BevNET Magazine September/October 2024

Main Squeeze

The First Drop

By Jeffrey Klineman

A Tall Glass of Liquid Metal

The age of liquid metal has been on my mind a lot lately. After watching Terminator II recently at home, I then watched a bunch of old Capri Sun ads from the mid-90s that captured the same shiny, shape shifting aesthetic of the Cyberdyne Systems T-1000.

In the ads, the Capri Sun pouch itself becomes a series of metallic tweens and teens, as they surf, play basketball, and otherwise do cool West Coast-y stuff. It’s a memorable ad from an age of memorable ads – the mid-90s were actually an incredible time for them, with everything from Coke’s Fruitopia kaleidoscopes to the late Richard Lewis delivering oddball riffs and stories that had absolutely nothing to do with the Boku he was, ostensibly, there to promote.

That wicked, ever-malleable liquid metal got me thinking, though, about the ways that marketing has changed for beverages, both for good and for ill.

When Kraft started rolling out these “Liquid Cool” commercials for Capri Sun, they bombarded the airwaves with a steady stream of terminator teens – and they did their job, cementing the brand in the national shopping cart. (For more about Capri Sun, and about juice brands, and about import beer, dig deeper into this issue!)

Ad shops now face a more difficult

time targeting consumers. Networks have bled viewers. Cable has yielded to streaming services, many of which are ad free. The most popular streamer today is YouTube – a “station” that encompasses, in one form or another, a significant percentage of all of the video ever recorded, either professionally or by amateurs, whether it was meant for upload or not.

Messaging has been blown apart, into so many tiny droplets, like a T-1000 driving a semi that’s just been hit with a grenade launcher.

This decay of centralized distribution isn’t all bad, of course – in fact, it’s what has led to the growth of so many new brands. The internet has been a massive accelerator for entrepreneurs, leveling the marketing playing field, allowing founders to create direct connections to consumers.

We know that advertising has long been moving toward digital channels; this year, however, according to a recent story in Adweek, digital spending was finally expected to pass linear. The question remains, however, whether there’s any way to make any of this spending, television or online, worthwhile. Especially when there’s an even wider spectrum of approaches to get brands in front of the public, from sponsorship to the

field to the celebrity investor or founder game.

There are two effects of this that are tough for me to handle. First, when was the last time, besides during the Super Bowl, that you paid attention to any advertisement? Second, there’s a shift in tone, as if those droplets aren’t just reforming to create a message, but to take over your life.

Rather than use advertising as a way to entertain and amaze, to inform and to sell, the keywords now are seemingly interrupt, track, acquire. I can’t say whether other people feel this way, but as algorithms and trackers have become primary marketing tools, I know that I often experience the feeling that I’m being stalked, by products and services, all of which are waiting for one missed click to take me to an obscure land where my details are harvested whether or not I actually make a purchase.

I understand this is the price I pay for progress as a consumer, and that this is the route you’ve been forced to take as marketers and suppliers. But as every single step I take seems to be accompanied by a pop-up, a link, a digital ad, a sponsored search, I’ve started to consider a new question: would I rather be chased by the Terminator, or plugged into the Matrix?

By Barry Nathanson Publisher Toast

Don’t Slow Down

We passed Labor Day and are heading into the final stage of our beverage cycle, so I’d like to take stock of where things are vs. where I thought they’d be. I think back to the start of 2024 and my optimism for a banner year. We were two years past Covid receding from its dire impact on every aspect of our lives. Timidity seemed to be making way for excitement.

Soooooo…. are we back?

In my role as publisher at BevNET I try to connect with as many brands as possible, trying to keep up with the pulse of the industry. It is actually my favorite aspect of my job. For those of you who know me, I’m not a shrinking violet, and talking is what I do best. I’m the ultimate cheerleader for all things beverages. So earlier this year, I heard largely growthoriented plans: ideas for lots of new SKUs, packaging updates, and greater geographic expansion. Marketing agendas were aggressive, budgets were sufficient to support their initiatives. I couldn’t be happier for the potential success of all the brands I interact with.

The year rolled out strongly. Each category had its ups and downs, but as a whole, the business was solid. Players big and small were achieving gains. The numbers were good, but I really judge

success in the dozens of conversations I have with the brands, as they are the true test of what’s really happening. All seemed well.

As we rolled through the summer, I still heard mostly positive reports. The litmus test would be after the season when everyone could take stock of how they did. It would be the true measurement. So let’s delve into what the numbers say and how marketers are responding. Across the board most categories were down. CSDs, sports drinks, coffee, flavored water and base water were slightly off. Actually the only category to exhibit growth was coconut water. As they say in politics, “all within the margin of error” Really nothing to worry about. It was still a strong year.

Those are the numbers, but I look at it from a different perspective. So many of the brands I work with seem to have curtailed or cut their marketing initiatives, with almost all saying they’re now gearing up for 2025. In my opinion, this would stifle the momentum that they’ve achieved earlier in the year. I would hope they would take the long view. You’ve recovered from the covid debacle, keep going forward. The time for timidity is over.

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By Gerry Khermouch

Delta 9 Consumption Makes for Strange Bedfellows

“We’re allergic to the word ‘disrupt,’” Happy Coffee founder Craig Dubitsky said at the Beverage Forum conference this past spring. “The companies that use the word disrupt are usually the ones being disrupted.” Dubitsky, a successfully exited entrepreneur, likely is right, when you think about it. These days executives at big CPG companies will claim to be agents of disruption even when they foray nothing more than a modest line extension to one of their mainstay brands. One might even question the premise that you can intentionally set about disrupting a category in which you are among the established leaders yourself.

After all, truly disruptive moves are those where the consequences are likely to be heavily, or even mainly, or entirely, unforeseen, unintended, uncontrollable. Which would seem to be a good explanation for why, their heroic rhetoric notwithstanding, the suits at major corporations really don’t have it in them to perform truly disruptive acts. After all, how do you calculate the ROI on blowing up stuff?

Which brings us to hemp-derived Delta-9 beverages. Backdoored into the market by sloppily written cannabis regulations, these are psychoactive drinks that are truly bringing legal THC to the masses – at least for now. In contrast to THC products that are licensed for the narrow dispensary channel in cannabis-friendly states, low-dosage Delta-9 drinks have been proliferating among grocers, bars, restaurants and wine & spirits stores in a way that seemed unthinkable, particularly as progress in decriminalizing cannabis has essentially ground to a halt. Ground zero, a couple of years ago, was Minnesota, as you probably heard at the time. This new category was embraced by craft brewers and beer distributors who needed a lucrative revenue growth engine as well as all classes of retailers, both on- and off-premise. This at a time, remember, that even non-psychoactive CBD beverages remain persona non grata at the major chains because of the vagaries of regulation. Visitors to the Land of Ten Thou-

sand Lakes reported that it wasn’t uncommon to be handed a drink menu that included separate sections for beer, wine, cocktails and D9 beverages. Though the regional news media seemed to be on the lookout for signs of societal breakdown, there don’t seem to have been many, at least not as measured in things like emergency room visits. (Whether underage users are skipping out on their homework is harder to track.)

So essentially out of the blue, a whole new class of intoxicants suddenly found its way into the daily or weekly routines of the broad population and left regulators at the state level scrambling to deal. Now, that seems to bring us closer to something that could be called disruption. As often happens with disruptive developments, it’s roiling the priorities of various interest groups involved in alcohol, distribution and other related areas.

That was clear at the time I was writing this column, when California Governor Gavin Newsom had just moved to take “emergency” action to ban all intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids, including THC, in any food, beverage or dietary supplement. This in a market where major alcohol retailers like Total Wine and BevMo had gone all in on the new class of beverage. The move itself was mildly surprising, particularly in the absence of any definitive evidence that the drinks have been causing a health or safety issue. More interesting, to me, were the reactions that the move elicited.

The Beer Institute, which represents the major brewers, commended the governor “for his leadership in closing an unintended loophole that has enabled the proliferation of unregulated intoxicating hemp products. Intoxicating hemp products are being sold as food and beverages, despite not being deemed safe for the U.S. food supply by federal regulators, and in some cases without age restrictions.” The BI’s position aligns not just with California regulators, but with a bipartisan coalition of 21 state attorney generals, who wrote a letter earlier this year that urged Congress to address “this reckless

policy.” So the big brewers are aiming to hinder a new class of drinks that can be viewed as competing for the same social occasions. No surprise there, I suppose.

Yet many beer wholesalers – particularly Budweiser houses that have seen their Bud Light sales tank even as categories like hard seltzer and craft beer are flattening out and energy drinks like Bang, Celsius and C4 have fled to soft drink systems – have been embracing the new format. So that’s one area where the brewers are not aligned with their distributor partners. Yet, the distributors’ own lobbying organization, the National Beer Wholesalers’ Association, has likewise been exceedingly wary of the new drinks, which it won’t allow as exhibitors at its big trade show. The NBWA views them not just as a risk to wholesalers’ alcohol licenses, but as generally a bad look for a group of businesses that have long made the argument that the three-tier system is essential to insuring that alcoholic beverages are marketed responsibly. Embracing a largely unregulated (and potentially competitive) intoxicating category’s risks certainly could be viewed as undermining all that. One might think, then, that the trade group for the other big class of alcohol distributors, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers’ Association, would take a similar view. But that’s emphatically not the case: they are embracing D9 beverages.

Interestingly, the cannabis dispensary channel also is vehemently opposed to D9 beverages, which impinge on their sanctioned monopoly of legal THC. It’s hard not to sympathize with their point of view. After all, they invested heavily to participate in a channel and already have been frustrated at regulators’ lackluster efforts to shut down the unlicensed black market. All of a sudden, there is a whole new class of seemingly legitimate THC rivals with no testing requirements, no age-gating, no retail restrictions. It all reminds this New Yorker of the quandary our local taxi drivers found themselves in after investing as much as $1.2 million to obtain a medallion conferring the right to operate, only to suddenly see tens of thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers on the street competing for the same fares without any meaningful entry barrier. There has been a spate of suicides from desperate medallion owners who lost hope of ever recovering that massive investment. An unfortunate cost of a disruption that’s enhanced the ease of getting around the city, shrug some rideshare proponents.

For their part, D9 proponents say the dispensary clan is welcome to maintain its monopoly in higher-dosage products but that low-dosage drinks yearn to breathe free. And the Cannabis Beverage Association is strongly in favor of installing a regulatory regime of testing, age-gating and other rules that would weed out bad actors. (Pun intended.) So it’s an exceedingly complicated mix of warring incentives and motivations. Where it all ends up, I certainly can’t predict. Few of my contacts in the space will venture a firm opinion either. But that, after all, is the meaning of disruption.

Longtime beverage-watcher Gerry Khermouch is executive editor of Beverage Business Insights, a twice-weekly e-newsletter covering the nonalcoholic beverage sector.

California Moves to Shut The Door On Hemp-Derived THC Products

Citing concerns over public health, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed heavy restrictions on “intoxicating hemp products” in September. Through an emergency regulation, Newsom proposed removing food and beverage products containing hemp extract from stores within the Golden State.

“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores,” Gov. Newsom said in a press release. “We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products.”

The executive order puts very stringent regulations on hemp-derived THC products, including delta-8 and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol along with 30 new cannabinoids added to the state’s list. The new regulations ban any detectable quantity of THC from industrial hemp products meant for human consumption — which includes food, food additives, beverages and dietary supplements.

This means that the new milligram limit for hemp-derived THC products is zero, relegating all THC product sales to the recreational adult-use and medicinal dispensary channels.

The regulations also age-gate hemp extract products at 21 years or older with packages restricted to 5 servings. The move is intended to place harsher restrictions on the hemp extract industry as the incidence of children unknowingly buying and consuming THC-containing products has risen with the explosive growth of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids like Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, according to Newsom.

Newsom lobbied for California’s Proposition 64, or the Adult Use Of Marijuana Act which legalized cannabis in the state, as lieutenant governor in November 2016. As governor he went on to help pass the state’s Assembly Bill 45 in November 2021, which addressed the use of industrial hemp as an adulterant in food and beverage.

“None of us expected the kind of exploitation that we’ve experienced in the hemp industry since,” he said in a press conference. “What we’re doing today, as relates to emergency regulations, is because of that exploitation – because of the greed of many folks in the industry.”

The news comes on the back of a failed legislative attempt in August to amend existing oversight of intoxicating hemp products to the state’s Department of Cannabis Control.

“We’re here to regulate this industry. We were hopeful that we were going to get that done,” Newsom said. “Assemblywoman [Cecilia] Aguiar-Curry had a bill to address the issues and address some of the complexities and nuances. We don’t want to kill the hemp industry.”

Industry stakeholders like the U.S. Hemp Roundtable criticized the governor’s approach calling it a “betrayal of California hemp farmers, small businesses, and adult consumers,” in a statement from the lobbyist’s general counsel Jonathan Miller.

California joins a series of state-led approaches to rein in the hemp-derived THC market. Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, Missouri and New Hampshire are just some of the states using enforcing, serving size and cannabinoid formulation requirements to heavily limit the reach of hemp extract businesses.

Chris Gallant Named CEO of ZICO Rising

Going from coffee to coconuts, Chris Gallant has been named CEO of ZICO Rising, joining the resurrected coconut water brand after he announced his departure from influencer-founded startup Chamberlain Coffee.

Gallant succeeds ZICO CEO Tom Hicks, who is staying with the brand in the role of chief commercial officer.

Gallant’s appointment comes as ZICO Rising enters a new phase focused on driving distribution while thinking “very strategically” about the brand and category, according to founder Mark Rampolla. The no-sugar-added coconut water company recently landed its product line – which includes Natural and Chocolate varieties – at select Costco locations. The brand also has distribution at Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons and Walmart, among others.

Rampolla purchased ZICO Rising (then just ZICO) back from The Coca-Cola Company in 2021 after Coke discontinued the brand in 2020 as part of a mass culling that trimmed 200 underperforming global brands from its portfolio. He said that Hicks – who joined as CEO in 2021 – did an “extraordinary job” getting ZICO Rising from zero to where it is today, calling it the top-growing brand in the category (albeit one with a much smaller distribution and sales base).

Gallant said he is excited to see where he can take ZICO Rising while keeping the focus on its core products, especially given the recent boom in demand for coconut water. Coconut water category unit sales volumes are up 13% overall over the past 52-week period ending August 24, and dollar sales were up 26.5% over the same period, according to NielsenIQ data compiled by Goldman Sachs.

