brothers,

Redhook, Omission, Square Mile Cider, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Wynwood Brewing and Cisco Brewers labels – said it expects to incur costs of about $4.7 million to settle the dispute, which surfaced in early 2017. That amount is inclusive of all legal and administrative fees but does

not represent the total amount CBA will pay to the class, according to Marcus Reed, the company’s general counsel. According to Reed, the nationwide settlement will be open to consumers who purchased Konabranded beer products dating as far back as 2013.

After operating for nearly a year without a CEO, the Canarchy Craft Brewery Collective appointed long-time beer executive Tony Short to its top leadership post. The Fireman Capital-backed brewery consortium – whose brands include Oskar Blues, Cigar City, Deep Ellum, Perrin Brewing, Three Weavers, and Utah Brewers Cooperative (Wasatch and Squatters) – had been without a chief executive since last May, when David Pillsbury exited the company after about six months on the job. At the time, Canarchy promoted chief operating officer Matt Fraser to the role of president. Short brings more than three decades of experience in the beer industry to the role, including serving as president of Major Eagle, one of the largest beer wholesalers in Florida, and working 24 years for Anheuser-Busch, where he served as vice president of business and wholesaler development.

Stone Brewing Unloads Berlin Brewery to BrewDog Stone Brewing’s lofty $30 million Germany brewery experiment – aimed at converting Reinheitsgebot-abiding German drinkers into American craft beer lovers – has come to an end only a few years after it began. In April, the San Diego-

headquartered company, ranked by the Brewers Association as the ninth largest craft beer producer in the U.S., announced the sale of its Berlin brewing facility to Scotland’s BrewDog. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but BrewDog began

14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

occupying the space on May 1. As part of the acquisition, BrewDog picked up a likenew 100-hectoliter brewhouse, and a 10-hectoliter pilot brewing system. The purchase also included a canning line, bottling line, taproom, and outdoor beer garden.

Ninkasi Brewing Sells Majority Stake, Establishes National Platform to Acquire Other Breweries Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing has sold a majority stake to Legacy Breweries Inc., a new venture led by former Yakima Chief CEO Don Bryant that

would “retain significant ownership” in the brewery. The long-term goal, according to Ridge, is to identify independent craft brewery owners who are

aims to acquire U.S. craft breweries. Specific financial terms of the deal, which closed at the end of April, were not disclosed. Similar to Canarchy, Legacy Breweries Inc. hopes to establish “collaborative partnerships” with craft breweries, according to Ninkasi co-founder Nikos Ridge. Speaking to BevNET, Ridge said he, along and co-founder Jamie Floyd and the company’s six investors,

interested in selling all or parts of their businesses. The Legacy Breweries venture has access to two sources of capital, including funds from a family office called Blue Ocean. A second partner that came in on the deal with Ninkasi is EPR Properties, a specialty real estate investment trust (REIT) that has $6.8 billion worth of real estate investments, including 158 Megaplex theaters and 32 Topgolf complexes.

Constellation Brands Closing 2 Ballast Point Locations, Abandoning Plans for San Francisco Brewpub Constellation Brands has shuttered two Ballast Point Brewing facilities in Southern California, and backed out of a plan to open a brewpub in San Francisco. In April, a spokeswoman with the New York-based beer, wine, and spirits company confirmed the closure of Ballast Point

Brewing’s 80,000 sq. ft. “Trade Street” sour beer and barrel-aging facility, which opened in San Diego in late 2017, as well as its Temecula, Calif.-based brewpub, which opened in 2016. “I can confirm [the] closure of these two facilities due to right-sizing our cost structure based on recent craft trends,” spokeswoman Stephanie McGuane wrote to BevNET via email. McGuane added that Constellation had also abandoned plans to open a brewpub in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, where the NBA’s Golden State Warriors are building a new stadium. The decision came two weeks after Constellation recorded a $108 million impairment charge to Ballast Point’s trademarks, essentially admitting it overpaid when it bought the business for $1 billion in late 2015. Constellation previously recorded an $87 million impairment charge to the Ballast Point trademarks in June 2017.

Mahou San Miguel, Founders Brewing Partner to Take Majority Control of Avery Brewing Mahou San Miguel has upped its stake in Colorado’s Avery Brewing, and the Spanish beer company has teamed up with

The deal gives Mahou and Founders a 70 percent controlling interest in the Colorado craft brewery. Brewery founder

its other U.S. craft brewery partner, Michigan’s Founders Brewing, on the new investment. Announced on April 2, Mahou, along with Founders, purchased a 40 percent stake in Avery Brewing for an undisclosed sum. The newly acquired stake will be combined with Mahou’s original 30 percent minority interest in Avery that was purchased in early 2018.

Adam Avery and his father, Larry, will own the remaining 30 percent of the business, but executives from Mahou will now play a bigger role in the “day-to-day” decision making, Adam Avery told BevNET. Mahou also owns a separate 30 percent stake in Founders, which was ranked by the Brewers Association as the 14th largest beer company in the U.S.

NEW PRODUCTS

THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS

Kombucha

Shakes

Virgnia’s Blue Ridge Bucha has launched a limited edition kombucha in partnership with REI Co-op to support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The kombucha is brewed with blackberries and mint, two ingredients found along the Appalachian trail. For more information, please contact Blue Ridge at (540) 221-6500.

Sneakz Organic has introduced Meal2Go complete nutrition shakes for adults, containing a full serving of daily vegetables, 16 g of plant protein, 17 vitamins and minerals, ancient grains, quinoa, ashwagandha and probiotics. Sneakz Meal2Go is available in three flavors – Cinnamon Chocolate Fusion, Cinnamon Vanilla Swirl and Roasted Coffee Blend – with every flavor containing whole carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, beets, spinach and kale. For more information, please contact Sneakz Organic at (561) 529-3089.

Brew Dr. Kombucha’s latest summer seasonal flavor is Flower Power, a blend of hibiscus, orange, lemon, thyme and green tea. The SKU is available now nationwide in 14 oz. and 32 oz. bottles and kegs. For more information, please contact Brew Dr. Kombucha at (503) 235-3656. Odwalla’s latest launch is Smoobucha, combining the taste of smoothies with pasteurized kombucha. Available in three flavors – Citrus & Guava, Berry & Ginger and Apple & Greens – Odwalla Smoobucha features a unique mix of fruits and vegetables, fiber and 500MM CFUs (Colony-Forming Units). Smoobucha is available at Kroger, Albertsons and Safeway for $2.99 per 15.2 oz. bottle. For more information, please contact Odwalla at 1-800-ODWALLA

Functional Dirty Lemon has launched its latest entry in the drinkable beauty category: +retinol beauty elixir, designed to reduce fine lines and increase skin elasticity while reducing inflammation and redness. The drink also contains pineapple, hibiscus flower and ginger. For more information, please contact Dirty Lemon at (917) 588-0640.

Milk Happy Planet is expanding its oatmilk portfolio with Barista Edition Oatmilk and Chocolate Oatmilk, which will be sold at natural food retailers, cafes and grocery retailers across the U.S. Happy Planet also launched single-serve size cartons of its Original, Chocolate and Vanilla Oatmilks For more information, please contact Happy Planet Foods Inc. at (800) 811-3213.

16 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Energy Premium energy drink UPTIME has announced two new flavors: Blood Orange and White Peach Lemonade. Both flavors are available in original cane sugar or sugar free varieties. Blood Orange is available exclusively at 7-11 until June 30, and White Peach Lemonade is available on Amazon and will be distributed nationally. For more information, please contact UPTIME Energy at (800) 441-5656. Monster Energy has released fitness-focused beverage REIGN Total Body Fuel, containing 300 mg of natural caffeine as well as BCAA and electrolytes with zero sugar, calories or artificial flavors or colors. REIGN is available in six flavors: Razzle Berry, Carnival Candy, Peach Fizz, Lemon HDZ, Melon Mania and Sour Apple. For more information, please call Monster Energy at (800) 426-7367.

Coffee Dunkin Donuts launched a new line of Dunkin’ Multi-Serve Iced Coffee in 48 oz. bottles available in two flavors, Original and Vanilla. The new line can be found in the chilled coffee section of mass retailers and grocery stores. For more information, please contact Dunkin Donuts at (800) 859-5339 MediDate Date Seed Coffee, a naturally prebiotic, caffeine-free beverage is now available in

NEW PRODUCTS 10 oz. bottles in four flavors: Original, Cardamom, Oat Milk Latte and 50/50 Cold Brew. For more information, please contact MediDate Coffee at info@medidatecoffee.com

Protein Aloha has announced a new ready-to-drink protein drink, available in three flavors – chocolate sea salt, coconut and vanilla. The protein drinks contain 18 g of protein with 5 g of coconut sugar. Aloha’s protein drink uses a proprietary blend of pea and brown rice proteins with a creamy coconut milk base, and also contains electrolytes, prebiotics and MCT oil. The new protein drinks are available at Target and Aloha. com, and will be available soon on Amazon, with additional distribution to follow at Harris Teeter, Publix, Hy-Vee, and in Albertsons and Safeway divisions. For more information, please contact Aloha at care@aloha.com.

Sparkling Welch’s introduced a new flavor to its sparkling portfolio with the launch of Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Mimosa, made with U.S.-grown grapes, sweetened only with fruit juice, with no added sugar and 80 calories per serving. It is available exclusively at Target stores and on Target.com and is available in 24.5 fl oz. bottles at an SRP of $3.19. For more information, please contact Welch’s at 1-800-340-6870. Craft drink brand Ginseng Up has introduced a line of Mosaic Sparkling Teas, a combination of green or black tea fortified with Premium Korean Ginseng and sweetened with Monk Fruit, with 40 calories per 12 oz. bottle. For more information, please contact Ginseng Up at (508) 799-6278.

CBD Weller has launched CBD Sparkling Water in three fresh flavors: watermelon, black cherry and tangerine, infused with 25 mg of CBD

18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

broad-spectrum hemp extract per can. The line will be available online through the brand website along with natural and conventional retailers including Lucky’s Market, Lassens, Wegmans and other independent retailers. For more information, please contact Weller at (303) 495-6989. Vermont’s TreTap has introduced CBD Sparkling Tree Water in single 11.5 oz. cans, available in Tangerine-Turmeric flavor. Each can contains 25 mg of hemp derived CBD and retails for $5.99. They are available at the flagship Ceres Natural Remedies location in downtown Burlington as well as locations in Middlebury and Brattleboro. For more information, please contact TreTap at (844) 873-8271. Cold-pressed lemonade brand Honeydrop has announced Reset CBD Lemonade, the fourth SKU in its line of CBD Lemonades. Made with 20 mg of premium U.S-grown CBD sourced by Evo Hemp and a teaspoon of raw U.S. honey, the new Reset CBD lemonade contains 4 g of sugar per bottle and is a mix of activated charcoal and cayenne pepper. The product will launch in markets across the country in May. For more information, please contact Honeydrop Beverages at (832)-649-8663.

CSDs Pepsi has introduced three new flavors: berry, lime and mango, marking the first time Pepsi has added a splash of real fruit juice to its cola. All three new flavors are now available in 12 oz. cans in 12-packs at national retailers until June 14. Following that, they will be available at Walmart and Target. For more information, please contact PepsiCo at (914) 253-3150.

Spirits CÎROC’s new addition to its flavor portfolio is Limited Edition Summer Watermelon, made with vodka five times distilled from fine French grapes, finished in a tailor-made copper pot still in Southern France and infused with a distinctive blend of watermelon and other natural fla-

vors. CÎROC Summer Watermelon is available in very limited quantities at select liquor stores, pool bars and rooftops nationwide this summer. For more information, please contact Diageo at +44(0)20 8978 6000. Evan Williams has launched Evan Williams Apple, bottled at 70 proof. The taste is juicy, sweet apple with hints of caramel and light spice, with a long, smooth finish of a green apple and Bourbon blend. Available in 750ml and 50ml sizes, Evan Williams Apple SRP is priced at $14.99. For more information, please contact Evan Williams Bourbon at info@evanwilliams.com. Vodka brand EFFEN has added Rosé and Yuzu Citrus flavors to its lineup, made with 100 percent premium wheat from Northern France and no added sugar or artificial flavors. They are available in markets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $21.99/750mL. For more information, please contact EFFEN at (312) 964-6999. Stoli Vodka’s newest flavor is lime, the first citrus-flavored vodka to be introduced by Stoli in more than a decade. Stole Lime is 75 proof with has a SRP of $19.99 for a 750mL bottle and $22.99 for a 1L bottle. For more information, please contact Stoli Group at (212) 858-9090. Bass Note Sangria is releasing its latest flavor Raspberry Hibiscus this spring. Bass Note, with ABV of 11 percent, is available at retail in select markets including California, Florida and Texas and online shipping to 40 states at $14.99 for 750ml. For more information, please contact Base Note Sangria at (707) 681-5575. Jack Daniel’s is officially introducing Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey to the United States. The whiskey is a doublebarreled and double-mellowed expression of its classic Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, bringing a fusion between warm maple and toasted oak. The product is now available across the US for an SRP of $99.99. For more information, please contact Jack Daniel’s at 1-888-551-5225.

CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY BOTTLED WATER

The functional still brands are moving up. Life WTR, Essentia, even Propel are ahead of category growth at a time when big brands Nestle, Dasani, and Aquafina are slipping a bit. Smart Water continues to be a stalwart for Coke, while Fiji is slowing but hasn’t lost its pulse during its DSD shift. If CORE makes the rankings by this time next year, it could be bad news for the island brand, however. BOTTLED WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$2,970,395,103

12.1%

Dasani

$1,064,890,149

-1.3%

Aquafina

$1,055,551,739

-1.5%

Glaceau Smart Water

$831,076,047

2.8%

Nestlé Pure Life

$800,419,817

-8.5%

Poland Spring

$710,760,476

4.3%

Glaceau Vitamin Water

$488,549,097

-0.4%

Fiji

$430,000,882

-6.5%

Deer Park

$426,089,455

4.6%

Ozarka

$396,553,366

6.2%

Ice Mountain

$322,609,168

9.5%

Zephyrhills

$272,323,463

6.2%

Propel Zero

$238,921,869

12.9%

Life WTR

$227,381,495

36.3%

Glaceau Vitamin Water Zero

$197,860,692

2.7%

Arrowhead

$182,616,054

-8.2%

Essentia

$173,960,616

79.7%

Niagara

$153,861,484

11.4%

Evian

$146,683,685

5.8%

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME Sports Drinks

$6,619,744,251

5.1%

Energy Drinks

$12,568,901,481

9.4%

Bottled Juices

$7,049,493,896

-0.9%

Tea/Coffee

$6,754,767,966

3.8%

Bottled Water

$16,958,669,409

7.4%

Liquid Drink Enhancers

$337,029,303

8.7%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 3/24/19

20 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Coffeeberry® Energy is the patented extract that delivers organic, native caffeine and polyphenols from coffee cherries, not just the coffee bean. ● Made from carefully selected, hand-picked, premium Arabica coffee cherries ● Delivers standardized levels of organic caffeine

● Intentionally designed to retain unique polyphenols of the whole coffee fruit ● Sourced from farms certified by Rainforest Alliance

Organic by nature. Clean by design. Visit us at booth 924, New Orleans, June 3-5

Learn more at futureceuticals.com/coffeeberry-energy or call 888-452-6853.