“We’ll be thinking about how we can reach new audiences with these core products,” said Gallant. “You can really see the growth of coconut water and hydration products in both liquid and powder form. And I think coconut water is the best way to hydrate.”

Gallant comes to ZICO after spending three years as CEO at Chamberlain Coffee, the coffee and lifestyle brand founded by social media star Emma Chamberlain – who took over as co-CEO in August following Gallant’s departure.

During his tenure at Chamberlain Coffee, Gallant grew the startup into a national brand found in over 12,000 retailers. He also helped the company grow its portfolio with ready-to-drink (RTD) lattes and expand internationally into Canada.

ZICO Rising is now doubling down on routes to market, innovation and consumer positioning, which will allow Hicks to focus on selling while Gallant focuses on strategy.

Dry Drinks Curator Sèchey Soaks Up New Funding from InvestBev

As it looks to expand its own branded line of NA wines in retail this fall, no- and low-alc drinks “curator” Sèchey announced in August that it had received an investment from adult beverage-focused private equity firm InvestBev. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The new funding comes in a mainstream coming out year for Sèchey, which was founded by CEO Emily Heintz in 2021 as a brick-and-mortar boutique for NA alcohol alternative drinks in Charleston, South Carolina and online retailer.

In January, Sèchey partnered with Target to curate the mass retail chain’s NA alternatives set in stores, stocking brands selected by Sèchey (including De Soi, Kin Euphorics and Ghia among others) as well as the company’s private label dealcoholized wines sold under its own name.

Since then, Heintz said the Target partnership has quickly helped Sèchey to grow brand awareness and it is now preparing to roll out its branded wines in the New York market next month, to be facilitated by a distribution partnership with ProofNoMore.

“Our own brand was always part of our strategy, and launching at mass helped us bring the product to market faster,” Heintz told BevNET, adding that as Sèchey grows, the company aims to build both its own CPG line and its retailer and curation business simultaneously. “I believe it’s complementary to a multi-brand strategy that we can sit next to a lot of brands and brand partners.”

The deal also marks a deeper step into the NA alternatives category for InvestBev, which has previously invested in alcohol brands across categories such as Siempre Tequila, JuneShine and ecommerce platform Speakeasy Company.

Brian Rosen, founder and general partner of InvestBev,

told BevNET that the firm had been looking to make a serious investment in an NA alternatives company for the past three years; although it has previously invested in cannabis social tonic brand Cann, Sèchey is the first in its portfolio to focus on “dryish” non-intoxicating products, as well as the first investment from the firm’s $150 million Fund V.

“I think that Emily and her team have gotten farther with less than everyone else we’ve seen,” Rosen said. “It could be less support, it could be less capital, the word ‘less’ can be anything. But to have a foothold into a mass merch retailer, to have a storefront, to understand the difference between DTC and in-person retail, all of those things really speak to me.”

The global market for low- and no-alc alternatives was valued at over $13 billion as of January, according to Boston Consulting Group and, per IWSR, the category is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7% between 2023 and 2027.

While the category continues to expand, the sector was rocked this year by the abrupt bankruptcy of another specialty NA retailer, Boisson. While that company reported revenue of around $10 million last year, it ultimately struggled to pay debts while juggling higher operational costs for its nine retail locations.

For Sèchey, however, the relationship with InvestBev provides the company with an established partner in the adult drinks sector, as well as access to its team. Rosen said he believes the brand, alongside other fast-rising businesses like NA beer maker Athletic Brewing Co., has “first mover advantage” and said the category is still “in the first inning of a nine inning game.”

Perricone Farms Acquires Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company

Craft juice company Perricone Farms acquired Fort Pierce, Fla.-based Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company in September. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The merger will allow Newport Beach, Calif.-based Perricone Farms to take advantage of bi-coastal production facilities, improve its delivery capabilities, expand its product offerings and leverage its additional scale to ensure the quality of both companies’ juices, the company announced in a press release.

Founded in 1989, Natalie’s started out selling orange and grapefruit juices but now boasts a wide range of juice products, including holistic juices, citrus juices, exotic blends and lemonades.

Perricone Farms was founded in 1994 by Sam Perricone – one of the largest citrus growers in the U.S. at the time –along with his eldest son, Joe. The com-

pany offers a range of citrus and apple juices in both conventional and organic varieties produced at its manufacturing facilities in Beaumont, Calif., and Vero Beach, Fla.

So, can two legacy juice manufacturers become a major force in a stiff category? Perricone Farms CEO Bob Rovzar said the business is looking towards national and international expansion with the purchase of Natalie’s. The combined business will maintain both brands, while utilizing production facilities on both coasts to scale production and shore up the supply chain in a time where quality fruit supply is challenged.

“From our side, it would have been one of these dreams for us to be able to partner with a company like Natalie’s,” Rovzar said. “So when we had the ability to get involved, we jumped at it and just feel

really excited about the combination being really well poised to provide a premier product.”

Natalie’s marketing head Natalie Sexton (the brand’s namesake) will remain with the combined business as CMO, while her mother – founder and CEO Marygrace Sexton – will move into an advisory role.

Rovzar said that Perricone intends to “virtually bring over the team intact” from Natalie’s.

“The synergies are perfectly aligned,” said Natalie Sexton. “We have very similar brand values, our ethos are aligned, and their commitment to quality and customer service matches ours. And so you couldn’t find a better partner to really help, one, set the tone and foundation to continue to build Natalie’s, but to really fuel us for growth in the future.”

‘Proudly GMO’ ZBiotics Closes $12M Round, Plots Retail Expansion

ZBiotics, a food tech startup developing a slate of functional CPG products made with genetically modified probiotics, closed a $12 million Series A funding round in August led by Spring Tide Capital.

Joining Spring Tide are several other CPG-focused finance firms, including Access Capital, Seamless Capital, Goat Rodeo Capital and Seaside Ventures.

Founded in 2016 by CEO Zack Abbott, who holds a PhD in microbiology, ZBiotics touts itself as a “proudly GMO” company engineering probiotic strains for hyper-specific use occasions. Its first, and to-date only, product launch has been a before-you-drink “Pre-Alcohol” hangover prevention shot, sold in 0.5 oz. bottles.

Available primarily online, with some limited testing in brick-and-mortar stores this year, ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol shots are sold at a bit more of a premium than many competitors in the hangover prevention drink category, averaging between $9-$12 per bottle depending on purchase size directly from the brand’s website. However, Abbott says the shots have repeatedly doubled in sales year-over-year, with a cumulative 5 million sold to date and achieving profitability in 2023.

The new financing is set to bankroll the brand’s expansion into retail while also supporting additional R&D efforts with plans for a full portfolio of future products. Upcoming ideas include a gut health and digestion product set to launch in the coming weeks, as well as in-development sleep, vaginal health and athletic performance products.

“We’re in a really good position with lots of growth,” Abbott told BevNET. “We felt like it was a really great time to put some gasoline on the fire for some of the really exciting initiatives we have planned.”

Westrock Kicks Off New Era in Conway

As you pass the first doors onto the warehouse floor, the first thing you notice about Westrock Coffee’s new facility is the space itself. Far on the other side of the room, a production line is humming along making the first batches of RTD product to come out of the 524,000 square foot, $315 million hub at the centerpiece of Westrock’s ambitious goal to transform from a high-volume importer and roaster to a complete coffee services master brand. The empty real estate itself underlies an essential fact of the plant: this is built for the long-term.

Westrock’s facility is a high-stakes gamble for the family owned company, which went public via a SPAC merger in 2022. Its recent Q2 earnings report underlined the urgency of making this experiment work: a $17.8 million loss on the back of a 7.3% sales decline, which narrowed full-year guidance. Still, CEO Scott Ford pointed to the positive: multi-serve bottles and cans were finally coming off the line at Conway, and the clawback to growth was well underway.

The plant sits within an unassuming business park in Conway, a city about 25 minutes outside of Little Rock that’s home to Central Arkansas University. Pulling up into the parking lot on a hot July day, the low-rise buildings mask the expansiveness of the 45-acre campus, an operation designed to handle all aspects of coffee save for actually growing the plant. Roasting, grinding, extraction and packaging (not just bottling) — plus refrigerated storage — are all under one roof, complemented by a 530,000 square foot distribution warehouse two miles down the road for ambient.

Inside the facility doors, however, nothing is unassuming. The massive space houses massive equipment: silos with collective capacity in excess of one million pounds of green coffee, a pair of Scolari Roasters churning through 360 kg per batch (running 8 hour shifts six days per week), a canning line capable of doing 1,600 units in just 45 minutes.

The calculation is simple: by investing heavily early on in equipment and pre-selling capacity (about 75% of which is now booked), Westrock will have the efficiency and infrastructure in place to rapidly commercialize and realize dividends — at

which point the plant can scale with an additional four to six packaging lines. Though relatively small compared to other rooms in the sprawling plant, Westrock’s R&D department, under the guidance of director Stephanie Gonzalez, is perhaps the key component of the entire operation. Other facilities can execute many of the same manufacturing processes, but having seasoned inhouse product development allows the company to enhance its value at both the top and bottom of the funnel. It supports the ability to begin working with clients at a more conceptual stage; Reading between the lines, it’s easy to see why this might be appealing to celebrities (like Tom Hanks’ non-profit brand Hanx For Our Troops) or private label clients seeking to simplify their on-ramp to market.

The plant’s batching system operates up to four lines simultaneously, allowing retort-required products to be developed in nine months. For non-retort, samples can be produced in as little as two to three weeks.

At the other end of the spectrum, it provides greater fine-tuning controls for brands looking to dial in unique flavor notes and incorporate dairy or alt-dairy ingredients. Issues can be fixed or iterated over the course of small-batch production runs.

Westrock’s success may depend more on external factors, though, than their ability to pump our products. Americans love their coffee as much as ever, but increased competition from energy drinks, improved in-store coffee programs and other factors have squeezed the category over the past year; sales of iced coffee (-5.1%) and cold brew (-30%) have fallen in the last 52-weeks, though refrigerated sales are growing, according to NielsenIQ data.

In the months ahead, the excitement and newness around the Conway facility will die down as it gets down to the business at hand, and, as it prefers, Westrock recedes into the background. Its moves of the last few years have been expensive and highly publicized, exchanging the temporary pain for the potential long-term gains. Now with a license to hunt, it’s hoping Conway can start producing profits along with the cold brew.

SEC Slaps KDP Over Sustainability Claims

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) with making inaccurate statements about the recyclability of K-Cups after finding that two of the largest recycling companies in the country had “significant concerns” that those tiny plastic pods could not be efficiently processed.

The heart of the SEC’s claim stems from KDP’s annual reports for 2019 and 2020, where the company claimed it had “validate[d] that [K-Cup pods] can be effectively recycled,” but failed to disclose that major recycling companies voiced concerns to the company “regarding the commercial feasibility of curbside recycling” for the pods and refused to accept them for processing.

To be clear, the SEC is slapping KDP with a fine for inaccurate filings – not for anything related to sustainability issues – and KDP has agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle the charge (for context, the company reported $14.8 billion in net sales last year).

But the allegation once again raises the sustainability question for the company’s signature coffee and tea format. If nothing else, it recalls comments from one K-Cup creator, John Sylvan, back in 2015 where he claims to regret his invention and laments the environmental waste it has created.

Last month, a consumer poll of 1,231 American voters by Data for Progress and the Center for Climate Integrity found that a majority want the plastics and fossil fuels industries held responsible for misleading the public on what products are actually recyclable. About 70% would support a lawsuit against these industries for deceiving consumers.

“Regardless of your politics, no one is really OK with a corporation lying to consumers,” Davis Allen, a CCI researcher, said in a statement.

In 2023, KDP reported that coffee pod revenue fell 3.6% as shipments declined 5.1%. Citing Circana data, the company said that U.S. retail dollar consumption of its official K-Cups were down 4.5%, although sales fared better in untracked channels. Brewer sales also fell 10.3% from 2022 to 2023.

Even as it leans more into putting forward premium coffee brands into its pods – most recently adding Black Rifle Coffee to the mix – the company’s K-Cup sales have continued to decline this year, down 2.1% to $1 billion for Q2 2024. In comparison, KDP’s U.S. liquid beverage sales were up 3.3% to $2.4 billion in the same period, and the business has begun expanding its energy drink offerings partnering with, well, Black Rifle to manage the DSD rollout of its new RTD energy line in Q4.

Our Home Acquires ParmCrisps From Hain Celestial

Better-for-you snack platform Our Home is seeking to accelerate growth with the acquisition of ParmCrisps from Hain Celestial Group, which the companies announced on Sept. 3. The deal came just one week after the company acquired Pop Secret from Campbell Soup Company.

As part of the transaction, Our Home will add ParmCrisps to its family of brands – which includes Food Should Taste Good, Popchips, Real Food From the Ground Up, You Need This, RW Garcia and Sonoma Creamery– and take over its production facility in York, Pennsylvania. The deal adds complementary manufacturing, innovation and distribution to the platform following its acquisition of Sonoma Creamery earlier this year, according to the company.

“The combination of our Sonoma Creamery and ParmCrisps talent will drive tremendous IP and knowledge sharing, benefitting both brands, our retail partners and, most importantly, our consumers,” said Aaron Greenwald, founder and CEO of Our Home, in a statement.

Founded in 2017, ParmCrisps produces a portfolio of highprotein, low-carb cheese crisps and snack mixes. In 2021, Hain Celestial purchased That’s How We Roll, the producer and marketer of both ParmCrisps and bite-sized cookie brand Thinsters, from Clearlake Capital Group for approximately $259 million in cash. Hain sold Thinsters to Icee and Dippin’ Dots owner J&J Snack Foods Corp. earlier this year in an all-cash transaction.

Daily Crunch Snags $4 Million in Series A

Daily Crunch has scooped up $4 million in a Series A funding round led by Launch Tennessee with participation from various strategic investors. The Nashville-based snack maker plans to use the capital to support expanded retail distribution, increased production capacity, innovation and marketing efforts.

COO Dan Stephenson described the fundraising as “a mix of an angel round and a venture round” including retail and food industry leaders and founders. Lead backer Launch Tennessee, a publicprivate partnership that supports entrepreneurship and economic development in the state, previously invested in the company’s seed round.

“As a consumer packaged goods company, we’re very aware of the climate right now and how it’s really difficult to get fundraising, and we had to really think outside the box,” co-founder Laurel Orley told Nosh.

Founded in 2020, Daily Crunch markets a line of snack mixes featuring sprouted nuts that are made using a patented process and are more nutritious and crunchier than raw or roasted nuts, according to the company. The products are available nationwide at Target, Meijer, Erewhon and CVS, in addition to airports, hotel snack bars and corporate pantries. Flavors include Nashville Hot, Dill Pickle, Cacao & Sea Salt and more.

“We’re growing rapidly. We’re going to double again in 2025, and so there’s definitely going to be a need for working capital,” Stephenson told Nosh. “We’re also going to increase the size of the team. So we’ve been lean and mean for a while, with three, four full-time people, and we’ve hired some awesome people to fill key

According to market researcher Grand View Research, the global cheese snacks market size was valued at $64.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2022 and 2030. Competitors in the cheese crisp space include Whisps, John Wm. Macy’s and private label products from retailers like Wegman’s and Albertson’s (Open Nature brand).

For Hain Celestial, the move further optimizes its product portfolio and streamlines its supply chain to drive greater optimal efficiency and margin expansion. According to a press release, the company will use proceeds from the sale to pay down its debt.

In fiscal 2024, Hain’s organic net sales growth was down 2% from the previous year. The decline was driven primarily by Terra and ParmCrisps and partially offset by growth in Garden Veggie Snacks.

ParmCrisps’ acquisition comes as part of Hain Reimagined, the company’s multi-year plan focused on accelerating growth in key brands across snack, baby and kids food, beverages, meal prep and personal care. With the sale of ParmCrisps, Hain will reduce its manufacturing footprint and co-manufacturer network while streamlining its vendor base.

“By divesting ParmCrisps, we can continue to prioritize driving market reach and category scale of our core better-for-you brands,” said Wendy Davidson, president and CEO of Hain Celestial Group, in a statement.

roles in the organization” across operations, sales and marketing.

In addition to the funding, Daily Crunch formed a board of directors that includes Nancy Pak, former CEO of Tate’s Bake Shop and president of North America Ventures at Mondelez International; Steven Barr, who previously led PwC’s Global and U.S. Consumer Markets practice; and Matt Jonna, co-founder and CEO of Plum Market.

Daily Crunch is one of the nation’s fastest-growing private food companies, notching 1,547% growth over a three-year period, according to the Inc. 5000 annual ranking. The company had $2.6 million in sales last year, and sales were projected to reach $5.5 million in 2024, according to Paperboy Ventures.

“[This was] a year of building and getting into these retailers that we’ve for so long wanted to get into… and next year is also going to be about building velocity, continuing to build that relationship with the consumer by telling our story so they know who we are and why they want to purchase us,” Orley said.

Stuffed Puffs Acquired; Pa. Facility to Close

Contract and private label manufacturer Mount Franklin Foods’ confectionary portfolio is growing with the announcement that it has acquired the assets of filled marshmallow maker Stuffed Puffs for an undisclosed sum. The deal is effective immediately.

“As we continue to evolve our business, the acquisition of Stuffed Puffs represents a significant step in broadening our confectionary portfolio. We are excited to wed our strengths with those of Stuffed Puffs and deliver even more value and innovation to our customers,” said Enrique Grajeda, CEO of Mount Franklin Foods, in a press release.

Per terms of the deal, Stuffed Puffs will shutter its Bethlehem, Penn. facility, according to a WARN notice submitted by the brand to the Department of Labor & Industry. The closure will affect 106 employees and is set to begin in October.

Founded in 2012 by Michael Tierney, Stuffed Puffs is best known for its proprietary technology for producing marshmallow products filled with milk choco-

late and other ingredients. The brand’s current lineup includes The OGs (Classic Milk Chocolate Puffs and Salted Caramel Puffs) and Bites (S’Mores, Cookies ‘n Creme, Birthday Cake and Cinnamon Toast Crunch).

The company has benefited from celebrity investors like Grammy-nominated artist Marshmello and his manager, Moe Shalizi. According to today’s announcement, their reach was “pivotal” in connecting the brand with a broad audience.

Earlier this year, Stuffed Puffs reinvented its bestselling Classic Milk Chocolate Puffs, now featuring a ganachestyle chocolate-base center. The brand also extended its soft center technology to the Salted Caramel Stuffed Puffs. Venturing beyond its classic offerings, Stuffed Puffs made its first foray into

sour candy in March via a limited edition Easter launch with the Hershey-owned Jolly Ranchers brand.

“We are thrilled to join the Mount Franklin Foods Family. With a shared vision for the future of Stuffed Puffs, our strategic alignment with Mount Franklin Foods, together with its scale and resources, will be a major unlock for us to accelerate our growth trajectory and innovation pipeline,” said Tierney in a statement.

The North America marshmallow market size is projected to reach $535 million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.61%, according to market researcher Fortune Business Insights. Growth in the sector is attributed to an increase in consumer demand for non-chocolate candies, as well as the permissible indulgence trend.

Mount Franklin Foods, founded in 1907, serves the retail and foodservice industries, manufacturing a variety of candy, mint and nut products, including gummies, jellies, mints, fruit snacks, and snack mixes under brands like Azar Nut, Sunrise Confections and Hospitality Mints. The acquisition aligns with the company’s strategic goal of diversifying and expanding its product offerings.

Peter Rahal’s New Protein Bar Startup Raises $10 Million

Ahead of its slated debut for mid-September, David, the new protein bar brand from RXBAR founder and former CEO Peter Rahal, has raised $10 million in seed funding to support new product development and hires in a round led by Rahal, with additional participation from Valor Siren Ventures, Peter Attia, M.D., and Andrew Huberman, Ph.D, neuroscientist and host of the popular wellness-focused “Huberman Lab” podcast.

A nod to the Michaelangelo masterpiece, David was first revealed back in March by Rahal and co-founder Zach Ranen –founder of online bakery startup RAIZE – as a line of “highprotein, low-calorie, blood-sugar-friendly foods” allowing “customers [to] be strong and not overfat.” With 28 grams of protein in each bar, the brand promises “the most protein per calorie of any currently available protein bar,” with 150 calories and no sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners or flavors.

“My involvement with David stems from a shared commitment to science-driven nutrition that prioritizes muscle growth and effective fat management,” said Dr. Attia, who also serves as David’s Chief Science Officer, in a statement Tuesday. “Protein is essential for longevity, and our products are designed with that in mind. With Peter Rahal’s proven leadership

and the strategic backing of our investors, I believe we are set to lead the industry in creating meaningful change.”

Rahal has remained busy in the years following the sale of RXBAR to Kellogg Company (now Kellanova) for $600 million in 2017. He continued to lead operations as CEO for 18 months after the transaction, prior to stepping into a founder’s role to focus on innovation and strategy. Around that time, he also launched Litani Ventures to invest in early-stage consumer products brands. His portfolio included Mush, Haven’s Kitchen, Banza, Three Wishes, Olipop and A Dozen Cousins, among others.

Additionally, according to his LinkedIn profile, Rahal is the co-founder and CEO of Linus Technology, which is described as a “food technology company built to help consumers achieve their protein consumption and weight management goals.”

David isn’t his only new CPG project, though. In late July, Rahal shared on LinkedIn that he is joining his RXBAR co-founder Jared Smith and Tom Melcher – most recently chief operating officer at MrBeast’s Feastables brand who earlier held operations and supply chain roles at RXBAR – to launch a confectionery company in Chicago, describing it as “an opportunity to disrupt the boring candy category full of faux health.”

Saco Foods Acquires Pamela’s, Ancient

Harvest

Saco Foods is upping its gluten-free intake.

The Wisconsin-based food company has acquired Quinoa Corporation, the parent company of legacy gluten-free food brands Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s, from Encore Consumer Capital. Former Quinoa Corporation CEO John Becker will now serve as president of the two brands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed

“I am excited to be joining the Saco platform, as it is a natural fit for our brands,” Becker said in a press release. “With the support of Saco, we have a great opportunity to reinvigorate these brands and expand our distribution while maintaining the high quality standards our customers and end consumers expect.”

The deal comes after a busy year for Saco, which owns a variety of gluten-free, shelf-stable dairy, baking and confectionery businesses. In January it acquired Solo Foods, the maker of cake and pastry fruit fillings, almond paste and marzipan, from Chicagobased Sokol & Company. At the end of that same month, Saco’s then-owner Benford Capital Partners exited, selling Saco off to Fengate Private Equity and Weathervane Investment Corp.

During Benford’s investment period, Saco Foods grew “over seven fold” via both organic initiatives as well as acquisitions which included sun-dried tomato producer California Sun Dry in 2018 and baking ingredients and snack products maker Hoosier Hill Farm in 2021. Saco’s portfolio also includes confectionery chocolate dips and coatings brand Dolci Frutta and instant dry milk, buttermilk and baking ingredients platform Saco Pantry.

The addition of Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s, which have both been around for over 30 years, brings a more distinct focus on gluten-free diets to the company’s portfolio of conventional confectionery and baking products. Both brands will be in good company in Saco’s portfolio: After all, the company originated as a pantry staple pioneer post-World War II as the first producer of instant dry milk and later, the first instant hot cocoa mix, Swiss Miss.

“Broadening our offering with their quality products complements our existing portfolio and leverages our shared service platform to improve service and reinvest in innovation to drive the organic growth of these great legacy brands,” said Tom Walzer, CEO of Saco Foods, in a press release.

Ancient Harvest, which helped introduce quinoa to the U.S. in the late 1980s currently sells a lineup of quinoa, protein pastas, hot cereal and polenta.

Pamela’s, which was acquired by Quinoa Corporation in 2020, produces gluten-free baking mixes, snack bars, cookies, graham crackers and flours. Following its 2020 acquisition, Becker and his team worked to bring the bakery brand into the modern era, discontinued low-performing SKUs and cut its 150-count product lineup in half.

Under Becker’s direction, Pamela’s business also shifted to an asset-light structure, leaving behind the majority of its team and production facility and moving into a network of co-manufacturers and distribution partners as well as tapping the expertise of Ancient Harvest’s existing team.

As of 2022, Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s managed over 80 products across seven center-store categories and had distribution in over 20,000 stores nationwide; Becker said at the time Pamela’s alone was a $30 million brand.

It’s Official: Mars Agrees to $36B Deal to Acquire Kellanova

After days of swirling speculation, Mars, Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kellanova for $83.50 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of $35.9 billion. The transaction includes all of Kellanova’s brands, assets and operations across snacking (Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, NutriGrain and RXBAR), international cereal and noodles, North American plant-based foods (MorningStar Farms) and frozen breakfast (Eggo).

In 2023, Kellanova generated net sales of more than $13 billion. It has a presence in 180 markets and employs approximately 23,000 people.

Kellanova’s portfolio expands Mars’ suite of billion-dollar snacking and confectionery brands including Snickers, M&M’s, Twix, Dove, Extra, KIND and Nature’s Bakery. Privately-held Mars had 2023 sales of more than $50 billion and employs more than 150,000 people across its petcare, snacking and food businesses.

The purchase price represents an acquisition multiple of 16.4x LTM adjusted EBITDA as of June 29, 2024.

Mars intends to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash-on-hand and new debt. The transaction remains subject to Kellanova shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close within the first half of 2025.

Following the close, Kellanova will become part of Mars Snacking division, led by global president Andrew Clarke and headquartered in Chicago. Battle Creek, Mich., will be a “core location” for the combined organization.

In a statement, Clarke credited the companies’ complementary portfolios, routes-to-market and research and development capabilities in unlocking growth and unleashing “consumercentric innovation to shape the future of responsible snacking.”

Kellanova was spun off from Battle Creek-based Kellogg Company’s North American cereal business last October and accounted for approximately 82% of the company’s portfolio. Steve Cahillane, chairman, president and CEO of Kellanova, called the combination with Mars “historic” and a “compelling cultural and strategic fit.”

“Kellanova has been on a transformation journey to become the world’s best snacking company, and this opportunity to join Mars enables us to accelerate the realization of our full potential and our vision. The transaction maximizes shareholder value through an all-cash transaction at an attractive purchase price and creates new and exciting opportunities for our employees, customers, and suppliers,” Cahillane said in a press release.

The addition of Kellanova marks a swerve from Mars’ recent acquisition history. Last year, the McLean, Va.-based company bought better-for-you meal maker Kevin’s Natural Foods for an undisclosed sum, months after it agreed to buy whole-fruit snack maker Trü Frü.

“In welcoming Kellanova’s portfolio of growing global brands, we have a substantial opportunity for Mars to further develop a sustainable snacking business that is fit for the future. We will honor the heritage and innovation behind Kellanova’s incredible snacking and food brands while combining our respective strengths to deliver more choice and innovation to consumers and customers,” said Poul Weihrauch, CEO and office of the president of Mars, in a statement.

Tilray Acquires 4 Craft Brands From Molson Coors

Tilray Brands struck “a definitive agreement” with Molson Coors Beverage Company in early August for four craft beer brands in its Tenth & Blake division.

As part of the transaction, Tilray added:

• Hop Valley Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon;

• Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, Georgia;

• Revolver Brewing in Granbury, Texas;

• And Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan.

Financial details were not disclosed. The transaction closed in late August.

Just over a year ago, Tilray acquired eight brands from AnheuserBusch InBev (A-B): Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point, Red Hook, Widmer Brothers, 10 Barrel, Square Mile Cider and HiBall Energy. The deal marked a significant culling of A-B’s craft portfolio and vaulted Tilray into the No. 6 spot among top U.S. craft brewers by volume, according to the Brewers Association (BA).

Tilray Brands chairman and CEO Irwin D. Simon said the deal gives his brewery platform an additional six brewhouses, taking its total to 20 breweries across the country, with production of more than 1 million barrels of beer – 15 million case equivalents – annually.

This would land Tilray firmly in the No. 4 spot among BAdefined craft breweries, nudging out Gambrinus (Shiner, Trumer), according to the BA.

Whitney Stevenson Joins JuneShine as President and Chief Commercial Officer

Whitney Stevenson has joined JuneShine as president and chief commercial officer. She announced the news on LinkedIn, posting a photo of herself with JuneShine co-founders Greg Serraro and Forrest Dein, and writing: “Could not be more excited to join Greg, Forrest and the JuneShine Team! So many exciting things to come!”

Stevenson spent nearly 15 years at Boston Beer, mostly recently serving as senior division director, overseeing the company’s geographic sales team and off-premise national account teams for California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico, according to her LinkedIn page. She also spent more than two years at MillerCoors as an on-premise manager, and four years at Pepsi Bottling Group as a key account manager.