CHANNEL CHECK BOTTLED FRUIT DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Bai

BRAND

$318,823,545

3.4%

Snapple

$239,163,544

8.3%

Hawaiian Punch

$207,744,703

-1.4%

V8 Splash

$163,973,576

-6.7%

Private Label

$120,593,714

12.0%

Minute Maid

$106,905,576

18.3%

Tampico

$96,128,796

-11.4%

Welch’s

$92,433,859

7.7%

AriZona

$78,397,658

20.7%

Little Hug Fruit Barrels

$60,032,100

-5.1%

ASEPTIC JUICES BRAND

FRESH Thinking

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Vita Coco

$185,440,136

-8.1%

Juicy Juice

$53,992,139

-9.0%

Apple & Eve

$50,243,017

8.4%

Capri Sun

$32,807,487

12.9%

Minute Maid

$31,490,166

-10.3%

Private Label

$21,560,517

-2.2%

Zico

$16,920,242

-20.0%

Motts

$12,695,912

-3.4%

O.N.E.

$11,420,638

-33.0%

Goya

$6,600,735

12.7%

ASEPTIC JUICE DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Capri Sun

BRAND

$363,015,034

-3.9%

Kool Aid Jammers

$269,911,708

1.5%

Honest Kids

$81,720,183

8.5%

Hi-C

$64,943,445

-8.2%

Jumex

$25,506,422

4.6%

Capri Sun Organic

$17,871,828

-15.2%

Private Label

$13,411,784

26.5%

Goya

$11,236,812

9.2%

Petit

$10,657,143

2.0%

Apple & Eve Fruitables

$7,946,125

-41.6%

SPARKLING WATER BRAND

Discover how our beverage ingredients are fuelling the ﬂavors of the future Visit treatt.com or follow us @treattworld 22 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$558,125,484

9.0%

La Croix

$454,768,586

15.4%

Sparkling ICE

$445,631,427

14.0%

Perrier

$283,018,737

4.1%

Polar

$176,783,033

15.4%

San Pellegrino

$147,869,758

9.7%

Bubly

$143,242,160

N/A

Topo Chico

$121,224,974

42.3%

La Croix Curate

$59,068,943

5.8%

Dasani

$58,745,397

1.8%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 3/24/19

SPORTS DRINKS BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Gatorade Perform

$6,539,431,684

-12.5%

Gatorade

$956,287,993

32.4%

Gatorade Frost

$881,458,933

8.9%

Powerade ION4

$752,681,528

-0.5%

BODYARMOR Superdrink

$278,251,040

135.1%

Powerade Zero ION4

$267,268,871

20.4%

Gatorade G2 Perform

$255,182,587

-4.9%

Gatorade Fierce

$224,225,846

-12.1%

Gatorade Flow

$220,081,418

1.4%

Powerade

$187,891,724

9.4%

ENERGY SHOTS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

5 Hour Energy

BRAND

$954,853,528

-0.3%

Tweaker

$20,484,948

5.3%

Stacker 2 Xtra

$15,762,287

4.4% -4.5%

Private Label

$14,311,041

Stacker 2

$9,307,622

-2.5%

Rhino Rush

$8,166,222

-3.0%

Stacker 2 Extreme

$6,769,167

-19.9%

$6,564,551

30.0%

Vital 4U Screamin Energy

$2,749,712

-9.4%

Rip It Energy Fuel

$2,478,779

-11.0%

RTD TEA BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Lipton Pure Leaf

$716,057,501

0.8%

AriZona

$568,130,429

-0.8%

Gold Peak

$403,335,949

3.3%

Lipton Brisk

$368,006,194

0.6%

Monster Rehab

$295,929,084

-0.7%

Lipton

$282,514,119

-1.7%

Snapple

$215,099,889

-3.9%

$170,717,163

-4.5%

Diet Snapple

$154,279,218

-2.3%

AriZona Arnold Palmer

$127,382,366

1.9%

Lipton Diet

CAPPUCCINO BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

Starbucks Frappuccino

$1,088,307,930

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER 0.8%

Starbucks Doubleshot

$625,884,599

-3.9%

Java Monster

$476,540,844

20.8%

Coca Cola Dunkin’ Donuts

$154,128,962

-1.7%

Starbucks

$85,992,910

37.5%

Private Label

$56,240,018

33.8%

Monster Caffé

$52,319,664

N/A

Startbucks Cold Brew

$42,177,209

26.1%

Coca Cola McCafé

$36,366,720

N/A

Starbucks Doubleshot Light

$31,809,128

6.7%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 3/24/19

The largest companies in the beverage industry already trust PurCaf. So, why wait to formulate with PurCaf?

appliedfoods.com/caffeine 23

SHOW PREVIEW BY BEVNET STAFF

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

2019 Summer

Jacob Javits Center

Trade Show:

Over 25,000 buyers

Fancy Food Show

New York, NY

June 23 – 25, 2019

and 2,600 exhibitors

ALPHABETICAL EXHIBITOR LIST Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

5110

Halen Brands

5457

Polar Beverages

3604

Alkazone Global Inc.

145

Harmless Harvest

5121

Purity Organic TM

6061

ALO Drink by SPI West Port, Inc.

4918

Harney & Sons Tea Company

5828

Q Drinks

6164

Asarasi, Inc.

1667

HealthVerve Food Manufacturing USA

1644

RISE Brewing Co.

4512

Asterion Beverages, Inc.

5539

Hella Cocktail Co.

6163

ROOT Crafted Mixers, LLC

4306

B-Tea Beverage, LLC

5588

HFACTOR

5774

Shire City Herbals

4814

BCGA Concept Corp

6116

Holy Kombucha, Inc.

5945

Silk Road Teas

5574

Bittermilk LLC

5847

ITO EN (North America) INC.

5806

Smart Juices, LLC

5212

Buddha Teas

5743

Joe Tea & Joe Chips

5727

Spindrift Beverage Co. Inc.

6208

Ceres Fruit Juices

5430

KeHE Distributors LLC

2160

Stirrings, LLC

6209

Chameleon Cold Brew

5964

Kohana Coffee

5338

Suja Life LLC

6038

Dona Chai LLC

6144

Lifeway Foods, Inc.

5833

teapigs

5550

Dora's Naturals, Inc.

3834

Love Beets USA LLC

6416

The Pickle Juice Company

5860

Elmhurst Milked, LLC

4100

Mansi Inc.

5618

Toast Beverages LLC

6121 4820

Affinity Beverages LLC

Epicurean Beverages

152

MatchaBar

5573

Treo Brands LLC

Evershine Food and Beverage

3429

Milkadamia

5877

Vink & Beri LLC

1768

Fentimans North America, Inc.

3822

Mingle Beverage Company LLC

5841

Vive Organic

4408

Flow Water Inc.

5583

Navy Hill

6334

Wandering Bear Coffee

5957

Formula Four Beverages (USA) Inc.

5460

New Age Beverages Corp.

Wild Tonic

3618

Four Blue Palms, Inc.

5456

nutpods

5859

Zest Tea, LLC

3839

Goldthread LLC

3710

OKF Corporation

5926

GoLive Products

3845

Orchid Island Juice Company

2141

Grady's Cold Brew

4420

Owl's Brew

6147

GuS - Grown-up Soda

5613

Pocas International Corp.

4917

351

BevNET, NOSH and Taste Radio will be interviewing, broadcasting and filming throughout the event. If you’re attending or exhibiting, let’s connect! Reach out at news@bevnet.com, news@nosh.com, or ask@tasteradio.com

24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

BANG “FIT ” ENERGY ARRIVES WITH A

BY BRAD AVERY

In December 2018, a summary of monthly Nielsen convenience store data showed Wall Street analysts a curious new entrant to its energy drink category survey. Bang – the Florida-based fitness energy brand produced by VPX Sports – emerged on the scanner for the first time, sporting a gaudy 914.7% growth for the four week period, reporting $178 million in sales for the year-to-date. Four months later, this past March, the brand was still rising by triple digits, reporting blazing 748.3% growth for that four-week period and $345 million in year-to-date sales. But the curious new entry wasn’t just in Nielsen, it was in stores too, with retailers rushing to place reorders in order to meet the sudden demand. “I have not witnessed a product movement like Bang in the past decade,” one retailer was quoted by Wells Fargo Securities. “We bring case stacks in at a time and it almost seems to vanish. Managers are calling almost daily to increase their flavor assortment.” For a brand that launched in 2012, Bang’s emergence as a serious competitor to established energy category leaders has felt like a seven-year overnight success, but the conversation around the space has shifted dramatically in the short period since. In Wells Fargo’s first quarter ‘Beverage Buzz’ survey, released in April, convenience retailers reported that sales of category leader Monster were in decline, while 90% of respondents said they currently carry or plan to carry Bang as demand skyrockets. Bang’s slow-then-sudden rise, however, makes sense within the context of a broader, years-long food and beverage trend toward fitness and better-for-you products. Though the brand’s success is remarkable, it’s one of many emerging fitness energy drink brands that include Celsius, C4, Kill Cliff, LifeAID, EBOOST, and recent entrants including Monster’s Reign line and the Keurig Dr Pepper-backed Adrenaline Shoc.

26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

While the broader energy category is experiencing muted growth expectations, these performance focused brands – varyingly formulated to feature healthier ingredients for a pre-workout amp up such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and L-Citrulline, along with high caffeine content and low sugar – are attracting new and more diverse consumers to the category, and potentially laying the groundwork for a new wave of energy drinks. BANG BUSTS OUT Speaking with BevNET, Peter Strahm, founder and CEO of New Jersey distributor Drink King, said Bang’s rapid growth came after a number of recent decisions made by VPX Sports, including a can redesign and a large social media campaign that launched last year. Drink King only started distributing the brand in November – right as the expansion began – and Strahm, a former vice president and general manager at Red Bull during its U.S. rollout, said the brand’s combination of flavor, functionality, and “coolness factor” reminded him of that company’s early days. Like Red Bull, Strahm said, Bang’s focus has been on “up and down the street” independent accounts. For Drink King at least, independents makes up three-quarters to 80% of its Bang customers, while VPX Sports itself has focused on building a strong nationwide DSD network. While there are still major grocery and chain c-store accounts the brand has not yet tapped, Strahm said the large accounts it is in are frequently reordering. “We had one of our Walmart store managers build a display for themselves because our product came and our merchandiser was a half an hour behind them and they didn’t want to wait,” Strahm said. “Think about that! I’ve never had a manager of a Walmart do the job themselves, it just doesn’t happen.” Currently, Strahm said, Bang’s marketing has been limited to social media and in-store displays. There’s “really no other push,”

he said, citing a lack of events, sampling, and point-of-sale placements. “This is really all happening off of the strength of the brand, which to me is a huge, huge indicator of what fuels future success,” he said. “All of those other things, that’s window dressing now. But you’re going to add extra media points to this, you’re going to add point-ofsale and coolers will be out there. All of that stuff is going to make its way into the system over the next year and it’s just going to enhance it more.” In an email to BevNET, Bang CEO Jack Owoc said the company is anticipating it will continue growing at a rapid clip, noting that earlier this year the brand saw its first single day sales of over $5 million – a touchstone that is now used as a minimum daily benchmark. The company has now constructed a 250,000 square foot warehouse, which is the first of three planned buildings which will total 1 million square feet between them. VPX is also installing seven new 2,000-cans-per-minute production lines, three of which will be operational by the fourth quarter. Owoc added that the expansion comes as the company is seeking to maintain tighter control over its production, calling Bang “far too scientifically advanced for most third party facilities.” But alongside the hype over the brand’s growth, Bang has also been mired in multiple lawsuits with its chief competitor, Monster. In September, Monster filed a false advertising complaint against Bang, with attorneys accusing it of being “modern day snake oil” and citing alleged claims that the product could treat chronic illnesses. In March, VPX Sports hit Monster with a suit of their own, accusing Monster of trade dress infringement over the design of their competing fitness energy brand Reign, which VPX believes hews too close to Bang’s vibrant color design. Bang’s CEO Jack Owoc has also not shied away from making the rivalry a public affair and using the controversy to promote the brand by painting competitors as being afraid of Bang’s organic popularity. In an April 24 post on his LinkedIn account, Owoc wrote that Bang’s growth rate “has the competition freaking out and going into a tailspin.” He welcomed the legal attacks, adding that “not only are we not afraid, our legal counterattack against Monster will be unrelenting.” Monster announced it would enter the fitness energy space with Reign in February. CEO Rodney Sacks said in the company’s fourth quarter and full year earnings report that the line would be a standalone product, and not a line extension for the core Monster brand, adding that it would enable the company to “position

28 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

OTHER TRENDS: NOOTROPICS & NATURAL While performance energy may be having its breakout moment, smaller brands are bringing new innovations to the energy category. One recent breakout has been nootropics – an umbrella term for a variety of adaptogens, synthetic compounds, and socalled “smart drugs” that promise to enhance cognitive function with improved focus and memory without feeling the hyperdrive from high caffeine content. Among the fastest growing products in this subset is FocusAid, a line extension from LifeAid, which includes supplements such as Alpha-GPC (which promotes memory formation), acetyl-Lcarnitine (for alertness), and GABA (for calmness and sleep). FocusAid has received increased distribution this year, including a chainwide expansion into Walmart this past winter after a successful 429 store test last year as well as 15 Kroger divisions. The company recently reformulated the line to double its caffeine content to 100 mg per can. According to VP of sales Dan Leja, LifeAid projects the line to grow more than 500 percent in 2019 and ultimately make up 40 percent of the company’s total retail placements. But FocusAid is not the only energy-adjacent RTD brand playing in the nootropic space. New entrants such as Synapse and LGND have launched in the past year promoting alternatives to traditional energy with nootropic blends. EBOOST, which targets the fitness set, has also introduced nootropics into its RTD formulations to improve functionality. Brain function has also become a popular innovation for shots brands with companies such as Brain Juice, DrinkTru, and TruBrain. Outside of nootropics, natural energy drinks continue to evolve, particularly in a marketplace where cold brew coffee continues to gain placements in grab-and-go coolers as a cleaner energy option. At Natural Products Expo West 2019, several young brands unveiled energy-adjacent line extensions using cascara – a caffeinated beverage made from the rind of coffee cherries – including Up To Good and Riff Cold Brewed. The two new lines accompany other recent entrants into the emerging cascara category, which includes brands such as Nomad, Slingshot Coffee Co., and Peloton, all of which launched products last year. Larger beverage players are also looking to grow their natural energy lines. Following All Market Inc.’s acquisition of Runa last year, the company announced a rebrand of the guayusa product in March with an accompanying marketing campaign. At Expo West, Anheuser-Busch InBev sales director Allison Wilson told BevNET that HiBall’s sparkling energy waters has received expanded distribution in the natural channel, most recently entering Sprouts. “Natural channel [sales for HiBall] has been growing double digits,” Wilson said. “We’ve had stellar growth out of Whole Foods, they’ve been an incredible partner to us. We’re growing 20-plus percent in the first two months of the year. Last year we finished in the high teens, so the business is very healthy.”

the brands differently and get more shelf space.” While Wells Fargo Securities analyst Bonnie Herzog has several times questioned whether the line could be “too little too late” for Monster, the line has helped lift the company’s sales since launch, with ACV at 27% in all channels and 69% in c-stores as of April 20. POWDERED BRANDS GO RTD According to Wells Fargo, a September analysis of the fitness energy subcategory showed that among convenience consumers 28% were shifting from one brand to another, while 18% were new to the category and 54% were existing consumers increasing their spend.