Stevenson’s hiring comes as JuneShine transitions into a total beverage company, drawing inspiration from Stevenson’s former employer, with the goal of becoming “the Boston Beer of the Southwest,” Dein told Brewbound earlier this year.

“We don’t just want to chase trends, we want to build value over a long period of time,” Dein said.

JuneShine started as a hard kombucha company, but has since expanded its portfolio to include spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTD), as well as light lager brand Easy Rider, which launched in February.

In March, JuneShine announced plans to acquire fellow hard kombucha maker Flying Embers in an all-stock deal. At the time, JuneShine estimated the two companies would account for 63% of all hard kombucha sold in the U.S., with their combined portfolios exceeding 116,000 barrels.

Left Hand Raising Capital to Build Craft Platform

Left Hand Brewing co-founder Eric Wallace has assessed today’s challenging landscape for craft brewers and believes his Longmont, Colorado-based company may have a solution.

“As we look around, we see bad numbers coming out of the [BA], bad numbers coming out of all of the different organizations that track the numbers, and we see the stories of closings and breweries retrenching from distribution and focusing more on the hospitality side,” he told Brewbound.

“As we sit here with a bunch of real estate that we own and control, and a brewery that’s built for speed that can turn out quite a bit of beer – we’ve got great processes, we’ve got a great team here – we should more overtly put a call out to try to consolidate some breweries that are in bad lease situations, or whatever they happen to be in terms of where their pressures are: come over,” Wallace continued.

Left Hand has been under those same pressures, but has been feeling them more acutely. About four and a half years ago, twin problems hit Left Hand almost simultaneously: a sizable cashout for early investors, which depleted the brewery’s savings, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended the entire craft beer industry by shutting down the on-premise and canceling live events.

Inspired by the publicly owned non-profit that controls the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers, Left Hand launched an investment round on crowdfunding platform WeFunder.

The campaign hit its first goal, raising $490,481 from 205 investors, who purchased shares of common stock in the company at $36.28 per share.

One of Left Hand’s next goals for the round is to use $1.1 million of the estimated $2.37 million it hopes to raise to acquire another brewery or build a multi-brand platform.

“Our thought was ‘Let’s let people know, let’s get it out there, let’s raise some cash,’” Wallace said. “That’ll give us the flexibility to help bring somebody else into the fold, and depending on the size of the company, there could be room for a few.”

Left Hand’s brewery is capable of producing 100,000 barrels of beer annually, but the company’s output is “not near that right now,” Wallace said.

“We can bring people in and try to get close to 100,000 barrels and that would be good for anybody that’s participating because at that level, this plant can sing,” he said.

“We can make your beer more efficiently here. You can keep your brand, assuming that it has a reason to be in the market. You can keep your brand in the market and maintain its relevance, and try to leverage some of the other relationships that we’ve got out there, because we’re in 45 states, and let’s see if bringing in a couple of partners puts us on the path to be able to be multi-generational.”

Shaquille O’Neal Invests in BeatBox

Party punch maker BeatBox hosted its first national sales meeting in Houston, which had the feel of a Meow Wolf, with a faux convenience store decked out in neon, a trippy giant mushroom-covered hard tea garden, a Las Vegas-themed area with casino games, a lab for new innovations with “scientists” that looked strikingly like Rick of Rick and Morty Adult Swim fame and the usual presentations about the coming year.

Keynote speaker Jesse Cole, the yellow-tuxedo clad owner of the Savannah Bananas barnstorming baseball exhibition team, who preached an entertainment and fan-first approach to business. BeatBox founders Aimy Steadman, Justin Fenchel and Brad Schultz took the message to heart.

The meeting had a high-energy, upbeat tone as BeatBox is averaging triple-digit sales growth in 2024 and is the No. 1 readyto-drink single in U.S. convenience stores tracked by NIQ over the latest 13-week period (ending June 13) when the brand’s wine- and malt-based single-serve businesses are combined.

Phil Jamison, BeatBox EVP of sales, added that BeatBox’s depletions have reached 4.2 million through the end of July, and are expected to reach 8.5 million by the end of the year, pushing BeatBox’s wholesaler network revenue to $287 million this year.

BeatBox’s big bet for 2025 is both a product and a partnership. The company announced a deal with sports megastar Shaquille O’Neal, who will invest in the business and also be the face of a new Blueberry Lemonade flavor (11.1% ABV) launching in May.

The partnership with O’Neal, a prolific former athlete, television personality and businessman, will see the Inside the NBA star earn royalties on the sales from the new flavor, which will be reinvested for equity in the business, BeatBox SVP of marketing Zech Francis told Brewbound.

Francis said the initial idea was to partner with O’Neal’s alter ego, DJ Diesel, who not only plays but headlines many of the music festivals BeatBox sponsors.

In a pre-recorded video, O’Neal expressed his excitement in partnering with and investing in BeatBox.

“I’m all about big flavor, and BeatBox delivers that with every sip,” he said. “I’m excited to partner with each and every one of you in the room today. Your support is going to be crucial making BeatBox the biggest alcohol brand in [the] U.S. in 2025. Let’s make it happen.”

The video wrapped to cheers and applause.

“Shaquille is gonna be a massive, massive driver and the face of the Blueberry Lemonade product that we’re coming out with,” Francis said. “But on top of that, he’s investing in our business, like you guys heard. He’s gonna be across the entire portfolio, really promoting the BeatBox business as a whole.”

The spring launch of Blueberry Lemonade will be joined by Watermelon Lemonade, in singles.

BeatBox will also launch a Lemonade variety pack, with both wine and malt bases, featuring Blueberry Lemonade along with Lemon Squeeze and Watermelon Lemonade. Citing Numerator survey data, Francis said 50% of RTD shoppers are interested in a BeatBox Blueberry Lemonade flavor.

Blueberry Lemonade will also be the “hero flavor” of BeatBox’s returning 3L “big box.” Top-selling flavors Blue Razzberry and Fruit Punch will also be in the 3L package.

Sierra Nevada: Company Has ‘A Duty’ to ‘Advocate for Beer’

Sierra Nevada CEO Pryce Greenow began his remarks to the brewery’s wholesalers in August acknowledging that craft beer is not short on challenges, including a “cash-constrained consumer,” category price increases, trends in moderation and bev-alc abstinence “becoming more meaningful,” and “a whole host of substitute products” entering the market.

However, Sierra Nevada believes it has “a duty” to advocate for craft beer and believes the segment can return to growth, Greenow said.

Sierra Nevada hosted wholesaler partners at the company’s taproom in Mills River, North Carolina. The event, along with the company’s sales meeting in Chico, California, was one of Greenow’s first opportunities to speak in front of Sierra Nevada’s partners since becoming CEO earlier this year.

“I have a duty to the [brewery’s founding] family to really write the next chapters, which can be even more successful, more glorious, than the past of Sierra Nevada, which is an incredibly rich history,” Greenow said.

Along with Greenow, Sierra Nevada has made several other leadership changes recently, including promoting Ellie Preslar to CCO. Additionally, the company hired a new chief operations officer this month, leadership teased at the event.

Greenow, who comes from the spirits industry, warned that it’s “always dangerous” to look only at “category averages” when making business decisions, pointing instead to Sierra Nevada’s recent performance trends.

Top 10 craft collectively recorded a -0.6% decline in dollar sales in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels year-to-date (ending July 20) and -1.3% decline in the last four weeks. Meanwhile, Sierra Nevada dollar sales increased +3.1% YTD and +5.1% in the last four weeks.

“Sierra Nevada has a duty to do, as I have a duty to the family, to advocate for craft,” Greenow said. “And there are not many brands at the moment who are leading with craft beer at the lead of their portfolio, at the scale that we can do at Sierra Nevada.

“We believe, confidently, there are exciting times ahead,” he continued. “There are a couple of years that may be tough as we go through it, but … this is now the time to invest.”

“We can’t forget that it [craft] is still very meaningful to all of our businesses,” Preslar added in her own remarks. “It’s very meaningful to the consumers and drinkers that we serve despite the challenging environment we find ourselves in today.”

Sierra Nevada leadership repeatedly assured wholesale partners that “beer-flavored beer” will continue to lead the company and its strategy, including its 2025 innovation plans.

“A lot of people are taking their focus away from their brewing backgrounds and making them more beverage-based companies,” chief brewing officer Brian Grossman said in his opening remarks. “We’re not there, yet. We still have a lot of runway to do with beer.”

“We are brewers and making beer will always be at the core of what we do in Sierra Nevada,” founder Ken Grossman added. “That’s not to say we won’t innovate, because we have a lot of projects and plans to innovate, but beer will always be the core of our business.”

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Listed for Sale at $7.9 Million

Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) could change hands again for the second time in nearly five years, according to a BizQuest listing that offers the Boonville, California-based craft brewery for sale.

“We have some ongoing conversations with a few interested parties,”AVBC president and CEO Kevin McGee told Brewbound. “But it’s still very early stage and there’s nothing definitive yet.”

The 36-year-old brewery is listed for sale at $7.9 million, which includes AVBC’s $5.4 million in real estate. Also included in the sale price are $5.4 million in furniture, fixings and equipment and $200,000 in inventory.

The company generates $4.2 million in gross revenue, according to the listing. AVBC’s cash flow and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were not disclosed.

McGee’s family acquired the brewery in December 2019 without debt or outside in-

vestors as a “long-term, multi-generational” play, he told Brewbound at the time. McGee’s parents and siblings co-invested with him to purchase the company in a cash deal from former owner Trey White.

McGee has been an outspoken advocate for the California craft beer industry. He challenged Reyes Beverage Group subsidiaries Harbor Distributing and Golden Brands in court after the country’s largest beer distributor opposed AVBC’s termination of their relationship. A judge sided with AVBC parent company Mainsheet Capital in June.

When inflationary headwinds bore down on the beer industry in 2022 and some breweries passed cost increases on to consumers, McGee promised that AVBC would not raise prices for six months.

AVBC’s brewhouse includes 100-barrel and 85-barrel kettles and a 9-barrel pilot system, capacity of annual output of 100,000 barrels, according to the listing. The “high-

ly sustainable facility” boasts a solar power capture system that provides 50% of its energy needs and “its own self-contained water use and treatment cycle.”

In addition, AVBC’s 30-acre property includes a “beer park” that contains 10,000 sq. ft. of lawn, an outdoor music stage, an 18hole disc golf course and “an unknown number of fairy doors hidden in tree trunks,” according to the listing.

AVBC comes with an “engaged and active local team that knows the equipment can stay with the business as needed” and “deep and stable distribution relationships.”

Dollar sales of the AVBC brand family increased +0.2%, to $5.582 million, at offpremise retailers in the 52-week period ending August 10, according to market research firm NIQ. Volume, measured in case sales, declined -1.7%.

The brewery did not report annual production data to the Brewers Association in 2023.

Craft ‘Ohana Shifting Modern Times Production to AleSmith; 57 Jobs to be Cut

Production of Modern Times Beer will shift to AleSmith Brewing in San Diego as part of a new contract brewing relationship with Craft ‘Ohana, the portfolio company that includes Maui Brewing, Modern Times and Kupu Spirits.

Modern Times’ portfolio will be brewed at AleSmith’s San Diego facility in an effort to have a “more streamlined approach and strategy,” Craft ‘Ohana announced in September. The transition will happen over the next 60 days, ending with the closure of Modern Times’ production facility in the San Diego neighborhood Point Loma.

“When we set out to find a brewing partner, two things were nonnegotiable – our commitment to quality, and brewing Modern Times where the brand started and is the strongest – San Diego,” Craft ‘Ohana co-founder and CEO Garrett Marrero said in a press release. “AleSmith delivers on both of those for us. We’re excited to work with my good friend [AleSmith owner] Peter [Zien] and his team.”

The closure of Modern Times’ Point Loma facility is expected to result in the elimination of 57 jobs after the 60-day waiting period, Craft ‘Ohana president and COO Scott Metzger told Brewbound.

In addition to producing Modern Times’ beer, Point Loma also housed the brand’s coffee roasting operations, which will move to contract production, Metzger said. The facility’s taproom will close, but Modern Times’ North Park and Encinitas taprooms will remain open.

Modern Times had been making some of Maui’s fruited offerings in Point Loma, but will move production of those beers back to Hawaii, Metzger told Brewbound. Maui’s mainland production is contract brewed at Boulder, Colorado-based Avery Brewing.

AleSmith’s 110,000 sq. ft facility houses an 85-barrel brewhouse, a 20-barrel pilot system and fermentation vessels that hold up to 240 barrels, according to its website. The brewery’s contract production clients include brands from “the vibrant world of ci-

ders, coffee, seltzers, sodas, kombuchas and more.”

Notably, Mikkeller shifted U.S. production to AleSmith in early 2023 after ceasing operations at its facility in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.

Maui Brewing acquired Modern Times in 2022 after a contentious and complicated auction process. With the closing of the deal in October 2022, the two companies formed a new parent company, Craft ‘Ohana.

In a May interview for Brewbound’s A Round With, Metzger told Brewbound that Modern Times’ production is “very labor-intensive” and a “relatively inefficient operation, so our main focus has been working with that team to identify efficiencies anywhere we can.”

Meanwhile, Craft ‘Ohana has been working to expand Maui’s operations in Kihei, Hawaii, as it attempts to keep up with demand, Metzger said.

Before Modern Times went up for auction, the brewery operated eight taprooms in California and Oregon. Four of those closed in February 2022, and one more followed during the merger process. Records logged during Modern Times’ court-mandated receivership revealed that the company was behind on rent for some of its taprooms.

Modern Times’ dollar sales (-24%) and volume (-25.5%) have both declined double-digits year-to-date (YTD) through August 10 in NIQtracked off-premise channels. Meanwhile, Maui has recorded reversed trends, with dollar sales increasing +18.9% and volume +25% YTD.

Craft ‘Ohana was the 26th largest craft brewery in the country by volume in 2023, according to the Brewers Association (BA). Combined, Maui and Modern Times produced 104,783 barrels of beer last year, a +3% increase year-over-year. Maui Brewing alone produced 78,515 barrels, and was the No. 6 largest BA-defined craft brewery in the pacific region (California and Hawaii) in 2023.

SPARKLING WATER

Just in time for fall, sparkling water brand Waterloo has unveiled the newest addition to its seasonal roster: Pomegranate Açai. The new variety joins returning seasonal flavor Spiced Apple. Like all Waterloo varieties, both LTOs contain zero calories, sugar and sweeteners. Waterloo Pomegranate Açai and Spiced Apple are beginning to roll out this month at retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Amazon, H-E-B, Central Market and select Costco divisions. For more information, visit drinkwaterloo.com.

Massachusetts-based Spindrift has revealed its latest sparkling water flavor, Fuji Apple. According to the brand, its team tested out 18 unique blends of apple juice before agreeing Fuji Apple contained all the right notes: aromatic, floral and juicy. Spindrift Fuji Apple is now available on the brand’s website for $26 per 24-pack of 12 oz. cans. For more information, visit drinkspindrift.com.

Aura Bora has unveiled its latest seasonal sip, Pumpkin Spice. The new product is described as a “subtly sweet blend of autumn spices” and is made with ingredients like natural pumpkin flavor, cinnamon bark extract and clove extract. Aura Bora Pumpkin Spice is available online via the brand’s website for $33 per 12-pack of 12 oz. cans. For more information, visit aurabora.com.

ENERGY

Dyverg Brands has announced the launch of its caffeine-free energy drink, AVVIKA, which means “to diverge” in Swedish. Available in two travel-inspired flavors – Tokyo (exotic citrus, juicy cherry) and Los Angeles (frozen berry, zesty citrus) – the drinks are crafted with ingredients like ashwagandha, d-ribose, l-theanine, black pepper extract and a B vitamin blend. AVVIKA is available for pre-order via the brand’s website for $31.88 per 12-pack of 12 oz. cans. For more information, visit drinkavvika.com.

Monster has expanded its Rehab non-carbonated energy tea line with the addition of a new Green Tea flavor. Each 15.5 oz. can is packed with 160mg of caffeine and contains electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and vitamins (B3, B5, B6 and B12) to help reduce fatigue and increase concentration. Monster Rehab Green Tea is now available at grocery retailers and convenience stores nationwide. For more information, visit monsterenergy.com/en-us.

ALT-DAIRY

MALK Organics has debuted its new Almond Pumpkin Spice SKU, which is now hitting store shelves nationwide and will be available throughout the fall season. The new offering is 100% organic and vegan and made with clean ingredients like filtered water, organic pumpkin puree, organic almonds, organic coconut sugar and pure organic vanilla extract from vanilla beans. For more information, visit malkorganics.com.

Milkadamia , which touts itself as the pioneer and global leader of macadamia nut milk, has unveiled its newest innovation: Flat Pack Organic Oatmilk. The new offering seeks to combine innovation with sustainability through a 2-D printing process, creating oat milk sheets that cut packaging waste by 94% and weight by 85%. Milkadamia Flat Pack Organic Oatmilk is now available for retail distribution, with an anticipated rollout online and on shelves nationwide in January 2025. For more information, visit milkadamia.com.

To meet consumer requests for sweeter products, nutpods coffee creamer has released three new varieties sweetened with non-GMO cane sugar: Cookie Butter, Sweet Crème and Vanilla Caramel. According to a LinkedIn announcement from nutpods chief revenue officer Edward McDonald, the new creamers will soon be available at retailers nationwide. For more information, visit nutpods.com.

CSDs

Poppi has expanded its portfolio of prebiotic sodas with its latest flavor, Cherry Cola. Each 12 oz. can is infused with apple cider vinegar and contains 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories. Poppi Cherry Cola is now available for purchase on Amazon for $29.88 per 12-pack. For more information, visit drinkpoppi.com.

Health-Ade has expanded its SunSip prebiotic soda line with a new fruity flavor: Peach, its take on peach soda “that is a celebration of summer with every sip” and is naturally sweetened with peach puree, monk fruit and organic cane sugar. Each 11 oz. can has just 5 grams of sugar per serving. SunSip Peach retails for $2.49 per can and will be exclusively available at Sprouts and on SunSip’s website until December. For more information, visit health-ade.com/pages/new-sunsip-soda.

Jones Soda is seeking to capture the essence of America’s favorite campfire dessert with its latest limited-edition flavor, S’Mores. The LTO is currently available for purchase online via the brand’s website for $44.99 per 12-pack of 12 oz. bottles or $84.99 per 24-pack. For more information, visit jonessoda.com.

CANNABIS

Wims has launched what it claims to be the world’s first cannabis drink mixer in the form of a pre-portioned snap-and-squeeze packet. Available in three varieties – Unflavored, Ginger Lime and Lemon Basil – each packet of Pocket-Tonic features 4 mg of CBD and 4 mg of THC. According to Wims, the products’ liquid form gives consumers a more predictable experience and allows for more control. Wims’ Pocket-Tonics are available for purchase online via the brand’s website for $32 per 10-packet box. For more information, visit wims.world.

Cannabis-infused beverage maker Cann has announced the return of its most popular limited edition flavor, Yuzu Elderflower, available in 8 oz. (2mg THC, 4mg CBD) and 12 oz. (5mg THC, 10mg CBD) cans now through early October. For more information, visit drinkcann.com.

PROTEIN

Universal Nutrition’s Animal brand has dropped Animal Clear Whey Isolate, a new protein supplement designed to offer an alternative to traditional whey proteins. Available in three flavors – Pineapple Orange, Watermelon Limeade and Blueberry Acai – the new offering contains 20 grams of high-grade whey protein isolate and 5 grams of BCAAs per serving. Animal Clear Whey Isolate is available online via the brand’s website for $39.99 per 1.1 lb tub. For more information, visit animalpak.com.

Vegan protein brand Wellious has teamed up with NYT bestselling cookbook author Danielle Brown (HealthyGirl Kitchen) to launch a Limited Edition Peanut Butter Chocolate plant-based protein powder. The new offering is crafted with just four ingredients (organic peanut flour, almond protein, cocoa and monk fruit extract) and has 16 grams of protein per serving. HealthyGirl Kitchen x Wellious protein powder is available online for $32 per 12 oz. bag. For more information, visit wellious.co.

NON-ALC

Devil’s Foot has introduced the ninth entry to its Zero Proof Series: The Zero Proof Paloma. As its name suggests, the new offering is a non-alcoholic take on the classic cocktail, featuring fresh lime and grapefruit complemented by a hint of lemongrass to replicate tequila’s subtle notes. Each 12 oz. can contains 68 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Devil’s Foot Zero Proof Paloma is available for purchase online via the brand’s website for $47 per 24-pack. For more information, visit shop.devilsfootbrew.com.

Recess has expanded its lineup of Zero Proof relaxation beverages with two new flavors: Classic “Cosmo” and Island “Spritz.” The former is a sparkling pineapple and coconut beverage mocktail; the latter is a lightly sparkling mocktail crafted with cranberry juice and lime. Both new varieties are available for purchase via the brand’s website for $44.99 per 12-pack of 12 oz. cans. For more information, visit takearecess.com.

SPIRITS

Marcy Venture Partners-backed The Finnish Long Drink has introduced its “Midnight Sun” Variety Pack, which includes four cans of Traditional, two cans of Cranberry and two cans of Pineapple, which is new to the U.S. market. The Cranberry and Pineapple flavors are canned at 5% ABV while the Traditional Citrus variety is canned at 5.5% ABV. The Finnish Long Drink “Midnight Sun” variety pack is now available at retailers nationwide with a SRP of $17.99-$19.99. For more information, visit thelongdrink.com.

Tip Top has unveiled its latest 100ml canned cocktail: Naked & Famous. The new cocktail, which marks the brand’s first mezcal-based RTD, was created in collaboration with New York-based bartender Joaquín Simó. Naked & Famous (25% ABV) is made with mezcal, lime, alpine liqueur and aperitivo bitters and features tasting notes of smoked citrus with an herbal saffron finish. Tip Top’s newest cocktail is available now in 4-packs and individual cans at select retail stores and bars in select states. For more information, visit tiptopcocktails.com.

Channel Check What’s

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY

Energy Drink Mixes and Sports Drink Mixes

Looking for some of the fastest growing brands in the sports and energy drink categories? They might just be hanging from alligator clips outside the cooler door. That’s right, mix-to-drink products are continuing to gain in these functional spaces. In fact, Liquid IV, at nearly $800 million, would be the 4th-biggest sports drink brand, ahead of both Prime and Electrolit. Of course, having a corporate parent in Unilever doesn’t hurt distribution, but the entire category is filling in around it. On the energy side, growth is slightly milder but not bad — and is largely reflected as a supplement to liquid brands, like Prime and Celsius.

ENERGY DRINK MIXES

SPORTS DRINK MIXES

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME

NONFLAVORED BOTTLED STILL WATER

CANNED AND BOTTLED TEA

$541,388,644

FLAVORED SELTZER/SPARKLING/MINERAL

CAPPUCCINO/ICED COFFEE

SOURCE: Circana OmniMarket™️ Shared BWS - 52 Weeks Ending 08-11-24

ENERGY DRINKS

WEIGHT CONTROL/NUTRITIONALS

SPORTS DRINKS

CRAFT BEER

SOURCE: Circana OmniMarket™️ Shared BWS - 52 Weeks Ending 08-11-24

WHO

More than 100 beverage brands and approximately 25,000 attendees

WHERE

WHAT

National Association of Convenience Stores Show

Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV WHEN

Conference: October 7-10, 2024

Expo: October 8-10, 2024

Exhibitor

1st Phorm C3772

28 BLACK N976

5-hour Energy N1748

A Game Beverages C3369

AB InBev N2428

Asahi Beer USA C6183

Atomic Brands C3966

Baddass Energy C3968

BeatBox Beverages N1155

Bing Beverage Company C3369

Black Rifle Coffee N639

BlueTriton Brands N2605

Brown-Forman C4307

BUBBL’R N3235

Bucked Up N1629

Calypso Lemonades N777

Celsius N2939

Congo Brands N217

Constellation Brands Beer N1415

Constellation Brands

Wine & Spirits N1613

Danone North America C4427

Death Wish Coffee N745

Exhibitor

Deschutes Brewery C3796 Diageo N169

Dream Water N345

E&J Gallo N663

Electrolit USA C4261

Eternal Beverages N477

Flying Embers C3990

Funny Water C3898

G.O.A.T Fuel C3894

Geloso Beverage Group N271

Ghost Lifestyle N2921

Glanbia Nutritionals N2175

good2grow N1715

Gorgie C3369

Gorilla Mind C3868

Goya Foods N973

Gym Weed C3866

Harvest Hill Beverage Company (Sunny D) N435

Heineken USA N235

Icelandic Glacial N3245

Irresistible Foods (Shaka Tea) C5361

Ito En North America C3887

N2045 Kraft Heinz N2045

Colombe C3641 Leahy-IFP C3591 Lemon Perfect C3651 Lifeway Foods C5285 Liquid Death C3995 Liquid I.V. N2045 Lucky Beverage N863

Mark Anthony Brands N251

Mela Water C3867

Molson Coors Beverage Company N1815

Monster Beverage Company N1129

Mpact Beverage C5277

Novamex N2947

Nutrabolt C4070

NVE Pharmaceuticals N1973

Ocean Spray N2045

BevNET and Nosh will be conducting interviews throughout the event. If you’re attending or exhibiting, let’s connect! Reach out at news@bevnet.com or news@nosh.com

Exhibitor

Off Shoot Brands (LOOP Mission) C3883

Olipop C3657

Pabst Brewing Company N951

Patco Brands C3885

Pickle Juice N645

Pocas International N2074

Polar Beverages N972

Poppi Beverage C3891

PSR Brands N1249

Pure Green C3769

Red Bull North America N1463

REDCON1 N3039

Rhino Rush N377

Sati Soda C3880

Sazerac N455

Simply Good Foods N429

Southern Champion (Buzzballs) C4581

Exhibitor

SPI West Port (ALO Drink) N245

Spindrift N3208

Spylt Chocolate Milk C4181

Stateside Vodka C3369

Stilly C3782

Stratus Beverage Group (Perfect Hydration, KOE Kombucha) C3654

SuckerPunch Gourmet C3999 SueroX C3992

Suja Juice C3369

Sunny Sky Products North America C5527

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited N463

Sweet Brew Tea & Sugar Co C5769

The Boston Beer Company N3117 The Coca Cola Company C4029

(Fiji Water) N445

By: Jeff Klineman, Brad Avery, Adrianne DeLuca & Shauna Golden

It’s hard to characterize juice as any one thing, and that goes beyond its source fruit or vegetable. It can take the form of a childhood breakfast table staple, a buzzy health trend, a recovery drink, or a next-gen category-redefining innovation platform. But however you cut it, one thing is consistent – juice is in a slump (again).

According to Circana, in the 52-weeks ending July 14, 2024, dollar sales of aseptic juices in U.S. MULO and c-store were down -1% to around $1.9 billion. Shelf stable bottled juices – an $8.8 billion segment – also dropped -1% and refrigerated juices fell -0.9% to $7.9 billion. Only shelf-stable canned juices, the smallest segment at a relatively puny $1.4 billion, saw growth in that time span, up 4.2%.

Four years removed from the immunity-driven pandemic bump, and with supply chain woes and crop disease still impacting fruit supply, juice is again experiencing a market slowdown.

But at all levels of the category, from the entrepreneurial startup to the old guard giants, brands aren’t just sitting down and taking the punches. We spoke to several juice manufacturers to learn how they’re working not only to stay afloat as the tide recedes, but drive growth via innovation, marketing and a shored up supply of fresh fruit.

WATERED DOWN, HIGH CONCEPT

Loom is a brand new juice drink that launched over the summer, so it might seem a little audacious that when it first hit the streets it did so on trucks that announced “Juice is Dead.”

But that announcement actually plays into the reconfiguring of the juice category that founder Bill Butrymowicz believes has taken place.

“When was the last time you went out and bought a 16 oz. Tropicana,” Butrymowicz said. “People’s palates aren’t like that anymore. With how big water has gotten, how big seltzer has gotten, it’s just, 100% natural juice is almost offensive to the palate when you take that first sip. People are managing their sugar content in the way they manage their calories.”

Butrymowicz should know – Loom might be his first brand launch as an owner, but his family owns Seaview Beverage, an independent distributor in Ocean and Monmouth counties in coastal New Jersey, between New York City and Atlantic City. As part of the NIDA organization, Seaview has handled a lot of the breakout New Age brands – from Snapple to Essentia to Bai. He’s seen sugar fall from grace, but he knows taste is still king, and that it helps bring turns and volume.