ENERGY DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

RED BULL

BRAND

$2,917,503,512

2.0%

MONSTER ENERGY

$1,757,684,125

8.2%

RED BULL SUGAR FREE

$783,790,176

8.4% 12.7%

MONSTER ENERGY ZERO ULTRA

$690,489,383

NOS

$452,602,060

6.3%

VPX BANG

$437,876,663

807.4%

MONSTER ENERGY LO CARB

$283,015,781

-2.7%

MONSTER MEGA ENERGY

$237,219,796

-1.2%

RED BULL THE BLUE EDITION

$225,497,619

12.9%

RED BULL THE YELLOW EDITION

$206,479,455

17.5%

ROCKSTAR

$204,319,217

-7.3%

MONSTER JUICE

$182,205,050

-3.2%

ROCKSTAR PURE ZERO

$168,585,086

12.1%

MONSTER ENERGY ULTRA SUNRISE

$164,075,138

13.3%

RED BULL THE SUMMER EDITION

$162,023,456

136.4%

MONSTER

$150,402,201

101.9%

MONSTER HYDRO

$137,888,514

149.7%

ROCKSTAR PUNCHED

$130,667,316

-1.7%

RED BULL THE GREEN EDITION

$125,999,677

-6.8%

RED BULL THE RED EDITION

$125,594,717

12.9%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 3/24/19

Though Bang may be grabbing the headlines, existing brands are feeling the lift as well. Last year, sports nutrition company Nutrabolt launched a sparkling RTD version of its eight-year-old preworkout powder brand C4 in 16 oz. cans. Speaking to BevNET, Declan Duggan, VP of Beverage East for the company, said that because the brand has long been established in the fitness channel sales of the RTD line have sharply risen in the past few months. In March, the line shipped nearly $2.4 million and Nutrabolt has quickly put its weight behind supporting its beverage division. “I think the consumer was ready for this some time back and it was brought to them in one form via Bang, which has a fun, high energy,” Duggan told BevNET. “However, I think the consumer in general is looking for segmentation in energy.” C4, which has wide distribution in the fitness channel in ac-

30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

counts like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, is now in the process of establishing a distribution network to service conventional retail and convenience. In New York the brand has replaced Monster in Big Geyser, on the West Coast it has signed with Haralambos, DPI Specialty Foods, and Valleywide. In Colorado the brand is carried by New Age and in Texas it is serviced by Kimball Distributing. The RTD space has also allowed C4 to expand its consumer base beyond the fitness consumer, Duggan said, noting the brand does not want to “pigeon hole” itself. “We want to cast a wider net,” he said. “Our cans don’t say ‘pre-workout,’ they say ‘energy to perform.’ Workouts come in all formats and personally speaking, I’ve been at convenience stores early morning and watched manual laborers, roofers, landscapers all come through and they get a large bottle of water and pick up two energy drinks on their way out the door. If we have something that helps with muscular endurance, cognitive ability and just general performance as well as having some caffeine in it that’s something that type of person needs.” EBOOST, which has marketed a powdered pre-workout product for about 10 years, also recently made the entrance into RTD. CEO Josh Taekman told BevNET that the brand’s “cult following” in the New York market has allowed the brand to go deep with a “zip code by zip code” strategy within the metro area. Starting in Brooklyn, Taekman said EBOOST’s RTD line has been targeting gym and fitness accounts within the city, including Barry’s Bootcamp, Equinox Fitness, and 432 House. The line is also tapped into the Arizona Beverage Company system, Taekman said, utilizing the tea giant’s co-packers, manufacturers, distribution network, and merchandisers. “We were really not trying to steal share from Red Bull and Monster,” Taekman said. “Without data, the feeling was that the people who drink it are going to continue to drink it because that’s what they grew up on. But it’s this new generation of kids who aren’t starting there, but they’re starting in the bullseye of functional beverage categories whether that’s a matcha or a coffee or caffeinated tea. But what we’re finding is that when we’re demoing it out to people who drink Red Bull or drink Monster they’re loving the taste, they’re loving the key ingredients.” WHERE CONSUMERS GO RETAILERS FOLLOW Launched in 2005, Celsius has had a slow journey to nationwide prominence that is now taking off with a rush of new distribution opportunities and retail expansions. Speaking to BevNET,

CEO John Fieldly – who first joined the company as CFO in 2012 – said although traditionally the bulk of energy drink sales have come from the convenience channel, Celsius has exceeded buyers’ expectations with its multi-channel strategy spanning mass to drug. Since last year the brand has received chainwide expansions in retailers in multiple channels including Target, 7-Eleven, Dick’s Sporting Goods, CVS, and Rite Aid. “These retailers all started testing this category back in 2018,” Fieldly said. “CVS gave us a 500 store test back in 2018, now we’ve rolled out chainwide for 2019. It was the same thing in Rite Aid, a test in Rite Aid with a few cans in every store, now they’re rolling us out to all stores with better-for-you GNC coolers.” Fieldly credited Bang’s rise as helping lift the category, noting the brand’s success “gives additional credibility” and is complementary to brands like Celsius. Celsius is currently building out a nationwide DSD network which includes distributors for Anheuser-Busch InBev, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper – an opportunity that arose after Bang set the tone for growth in the energy space. However, Celsius doesn’t view Bang as a direct competitor. While Bang has stayed within the traditional energy marketing realm by targeting younger males, Celsius EVP of Marketing Matt Khan said the company has managed to expand the category by breaking away from male-focused advertising and

generating a 50/50 male-female split among their base through marketing campaigns that emphasize fitness and inclusivity. While the brand built recognition with celebrity influencers like rapper Flo Rida and actor Mario Lopez, its strategy has shifted toward “micro influencers” with 15,000-100,000 online followers and entrenched credibility in fitness circles. The brand, Khan added, is also resonating beyond the energy category’s standard 18-24 year old male consumer and reaching older shoppers in the 25-44 year old demographic. “It’s not meant to be a diss against some of the older established players, but dirt bike riding, bungee jumping, things of that nature are becoming a little passe,” Khan said. “Most people want to see marketing and see brands they can really identify with.”

BRAND NEWS ENERGY DRINKS

Pink and Blue USA is set to launch in the U.S. in May. The product, which is currently manufactured and sold exclusively in Europe, will be imported to the company’s Las Vegas headquarters. Boston America. Inspired by the hit show Rick and Morty, Boston America has introduced a licensed line of Fleeb Juice. Based on a fictitious product featured in the show, each 12 oz. can is filled with bubblegum flavored energy drink. This product can be found at specialty retailers such as Spencer Gifts and FYE stores. UPTIME has launched two new flavors, each available in cane sugar and sugarfree varieties – Blood Orange and White Peach Lemonade. Nomad Energy, a cascara-based natural energy drink, launched DSD distribution in New York City with Dora’s Naturals, and entered the Whole Foods local program in April. Go Hard Energy Drink announced that it will be sold at on-campus retailers at the University of Southern California. Bang has launched Bang Shots, a 3 oz. carbonated energy shot containing super creatine, CoQ10, caffeine, B-Vitamins, electrolytes and branch chain amino acids (BCAAs). +Red Elixir Natural Energy has added new DSD partners Core Mark, McLane, KeHE, DPI and Eurpac in strategic growth regions throughout the U.S., delivering to key retailers like Safeway, Circle K, Gelson’s and military bases across the country. +Red Elixir Natural Energy has also launched with Amazon and other select e-commerce platforms, and will be focusing this year on marketing, specifically social media platforms and micro-influencers. EnerBee Organic Energy Tea has launched a brand new can design and introduced a new 6-pack format. It has also increased distribution in Whole Foods Market and H-E-B, and will be available in major airports and motorway service plazas be-

32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

ginning this summer via Areas and Vistar. It will also be extending its line-up with new flavors. Monster has launched new Dragon Teas in white, green and yerba mate flavors, which are now available nationally. The brand also introduced fitness-focused energy drink REIGN Total Body Fuel, available in six flavors. BRWD Refreshing energy has been certified vegan. It has grown distribution with Driscoll Foods and in Northern California with Pod Foods. The Ginger People has released a line of shelf-stable, caffeine-free energy shots that will be sold in 2 oz. glass bottles and available in three flavors: Wild Turmeric, Lemon & Cayenne and Coconut Diabolo Beverages’ Energizing Loco line is now available in grab-and-go coolers at Meijer stores. The product is now available at over 3,000 accounts, including 1,000 Safeway/Albertsons stores as well as Sprouts, HEB, Save Mart, Lucky and Bristol Farms. Electric Monkey, moving away from 8.4 oz. slim cans, is now available in 7.5 oz. cans. Performance Caffeine. New natural energy shot Performance Caffeine is now available in Watermelon Punch and Beast Mode Berry flavors, and can be purchased online via Amazon, Mr. Checkout and at performancecaffeineshot.com. O2 Sports Recovery Drink recently expanded into over 400 Kroger locations and more than 50 Whole Foods Market stores in 10 new states– Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Bulletproof, a brand aimed at supporting American military veterans, will launch a new cola energy drink in June in 12 oz. cans. 5:30. Organic energy drink 5:30 has updated its packaging and are currently

working with a new marketing agency to assist in increasing brand awareness. Rockstar has launched Xdurance Performance Energy, which contains 300 mg of caffeine per can and is available in four flavors: Cotton Candy, Super Sours Green Apple, Peach+ Iced Tea and Kiwi Strawberry. Beaver Buzz Energy. Celebrates its 14th year in business this June, Beaver Buzz Energy is now available in store shelves across Canada and in the U.S., and also via Amazon. Celsius experienced record annual revenue of $52.6 million in 2018 and recently announced a nationwide expansion into over 10,000 drug store channel locations after a successful 500+ store test. Celsius also recently launched Sparkling Fuji Apple Pear flavor. BAWLS Guarana. Caffeinated soda BAWLS Guarana is now available for purchase in all Kroger Divisions across the United States, with the addition of Ralphs Grocery Co. and Delta Division to follow in June 2019. CRUNK!!! Energy. The makers of CRUNK!!! Energy have reformulated the naturally flavored beverage to include real cane sugar. CRUNK!!! Energy is now available at www.crunkenergy.com, Amazon and select retailers. Zest’s line of clean energy teas is now available in 7-Eleven Mid-Atlantic stores and is expanding distribution in the greater New York City region with their new distribution partner, Dora’s Naturals. The product will also be expanding into Harris Teeter and Whole Foods Mid Atlantic in Q2 of this year, with additional chains to be announced soon. Steaz has launched three new energy flavors – Yumberry, Zero Calorie Pear Pomegranate and Zero Pear Pomegranate – now available on Amazon Distribution and at Albertsons Texas and Fresh Thyme.

Sunshine Beverages is expanding west into select markets, including Colorado earlier this year. As part of the western launch, Sunshine has entered into a distribution partnership with New Age Beverages. Marquis. Organic energy drink Marquis is continuing its national expansion with new DSD partnerships in Texas and San Diego. 28 BLACK is now available in the southeastern United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and can be ordered directly from new local distribution partner Rock Solid Distribution. Kanguru recently celebrated its first year on the market in Australia and is now available in supermarkets, petrol and convenience stores and now on Amazon.com.au Tru. Functional shot brand Tru recently launched six SKUs – an upgraded original variety and five new functions in different flavors. CLEAN Cause sparkling yerba mate is partnering with Columbia Distributing to increase distribution in Washington and Oregon. CLEAN Cause gives 50 percent of profits to support individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and this expansion will increase the number of sober living scholarships awarded in the Pacific Northwest. Red Bull launched Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze nationwide on April 29 for a limited time. The drink features tropical fruit and coconut flavors and is available in 8.4 fl. oz. and 12 fl. oz. single-serve cans. RUNA. Clean energy drink RUNA launched within the KDP distribution network in March 2019, and launched a media campaign in New York City and Los Angeles to support the distribution rollout. New flavors of RUNA Original and RUNA Zero will debut in 2020.

It’s been about a year since Vita Coco CEO Mike Kirban announced his company’s intention to take on the world. On stage at BevNET Live Summer 2018 in New York, Kirban cut a composed figure. Despite having to spend time and energy swatting down rumors of the company’s imminent sale and defending its reputation in the wake of the “Squidgate” controversy, he took it all in stride. Though most in the audience were unaware, Kirban already had big plans in motion. Nearly 12 months later, Kirban’s grand strategy has started to come into view, though maybe not the way many expected. Last summer, All Market acquired natural energy drink brand Runa, in which Kirban has been a longtime investor. But a string of further acquisitions hasn’t followed, as Vita Coco has instead turned towards fueling its internal innovation pipeline with new products that can bring the brand into new categories and retail channels. In addition to fueling the company’s own ambitions, these innovations have put the company in pole position to drive growth in Keurig Dr Pepper’s (KDP) allied brands portfolio – and throughout KDP itself – after a year of change. Coconut Water Market Check-In While coconut water remains a $400 million category, an examination of sales data provided by market research group SPINS shows two divergent paths for refrigerated and shelf-stable varieties. Even as the former saw sales increase 4.8% in the past year, a nearly 10% drop in sales of the latter has strained overall growth. Total U.S. sales fell 8.4% in the past 12 months, encompassing both pure coconut water and blends. 34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

In the broader market context, shelfstable coconut water is still the larger segment, with dollar volume of $355.1 million as compared to $45.2 million for refrigerated products. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that innovations within the category are struggling to make a positive impact. Both refrigerated and shelf-stable coconut water blends, while small segments, have experienced sales declines across the board; After generating over $52 million in sales in the year prior, refrigerated coconut water juice blends fell 20.6% last year (approximately $41 million). Other fusions have also fared poorly – shelf-stable and refrigerated blends with coffee were down 28.9% and 88.9 percent, respectively. Retail positioning is also changing for the category. Having established a presence initially through the natural channel, coconut water (refrigerated and shelf-stable) is down 10.7% in those retailers over the past year. Meanwhile, growth is up 8.9% in the convenience channel, which now represents over $19 million of category sales. Refrigerated coconut waters have gained ground across retail channels, with 6.2% growth in MULO the biggest driver. Vita Coco itself saw total multi-outlet (including convenience stores) sales of its aseptic products decline 8.1% over a 52week period ended on March 24, according to data from IRI. The company posted approximately $185.4 million in sales during the period. Though sales fell, Vita Coco still outpaced rivals such as Zico (down 20%) and O.N.E. (down 33%) in the aseptic coconut water segment. In the refrigerated segment, Vita Coco offshoot Coco Community enjoyed 988% growth and posted approximately

$7.2 million in sales during the 52-week period. Harmless Harvest remains the largest player within that segment, holding around 34% dollar share of the market and growing its sales 20.7% during the period to over $19 million. Sales of refrigerated coconut waters from Zico grew 43.4% to approximately $3.6 million. Having spent over a decade introducing retailers and consumers to coconut water, Vita Coco’s stake in the future of the category is greater than perhaps any time in its history. As its traditional competitors have seen falling volumes, the company sees opportunities to both consolidate in existing segments and expand into new ones. Over the last 12 months, Vita Coco has calibrated its innovation pipeline to produce items specifically aimed at high growth retail channels like convenience. At the same time, market trends, such as sugar reduction and functional ingredients, are also shaping the future of its portfolio. “Through 2016, we were really slow to innovate using this amazing raw material we have,” he said, noting that the company cracks 2.5 million coconuts per day. “So in 2018, we started to really turn (it) on.” Building With KDP As it looks to the future, Vita Coco can work with the security of knowing one of the world’s biggest beverage companies has its back. The impact of last year’s merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple is still reverberating through the beverage industry, but particularly within the latter company’s allied brands portfolio. The group – a wide variety of independent brands across beverage catego-

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ries that are distributed through KDP’s nationwide DSD system – has seen several high profile departures (Fiji, BodyArmor), as well as additions like Forto . The shakeup has also altered Vita Coco’s role within the KDP ecosystem. Once an upstart, the brand now represents one of the more consistent long-term performers in the company’s stable. In some ways, it’s business as usual; Kirban said the company has been relatively unaffected by its transition from DPS to the newly formed KDP, and praised CEO Bob Gamgort as a “real professional.” Yet in other ways, Vita Coco’s uptick in output has turned it into a more prominent piece in KDP’s overall innovation machine. In the last two years, Kirban said, the company launched “maybe one or two” new pallet positions through KDP’s distribution network; this year, that number is set to rise to 18. That has brought the two parties closer. “We meet on a regular basis, which we weren’t doing before,” Kirban said. “We talk about innovation and we show them the things we are working on. We talk about where there is opportunity in their system and network and areas that they want to go deeper in.” KDP’s distribution expertise will be an important component in Vita Coco’s push to expand its c-store presence. The introduction of a 16.9 oz. PET bottle format has helped; after launching as a 7-Eleven exclusive in April 2018, the line is rolling out to convenience retailers across the country this month. Kirban called it a “game changer,” noting that the brand’s 7-Eleven business was down 12-15% in the 12 months prior to the launch. Sales are up 40% since the bottle hit shelves, despite the fact that Tetra Pak units also continued to be sold in more stores alongside them. Runa has also benefited from Vita Coco’s relationship with KDP. In April, the beverage giant picked up the energy drink for national distribution, providing a bridge from the product’s traditional home in natural retailers to c-stores, mass and conventional retailers. In turn, other innovations have been directed towards other channels. Vita Coco’s sparkling coconut water line, sold in 12 oz. aluminum cans in four flavors, launched as an exclusive Kroger item last April. The line is now available at stores in New York and Los Angeles. Vita Coco also launched 36 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

a new version of its flagship coconut water made with pressed coconut in March. Kirban noted that distribution agreements with KDP aren’t necessarily baked into any potential acquisitions All Market might make, but the “regular dialogue” between the two parties increases the chances of finding common ground. Yet he also noted that KDP handles only approximately 35% of Vita Coco’s total domestic distribution, which gives the brand a range of route-to-market tactics to employ as appropriate for its various releases. “We went through Kroger direct last year (for sparkling) and went DSD for two markets through KDP,” Kirban said. “With PET, we went through McClane Company last year into 7-Eleven. It

Coco has piloted prior launches. Kirban said he believes that by next year, large retailers will be “willing and able” to start adding CBD products in their sets – that is, if anyone is willing to move first. “I think it’s close,” he said of widespread retail adoption for CBD products. “We are talking with retailers about doing some market-specific testing on CBD and I think giving them the ability to get their feet wet with it and see the reaction from consumers will help break the barrier of brands getting into larger national retailers. I think that’s something that we as a larger brand are willing to take on. Our ability to do things outside of the norm from a distribution standpoint enables us to be that guinea pig (in the market).”

worked, so this year we feel like we can double-down on PET for c-stores and we are doing that in partnership with KDP.”

To help retailers make that transition, Kirban said Vita Coco is discussing market specific tests for its CBD products to help them understand consumer responses. Despite the momentum behind CBD-infused beverages – sales are expected to reach $260 million by 2022, according to Cannacord – the nascent marketplace, retail apprehension and the FDA’s shifting position on regulating such products means Vita Coco’s gambit is still a risk, but one that Kirban acknowledged as worthwhile. “I think that (entering CBD) is something that we as a larger brand are willing to take this chance on,” he said. “With our ability to do things outside of the norm from a distribution standpoint, it enables us to be that guinea pig. It will be beneficial for our business but also for anyone else who wants to play in that space moving forward.” Yet that doesn’t mean Vita Coco is deliberately taking risks: Kirban said, after a discussion with his in-house counsel, that the product will be marketed as “hemp-infused” rather than explicitly calling out CBD.

Playing in CBD At Natural Products Expo West 2019 in March, Vita Coco shared an early look at a new innovation in one of the hottest segments of the market: CBD-infused drinks. The launch, set for this summer, represents one of the first entries by any of the major beverage companies into the nascent space, further underscoring the brand’s importance to KDP’s broader ambitions. For Kirban, moving into CBD simply makes sense. “I think it’s a great place for the brand to play,” Kirban said. “It plays well with our brand heritage and the emotional draw and everything else.” The product, available in 12 oz. cans and in a single Cloved Orange flavor, contains 20 mg of full spectrum hemp extract. The line will begin testing in select regions this summer, similar to how Vita

BRAND NEWS COCONUT/PLANT WATER

Coco Luxe. In July, Coco Luxe is launching 100 percent single origin coconut water with fortified functional ingredients across the U.S. Vita Coco is launched new flavors of its slim bottle line in April, and is set to launch new flavors of its sparkling line in Q4 2019 and 2020, and of its pressed coconut water in 2020. The sparkling line is launching across all channels this year including Whole Foods market, and the brand will launch a localized media campaign in Boston this summer. Vita Coco is currently developing a hemp-infused beverage aiming for the launch by late summer 2019. Green Coco has updated its packaging with a bright, tropical design that will hit shelves in May. ROAR Organic’s distribution is increasing from 3,500 doors to an estimated 10,000 doors by the beginning of summer with the addition of Duane Reade, Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel, Vons, Randall’s, Tom Thumb, Lucky, Ahold, Select 7-Elevens, Acme, Earth Fare, Lucky’s Colorado and Harmon’s Utah. Packaging, website and a social media campaign refresh will be coinciding with the expanded distribution. ProBalance. Along with launching a new Tropical Coconut flavor, ProBalance has partnered with Associated Food Service in the Utah region and Mountain States. Bai Cocofusions continues to drive growth, growing at 24.1 percent year-over-year and contributing $26.4 million in absolute growth dollars while contributing the top four growth SKUs in the coconut water category. COCO5 is strengthening both its executive team and its North American distribution footprint. David Kroll, the former CMO for MillerCoors, joined the company in January as its new CEO, and the brand is now expanding retail availability with new placements in Whole Foods, Circle K, Kroger, Sobey’s and Costco. Kokomío is launching its line of whole coconut beverages – which includes Whole Coconut + Hemp, Whole Coconut + Pro-

38 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

biotics and Whole Coconut + Cold Brew Coffee – in the U.S. Blue Monkey’s latest launches include Sparkling Coconut Water with Passion Fruit and Coconut Milk Beverage. It has also launched its coconut water in cobalt blue glass bottles. Taste Nirvana has launched Cocoza, a new beverage combining pure sparkling water with all-natural coconut nectar. Harmless Harvest. This June, Harmless Harvest will expand its offerings at Whole Foods Markets nationally with a 12 oz. 4-pack of its signature Harmless Harvest coconut water. Buddha Brands has redesigned its packaging to feature a new, symbolic representation of the Buddha with streamlined designs for better brand recognition. Buddha Brands has also introduced two new flavors to its sparkling coconut water line – Lime and Peach Mango. Coco Taps’ ready-to-drink coconuts are now available at all Terrible Herbst locations in Las Vegas Coco Tap, and its coconut cocktails are available all summer long at KAOS at the Palms Resort Casino. The company is partnering with Miracle Flights later this summer to raise funds for the charity. It will also be launching fresh-tapped coconut water vending machines. Loco Coffee is launching its second SKU, Cold Brew coffee + Maple Water. Loco launched its first SKU, Cold Brew Coffee + Coconut Water in June of last year and has gained distribution to Whole Foods, Wegmans, Fairway Markets and Big Y. Kalena, a sparkling coconut water brand, added two new flavors – acai and blood orange – now available in select regions of Target. Kalena will also be on shelves at Amazon Go stores this fall. Obrigado. Brazilian coconut water company Obrigado recently gained distribution in Canada. The company has also launched a coconut milk line, available in original and mango-passion fruit flavors.

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At a time when overall alcohol consumption in the U.S. is down, the flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment seems to be weathering the storm as consumer consumption trends favor flavor and the purchasing power of millennials looking for affordable luxuries continues to drives sales. According to IRI, the FMB segment has grown more than +13 percent per year since 2017. In particular, the segment seems to be taking market share from beer. “Malt beverages have been impacted much less than traditional yellow lager as consumer tastes are shifting towards alcoholic beverages with more flavor,” says Sanjiv Gajiwala, vice president of marketing at Mark Anthony Brands, producers of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw. “In fact, what we consider to be ‘Flavored Beer’ is growing 6% while ‘Non-Flavored Beer’ is down 1%.” The FMB segment is proving especially important to companies like Boston Beer Co. and Anheuser-Busch (AB) as it overindexes in the drinker demographics with whom beer traditionally struggles, including women, LDA and multicultural consumers. “FMB currently accounts for nearly 5% of the overall beer industry volume and has seen its growth surge in recent years, up double-digits in volume in 2018,” states a report issued by Goldman Sachs last month. The firm forecasts growth to accelerate this year with volume gains of 18.5% as a result of distribution wins and new product launches that are backed by big bucks.

40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

The double-digit growth is also projected to continue in 2020 with the firm estimating volume up 11.5%. The trends driving the FMB segment are familiar. Consumers are looking for premium products that offer fewer calories and more flavor – ‘healthier’ alternatives to spirits and tastier alternatives to beer. SELTZER IS BUBBLING UP Amongst the hottest trends in the segment is seltzer. “Boston Beer and Mark Antony Brands currently enjoy leading positions in the FMB segment per Nielsen data,” notes the Goldman Sachs report. “For Mark Anthony, White Claw continues to dominate the spiked seltzer category and is growing triple digits per Nielsen despite increased competition from both larger and smaller companies… We see the continued surge in spiked seltzer to be the key driver of FMB growth.” Beer Business Daily reported in April that the hard seltzer category share of total beer dollar sales is now 2.1–a full point larger than cider, according to IRI data for the 4 weeks ending April 14, in total US multi-outlet and convenience, and White Claw has nine of the top-selling 14 hard seltzer SKUs based on dollar sales. “The exploding hard seltzer segment is a result of the growing shift toward ‘better-for-you’ products,” notes Gajiwala. “White Claw, the leading brand with a 54% share of hard seltzer sales, offers consumers a refreshing, low-calorie, great-

tasting alternative to their usual light beer, white wine or vodka soda.” While sales for FMBs have traditionally come from the off-premise, White Claw has experienced notable growth in the onpremise. The company reports that 12% of its volume in 2019 has come from the on-premise and distribution has tripled in the channel since this past fall. The Boston Beer Co., which produces Truly Hard Seltzer and Twisted Tea brands, has also experienced strong growth in the segment while beer sales struggle. The company’s president and CEO Dave Burwick says: “Truly continues to grow beyond our expectations. We are expanding distribution across all channels and improving our position as a leader in hard seltzer as more competitors enter the category. Twisted Tea continues to generate double-digit volume growth consistent with 2018 full-year growth trends.” AB is also playing in this space with BON & VIV Spiked Seltzer boasting zero grams of sugar and 90 calories. PUTTING THE ‘F’ IN FLAVOR Last month, Four Loko Hemp was launched, tapping into one of the latest flavor trends. The company behind the brand, Phusion Projects, credits the product as one of the first hemp-flavored malt beverages on the market. In the same way craft brewers have paired hops and hemp together, so has Four Loko. At 12% ABV, the drink contains no actual hemp, CBD or THC, but mimics the flavor

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profile people think of when they hear hemp, the company explains. Four Loko, known for having a cult-like following amongst millennials, works to stay culturally on trend and as hemp products and flavors continue to gain traction, this new release “felt like a no-brainer.” “Our consumers tend to be just as innovative as we are and often have more influence on trends than any idea a professional marketing agency could manufacture. So, when it comes to new flavors and new ideas, we spend a lot of time listening to consumers rather than telling them who to be and what to like,” says Phusion Projects Co-Founder Jaisen Freeman.

owned by AB, offers naturally fermented coconut water in original and pineapple, and green tea in peach and passion fruit, each with an ABV of 5.2%. The products are in its second year of pilot, running March through June in California and the Pacific Northwest. The second is b Beverage Co., an innovation created wholly by AB, which offers b, “a fermented honey product for a light and refreshing drink with a touch of sweetness,” she notes, in Cherry and Blueberry flavors. The product is made with three ingredients: honey, water and fruit. The alcohol is naturally unlocked from the honey resulting in a 3.5% ABV with 100 calories. It

“We see little impact,” says Freeman. “Canned cocktails tend to be extremely pricey compared to FMBs and the higher price tag doesn’t always equate to better flavors. That doesn’t mean canned cocktails won’t have their place in the market, just not as a likely competitor to our portfolio.” Mark Anthony Brands is currently offering a new innovation called Pure, an alternative to vodka and soda. AB has RITAS margarita-in-a-can and this year launched RITAS Spritz, which is a take on wine-inspired cocktails. Overall, it’s about premiumization and convenience when it comes to the continued success of FMBs.

The approach seems to be working. “This year, we sold our billionth can of Four Loko,” he says, “and we expect to hit the second billion faster than the first.” Industry heavyweight AB is no longer producing Best Damn products (originally launched in 2015 with Best Damn Root Beer) as performance was poor. But it has released two pilot brands to tap into the flavor and health and wellness trend, explains vice president of A-B’s Beyond Beer division, Chelsea Phillips. LQD Creative Liquids, created in partnership with Ten Barrel Brewery, which is

is currently being piloted March through June in Worcester and Boston, Mass. and Portland, Maine. “These two pilots are being strategically tested to see how they are received by consumers,” Phillips says.

“Premiumization continues to trend upward as consumers are seeking upscale versions of their go-to brands,” says Phillips. Gajiwala adds, “Consumers continue to demand convenience, flavor variety and quality in every single CPG category. Canned cocktails are a natural result of that. Malt Beverages, including premium cocktail brands like our Cayman Jack Margarita, which is growing 50% YTD, are benefiting from that trend.” As FMBs can sit happily alongside beer, cider, spirits and wine, there seems to be enough space on the shelf.

42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

COMPETITION IN A CAN FMBs seem to be standing tall so what competition does the segment face? As the canned cocktail craze continues to grow, many companies are also innovating in that arena while others don’t see them as a threat.

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Hemp Horizons Exploring issues and challenges in the hemp/CBD ingredient market. By Martín Caballero

Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill legalizing industrial hemp, it’s no surprise to see brands eager to jump into a market projected to reach $16 billion by 2025, according to market research group Cowen. Yet confusion and contradiction around how to effectively harness this new functional ingredient was also rife. Brands’ ability to easily and effectively work with CBD at the ingredient level will be a crucial determining factor in making that economic potential real. In this issue, we dive into the world of hemp and CBD to address some of the major issues and challenges surrounding this year’s hottest functional ingredient.

44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

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Hemp Horizons Full Spectrum vs. Isolate The first decision that beverage brands have to make is one of the most critical: go for full/broad spectrum CBD or isolate? On a chemical level, the difference is simple. An isolate extract is typically 97% or more pure CBD. Full or broad spectrum CBD refers to extracts that also contain various other cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes in different amounts, which promotes an “entourage effect” in which they interact with each other in ways that produce additional benefits compared to ingesting CBD alone. These extractions can contain THC; federal regulations allow for the legal sale of

soluble CBD products in both isolate and broad spectrum varieties. However, without a more robust body of evidence on how cannabinoids interact, he said he recommends clients use isolate. “No matter what, you are cutting out parts of the plant while you are trying to get down to the cannabinoids and the active content,” he said. ”The way you address that issue, which does need more research, is by mixing certain cannabinoids and terpenes together in a set ratio, which is different from just extracting willy-nilly from the plant and getting an inconsistent profile. ‘Entourage effect’ is a broad term — what ratios exactly are you talking about? Nobody can answer that.”