So Butrymowicz is triangulating Loom’s positioning as a low-sugar juice drink roughly between vertices represented by Honest Kids, Liquid Death and Tropicana. At up to 20% juice, with their sugars boosted by erythritol and stevia, Loom stays largely true to fullflavored apple, orange, grape, and fruit punch, but it’s higher on the style scale to get it in the hands of young teenagers – and those a little bit older. Loom’s got cool, independent designers behind its swag clothing (and Butrymowicz made sure it was available throughout the counties he serves before back-to-school), has a music link through playlists and a strong presence at rock shows (he sold or handed it out all over the recent Phish Mondegreen festival, in nearby Delaware) and a luminous, semiopaque bottle.

“It’s juice from the future,” he said. “It’s a little funky, a little weird. We can talk about music and technology and robots and outer space.”

So what happens in the future? Calories are lower, sugar lower, juices are watered down. According to the market, though, that future is now – that “water juice” Butrymowicz is selling is something that is also seen in products like Plezi, or Honest Kids; there was even a “juice water” brand called “Waddajuice” a few years ago. But he’s hoping that the bigger, cooler package, the fuller flavor, the way he’s rolling it out to kids slightly older than his target group, will make it appeal to his real targets, the 10- to 15-year-olds who have their own money, who can make some decisions rather than have their parents make them all for them.

“You saw it with Prime,” he said. “The kids wanted it. I want the kids to want it, but the parents to know it’s ok to give to them.”

SUJA LIFE’S NEW THREADS

When Suja Life was founded in 2012, it debuted as one of a vanguard of highly-touted, HPP cold-pressed juice brands. In the ensuing 12 years, much of its cohort struggled to survive the trend’s slowdown as the category crested and former powerhouse growth brands like Blueprint and Daily Greens moved on to the great grocery store in the sky.

For a moment, Suja itself faced an existential crisis when The Coca-Cola Company passed on an opportunity to acquire the business in 2020.

Then came its 2021 sale to private equity firm Paine Schwartz, providing it with a new owner interested in growing sustainable CPG brands. And then came Suja’s 2022 acquisition of Vive Organic, immediately cementing its position as the leading player in juice shots.

Flash forward to today, and Suja Life is feeling like a Real Housewife hot off a juice cleanse – with a fresh look and an upcoming extension into functional soda under the Slice brand to boot.

In an email interview, Suja Life CEO Maria Stipp – who joined the company in February after four years as chief executive of Stone Brewing – said the brand is aiming to reach consumers who are “becoming more educated about ingredients, demanding higher-quality ingredients and understanding their benefits for the body.”

That means more transparency and clarity in its messaging and packaging. In September, the company announced a brand refresh across its Suja Organic line, updating packaging to showcase “flavors and ingredients front and center,” Stipp wrote, hoping to make the brand “easier for consumers to navigate.” For its green juices, this includes the addition of a “greens meter” that offers guidance on taste from “earthy” to “sweet,” while wellness shots have been updated to “highlight function and flavor clearly.”

The rebrand news also comes with new innovation, emphasizing functionality. Stipp said the company will also introduce its Suja Organic Boosted Juice line, which takes a focused approach to function with varieties specializing in immunity, gut health, hydration and energy.

Circana reported that U.S. retail dollar sales of Suja branded refrigerated fruit drinks were up 11% to over $72.6 million in MULO and c-store for the 52-weeks ending July 14, 2024, outpacing the segment which grew 7.9% in the same period, and other Suja product lines have maintained solid growth. Vive Organic’s fruit drinks were up 16.6% and refrigerated vegetable juices grew 33.3% in the same period.

“The natural healthy beverage (NHB) sector is expanding rapidly, presenting both challenges and opportunities,” Stipp wrote. “While competition is increasing, our position as the category leader in Cold Pressed Juice allows us to continue experiencing growth and lead the category.”

“To stay at the forefront of this expansion, we are collaborating with retailers to envision and shape the ‘next generation’ of the NHB category,” she added. “Our goal is to partner closely with retailers to lead this growth with our comprehensive portfolio of products, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of the industry’s evolution.”

RIDING THE ROUGH WAVES

Dole has seen the juice tides turn on trends more times than it can track over the course of its nearly 90-year lifespan, said AJ Bernstein, marketing director at Dole Sunshine Company, while emphasizing the tropical juice producer tries to be “pretty stable” about how it thinks about fads.

But squeezing more juice – both literally and figuratively – out of its supply chain has become a key part of Dole’s strategy for the future as the impact of climate change threatens crops and consumers increasingly seek out sustainability-minded brands.

As environmental challenges and changing weather patterns threaten pineapple harvests, the company is working with its agricultural partners to assess ways it can maximize the juice output from the fruit it gets during low yielding harvests. But with pineapples, which take upwards of 18 months to reach maturity, that leaves plenty of room for changing weather patterns to upend the crop cycle.

Maximizing that output is also a key piece of Dole’s strategy to meet current consumer expectations around sustainability. At Expo West earlier this year, the company showcased its latest innovation – a limited edition handbag made from pineapple leaf-based leather. The launch was a major proof of concept for Dole, even if it was a fashion item: Bernstein explained that there are many more products that can be made to help Dole put the whole fruit to use.

She said the juice consumer has made it clear that they want products that not only reduce food waste, but also packaging waste as well.

“People ask me all the time, ‘why are you guys still in a can?’ Bernstein said. “We’re still in a can because steel is recyclable and plastic is not, and that’s becoming more and more of a concern for consumers.”

Waste in the juice category has also become a focal point for retailers. Dole sees prioritizing food and packaging waste reductions as a core pillar for its continued, long term success; Bernstein said it brings a “double benefit” to the company by executing both on its sustainability goals and by aligning with consumer preferences.

Consumers are equally concerned about the product claims and functions, she added, This year the company has rolled out lines that offer digestive as well as energy support in addition to a low sugar “Lite” version of its flagship pineapple juice. As it looks to the future, Bernstein emphasized that the company is beginning to shift its mindset away from the COVID-era approach of innovating within supply chain constraints to a more traditional, retailer and consumer driven approach.

Post-pandemic behaviors are also seeing consumers broadly shift away from the COVID-era’s scratch-made and at-home consumption, which prized simple ingredient lists and bulk formats. They are, she said, heading back to an era where convenience is king.

“That has been a big eye opener for us,” Bernstein said. “A lot of people in the industry thought that some of these home consumption trends, this amount of time we spend at home wouldn’t bounce back. It’s taken a while, and it’s still emerging, but we’re spending more and more time away from home as everybody goes back to office and

back to school and we’re having to respond by making sure that our products are packaged in a way that meet that lifestyle.”

MAINTAINING RELEVANCE

The demonization of fruit juice and natural sugar has been a major part of juice’s recent struggles, but the category is also facing an even more existential threat, to the environmental and biological security of the fruit itself.

For Florida-based Uncle Matt’s Organic, orange juice remains the brand’s best-selling item, but according to the brand’s founder and CEO Matt McLean the company – and the industry as a whole – is being threatened by citrus greening disease. The disease is currently wreaking havoc on Florida and also has a presence in Brazil and parts of Mexico. McLean said that Uncle Matt’s is funding research to find a cure organically, “but there is no breakthrough to date.”

Due to record-high orange juice prices resulting from the disease, retailers are cutting back on the number of conventional orange juice brands and slower-selling items to focus on higher-growth options. Additionally, consumers are increasingly seeking out more functional beverages that feature attributes like lower sugar or added probiotics.

Despite the ongoing crop crisis, Uncle Matt’s has “continued to push the boundaries in the traditional refrigerated juice set,” said McLean, highlighting the fact that the brand was the first to add probiotics to orange juice, along with functional ingredients like turmeric, ginger and elderberry.

At $28.6 million, Uncle Matt’s Organic orange juice sales were up 15.5% in the 52-week period ending July 14, according to Circana data covering MULO and c-store. In the lemonade category, the brand was up 7.2% to $2.7 million, compared to category leader Simply, which was down -1.7% to $669 million.

Meanwhile, Uncle Matt’s continues to consider new innovations, packages, and approaches. Like other juice brands, McLean remains in the battle to keep the category viable, even as consumer preferences shift in their perception of healthy eating and drinking.

“I’ve been in the industry for 25 years, and I believe all things go in cycles. Juice will continue to be relevant; it just may not be as evident in the traditional flavors or fruits that built the category,” said McLean.

RFG JUICE AND DRINK SMOOTHIES

BOTTLED JUICE AND DRINK SMOOTHIES

Welch’s is changing the game with the launch of their new line of zero sugar juices. Welch’s Zero Sugar is available in two refreshing refrigerated flavors: Passion Fruit and Grape (59 oz. cartons), and three delicious shelf-stable flavors: Tropical Punch, Strawberry, and Concord Grape, offered in multi-serve (64 oz.) and single-serve (10 oz.) sizes.

Pressed Juicery proudly announced the debut of its inaugural Nootropics collection, a groundbreaking range of ready-to-drink functional beverages designed to redefine the morning coffee ritual and elevate morning routines. The premier collection comprises a Cold Brew, Coffee Latte, and Matcha Latte, enriched with potent mushroom infusions such as reishi, lion’s mane, and chaga, meticulously curated to enhance cognitive function and improve energy - naturally.

Perricone Farms, a premium craft juice company with deep roots in California’s citrus industry, has announced its acquisition of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, an award-winning juice company based in Fort Pierce, Florida. The merger unites two of the highest quality and most trusted names in the juice industry, strengthens both brands, and enhances the ability to serve customers with excellence in quality and customer service coast-to-coast.

Uncle Matt’s Organic, which touts itself as the nation’s #1 selling brand of organic orange juice, introduces Ginger Honey Lemonade, a refreshing and delicious beverage perfect for summer sipping. Uncle Matt’s Organic’s dedication to organic, better-for-you beverages is unmatched and this innovative addition to its lemonade line blends tart and sweet flavors with the natural benefits of real Peruvian ginger and Brazilian wildflower honey.

Tennis prodigy Coco Gauff has made her beverage pick with a first-of-its-kind, multi-year business venture with Naked Brand, best known for its real fruit juice smoothies. Gauff is leveling up her fruit game by joining Naked as Chief Smoothie Officer. A lifelong smoothie lover, Coco is putting her mark on the brand and future product development.

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. announced a new Masterbrand campaign and tagline – Just Add Cran. The new mantra – which will fuel all future creative work – will initially come to life with three new ad spots highlighting Ocean Spray’s new Zero Sugar Cranberry Juice Drink, Craisins dried cranberries, and the brand’s fanfavorite line of cran-forward juice blends.

Caribe Juice, maker of WTRMLN WTR, announced the launch of WTRMLN ADE, a first-of-its-kind, clean cold-pressed ultra-hydrating lemonade that harnesses the hydration superpower of real watermelon in a delicious and refreshing lemonade. Each 12 oz. bottle packs 600mg or more of electrolytes, on par with shelf stable sports drinks, thanks to its high concentration of naturally electrolyterich watermelon, and touts 100% of the daily recommendation of Vitamin C, no added sugar, and half the calories and sugar of traditional lemonade. WTRMLN ADE is available in 3 popular flavors: Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Limeade.

For more fun hydration and exciting new flavors, Langers announced the launch of its newest beverage variety, Agua Fresca. Drawing inspiration from the beloved traditional Mexican beverage, Langers has crafted a refreshing drink that captures the essence of homemade Agua Frescas, making it conveniently available in a bottle. The new Agua Frescas come in three flavors – Strawberry Hibiscus, Mango Lime, and Cucumber Lime – delivering refreshing and vibrant taste profiles.

Generous Brands, formerly known as Bolthouse Farms, and SAMBAZON announced a partnership arrangement in which Generous Brands will manufacture, distribute and sell SAMBAZON Juice and Smoothie Beverages. This new strategic partnership will increase consumer access to the fast-growing consumer trend of functional superfruit juices and smoothies and will enable the scale for retailers to expand distribution across North America.

Alico, one of the largest citrus producers in the U.S., has lined up a new deal with one of biggest juice brands, Tropicana, extending the two companies’ previous agreements to July 2027. The agreement will bring about 65% of Alico’s planted citrus orchards to Tropicana at prices per pound solids that are “approximately 33% to 50% higher over the term of the contract than the average price for all the citrus fruit sold to Tropicana last season.”

Loom, the brainchild of Bill Butrymowicz, VP at Jersey Shore DSD house Seaview Beverage announced earlier this year, is now rolling out to retailers in New Jersey. Available in four flavors – Moon Punch, Cosmic Candy Grape, Beyond Apple, and Aurora Orange – the juice-infused water beverages have around 15-20% real fruit juice with no added sugar and all flavors contain 35 calories or less. Loom is also available for purchase via the brand’s website for $30 per 12-pack of 12 oz. bottles.

How Capri Sun Dominates Kids Drinks Pouch

By Jeff Klineman

Paradise:

A few weeks ago, anticipating that I actually was going to have to write this story (I’d assigned it to myself, after all), I reached out to Kraft Heinz for some of their thoughts on Capri Sun.

I asked them what had made Capri Sun such a success within their portfolio, particularly after the company bought it in 1991.

“Capri Sun has always been an iconic brand beloved by families, with a unique product offering that sets it apart in the kids’ beverage category,” replied Jordan Mann, a brand manager with Capri Sun.

“Always.” That stuck with me, because it echoed the reason for the story – how this brand, with its notoriously difficult to insert straw, grew to become such a strong presence in our lives. Beyond the philosophical, of course, because this is, after all, a publication covering the beverage trade, I wanted to understand the strategic and tactical underpinnings of the brand that keeps consistently above the competition. Instead, I got that word: Always.

If you want to see the numbers, look at our included chart with data from Circana on Aseptic Juice Drinks (page 52). Capri Sun’s right where it always is: a 40-plus share, with sales north of $500 million, followed by Kool-Aid, whose Jammers and Bursts are also part of the Kraft Heinz beverage empire, covering a whopping 70-ish share. We’ve been getting those numbers from Circana (nee IRI) for almost 20 years now, and I’ve looked as far back as I could; channel coverage has changed, but the proportions haven’t. No matter who takes a run at them – Minute Maid, Hi-C, Vita Coco Kids, V-8 (yes, V-8), Tropicana – Capri Sun stays on top. Always.

I’m 52 years old. I grew up in the South, one of the first regions where Capri Sun was test marketed by Sarah Leeowned Sunkist in the 1970s, after the company bought the North American rights to the brand. So maybe my opinion is a little skewed, as I’m in my sixth decade with the stuff. I gave up on the straw long ago, by the way, and like many adults, I have to use scissors to get inside the Capri Sun pouch.