Full-Spectrum

industrial hemp-derived products that contain less than 0.3% THC, though rules may vary by state. Here’s where things get complicated: though broad spectrum extracts include other cannabinoids besides CBD and THC, which and how many of those cannabinoids are in each batch is not consistent from one extraction to the next. And even if it was, not enough research exists to draw meaningful conclusions about the over 100 other cannabinoids that scientists have discovered in the cannabis plant so far. As such, full/broad spectrum can be a somewhat deceptive description. “‘Full’ or ‘broad spectrum’ is a misnomer,” said Justin Singer, CEO of Stillwater. Under the CALIPER SC trademark, his company markets a suite of water

46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

As such, for the purposes of making beverages, however, using full/broad spectrum or an isolate is more of a legal and marketing question. In terms of efficacy, there is no evidence to show that isolate is definitively superior in delivering CBD to a full/broad spectrum extract. Instead, the decision requires weighing risks on either side of the equation. For many, the choice is to err on the side of caution. Skyler Bissell, CEO of Seattle-based OLEO, makers of a flavorless water soluble CBD powder, told BevNET that the brand chose to use isolate in its mixes because it was “the most legal and acceptable product for a demographic that may not wish to consume THC.” That group, he said, is demanding THC-free products that won’t run the risk of trigger-

ing a positive drug test. CBD isolate is the only form of CBD approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended changing international drug control conventions to remove pure CBD and CBD preparations containing less than 0.2% THC . “If you are a serious athlete or a blue collar working facing a drug test, you may be uncomfortable consuming something not approved by those bodies,” he said. “The only way for us to guarantee a THC-free product at this time is to use a CBD isolate.” Those conditions could push broad/full spectrum towards smaller, higher margin

Isolate

retail channels while isolate becomes the more scalable and standardized preference for mainstream consumers. “If you don’t advertise the word CBD and say ‘broad spectrum hemp extract,’ you have safe harbor from the FDA,” he said. “But you also won’t get the consumer awareness or the premium price (from using ‘CBD.’ Most people who come to us know they want (their product) to contain CBD and they want to market it as containing CBD.” Any debate over full/broad spectrum may be soon be moot, though. Just as a reminder, the FDA’s current position does not allow the use of ingredients in food or dietary supplements that have been previously investigated and approved as drugs — in this case

Hemp Horizons being Epidiolex, a cannabis-derived CBD isolate-based treatment for pediatric epilepsy that was approved in June 28 . Thus far, the agency has been reluctant to back that up with strong enforcement; in Senate testimony, outgoing commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the FDA is focusing its attention mainly on CBD products making unsupported health claims. In the meantime, the FDA is holding public hearings on CBD in May while advocating for a legislative solution to specifically address CBD food policy. That law will likely cement CBD isolate as a drug and allow for full/broad spectrum CBD to be used in foods and dietary supplements. Gottleib has said that “high concentration, pure formulation” CBD products may

to work with innovative brands in the category. That means drink makers looking for partners are spoiled for choice, and also that suppliers must do more to rise above the noise. Canadian company Sproutly is an example of this new approach. The company has developed a passive, natural process to extract a water soluble cannabis solution directly from the plant. The result is a concentrate product that doesn’t require CO2 extraction, emulsifiers or nano encapsulation, and that can be instantly added to any type of liquid. “We don’t need to go through all these additional formulation steps to make sure the molecule will suspend evenly within the beverage,” said Sproutly CEO Keith

developing products with a longer shelf life and faster onset time, and that feature cannabinoids outside of THC and CBD. To showcase what their ingredients can do, many hemp-CBD brands have launched their own branded products divisions while continuing to seek longterm strategic partners. OLEO sells its powdered drink mixes in a variety of flavors, while Stillwater has created distinct brands for its flavorless single-serve 10 mg THC powders (RIPPLE) and its CBD counterpart (CALIPER SC). “We initially started the line of drink mixes as a way to essentially promote that form factor in the market, because we think its an amazing one, but beyond that the powder can be used in liquid bever-

be considered as pharmaceutical, and at lower concentrations as a food or dietary supplement. That means that any beverage brand currently using hemp-derived CBD isolate may be forced to switch, a change to which Gottlieb has alluded. “I think you need to come up with a framework that defines concentration levels, where you would create some kind of cut off, and that would be up to the agency to do,” the commissioner told a Senate subcommittee earlier this year.

Dolo. “It’s not a free oil, so it doesn’t have to be broken down in the body and is digested in about five minutes.” Besides making its solution easier to formulate, Sproutly’s process also creates the same halo effect as seen in other “clean label” products. “It should be viewed as a more natural product,” Dolo said. “No mainstream beverage uses an emulsifier because you don’t want to put additional harsh chemicals in a drink. Naturally this will command a higher margin.” As hemp-CBD ingredient suppliers get better, the goalposts for innovation continue to move. Having maximized water solubility and bioavailability of CBD, manufacturers are now looking ahead to

ages, dried bars, and any kind of supplement,” Bissell said. Yet the category’s long term prospects will likely hinge not on the success of these brands, but the success of those brands with which hemp-CBD suppliers secure agreements. Their collective ability to work with and guide these partners through the new world of cannabis and hemp will help determine if the market can reach the lofty heights that analysts project. “Our special sauce is understanding the needs of manufacturers from a food and beverage perspective,” Singer said of his company’s outlook. “We are taking a supply chain that is inherently variant and difficult to work with and extracting all those difficulties.”

Creating Space Now that the market has begun to take off, the beverage space is flush with new hemp and CBD ingredient suppliers eager

48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

SHOW REVIEW BY BEVNET MAGAZINE STAFF

Natural Products Expo West Review As expected, Natural Products Expo West 2019, held in March at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., did not disappoint as a showcase for innovations and trends. From CBD to collagen to brain function to plant-based, beverage brands aimed to disrupt major categories with a bevy of new product launches. Among the most buzzed about trends at Expo West 2019 was CBD. The hemp-based functional ingredient reared its head at the 2018 edition of the show, but as the hemp category grows following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD products were well represented across categories at this year’s event. Startups like Oki

Vital Proteins, which produces powdered collagen mixes, launched its first foray into RTD with Collagen Water and Collagen Shots. The functional waters are available in Blackberry Hibiscus, Blueberry Mint, Lemon Ginger, Original, and Strawberry Lemon varieties. Each 12 oz. bottle contains 10 g of bovinesourced collagen and 60 calories or less, depending on the SKU. The company also launched a line of collagen shots, available in five varieties, each with 7 g of collagen peptides per 2 oz. bottle. Though still a niche space, brands also showed a rising interest in drinks with brain-boosting ingredients, including nootropics and

and Cann placed a focus on CBD-infused products, while established brands including Reed’s and Vita Coco previewed new line extensions. Weller, a CBD-infused snack company, debuted its first beverage with a line of sparkling waters containing 25 mg of CBD. The ingredient was also a popular choice for shots – a space which saw an increased presence at the show in its own right – with companies including Hempi, Sol-ti, California Juice Co., Lumen, Navitas, and 4Pure launching CBD and hemp products. But CBD wasn’t the only functional ingredient trend on the rise at Expo West. Collagen – an animal-sourced protein purported to reduce skin aging, build muscle, burn fat, and aid in gut health – was a prominent feature in RTD beverages. Long a popular ingredient for powdered drinks, brands including Pop & Bottle, Coco Luxe, JUS By Julie, and Picnik released new SKUs featuring collagen.

MCT oil. Vitamin-infused coffee maker VitaCup launched its first foray into RTD products with a line of coffee-based shots, including a version of its MCT-infused Genius blend, which will contain 120 mg of caffeine with turmeric and B vitamins. “Super Coffee” maker Kitu Life unveiled a line of “Super Espressos” in 6 oz cans, made with 5 g of protein, zero sugar, and MCTs. As well, Picnik added new additions to its creamer line and Bulletproof, an early trendsetter in the space, added a caramel flavor to its RTD coffee line. Startup Brainiac showed a line of drinkable yogurts positioned as “brain food for kids.” The brand makes use of natural ingredients intended to aid mental function, such as Omega-3s DHA and ALA and Choline. Plant-based milks have been a rising category for a number of years, but at Expo West 2019 oat milk was the standout innova-

50 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

tion in terms of dairy alternatives, as brands including Quaker Oats, HP Hood, Silk, Califia Farms, Happy Planet, MALK, Elmhurst Milked, Rise Brewing Co., and Mooala all showcased their respective takes on the trend on the show floor. “Plant milk, and oat specifically, is really an attractive category because of the fact that it delivers on the things people are looking for,” Kyle Marancos, director of marketing for Happy Planet, told BevNET. “They’re looking for a great tasting product, they’re looking for something for their health, and they’re looking for something to take care of the planet.”

But Expo West wasn’t only about functional innovations. New twists on the sparkling water category were prevalent on the show floor, from botanical and tea blends to offbeat flavor profiles. Several companies have introduced new sparkling water lines, including Sound, which produces a line of sparkling teas in 12 oz. glass bottles, which debuted a new canned line of tea-infused sparkling waters. Szent, which sells unflavored water with scented rims around the bottle cap in order to create flavor sensations, sampled a sparkling line that is still in development. Waterloo and Big Swig unveiled new flavors for their pre-existing sparkling water lines, while Seasons Sparkling unveiled a rebrand – pivoting from a botanical soda to a “botanical water.” Petal, another sparkling botanical drink, added several new flavors as well.

SHOW REVIEW BY BEVNET MAGAZINE STAFF

Slower Growth, PAC Donations and Diversity Dominate Discussions at 2019 Craft Brewers Conference Slower growth and increased competition are the “new normal.” Brewers Association (BA) leaders hammered home that point throughout the 2019 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Denver last month. BA chief economist Bart Watson cautioned that craft beer’s 4 percent volume growth – about 1 million barrels – in 2018 was “not a blip.” “That’s not a lot of growth, and many companies built brands and business models that built in the idea that there would be more growth than this,” he told thousands of attendees that joined the conference’s second general session.

Colorado Convention Center – Denver, Co

How should craft brewery owners grow their businesses as they fight the headwinds? Watson suggested looking beyond craft’s existing 13% market share to attract the 87% of drinkers that do not regularly consume craft beer, if at all. “If we can get 1 million new craft drinkers to drink one pint a week, that’s 200,000 incremental barrels,” he said. “Five million new drinkers drinking just one pint a week of small and independent brewed beer is a million barrels.” 52 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Nevertheless, future growth is likely to be sliced up even more thinly as an increasing number of breweries launch. Last year, 1,049 breweries opened and an estimated 2,500 breweries are currently in planning, Watson said. Over the last three years, 3,194 new breweries have opened. Watson attributed much of craft’s growth is coming from those breweries. Last year, those companies grew by a combined 872,000 barrels. In addition to adjusting for slower growth, two other themes emerged during the 2019 CBC: The category needs to become more politically active and more

combined $80 million annually. In order to achieve that goal, BA executives said brewery owners need to donate to the organization’s new political action committee (PAC). BA executive committee vice chair and Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban urged brewers to “open up your wallets, be generous.” “As a brewery owner, I look at contribution to the BA political action committee as an investment in my brewery and an investment in my employees,” he added. In a reversal of course from previous years, both Pease and Left Hand Brewing Company co-founder and BA executive commit-

Bart Watson – Chief Economist, Brewers Association

Graci Harkema – Diversity & Inclusion Director, Founders Brewing Company

inclusive. BA leaders used their main stage sessions to stress the importance of both to 14,000 industry beer industry professionals that attended CBC. BA president and CEO Bob Pease said the non-profit trade group’s “top priority” in 2019 is making permanent the excise tax cuts in the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) before they expire at the end of the year. If successful, he said small and independent craft breweries would save a

tee chairman Eric Wallace struck softer tones when discussing larger competitors such as Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. “If big beer wants to go at it tooth and nail over such matters, that’s their prerogative,” Pease said, referring to the corn syrup debate between the two largest beer manufacturers in the U.S. “But that is not our fight. We will not join in. We will not gloat. We remain committed to growing the overall category of beer just like we have been for the last 30 years.”

After calling acquired craft brands “weapons in the arsenal of the big breweries” last year, Wallace advocated for unity among the 7,346 craft brewers despite an increasingly competitive marketplace. “There’s no upside for us to act like the largest multinational brewers and take broadside shots at our competitors using misleading and even hypocritical statements,” he said. “Let’s continue to be better than that.” Of course, Pease and Wallace implored brewers to display the BA’s “independence seal” on their packaging. Wallace said adopting the seal shows brewers are “a part of our multifaceted tribe.” Diversifying that “multifaceted tribe” was also a hot topic throughout CBC week. During both general sessions, BA leaders encouraged brewers to be more welcoming to underserved populations. Wallace said “beer should be a great uniter.”

SPRIG-BEVNET-MAY-JUNE-2019.indd 1

“All colors, creeds, genders and political leanings are welcome,” he said. For her part, BA craft beer program director Julia Herz said breweries need to “deliberately welcome” a more diverse customer base, while senior vice president of the professional brewing division Paul Gatza asked brewers to ensure they’re creating “emotionally safe workplaces” free of harassment and discrimination. During a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion at Brewbound’s first Brew Talks meetup of 2019, BA diversity ambassador Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham asked hundreds of attendees if it is “harder to talk to brown people than it is to put your entire financial livelihood on the line?” The response: applause and laughter that acknowledged the irony. During the discussion, Jackson-Beckham argued that reaching out to custom-

ers beyond “white dudes with beards” – as she famously said during the 2018 CBC – is no more risky than mortgaging financial futures and potentially jeopardizing marriages to start breweries. Founders Brewing Company diversity and inclusion director Graci Harkema added that brewery owners need to “get over” those fears and stop being complacent. “You don’t have anything to lose,” she said. Jackson-Beckham added the industry needs to “shift postures” and reach out to new communities if it wants to grow. She added that brewery owners should attend neighborhood association meetings and educational forums to get to know the people in underserved communities in order to forge authentic relationships rather than leaping in head first. “It’s about becoming more active and less passive,” she said.

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ABS Commercial was begun by brewers, but brew is not all we do: From coffee to kombucha to cider & cbd-infused drinks, we also have everything to help you create your own unique brand of craft beverage. Based in the same building as our sister company, Raleigh Brewing Company, we see our components, systems and tanks in use every day. We get constant feedback on design and performance, and can offer firsthand knowledge, industry insight and guidance to our customers through our home base in Raleigh, NC, or our Denver, CO, field office.

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We consistently stock 3 to 90 barrel (BBL) fermenters, brite tanks & unitanks in our East Coast warehouse. Our standard designed fermenters and brite tanks are in constant production. This means quick turnaround & short lead times, no matter your need. The base of our business is brewhouses from 3 to 60 BBL, but we also offer chillers, yeast brinks, transfer hoses, pumps, fittings and small parts, filtration and carbonation equipment, and kegs. Everything for your brewing business, all in one place.

"PURGINGER GIVES US BOLD SPICY FLAVOR, FULL SOLUBILITY, AND BRILLIANT COLOR"

All large-scale purchases include free technical advice. We also offer installation and expanded consultation services. ABS Commercial can offer equipment that is ASME, CE & UL certified.

appliedfoods.com/ginger

Learn more at abs-commercial.com 56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

- PurGinger Customer

YES WE CAN. A great canned product starts with a trusted partner to help every step of the way with custom formulation, securing ingredients, and developing containers and packaging. DFA CAN DO ALL THAT AND MORE.

See how we can help with every step of your productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey from concept to product.

417-829-2510 | dfamilk.com

COFFEE/DAIRY DRINKS | ENERGY DRINKS | COCONUT WATER NUTRITIONAL DRINKS | WEIGHT LOSS DRINKS | PROTEIN SHAKES

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Contract Manufacturing Azpack

BOTTLES, CAPS & PACKAGING Berlin Packaging

Azpack is one of the fastest growing co-packers in the country. We offer co-packing services in cans and bottles. Our team of dedicated and professional staff are focused on delivering the highest quality products to our customers. Capable of producing cold fill preserved, hot fill and tunnel pasteurized products with onsite lab services. Visit our website to find out what we can do for you.

Berlin Packaging supplies glass, plastic, and metal containers and closures. We offer a wide array of packaging for beverage companies along with design, financing, consulting, and warehousing services. From simple plastic caps to high-end glass bottles and much more -- we deliver excellent value and promote real results for companies of all sizes. We exist to help companies be Greater, Faster.

Clean Label Beverage Sweetener Bascom Maple Farms

Real People. True Flavor. Callisons

We provide a variety of maple syrup and maple sugar to flavor and sweeten some of America’s favorite beverages. Small quantities to large, we can supply you with the maple you need. Our consistent quality and consistent inventory makes Bascom the preferred maple supplier to manufacturers worldwide. Contact us today so we can help you.

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.

Beverage Industry Navigators BevSource

BevSource is an integrated provider of beverage development, production, sourcing, and logistics solutions to new and established beverage visionaries. Our goal is to make your beverage vision a reality more efficiently, effectively, and successfully than you ever dreamed possible. Bringing your beverage idea to life requires hundreds of interconnected data points and decisions. The right formula with the right manufacturer in the right package with the right paperwork. BevSource helps you see the big picture – from your initial vision to the finished product, and every single operational step in between. Then while we manage the daily details of developing, producing, delivering, and managing your beverage operations, you’ll have more time to build your brand, business, & customer base. We’re not just advisors that point you in the right direction and hope for the best. We are beverage industry navigators who collaborate with clients to build a custom operational strategy for your beverage, identify a unique mix of services and vendors to support it, then execute on the plan. We make it happen. Visit www.bevsource.com today to find out more!

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Functional Branded Ingredients Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

BLS creates innovative, scientific based ingredients for healthier living. The ingredients are clinically proven to support healthy aging, weight management, sustainable energy, anti-aging, heart health, and many other health-enhancing benefits. We sell in bulk to businesses who manufacture or formulate functional foods & beverages, supplements, sports nutrition products, and cosmetics. We are best known for the only patented & FDA GRAS-certified D-Ribose: Bioenergy Ribose®. Bioenergy Ribose is the true source of sustainable, cellular energy and is crucial to the production of ATP. Bioenergy Ribose increases energy for Endurance, Performance & A Healthier You. Our newest ingredient, RiaGev™, is the first and only commercially available proprietary compound uniquely combining Bioenergy Ribose and a form of Vitamin B3. It is distinctly formulated to enter the salvage pathway directly to more efficiently increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the body. RiaGev maintains and enhances mitochondrial health by boosting NAD levels and inducing the creation of new mitochondria. NAD is vital for mitochondrial health. Increased NAD and healthy mitochondria help slow the aging process, reduce age-related cognitive decline, prevent cellular damage from free radicals, create a stronger immune system, and contribute to lower cholesterol. RiaGev helps Repair, Prevent & Rejuvenate.

Cask Global Canning Solutions Cask Brewing Systems

Flavor The Possibilities Citromax Flavors

Cask provides innovative and affordable canning systems to the world’s small and medium-sized creators of craft beer, cider, wine, cold brewed coffee, kombucha and other life-enhancing beverages. We have installed 875+ canning lines in 46 different countries. Official supplier of Ball Corporation for printed aluminum cans to our customers.

Citromax Group (WBENC) is the largest processor of organic lemon juice and organic essential lemon oil. Citromax Flavors of Citromax Group with a special emphasis on Health & Wellness, is at the forefront of industry trends. Whatever your taste desire, we can realize it using state-ofthe-art-technology flavor laboratories to create a customized flavor that tantalizes your taste buds.

6 days to greater power output Chemi Nutra

Closure Systems Solutions Closure Systems International

AlphaSize® Alpha-GPC is a proven ingredient that can increasing force production. One researcher stated in his conclusions: “The results of the study suggest that A-GPC is effective at increasing lower body force production after 6 days of supplementation”. AlphaSize® AlphaGPC is also FDA affirmed as GRAS, is tasteless, colorless, stable, 100% water soluble.

CSI is recognized as a global leader in closure design, manufacturing, and high-speed application systems. In addition to quality closures and capping equipment, CSI provides unparalleled customer and technical services. CSI's closure systems solutions help customers maximize profits by increasing the marketability of their brands and optimizing their cost of operations.

Organic & Non-GMO Ingredients Ciranda, Inc.

To Inspire Your Best Craft Country Malt Group

Global Food Ingredients Corbion

Cooler Solutions Inc/Nordon CSI division of Nordon, Inc

Corbion relies on more than 100 years of experience. Built on two successful companies that have been innovators in the food industry for years. For beverages we help achieve the perfect flavor, mouthfeel and nutritional profile and our solutions overcome product stability challenges so you can expand your geographical reach.

For over 25yrs, Cooler Solutions has been providing refrigeration equipment, payment systems, parts and services to the food & beverage industry. CSI is proud to distribute or represent Imbera Cooling, Crane Payment Innovations & Hoshizaki America…all industry leaders. Inventory, service, parts, delivery, installation…we go BEYOND EQUIPMENT! We are here to help get your product noticed.

Speciality Hydrocolloids CP Kelco

Probiotic Ingredients Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes

The CP Kelco portfolio of hydrocolloid stabilizers and texturizers is full of tools that develop tasty, indulgent, lower-, low- or no-sugar foods and beverages. Formulators around the globe look to CP Kelco to suspend botanicals in new-age energy drinks, stabilize protein in fruit smoothies, create creamy liqueurs and recover body in reduced calorie beverages, to name just a few examples.

Deerland is the exclusive provider of DE111®, a highly effective and stable strain of Bacillus subtilis. Because DE111 remains viable under a wide temperature and pH range, the probiotic is ideal for use in foods and beverages. It’s supported by multiple clinical studies for its benefits to digestive health, immune health, regularity and sports nutrition. It’s Non-GMO Project verified and Kosher.

Co-Packing & Co-Manufacturing CraftPack Beverage, LLC

Plant-Based Ingredients Doehler North America

CraftPack is an 81,000 sq. ft co-packing/ co-manufacturing facility in Baltimore for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. With minimum production volume of 1,000 gallons, we can help you grow and scale your brand while also providing cans, materials, and packaging services. cGMPs & HACCP accredited, CCOF Organic Certified, K-Star Kosher Certified, pasteurization, and in-house can supply.

Doehler is a global producer, marketer & provider of natural plant-based ingredients. Our vertical integration supply chain allows for full traceability and transparency. Our global sourcing network, comprehensive application expertise, vast processing capabilities and custom development capabilities allow us to deliver endless solutions. WE BRING IDEAS TO LIFE.

Custom Bottled Water Co-Packer Creekside Springs, LLC

Secondary Packaging Equipment Douglas Machine Inc.

Full-line supplier of bottled water products for a variety of brands. Bottle purified, spring, flavored & enhanced products in 12 oz. to 1.5 Liter unit sizes in ribbed and cylinder bottles. PA & OH facilities certified SQF Level 3. Permitted in all states. Primary focus is on product quality and packaging for established and emerging brands, serving as eastern and mid-western production source.

For over 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 & tray packers, shrink wrap systems, cartoners and palletizers. Based in Alexandria, Minnesota, Douglas is an employeeowned company that has installed more than 11,000 machines in 30 countries.

Label & Packaging Specialists DWS PRINTING

Clean-label Ingredients Farbest Brands

FONA Flavor & Taste Solutions FONA International

Promotional Marketing Goods Foundry Brand Services Group

Established in 1865, DWS is a 5th generation, family-owned & operated label printing, cansleeving and packaging design company. We are the last step in the visions of a lot of passionate people. We take an anonymous container and provide its story. Let us help tell your story through Cut&Stack, Pressure Sensitive, Shrink Sleeve, Roll Fed, Digital Printing, Pre-Sleeved Can Packaging and Design.

Farbest Brands brings the highest quality food, beverage and nutrition ingredients to you from the world’s most trusted suppliers. We can help you meet the demand for clean-label, NON-GMO Project Verified Ingredients with a full range of high-quality dairy and plant proteins, gums, vitamins, lecithin, sweeteners and natural colors, as well as organic ingredients.

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.

Founded by beverage marketing professionals for marketing professionals, The Foundry BSG is your one stop for all of your branded marketing needs. The Foundry BSG works as an extension of your team to streamline the procurement of all of your marketing tools. From field marketing tents to t-shirts, cooler clings to car wraps, you can rely on the Foundry to manage it all so you don't have to!

The Super Hero of Hang Tags ElastiTag® - Bedford Ind.

Tea & Coffee Extracts Finlays

Flavor Designers Foodarom

Coconut Products Franklin Baker, Inc.

Experience the creativity ElastiTag® brings to your promotion or packaging! Add value with exclusive information, a promotion or attentiongrabbing graphics. The colorful elastomer loop grips bottles and cans. Even in refrigeration, this durable tag keeps its cool and stays put. Versatile and easy to apply, this over-achiever is the Super Hero of Hang Tags.

Finlays is your ideal partner, delivering highquality extracts for creating versatile coffee and tea beverages in an easy, convenient and consistent manner. Through an established history of coffee and tea expertise with a focus on innovation, Finlays can help your brand develop unique beverages with great flavor, in a variety of formats suitable for food service and ready-todrink products.

We personalize flavors 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 well and understands the impact your active ingredients have on taste. Our flavor development capabilities will help you stay ahead of the competition. WE CREATE FLAVORS THAT MAKE YOUR BRAND UNFORGETTABLE.

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.

Comprehensive ERP Software Encompass Technologies

Natural Flavor Development Flavor Producers, LLC.

CPG Recruiting Firm ForceBrands

Functional Ingredients FutureCeuticals

Encompass Technologies’ cloud-based ERP software helps over 600 beverage distribution warehouses increase operational efficiency and manage growth effectively. The customizable system is specifically built for the distribution industry and functions to fit your unique business needs with products like WMS, sales execution, logistics, warehouse automation, retailer ordering tools, and more.

Flavor Producers creates natural and organic flavors along with unique essences and extracts that align with the values of today’s consumer. As fundamental leaders in clean and clear label solutions, we have one of the broadest certified organic portfolios in the flavor industry. Our passion and commitment to authenticity makes us the perfect partner for any of your flavor needs.

ForceBrands is the leading specialized recruiting firm for the consumer products industry offering executive search services, board of director assembly, and a digital job board. The teams within our industry-specific divisions - BevForce, FoodForce, BeautyForce, and HerbForce - tap into our established network to connect you with the most qualified talent to grow your business.

FutureCeuticals’ mission is to deliver the highest quality fruit, vegetable, grain-based, and clinically researched solutions to our partners, making it easy for them to deliver on the consumer promise of healthy products— whole food nutrition for human health. Whether backed by science or 160 years of agricultural experience, we provide clean label transparency and highly marketable claims.

Trade Finance and Logistics Express Trade Capital

Beverage Development Services Flavorman

Decorative Label Solutions Fort Dearborn Company

Performance Beverages Glanbia Performance Nutrition

At Express, we ensure that our clients never turn down a purchase order due to lack of capital. We offer production funding to purchase raw materials & fulfill orders. We also offer back-end support from logistics to collections to credit insurance, all without sacrificing equity. Through our dedicated eco-financing department, we specialize in working with natural food/beverage producers.

Creating beverages in every beverage category is what we do! But it’s not all we do. Flavorman offers a wide range of services – R&D, shelf life testing, consulting, pre-production planning, small run bottling & production, value engineering and many more. Work with the team here at Flavorman who has helped change what the world is drinking for 27 years and counting.

We’ve got you covered. Fort Dearborn Company offers shrink sleeve, stretch sleeve, pressure sensitive, roll-fed, and cut & stack labels and promotional printing in a variety of substrates, inks and finishing options to support your beverage brand building objectives. We service brands large and small. Contact us today to discuss your application.

Since 1986, Optimum Nutrition has proven itself with a commitment to uncompromising quality. We’re one of the few companies to make products in every category and operate our own manufacturing facilities. From easy to mix powders to ready to eat and ready to drink options – including ESSENTIAL AMIN.O. ENERGY and ISOPURE – we’ve got something for anyone who wants to live a healthy active lifestyle.

60 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Branding and Package Design

Aseptic Packaging Solutions

Frooishen Design

GoodWest Industries, LLC

packaging solution for your bag-in-box beverages and mixes. We specialize in low-acid dairy, cold brew and coffee-based products. Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, nut free and Kosher options are also available. BIB selections include bag sizes from 2 liters to 5 gallons. A wide variety of bag and dispensing fitments are offered. Ideation, formulation, research, development, reasonable minimum runs, as well as pilot and trial run capabilities. Multiple SQF Level 3 certified plants in both Eastern and Western locations. Call GoodWest today to discuss your product and packaging needs, 1-800-948-1922 or john@goodwest.com. www.goodwest.com Mergers & Acquisitions Glover Capital, Inc.

Stand out on the shelf! Hammer Packaging

Glover Capital, Inc., negotiates the purchase, sale, merger or restructuring of industry-specific assignments that are national and international in scope. The company also advises owners and senior management on a wide spectrum of corporate financial issues.

From your packaging concept to product maturity, Hammer Packaging has the widest portfolio of presses in North America. With a dedicated customer service team along with the industry's best packaging engineers, Hammer puts together the right team of experts to work on your packaging solutions from start to finish.

Natural Color Solutions GNT USA Inc.

Advanced Beverage Formulas Hidell International

Healthy Ingredients Healthy Food Ingredients

HFI is a growing family of global specialty ingredient brands, which includes SK Food International, Hesco/Dakota Organic Products, Suntava, and Heartland Flax. EXBERRY® by GNT is the leading brand of natural food coloring for the food and beverage industry. EXBERRY® colors are derived solely from fruits, vegetables, and edible plants through a process of chopping, pressing, filtering and blending. EXBERRY® products can be applied to a range of beverage categories including enhanced waters, carbonated soft drinks, dairy, and plant-based milks.

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.

Combined, we offer non-GMO, organic, certified transitional, gluten-free, and identity preserved pulses, soybeans, grains, seeds, flax, expeller oils and our signature product, Suntava Purple Corn™. Our latest innovation, IntegriPure®, is our microbial reduction solution that means industry-leading validation for a 5-log reduction providing food safety, naturally. We are dedicated to delivering safe, healthy, premium-quality ingredients and supply assurance in partnership with our diverse grower network. 61

All-Natural Sweetening Systems Icon Foods

We Power Great Packaging Inland

Icon Foods is a global ingredient supplier with a focus on all-natural, high-intensity sweetening blends 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 product formulation, reformulation and R&D.

Inland works collaboratively with brand owners and industry partners to advance innovative, best-in-class solutions for food, beverage, and craft beer product packaging. Our product offerings include Cut & Stack, Pressure Sensitive, Shrink, In-Mold and Blow Mold Labels – along with Flexible Packaging options.

Drinkmate Beverage carbonator iDrink Products Inc

Cold-Brew Master Extractors Javo Beverage Company

Drinkmate is a Michigan-Based global brand for a series of carbonation tools used not only by beverage producers for lab testing to craft sparkling beverages, but by consumers as well, . Our proprietary Fizz Infuser technology is the world's first to sparkle any beverage directly, safely, economically and easily. Used for water, juices, cold tea, CBD-Infused drinks, wine, cocktails and more.

Founded in 2001, Javo is an extraction company that uses a proprietary cold-brew method to produce fresh, clean-labeled coffee, tea and botanical extracts for the food and beverage industry. Our cold-brew process delivers a clean non-acidic authentic concentrate for your targeted application, whether a cold brew, nitro coffee, dairy, sauce or bakery item.

THE Beverage Industry Resource ISBT

The ISBT is the premier international technical society for the beverage industry. Our mission is to enhance the promotion, development and dissemination of knowledge relating to the art and science of beverage technology for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Focus areas of activity include, but are not limited to, beverage formulation, production, packaging, equipment and distribution. We do this by: • Providing forums for scholarly discussion • Stimulating the application of science in the industry • Publishing “voluntary” technical guidelines and best practices • Encouraging and fostering research

Culinary Bulk Matcha ITO EN (North America) INC.

MATCHA, the finely milled green tea powder revered for its antioxidants & natural energy boost, is a trend forward ingredient for healthy beverages, baking and cooking products. 100% Authentic Matcha from Japan. Bulk available for food service.