Still, we’re in an era where attention spans are short. Tumblr feeds are considered throwback and Brittney Spears is old school, so maybe six decades of Capri Sun pouches, still packed 10 to a cardboard tray, plugged into Walmarts, club stores and supermarkets, planted on lunchroom trays,

doled out with peanut-butter-andhoney sandwiches on camping trips and pulled not-quite-cold out of Igloo coolers during soccer game timeouts is pretty much “always.”

It’s in the Bag

Ah, the pouch. It’s a classic bit of intrapreneurship, that pouch. The brand was launched by multinational flavor company Wild Flavors, started in Germany nearly a century ago, and that pouch - a gusseted, stand-up amalgamation of plastic and foil, called a Doypack after its French founder, Louis Doyen, was originally used to hold the flavor concentrates that Wild would ship to its clients, until one of Wild’s engineers realized it could also be used as a single-serve conveyance. He was right. In the late 1960s, the brand took a fruit juice concentrate, added water, and started the brand, named to evoke the idyllic style of the Italian isle of Capri.

Maybe I wasn’t bright enough to ask where the straw came from, maybe I just never want to think about the straw again. Certainly, Kraft executives spent too much time thinking about it in the early 1990s, after they bought the brand for around $130 million. Over a five-year-period, a former Kraft executive told me, the company spent millions on attempts to make it easier to help kids take a slightly pointy, hollow reed and jam it through a target roughly the size of a ladybug. Aside from a little bit of a change at the point of entry to make it easier for the straw tip to pierce the target, it was largely unsuccessful.

The current management tries to pass it off as a delightful feature, but we know better.

“We see the straw as one of the reasons Capri Sun pouches are so fun to drink and the perfect way to sip every last drop!” said Mann. “Poking into the pouch is a unique part of the Capri Sun experience, and we know fans love it. Some people even drink it upside down or sideways - it’s all part of the fun!”

In 1991, Kraft – or, at the time, the beverage division of General Foods, part of the merged food business of Kraft and General Foods that was being combined by owner Philip Morris – was trying to build out its beverage offerings. It was great at powdered tubs – think Kool-Aid, Country Time, Crystal

ASEPTIC JUICE DRINKS

ASEPTIC JUICES

Light, Tang – but only had a slight presence in the liquid, single-serve space from Kool-Aid Bursts.

That changed with Capri Sun, which had actually languished a bit in the mid-1980s. It had revenue of about $100 million when Kraft bought it, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune, but its trajectory had flattened in the 1980s when Sara Lee unloaded Shasta on National Beverage. In 1985, Capri Sun became an independently run subsidiary, still the largest pouch out there, but the development of aseptic juice boxes for brands like Hi-C and Kool-Aid had cut into its leadership position among all kids drinks.

It turned out to be $130 million well spent.

Just how much growth? Did you see that I wrote Philip Morris? That’s right. In the course of reporting this story, I managed to end up sorting through evidence from the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement, the one between several state attorneys general and the country’s biggest tobacco companies (something about being really good at marketing to kids). In a trove of files stored online by UCSF, there’s a presentation from 1996 detailing just how big an impact the brand had on Kraft’s fortunes after the pickup.

Between 1992 and 1995, according to the presentation, Capri Sun was the top selling aseptic juice drink in the U.S., regardless of package - and was 80 percent of the beverage division’s income from operations. By 1996, according to the presentation, Capri Sun’s sales volume was eight times higher than its purchase price had been.

“Following the acquisition, the goal was to provide the resources, scale and infrastructure that would allow the brand to reach new heights,” notes Mann. “The expanded distribution network allowed Capri Sun to become even more accessible to families across the country. Our focus on consumer insights and innovation enabled us to introduce new product lines and cater to evolving preferences unlocking growth.”

But why has it been able to hold off all of the competition? Observers and competitors made it clear that it’s the combination of scale and price that keeps it at the front of the pack. You know that chart we’ve all seen that shows that most of the food in the world is owned by about 10 brands? Kraft Heinz is one of them, and they aren’t giving up on this one.

Here’s one of those competitors, Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, which eventually begat Honest Kids, one of the few brands to eat into Capri Sun’s share in recent years (being owned by Coke helps, but so does having a clear launch pad in Whole Foods, one of the few places that doesn’t sell Capri Sun).

“True confessions,” said Goldman, an organic advocate, vegan, Ironman triathlete, and one of the healthiest humans in Maryland. “I was buying it for my own kids – it’s whatever was on sale. I’m the lunchbox maker, and I wasn’t thinking.”

Eventually, one of his sons asked for Honest Lemonade, and Goldman, showing a talent for familial intrapreneurship, ended up with Honest Kids, a product that he thinks might eventually catch up to Capri Sun. One thing that he grasps –the key issue around the product isn’t that kids love it, it’s that they’ll accept it. Make that choice easy for the parents, and it’s easy to understand the dominance.

“It’s got the scale, it’s got the shelf space, and it works for

what it is,” Goldman said. To beat Capri Sun, “you’ve got to get a foothold somewhere and really succeed. For us, that natural channel was the perfect place to start – buyers trusted us to have something meaningfully different. But no one’s going to beat Capri Sun with the same set of ingredients and a differently colored pouch.”

Brand Maintenance

Goldman takes pride in the idea that his product – organic juice that’s watered down to reduce calories and sugar – was different enough, and powerful enough, to actually cause Capri Sun to take notice. The juggernaut altered its formula, reducing sugar and calories in its own products.

That’s something I asked Capri Sun about as part of my attempt at a master class in brand maintenance. It did seem like they'd evolved a bit. Here’s what they told me:

“The beverage space has transformed tremendously over the years, and Capri Sun has evolved with it,” Mann said. “As consumer preferences shifted towards natural ingredients and lower-sugar options, we’ve been a part of that change. We switched to all-natural ingredients, introduced our 100% Juice line, and launched Roarin’ Waters, a flavored water option to cater to different households’ sugar preferences. “

I asked a lot of questions of Kraft Heinz about the kind of tactical, operational moves it makes to control the market, but obviously, they felt free to not spend their time sharing that with the likes of me – or you. They’ve invested millions

into making the pouches, squeezing nickels for margin and streamlining operations.

But it’s the “always” part that seems to be more important than many of those technical details. As a media company and an industry that – rightly or wrongly – tends to focus closely

on innovations, functions, and things that generally look to the future, there’s something to be said for the power of the past and the present.

“Like Gatorade, they have cemented themselves as a pillar in the category that’s built on consumer occasions,” said Pat Bolden, CEO of Plezi, a new kids brand that’s aiming to provide a healthier alternative to juice. “Lunch, parties or kids outings.”

Recently, two ripples appeared in the relatively placid Capri Sun news stream. First, a rumor surfaced over the summer that the Wild family was looking to raise about $500 million to buy back the North American rights to Capri Sun, potentially

sale. Deal buzz has gone cold since then – and Kraft Heinz isn’t discussing it, of course.

But in August, we found something even more shocking: an innovation. Last month, a leaked photo of a bottled, singleserve version of Capri Sun briefly knocked the internet on its butt. The idea seemed reasonable from an industry standpoint, but it sent relative shockwaves through some circles of social media, which immediately took up tweets against the potential betrayal of their memories: Could this bottle mean the brand was moving away from pouches?

Dozens of production lines say no, but the outcry – led by the New York Post and its online kissing cousins at Barstool Sports – was whiny but brief. While it was handled quickly by a mollifying shipment of giant Capri Sun pouches to Barstool’s offices, it nevertheless highlighted the pouchshaped imprint that Capri Sun has left in the childhood memories of so many consumers.

And that’s something that Mann did discuss.

“It’s clear through the strong reaction we saw to the rumor about our pouches being phased out shows how much Capri Sun means to our fans,” she said.

“It’s part of childhood for so many - whether that’s at birthday parties, after-school snacks or soccer games. For Millennials and Gen-Z it’s nostalgic and that connection runs deep. We knew we had to act quickly to reassure everyone that our pouches weren’t going anywhere.”

Even if bottles show up, those pouches, they’ll be here forever. And always. Bring scissors.

PLEZi Nutrition , the Public Benefit Company co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama on a mission to create higher standards for how the U.S. makes and markets food and beverages for kids, announced the launch of PLEZi FiZZ. A carbonated fruit drink that will be available this spring in three new flavors, PLEZi FiZZ builds upon the company's inaugural product, PLEZi, and aims to reach an older demographic of tweens and teens.

Ripple Foods , which touts itself as a leader in plant-based dairy alternatives, introduced Ripple Shake Ups Protein Shakes, which the brand claims to be the first and only kids' protein shake designed to tackle the wrath of "tweenage hanger" with a super satisfying combination of 13g of plant-based protein and 3g of filling fiber. Ripple Shake Ups are now available through Amazon and Ripple Foods' website.

Good2Grow has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle to ensure any well-loved character spout that has reached the end of its usable life can be recycled through the free good2grow Character Top Free Recycling Program. Simply sign up on the TerraCycle program page, separate the plastic character spouts from the bottles, and mail in the spouts using the provided prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the character spouts are cleaned, sorted by material type, and recycled into material that can be used to make new recycled products.

Else Nutrition unveiled its latest innovation, a line of plant-based readyto-drink protein shakes designed for kids ages two and up. Available in two classic flavors at launch – Chocolate and Vanilla – feature 80% whole food including almonds, buckwheat and tapioca. Each 8 oz. carton is loaded with 9 grams of protein and 25 essential vitamins and minerals. Else Nutrition’s Plant-Powered Completed Nutrition Shakes are available online

at Amazon and Walmart and in-store at Wegmans.

Caliwater, the functional cactus water brand founded by Vanessa Hudgens and entrepreneur Oliver Trevena, is continuing its mission to promote healthy, eco-friendly lifestyles for all with its latest product launch, Caliwater Kids; a line of plant-based cactus water drinks, conveniently packaged in colorful, spill-proof 4.2 oz. pouches. Caliwater Kids Pouches are now available at all Albertsons Companies, Safeway, VONS, Shaw's Supermarkets, Pavilions, and more locations nationwide.

Mott’s , a brand of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), launched Mott’s Active, a new fruit-flavored hydrating juice beverage for active kids with naturally sourced electrolytes, no added sugars, and no artificial flavors. This is the first juice drink product from the Mott’s brand to offer hydration benefits via added electrolytes. Mott’s Active is available now in 8 oz. 6-packs at mass and grocery retailers nationwide and conveniently located in the juice aisle alongside other beloved Mott’s products.

GoodPop has reformulated and refreshed the look of its kid-positioned sparkling water. The new recipe features more fruit juice and the bolder branding is paired with an exclusive 15-can club pack that is launching in Costco locations in Los Angeles and the Northeast.

Hiya , the children's health brand known for its innovative and highquality kid's wellness products, today announced its exciting launch of Hiya's Kids Daily Greens + Superfoods— a revolutionary greens powder formulated specifically for kids. Unlike traditional greens powders made for adults, Hiya's latest offering is formulated with a variety of kid-friendly ingredients to support growth, digestion, and brain health, all while appealing to kids by tasting like delicious chocolate milk.

‘IMPORTED’

By: Zoe Licata

What’s driving craft beer acquisition? International breweries. And it’s not just to create wide-ranging multinational sources of revenue. At a time when import sales are on the rise, some leading European and Japanese brands are actually using their U.S. beer acquisitions as a way to expand the footprint for their flagship products.

Put simply, a growing number of imported brands are being produced domestically.

It’s happened over the last two years, as several imported beer brands have pushed to increase their availability and create production efficiencies through their purchased facilities.

In 2022, Brewbound first broke the news that Japanese beer maker Sapporo would be acquiring San Diego, California-based craft brewer Stone Brewing in a $165 million deal. The purchase combined Japan’s oldest beer brand with a top-10 craft brewer and top-20 overall U.S. brewery.

Stone produced more than 320,000 barrels of beer in 2023, and still has many craft loyalists still hanging onto its portfolio. However, what seems to have attracted Sapporo to the craft brewery isn’t optimism for a bounceback of the craft segment, but rather its multiple production facilities and open capacity.

In May, Stone-Sapporo – the new joint entity – unveiled details of a three-part expansion plan, with phase one nearly complete. The first phase included a $20 million investment in Stone’s Escondido, California facility and a $40 million investment in the company’s Richmond, Virginia facilities. The two breweries – which provide bi-coastal production options for Sapporo – now have a production capacity of 700,000 barrels.

And that capacity is being used for Sapporo beers.

“The goal was to transition from an importer to a U.S. brewer, ultimately brewing, selling, and marketing all of Sapporo’s beers for the U.S. market locally,” Sapporo-Stone said in a press release.

Sapporo-Stone first started producing Sapporo beers and putting them in consumers’ hands in 2023, under the guise of a limited release, taproom-exclusive Stone lager. With the recipe locked down, Sapporo’s beers are now being produced at both the Escondido and Richmond facilities, with the goal of producing 360,000 barrels of Sapporo beer alone by the end of 2024.

“Operationally, this acquisition looks a lot like a merger,” CEO Zach Keeling said in the release. “Our two companies are now fully integrated – Innovating, brewing, selling, marketing, and operating as a single, combined business. The Sapporo and Stone Brewing brands will maintain their individual identities, but we are SapporoStone in name, operations, and culture.”

Consumers – whether fully aware of the move or not – seem unfazed by the change in where their beer is being made. Year-to-date through August 10, Sapporo has increased dollar sales +12.4% and volume (case sales) +12.6% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. xAOC plus convenience). Its flagship offering Sapporo Premium has increased its own dollar sales +13.3% and volume +13.5%.

Sapporo isn’t alone in its U.S. strategy. Anehuser-Busch InBev (A-B) moved production of Belgian import brand Stella Artois to its U.S. brewing facilities, including St. Louis, Los Angeles, Newark, and Jacksonville, with A-B designating part of its two-year $1 billion investment plan in the facilities to help with the transition and capacity expansion, and an additional $296 million explicitly for domestic Stella production and distribution.

Photo credit: Molson Coors

At the time of the transition announcement, then-A-B U.S. chief sales officer, North America Brendan Whitworth – now CEO of A-B’s U.S. operations – said the move was due to “the instability of the international supply chain when it comes to some of our imports.”

More recently, in May, Molson Coors announced it would shift production of its full-strength Peroni Nastro Azzurro to its brewery in Albany, Georgia, starting in August. (Japan-based Asahi Breweries acquired Peroni in 2016; Molson Coors owns the import rights in the U.S.)