KEGS, New, Used & Logistics Keg Logistics

Supply Chain Advisor LogiChain Solutions

KEG LOGISTICS – Beer, Cider, Wine, Kombucha The ONLY Keg company that offers Rent to Own, Short Term Rentals, Pay per Fill and Export kegs. Your keg requirements can change daily and over time that’s why we offer a variety of keg program options. KL has the solution for opening the doors to your taproom on Day 1 to adding new markets, managing seasonal growth, or nationwide sales.

Daunted by the need or opportunity for growth? Rene, an advisor and the founder of LogiChain Solutions, enables food and beverage startups to scale operations, optimize their supply chain and increase profit margins. Working hands-on from strategy to implementation, Rene focuses on the company's operations and business goals while driving change that has both immediate and lasting impact.

Premium Label Printer Labeltronix

Sleeved Cans & Consumables Lucky Clover Packaging

Labeltronix is best known for our unique and proprietary Lean Labeling approach which hundreds of companies are taking advantage of. With Lean Labeling, you have control over your labels. As your dedicated partner, you get order control and flexibility, high-quality printing, materials, and exceptionally eye-catching embellishments.

Lucky Clover Packaging is your one-stop shop for shrink sleeved aluminum cans of all sizes, as well as other packaging consumables such as crowlers, case trays, and Paktechs. With 8 plants across the U.S. we can save you time and money while you focusing on producing great beverages!

Membership is open to any person engaged in the science, technology or production of soft drinks or beverages, including those suppliers to the beverage industry whose principle occupation is substantially technical in nature. This includes individuals employed by bottlers, franchise companies, packaging, flavor, ingredient and equipment suppliers who are engaged in scientific or technical positions.

62 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Equipment & Related Services Loeb

Teas, Botanicals and Extracts Martin Bauer Inc.

Turn-Key Product Development MetaBrand

The Martin Bauer Group is one of the largest suppliers of botanical products for the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries. Our products are based on sustainably sourced, high-quality botanical raw material. With a portfolio of over 200 plants and more than 80 years of experience, we provide off-the-shelf and tailor-made botanical solutions to meet your application needs.

MetaBrand is a world class team of experts which helps you create, launch, or grow your food, beverage, supplement, or personal care brand. We provide strategic planning, market analysis, branding/design, product formulation and development, internal and outsourced operations and manufacturing, and sales and marketing execution. In house MICRO-PACKING for short runs and vendor samples.

Branding & Packaging Design McLean Design

Merchandising & Demo Support Mirus Promotions

We Build Powerful Brands — Brands are built on consumer engagement, meaning that a successful brand has captivated the consumer and enriched their life in some unexpected and enduring way. At McLean we use every tool at our disposal to reveal the core meaning of a brand and enhance the consumer's experience beyond the utility of a product or service. Realize the full value of your brand at McLean.

Increase your brand’s reach and visibility, establish and maintain relationships with store managers, buyers and customers and save your valuable time with customized merchandising support from Mirus Promotions. Let our knowledgeable, experienced Merchandising Specialists be “boots-on-the-ground” for your brand! Contact us for more info on our merchandising program and demo support.

Brand Consulting and Sales Momentum Brand Solutions

Sustainable Packaging Solution NEO Plastics

We help small to mid sized food and beverage companies grow their brand by solving complex business problems through utilizing our 20 plus years of food industry experience and providing expert, broad spectrum solutions. We cover all areas from initial development up to and including sales, as well as holistic value added consulting. For more information visit our website listed in the index.

NEO Packaging can be gone from a landfill in a few years vs. centuries and will help achieve zero waste goals. Food & Beverage Packaging MADE WITH NEO provides an entirely new sustainable solution, especially for mixed multilayer films which cannot be recycled. All of our packaging is custom made to your specifications and NEO does not change the feel, form or function of your current packaging.

Trust the monk.™ MONK FRUIT CORP.

Contract Manufacturer NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO

Monk fruit allows you to create great tasting, innovative products with significantly less sugar and calories - all from the goodness of fruit! Monk Fruit Corp is the recognized industry leader, with the best quality and widest variety of monk fruit products and the majority share of the global monk fruit market (more than twice our nearest competitor). Looking for monk fruit? Trust the monk.™

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 and Women's Owned Business.

Screen Printed Labels Monvera Glass Décor

Your label has a powerful influence on buying behavior. Monvera provides unique bottle decoration options. We specialize in screen printed labels on glass, with both ceramic and uv ink options available. Whether you want to refresh a current brand or launch a new one, screen printed labels will make your bottle stand out. It’s your alternative to paper labels.

Nutraceutical Ingredients NP Nutra

Ideal Flax for Beverages Pizzey Ingredients

For twenty years NP Nutra® has supplied customers with the finest nutraceutical ingredients produced at our approved partner facilities around the world. Our commitment to purity, quality & reliability have earned the trust of a growing clientele including leading functional food & beverage, dietary supplement, cosmetic & pet food manufacturers who have become our loyal customers.

Pizzey Ingredients’ BevPur™ Flax enhances beverages with the nutritional benefits of flaxseed while providing a smooth and rich texture. BevPur™ has a guaranteed shelf life of two years and is available in organic and conventional varieties (both are non-GMO, pesticide-free and gluten-free). BevPur™ is ideal for plant milk, smoothies, meal replacement shakes, and other nutritious beverages.

LENTEIN complete plant protein Parabel - LENTEIN

Packaged Chiller Systems Pro Chiller Systems, Inc.

Parabel extracts plant protein from water lentils for use in foods for functionality and nutrition. LENTEIN - the name of the water lentil ingredient - is higher in Essential Amino Acids and BCAA’s than other plant protein, PDCAAS of .93, vitamins,minerals. LENTEIN has won awards globally and received the FDA no objections letter and approval by Health Canada in 2018. It’s also Non-GMO certified

Pro Chiller Systems has been disrupting some of the coolest industries for over 30 years. We have the largest range of Packaged Air Cooled Chiller systems in the industry ranging from 3/4 hp up to 220 hp. Our Sales Team will work with you from sizing to installation and our Technical Service Team is available 24/7.

Sustainable Packaging Handles PakTech

Award-winning Packaging Options

CBD for Brand Manufacturers

Overnight Labels

Point3 Farma, LLC

Supplying the highest quality CBD distillate and isolate, Point3 Farma provides beverage, food and brand manufacturers with full ingredient traceability and the security of knowing that we control all aspects of production – from seed development through harvest through processing and all the way to your manufacturing facility. Beginning with our own highCBD hemp seed genetics, farmed using natural and sustainable practices on our 1,700 acres of Colorado farmland in San Luis Valley, and processed in our advanced extraction, distillation and isolation facility designed and operated to ISO and GMP standards and just a short drive from our fields, Point3 Farma offers you a safe, secure, professional and trust-worthy way to meet your needs for CBD ingredients. Visit us at www.point3farma.com or contact our sales team at sales@point3farma.com

64 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Digital Printing

Sweet Brown Flavor Specialist

Printpack

Prova Inc.

Trust Prova to be your flavor solution partner. We are the sweet brown flavoring specialists; market leaders in delivering the taste of vanilla, cocoa, coffee and other brown notes. Our outstanding products include natural extracts; natural and artificial flavors; organic vanilla extracts in both liquid and powder form; cocoa and coffee flavors and extracts (including organic and Fair Trade). Our flavors and extracts are ideal for use in healthy RTD beverages, plant-based protein drinks where they mask the off-notes associated with pea, whey, and hemp proteins; dairy drinks and nutritional products. Provaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expanded line of organic products can help you create clean label products that consumers demand. Contact Prova to see how our products, including Natural Provanil-US7, a technological, economical and customer-preferred natural vanillin alternative; organic flavors; non-GMO flavors; caramel flavors; maple and honey flavors; and allergen-free nut flavors can help with your beverage product development.

Put your mind in the Tropics! Subscribe to the iTi Innovation blog for recipes, infographics, and more.

ititropicals.com/blog 65

Beverage & Food Development PTM Food

Co-Packing & Supply Chain Relay Resources

Brand Mgt./Sales/Distribution SAS Sales and Marketing

Beverage Supplies/Equipment Statco-DSI Process Systems

PTM Food is your premier product development & manufacturing support firm. Our wide range of expertise, development, and creativity achieves an exciting point of difference between your product and competitors. We work hard to uncover key industry insights, developing products that have a competitive edge. Whether your project is simple or a complex one, we’re your team!

Make it. Pack it. Store it. Ship it. From dry blending and co-packing, to finished goods warehousing and fulfillment, we’re here to help. Offering both hand packing and semiautomated solutions. Relay is a Portland, OR non-profit offering diverse business solutions to our customers while providing access to jobs for people with disabilities or other barriers to employment.

Andy Stallone provides executive level management and sales expertise to emerging brands in the most cost efficient fashion. Including KICKSTART FLORIDA: Dedicated sales team for all chain and key account calls. Initial DSD service, merchandising, invoicing & collections. Inventory control, monthly recaps. Demo team. East-West coast warehouses. Full visibility/reporting on REPSLY.

Processing equipment, replacement/spare parts and systems for water, carbonated soft drinks, juices and smoothies, isotonic sports drinks as well as coffee, tea, and brewing. We specialize in all facets of the beverage industry, including blending, and process technologies. We are the home to over 100 brands in the industry for components and spare parts.

Custom PET Bottle Manufacturer RAZIELE INC.

Beverage Innovators S&D Coffee & Tea

Global Ingredient Solutions Shanghai Freemen Americas

Leap-inducing Brand Packaging Stebbings Partners

Raziele Inc. Is a custom PET Bottle manufacturer; offering high-quality PET bottle design & manufacturing at a competitive price. Our team delivers high quality solutions with great customer service. We proudly serve the Southern California, Arizona and Nevada areas. In addition to custom designed bottles we offer a variety of standard PET Plastic Bottles for the beverage industry. Email us today!

S&D Coffee & Tea delivers a better experience with flavor-driven solutions. On-trend ingredients and innovative flavor-forward beverage solutions—from nitro teas and cold brew coffees to functional lattes, Chai tea ice cream and more. A team of Product Developers and Food Scientists is paving the way for a new generation of ingredients appealing to a healthier and more socially conscious consumer.

Shanghai Freemen is committed to helping our clients in the food and beverage, dietary supplement, personal care and animal nutrition markets bring their innovative ideas to life. Our exceptional, ethically-sourced ingredients provide the solutions your brand needs to enhance its products’ performance, taste and nutritional benefits, while providing unparalleled market intelligence.

Stebbings Partners is a multi-disciplinary creative studio that balances strategy and design to craft unique and thoughtful food & beverage brands. Our team of designers, strategists and writers work with courageous clients to shape, launch and grow brands that stand apart, start conversations, and build trust with consumers. Let’s talk. We’d love to hear your story.

Natural Crafted Flavors

Water-Soluble CBD Emulsion

Sapphire Flavors and Fragrances

SoRSE™ Technology

Savor the Aroma, Taste the Difference Contact us for a sample of our natural crafted flavors and extracts. SapphireFlavors.com

66 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

@SapphireFlavors

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Stiebs

We Make Life Taste Better T. Hasegawa

Essential Oils & Flavors The Lebermuth Company

Organic Bulk Ingredients Tradin Organic USA

Stiebs, formed in 2005, is devoted to sourcing, processing & delivering the world's finest plantbased products. We offer a full line of fruit & vegetable based ingredients as single strength juice, juice concentrate, purees, extracts & powders. 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.

T. Hasegawa is recognized around the world for innovation and product differentiation that creates value for our customers to build their brands flavor to unparalleled standards. We continue to pioneer the flavor industry with a customer experience that is optimized to rapidly respond with technical expertise. We deliver superior products that meet all your requirements no matter how complex.

Family owned since 1908. We are experts in Essential Oils, Ingredients, Fragrances & Flavors. We source the finest essential oils from over 30 counties to provide our customers with quality ingredients, the building blocks for our custom Fragrances & Flavors. Additionally, our distillation capabilities allow us to isolate, reduce constituents to increase usability, reliability, and oil characters.

Tradin is a leading manufacturer, importer/ exporter of certified organic ingredients. Some of our ingredients include organic: fruit & vegetable (IQF, purees, JC & NFC), cocoa & coconut products, honey, nuts/seeds/grains, dried fruits, alternative sweeteners, cane sugar, beveragegrade nut/seed butters, superfood powders, seed proteins & more, with extensive global sourcing & supply capabilities.

Production Line Solutions STORCAN

Flavor Technology Takasago International Corp

Non-GMO, Vegan Ingredients

Storcan can help you to improve the efficiency of your bottling production lines or installing a new one. Our solutions meet the highest standards and use the latest technologies. Being a one stop shop allows us to simplify each stage of a project: Consulting, Engineering, Management and Support. No matter you produce soft juice, beer, spirit or wine, Storcan can help you from A to Z.

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.

Non-GMO Reb M and Reb D Sweegen

Branding & Packaging Design The GRO Agency

Top Health Ingredients, Inc.

Top Health Ingredients has been a trusted leader in providing the highest quality Non-GMO, plant-based prebiotics, fibers & proteins to the functional food, beverage, and meat analog markets since 2009. We work closely with our manufacturers and valued customers to develop and supply unique plant-based solutions for virtually every application. Top Health is the exclusive supplier of AdvantaThrive™, a soluble vegetable prebiotic that helps friendly gut bacteria grow and thrive; and our Advanta™ line of plant-based proteins, like our Canadian pea & fava proteins, are ideal for meat analog and extrusion formulations. With global plant-based meat sales set to exceed $6.5 billion in the next 6 years, Top Health’s proteins can help your company secure a piece of that market. Visit our website for more information, and to request samples!

Sweegen brings you Non-GMO Project Verified stevia leaf sweeteners BESTEVIA® Reb M, Reb D and e+ for optimal sugar reduction in your food and beverage applications. Our products offer clean, sugar-like taste and can be used as flavors and as sweeteners. Our application experts support you to find the ideal use level for your products! Visit our website for more information.

We create unshakable connections between brands and consumers by linking iconic packaging design with indelible brand stories and surround sound brand experiences. At GRO we believe that every great product deserves to be discovered. For over 30 years (previously as Gammon Ragonesi Associates) we've specialized in innovation, brand strategy, packaging design and brand amplification. NY + LA

Synergy - Inspiring Taste Synergy Flavors

Create. Experiment. Test. The Lab

The Science of Beer Design Totally Natural Solutions

WATERMELON Van Groningen & Sons Inc.

Synergy Flavors is a global manufacturer and supplier of flavorings, extracts, and essences for the food, beverage and nutrition industries. With more than 130 years of expertise, Synergy combines a heritage of flavor development with proprietary extraction technology to deliver high quality taste solutions that captivate the senses and inspire innovation.

The Lab is a one-of-a-kind resource for beverage creators--featuring a pilot production facility, full-service laboratory, & consumer-facing taproom. The 7-barrel system allows innovators to brew, ferment, & create prototypes while the laboratory provides outsourced analytical & QA testing. In the taproom, consumers can taste & rate The Lab's newest projects.

Totally Natural Solutions are specialists in the extraction of natural hop aromas and flavours. HopInspiration® combines a selection of over 150 natural hop extracts for late hop, dry hop and bittering replacement. Offering a range of benefits to the brewer in reducing dry hop beer loss, delivering intense hop aroma, stable natural flavour and consistency while offering a cost effective solution.

“Leave No Melon Behind”. Watermelon NFC Juice, Puree & Concentrates. Conventional and Certified Organics available. Van Groningen & Sons utilize product from our fields to process our frozen watermelon ingredients being used in many areas of the Food and Beverage Industry. Let’s work together to supply your watermelon ingredient needs. “We also offer Dark Sweet Cherry NFC Juice”

68 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Quality Used Equipment

Premier Packaging and Printing

United Food and Beverage, LLC

Zion Pack

United Food and Beverage specializes in buying and selling used processing, packaging and bottling for the Food and Beverage Industry. Our 20+ 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, and certified appraisals. Industries that we serve include bottled water, soft drink, dairy, co-packers, tea, breweries and food production plants. Quality Late Model assets are our specialty.

Hemp Superfood Ingredients Victory Hemp Foods

Your Partner in Fermentation White Labs Inc.

Victory Hemp Foods creates uniquely highfunction ingredients that deliver the nutritional power of hemp in sensory-attractive formats, with complete protein, high in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Victory makes proprietary light colored and neutrally flavored proteins & oils (and traditional hemp formats) for on-trend plant-based beverages & foods, all sourced directly from American farms. Cryo HopsÂŽ Yakima Chief Hops

Cryo HopsÂŽ pellets are the concentrated lupulin of whole-leaf hops, containing resins and aromatic oils. They are designed to provide intense hop flavor and aroma, enabling brewers to dose large quantities of hops while avoiding astringent flavors & vegetative material. Yakima Chief Hops is a grower-owned hop supplier with a mission to connect family hop farms with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest brewers.

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. 69

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

A. Holliday & Company Inc.

Christine Renken

Toronto

(416) 225-2217

teacoff.com

Abelei Flavors

Shelley Henderson

North Aurora

(630) 859-1410

abelei.com

Darryl Tait

Raleigh

(703) 474-3163

abs-commercial.com

Brad Ebenhoeh

Charleston

(843) 501-2774

accountfully.com

Krysta Sunne

Appleton

(608) 781-2345

agropuringredients.com

Dr. John Endres

Seattle

(253) 286-2888

aibmr.com

–

Emeryville

(510) 450-0761

amyris.com

Jackson Zapp

Austin

(512) 732-8300

appliedfoods.com

Marketing Department

Bellevue

(425) 637-2107

atago-usa.com

Lisa Wessels (Pitzer)

Erlanger

(859) 534-1545

avure-hpp-foods.com

ABS Commercial Accountfully Agropur AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc. Amyris Applied Food Sciences (AFS) ATAGO USA., Inc. Avure HPP Technologies - JBT Azpack

–

Tempe

(480) 449-7770

azpack.com

Cindy Finck

Alstead

(888) 266-6271

maplesource.com

Monika Puzelyte

Chicago

–

Dan Macri

St Paul

(866) 956-4608

bevsource.com

Penny Portner

Ham Lake

(763) 746-3926

bioenergylifescience.com

Callisons

Kim Carson

Cincinnati

(317) 442-8740

callisons.com

Cask Brewing Systems

Peter Love

Calgary

(403) 640-4677

cask.com

Bascom Maple Farms Berlin Packaging BevSource Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

BerlinPackaging.com

Chemi Nutra

Chase Hagerman

Austin

(866) 907-0400

Ciranda, Inc.

Tonya Lofgren

Hudson

–

Citromax Flavors

Zeynep Taskin

Carlstadt

(201) 933-8405

citromaxflavors.com

Clint Rush

Indianapolis

(317) 390-5067

csiclosures.com

Corbion

–

Lenexa

(913) 890-5500

corbion.com/Food

Country Malt Group

–

(844) 637-7106

countrymalt.com

Bobbie Kenney

Atlanta

(678) 247-7300

cpkelco.com

Ashley Sebastionelli

Balitmore

–

Dave Carlson

Ambridge

(724) 266-9000

CSI division of Nordon, Inc

Jeff Gordon

Langhorne

(215) 341-3919

coolersolutions.com

Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes

Tod Burgess

Kennesaw

(800) 697-8179

deerland.com

Closure Systems International

CP Kelco CraftPack Beverage, LLC Creekside Springs, LLC

cheminutra.com ciranda.com

craftpackbev.com creeksidesprings.com

Doehler North America

Kristy Ellenson

Cartersville

(770) 387-0451

doehler.com

Douglas Machine Inc.

Erv Fringer

Alexandria

(320) 763-6587

douglas-machine.com

DWS PRINTING

Andy Staib

Deer Park

(631) 667-6666

dwsprinting.com

ElastiTag® - Bedford Ind.

Patsy Youngblom

Worthington

(507) 376-4136

elastitag.com

Encompass Technologies

Jake Sampson

Fort Collins

(970) 449-8000

encompass8.com

Express Trade Capital

Ashley Orlando

New York

(212) 997-0155

expresstradecapital.com

–

Park Ridge

(201) 573-4900

farbest.com

Farbest Brands Finlays

–

Lincoln

(800) 288-6272

finlays.net

Flavor Producers, LLC.

–

West Hills

(661) 257-3400

flavorproducers.com

Phil Icsman

Louisville

(502) 301-8132

flavorman.com

Flavorman FONA International Foodarom ForceBrands Fort Dearborn Company Foundry Brand Services Group Franklin Baker, Inc.

70 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

Cara Newkirk

Geneva

(630) 578-8600

fona.com

Phillip Kraemer

San Diego

(541) 213-7005

foodarom.com

Sean Conner

New York

(917) 596-3229

forcebrands.com/bevforce

Gwen Chapdelaine

Elk Grove

(847) 357-9500

fortdearborn.com

Brandon Lutz

Culver City

(310) 584-7168

foundrybsg.com

John Slade

Memphis

(901) 881-6681

franklinbaker.com

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Frooishen Design

Casey Harshman

Sylvania

(440) 241-4217

frooishen.com

FutureCeuticals Glanbia Performance Nutrition

–

Momence

(888) 452-6853

futureceuticals.com

Jean Terminiello

Boca Raton

(561) 445-0505

optimumnutrition.com

Glover Capital, Inc.

Marion B. Glover

Atlanta

(404) 523-2921

–

GNT USA Inc.

Jeannette O'Brien

Tarrytown

(914) 524-0600

EXBERRY.com

John Ludwig

Douglassville

(800) 948-1922

goodwest.com

GoodWest Industries, LLC Hammer Packaging Healthy Food Ingredients Hidell International Icon Foods iDrink Products Inc

–

West Henrietta

(585) 424-3880

hammerpackaging.com

Joni Huffman

Fargo

(844) 275-3443

HFIfamily.com

Henry "Bob" Hidell

Hingham

(781) 749-8040

hidellinternational.com

Thom King

Portland

(310) 455-9876

iconfoods.com

Douglas Wang

ANN ARBOR

(734) 531-6324

idrinkproducts.com

Inland

Kevan Kent

La Crosse

(608) 788-5800

buyinland.inlandpackaging.com/bevnet

ISBT

Larry Hobbs

Dallas

ITO EN (North America) INC.

–

(972) 233-9107

bevtech.org

(718) 250-4000

itoen.com

(760) 560-5286

javobeverage.com

Javo Beverage Company

Candice Peck

Vista

Keg Logistics

Chris Sapyta

Centennial

–

keglogistics.com

Jill Sambol

Anaheim

(800) 429-4321

labeltronix.com

Labeltronix Loeb LogiChain Solutions Lucky Clover Packaging

–

Chicago

(773) 548-4131

loebequipment.com

Rene Jacquat

San Francisco

(415) 795-2269

logichainsolutions.com

Ashley Sebastionelli

Baltimore

–

luckycloverpackaging.com

INDUSTRY LEADER IN ESL TECHNOLOGY rinsing | filling | capping | sorting | sanitizing

WWW.FOGGFILLER.COM 71

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY Martin Bauer Inc.

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

–

Secaucus

(201) 659-3100

martin-bauer-group.us

McLean Design

Caryn Javinsky

Walnut Creek

(925) 944-9500

mclean-design.com

MetaBrand

Nick Andlinger

Edison

(732) 983-5915

metabrandcorp.com

Lexi Carr

San Diego

(855) 786-7734

miruspromotions.com

Mirus Promotions Momentum Brand Solutions MONK FRUIT CORP. Monvera Glass Décor NEO Plastics NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO NP Nutra Overnight Labels PakTech Parabel - LENTEIN Pizzey Ingredients

Rob Seagrist

Melina Ovassapian

Libertyville

momentumbrandsolutions.com

(847) 367-6665

monkfruitcorp.com

–

Richmond

(877) 792-1150

Isak Bengiyat

Brooklyn

–

monvera.com

Pete Grego

West Sacramento

(916) 372-0600

ncbev.com

Samantha Portello

Gardena

(310) 694-3031

npnutra.com

Don Earl

Deer Park

(800) 472-5753

overnightlabels.com

neoplastics.com

–

Eugene

(541) 461-5000

PakTech-opi.com

Cecilia Wittbjer

Vero Beach

(321) 405-2130

parabel.com

Mary Ekman

Rockford

(651) 797-3168

pizzeyingredients.com

Point3 Farma

Malcolm Beers

Center

(508) 294-3073

Point3farma.com

Printpack

Karen English

Atlanta

(404) 460-7403

printpack.com/digital-press

Pro Chiller Systems, Inc. Prova Inc. PTM Food

Jim VanderGiessen

Auburn

(800) 845-7781

prochiller.com

Melanie Breitner

Danvers

(206) 707-3377

provaus.com

Don Rodgers

Wall Township

(888) 736-6339

ptmfood.com

RAZIELE INC.

Aarturo Cherny

Chula Vista

(858) 449-5904

bottles4you.com

Relay Resources

Aaron McNab

Portland

(503) 560-9328

relayresources.org/BevNET

S&D Coffee & Tea

–

Concord

(800) 933-2210

sdcoffeetea.com

Julia Rivera

Fairfield

(973) 200-8849

sapphireflavors.com

Andy Stallone

Boca Raton

(561) 350-6397

SASsalesandmarketing.com

Christine Balediata

Edison

(732) 981-1288

shanghaifreemen.com

Sapphire Flavors and Fragrancs SAS Sales and Marketing Shanghai Freemen Americas SoRSE Technology

Stuart Sim

Seattle

(206) 218-5184

sorsetech.com

Randy Smith

Huntington Beach

(714) 375-6300

statco-dsi.com

Joel Cambridge

Attleboro Falls

(508) 699-7899

stebbings.com

Brian Nova

Madera

(559) 661-0031

stiebs.com

STORCAN

Flora Grimoire

Châteaugay

+450698215

storcan.com

Sweegen

Katharina Pueller

Rancho Santa Margarita

(949) 709-0583

sweegen.com

Joe Boehrer

Wauconda

(847) 487-1011

synergytaste.com

Statco-DSI Process Systems Stebbings Partners Stiebs

Synergy Flavors T. Hasegawa

Mark Webster

14017 East 183rd St

(714) 522-1900

thasegawa.com

Takasago International Corp

Walter Crawley

Rockleigh

(201) 767-9001

takasago.com

The GRO Agency

Kelly Criswell

New York & Los Angeles

(917) 498-8912

thegroagency.com

The Lab

Adam Smith

St. Paul

(651) 313-6888

thelabmn.com

–

South Bend

(800) 648-1123

lebermuth.com

Brittany DeMarco

Edmonton

(780) 439-1425

tophealthingredients.com

–

Paddock Wood

–

+441622872105

totallynaturalsolutions.com

–

Scotts Valley

(831) 685-6565

tradinorganic.com

Jeremy J. Sanders

Hickory

(843) 622-8434

unitedfoodandbeverage.com

The Lebermuth Company Top Health Ingredients, Inc. Totally Natural Solutions Tradin Organic USA United Food and Beverage, LLC Van Groningen & Sons Inc.

Teri Lovdal

Manteca

(209) 924-6154

vgandsons.com

Victory Hemp Foods

Chris Bailey

Carrollton

(502) 230-3221

victoryhempfoods.com whitelabs.com

–

(888) 593-2785

Yakima Chief Hops

White Labs Inc.

Alex Rumbolz

Yakima

3109623005

Zion Pack

Brad Martin

Corona

(951) 335-4600

72 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

yakimachief.com zionpack.com

FIND ALL FOUR SKUS IN A CONVENIENCE OR DRUG STORE NEAR YOU.

PROMO PARADE

INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS

Grey Goose Launches “Live Victoriously” Campaign In April, Grey Goose vodka unveiled its new global brand platform, Live Victoriously. The ethos of the Live Victoriously platform is an answer to consumers’ demand for more authentic and relatable luxury brands – personal fulfillment is no longer achieved by simply impressing others, but rather by celebrating the moments that matter to one personally – big or small. “At its core, Live Victoriously recognizes that you are the special occasion, and that every moment—big and small-- is an opportunity to create a lifelong memory. It’s ironic that today’s consumer values product quality and brand transparency more than ever, but their purchase behavior suggests a willingness to compromise on both,” said Lee Applbaum, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Grey Goose. “‘Good enough’ has become a norm in the category, which has been dumbed down through price compression and clever, but often misleading marketing. Grey Goose is a luxury product, but this positioning has also impaired our ability to fully connect with consumers; more often, they reserve Grey Goose for very special occasions. Live Victoriously seeks to change this perception and encourage consumers to recognize that they are the special occasion and that every moment is an opportunity to create a lifelong memory.” The new global brand platform will be holistically supported by a suite of integrated creative assets, designed to forge emotional connections with consumers 74 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019

in a way that makes GREY GOOSE more accessible, relatable and the right choice for even the most ephemeral of moments – as they, too, have the potential to become lifelong memories. The Live Victoriously TV spots reinforce this emotional connectivity by showcasing either a lead character or group of characters fully committing to unexpected moments of celebration with the utmost swagger. Grey Goose is also relaunching its digital and social ecosystem globally by transforming GreyGoose.com into an immersive, interactive website, enriched with custom content. Additionally, the introduction of the Live Victoriously platform will be supported by exclusive media partnerships with top content hubs like Hulu, Spotify, The Skimm and HypeBeast. To celebrate the launch of the Live Victoriously platform, Grey Goose took over happy hours in New York and London by treating post-work bar crowds to surprise performances from some of the world’s most beloved comedians. Posing as on-duty bartenders for the evening, comedic talent – including Jamie Foxx, Aidy Bryant and Colin Jost in New York City and Jack Whitehall in London – served up cocktails alongside spontaneous stand-up acts, which focused on the new platform’s principal message: to Live Victoriously is to treat yourself like you are worthy of the very best, and the best moments to treat yourself can be found right under your nose – even on a Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Jack Daniels Launches New AR Experience

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is rolling out an Augmented Reality (AR) app that will take consumers on a virtual journey of the Jack Daniel Distillery through a series of pop-up book style dioramas with more than 10 minutes of content providing an engaging experience rich with stories and visuals in a way that’s uniquely Jack. “In today’s world, it’s important for us to reach fans and consumers where they are,” said Jeff Cole, modern media director for Jack Daniel’s. “That means sharing content that’s unique, interesting and relevant though a variety of digital mediums. In 2016, we launched an immersive Virtual Reality experience and in 2018 we launched our official podcast, ‘Around the Barrel.’ This new AR experience is taking our brand storytelling to the next level.” Once consumers download the dedicated app, they can point their phones at any Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey bottle (from 50mL to 1.75L) to uncover the animations, voice overs and all the stories that make the more than 150-year old brand so special, from the Cave Spring water to the distilling process. Jack Daniel’s partnered with Tactic, a San Francisco-based company specializing in the production of immersive experiences, to develop the app. The AR experience is divided into three unique parts, each designed with the look and feel of hand-crafted models and integrate real-time, environmental lighting and textures. The first experience transforms the front label of the bottle into a miniature version of the Jack Daniel Distillery. The second walks step by step through the process of making Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, and the third shares stories of the man himself, Jack Daniel. The Jack Daniel’s AR app will be available for download in the US for both iOS and Android platforms.

ABUNDANTLY

AVAILABLE