The decision to move Peroni production to the U.S. was made so on- and off-premise retailers could “have access to a fresh steady supply of Peroni,” according to the announcement. Product made in Albany began hitting onpremise accounts in September, with plans to make can and bottles of the Italian lager “widely available” in 2025.

“Over the past several months, our brewers in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to stay true to the brand’s crisp refreshing taste and honor its original recipe from 1963,” Molson Coors chief supply chain officer Brian Erhardt and CMO North America Sofia Colucci said in a note to wholesalers.

“We also believe this expanded production will enable us to secure more distribution and bring Peroni to even more drinkers,” they added.

Peroni has also reaped rewards in scan data. The brand family has shown increased dollar sales +7.5% and volume +3.5% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels YTD. However, much of that growth could be credited to Peroni 0.0, its nonalcoholic offering, which continues to be produced in Italy.

In a closer move to Sapporo-Stone, Japanese beverage company Kirin Holdings announced its own production move to acquired craft brewing facilities in July.

Kirin’s Australian subsidiary Lion acquired Coloradobased New Belgium Brewing in late 2019, followed by Michigan-based Bell’s Brewery in late 2021. With leadership and distribution adjustments now in place at the breweries, Kirin has announced all U.S. production of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light will move to New Belgium’s Brewing facilities in Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North

Carolina at the end of 2024.

Currently, Kirin contract brews some of its products with A-B, but that deal will expire at the end of the year. Production, marketing and sales of the two beers is expected to begin in January 2025, with A-B continuing to brew and distribute until then.

The move of an import brand to the U.S. doesn’t guarantee success. In 2023, Diageo announced it would shut down the majority of production at its five-yearold Guinness facility in Relay, Maryland. The facility, the first Guinness production brewery in the U.S. since 1954, was used mainly as a research and development hub for the Irish import brand.

Bucking the production move trends so far has been Constellation Brands and its Mexican import brands. The company’s beer division – including Modelo, Corona, Pacifico and Victoria in the U.S. – recorded a +8% increase in shipments and +6.4% increase in depletions in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. And despite continued headwinds in the beer category, Constellation’s leadership recently doubled down on its expectations for its beer brands, including remaining the No. 1 share gainer in scans.

Constellation is the second largest beer vendor in Circanatracked off-premise channels, increasing dollar sales +6.3%

IMPORT BEER

and volume +5.3% YTD. The company has gained +1.32 share points of total beer dollar sales YTD, which increases to +4.5 share points when including all CPG products, president and CEO Bill Newlands said during Barclays’ Consumer Staples Conference in September.

To keep up with demand, Constellation is deepening its presence in Mexico, rather than the U.S. In 2022, the company announced a $1.3 billion planned investment into the southeastern part of Mexico over a four-year period, as part of a $5.5 billion investment plan being dished out across all its Mexico facilities through 2026. The investments will support a capacity increase of more than 30 million hectoliters (nearly 25.6 million barrels), with a new brewery in Veracruz, and expansion at its existing facilities in Nava and Obregon.

Consumer demand may be the justification for the risk and cost of these production moves. The import segment is the largest in dollar sales YTD through August 11 in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. multioutlet plus convenience), outpacing domestic premiums by nearly $100 million – a ranking switch that occurred in May. Imports recorded a +4% increase in dollar sales and +2.7% increase in volume YTD, one of only three beer segments to consistently record growth over the past year, along with flavored malt beverages and non-alcoholic beer.

Imports were also the only beer segment in expansion in the August Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) from the

National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), indicating wholesalers are continuing to purchase import brands even as summer comes to a close and total beer sales slow. Additionally, in July, imports set a new monthly record for beer volume. Nearly 4.2 million barrels of beer were imported into the U.S. in July, with more than 26 million barrels imported YTD, a +8.2% increase versus the first seven months of 2023.

A majority of that volume is Mexican imports, which have increased +10.5% YTD, to more than 668.74 million gallons (more than 21.57 million barrels). However, other top 10 import countries have also recorded growth YTD, including No. 2 Netherlands (+1.5%), No. 3 Ireland (+8.4%), No. 5 Germany (+0.5%), No. 6 Italy (+3.5%), No. 9 Guatemala (+27.7%) and No. 10 Vietnam (+11.2%).

With many craft breweries dealing with vacant capacity as craft demand continues to falter (dollar sales -3.8%, volume -5.4% YTD in Circana-tracked channels), using that space to help meet import demand may be the best business decision for all parties.

Nosh Packaged Food Guide • 2024

Better For You - Gluten-Free - Vegan Cookie Bites

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Bon Bee Honey

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Clean Ingredients, Probiotic Power: Your New Favorite Snack

Cibare Foods

Meet your new favorite snack: a plant-based protein bar packed with probiotics. Shelf stable, with zero added sugars, and made from simple, clean ingredients. Perfect for active lifestyles—delicious, nutritious, and always ready to fuel your day.

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Amy's Kitchen

Amy's Kitchen is an organic prepared food company and Certified B Corporation® whose purpose is to make it easy and enjoyable for everyone to eat well. Amy's offers over 135 frozen and packaged foods catering to a variety of dietary lifestyles.

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Blue Zones Kitchen

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Crunch Better, Live Better with Chipz Happen!

CHiPZ Happen

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Indulging Indian-American Fusion Snacks!

Confusion Snacks

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Daily Crunch Snacks

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Chocxo Chocolatier

At Chocxo, we set out to make the most delicious chocolate and make it better for you and the planet. We source the best organic ingredients to create truly indulgent chocolates that are naturally lower in sugar (without artificial sweeteners).

Deebee's Organics

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Chocxo: Truly indulgent, lower sugar, always organic chocolates.

Daily Crunch Dill Pickle Sprouted Almonds & Pepitas

DeeBee’s Organics Dip’Ems Fruit Snacks

The Perfect Protein for Your Pantry! Atlantic Natural Foods

Dixie Grace’s: Bold New Plant-Based Protein Redefines Snacking

Dixie Grace’s Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts, an iconic, protein-rich snack, deliver layered flavor with just four simple ingredients: peanuts, salt, water, and lemon. Vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and keto-friendly, they're a craveable, unexpected delight that shocks the senses.

glonuts

glonuts are healthy yummy coconut donuts –– made from clean ingredients that help you glow! always raw vegan, gluten-free and just 1gram of sugar each, glonuts give you the feeling of eating a donut without the feeling you get after eating a donut.

Snack Smart: All-Natural Meat Sticks for On-the-Go Fuel

Greenridge Naturals

Greenridge Naturals' fresh 1 oz snack sticks are made from premium grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken. Available in three flavors with zero sugar, these hardwood-smoked, all-natural sticks are perfect for healthy, on-the-go snacking.

Born from the passion of two generations of women, Hotpot Queen’s premium line of Sichuan condiments offers what today's discerning consumers crave: authentic flavor, unbeatable value, and better-foryou food.

Great-For-You Bean to Bar Chocolate, with Benefits

JOYÀ

We’ve enhanced our Functional Chocolates with powerful adaptogens & functional mushrooms to boost body & mind in 4 decadent low sugar bites. 100% certified organic ingredients - no soy, dairy, refined or fake sugar or fillers. Vegan & paleo friendly.

Nostalgic Treats. Better Than You Remember® - Organic & Fair Trade

LEXINGTON BAKES

Classic American treats, like brownies and cookies, made better with > 99% Organic Ingredients, > 40% Fair Trade ingredients and no naughty ingredients®. LXB’s radical ingredient transparency® ensures you never have to wonder, "What's in this?"

Legendary Foods

We're snack foodies with a nutrition problem. We geek out on un-junking trashy foods so you can cheat without the consequences. Enjoy pastries, sweet rolls, and popped chips guilt-free with 20g protein, 4-6g net carbs, and 2g sugar or less!

Loli’s Foods

The world's first fresh functional 100% clean dressing. What does that mean? We use organic ingredients with guy healthy probiotics. And most importantly, we don't use any gums, starches, fillers, or unwanted preservatives. Allowing us to be fresh!

healthy yummy donut things with only 1 gram of sugar!

Hotpot Queen

The Biggest, Boldest Sichuan Flavors

Protein for Snack Food Junkies!

Fresh Foods Deserve Fresh Dressings!

Dairy-Free Booster Milk Tea!

Healthee USA

Where every batch really is made from scratch Michele’s Granola

Maine Crisp Company Inc

Better With Buckwheat crackers and Maine Crisps are delicious, nutrientrich, gluten-free and sustainable snacks made from the 8000 year old ancient super-seed; buckwheat.

Fuel Your MInd & Body: Protein Bars Packed w/ Brain-Boosting Nutrients

Mindright

Mindright Bars pack 12g of plant-based protein and brainboosting ingredients like Coffee Fruit Extract, MCT Oil, & Marine Magnesium to support your mood, energy, & focus. Fiberrich, low in sugar, and gluten-free, it's the perfect daily pickme-up!

Mooski

Mooski chilled oat bars are a fresher, cleaner granola bar alternative made from Swiss-style overnight oats (muesli) and creamy nut butter, covered in a dark chocolate shell.

The only authentically aged and seasoned sourdough pretzel nuggets

OMG! Pretzels

OMG! Pretzels are changing the way people think about pretzels. Our seriously scrumptious snacks have a light, airy crunch and our culinary-inspired seasoning blends are crafted with the best ingredients - never any GMOs, MSG or artificial flavors.

Early Peanut Introduction Made Easy with Puffworks baby PB Puffs

Puffworks

Our puffs are made with only four simple, organic ingredients, they dissolve easily and contain no added sugar. The puffs are easy for babies to hold and are the perfect way to take the stress and mess out of early introduction to peanut.

Globally Inspired Simple Ingredient Sauces & Spices

Pur Spices Limited

PUR Spices is a woman owned globally inspired specialty sauce and spice company that makes products with simple ingredients, free of top allergens. Our mission is to introduce people to bold flavors they can feel confident using.

All Good. All Day. Clean label bread, bakery, and prepared foods.

Rudi's Bakery

Rudi’s Bakery is all about clean label, delicious, and convenient food with options for everybody – gluten free, and more! Behind every loaf is a team pouring their heart and soul into creating something special just for you and your family.

Simple is Better! Decadent Plant-Based Bites. No Added Sugar or Junk

SATTVA ViDA

Finally, A Snack That Makes Eating Seeds Exciting!

SEEDLY

SEEDLY's Dark Chocolate Seed Bark is a low sugar, high protein snack made with 100% organic ingredients. Packed with 18g of protein and 11g of fiber per bag, it's the perfect snack for those who want to indulge healthily. Now at Whole Foods Tristate.

Experience a new take on hummus! Make your own middleastern restaurant grade hummus at home. Simply blend our high quality chickpeas and stone ground tahini. This is the real deal. Satisfying, extra creamy and rich. No preservatives. No Glyphosate.

Solely: Clean. Craveable. Convenient.

Solely, Int.

At Solely, we challenge the idea that 'better for you' must taste 'healthy'. Our line of organic fruit snacks prove that real, clean food is both good for you and irresistibly delicious. Organic Fruit Jerky, 100% Whole Fruit Gummies & Dried Fruit.

Four little ingredients prove just how good indulgence can be.

Soom Foods

Decadent, satisfying, plant-based bites made with nuts & dates. Sweetened using dates, nature's candy, our bites contain just 3-6 ingredients per flavor & no gluten - just the good stuff to keep you fueled. Ditch the sugar, not the tastewe dare you!

One spoonful is all you need to fall in love with Soom's 4-ingredient Chocolate Sea Salt Sesame Spread. With 5g of plant-based protein and 6g of real sugar per serving, this dairy-free betterfor-you chocolate spread will become your new obsession!

The First Ever Fresh Granola Bar

SoCo Tahini

Real Hummus. Real Fast. Real Fresh.

Poshi | Premium Gourmet Veggies & Olives Made Easy! Poshi LLC

Honey Lollipops - USA-made, No Artificial Ingredients, No Corn Syrup

Sparko Sweets

Sparko Sweets

Honey Lollipops are handcrafted in Los Angeles using pure, locally sourced honey, with NO corn syrup or artificial ingredients. With their rich taste and smooth texture, they’re perfect as tea stirrers, cough remedies, or sweet treats.

Fresh snacks to meet families at the intersection of convenience and nutrition.

Sunnie Inc

Nostalgic snack combos that meet busy families at the intersection of nutrition and convenience.

Pack the Protein, Not the Sugar!

The New Primal

Made with all-natural chicken & a hint of maple syrup, Snack Mates Chicken & Maple Mini Sticks are perfect for your lunch box or glove box! Packed with 7g of protein per serving, they are the perfectly portable snack you've been looking for!

Welcome Back To Candy! Crush A Bag Guilt-Free Without The Sugar Crash!

TiDBiTS Candy

Satisfy your sweet tooth with the best tasting, better-for-you gummy candy! Bursting with flavor from real fruit juice and only 4g of sugar per bag. No corn syrup, sugar alcohols or artificial colors. Female-founded and mother approved!

Your favorite appetizer in NEW flavors

Tucson Foods

Introducing our new Bites Flavors! Enjoy Hatch Green Chile & Cheese Tamale Bites, featuring fire-roasted hatch green chiles in a bite-sized form. Or try Taco Beef & Cheese Bites and Mini Quesadillas for savory, cheesy delights.

Category Innovation: Comprehensive Turkey Meat Snack Line/Variety Pack

Meet Your New Favorite Snack: Veggie Jerky—Deliciously Nutritious!

Theo’s Veggies

Theo's creates Fiber-Packed, WholeVegetable snacks, starting with Sweet Potato Jerky and Beet Jerky! Theo's snacks are chef-crafted to highlight the amazing flavor and texture of vegetables without compromising nutrition. Organic. Plant-Based.

Vermont Smoke & Cure

Tastes Right, Made Right: At our rural Hinesburg, VT smokehouse our small team crafts delicious meat sticks in small batches. We never cut corners-using only the finest ingredients & slow-cooking for tender, flavorful sticks with a hint of smokiness.

Organic, High Protein, Gluten-Free + Allergy Friendly U.S. Grown Oats

Zego

ZEGO makes trusted, highly-nutritious and delicious packaged foods accessible to all - regardless of dietary restrictions. We provide traceable purity verification for heavy metals, glyphosate, pesticides and gluten linked to each product's QR code.

and

Fine non-dairy cheeses, sour cream

dips - without the coconut oil.

Treeline Cheesemakers

Independent Packaging Manufacturer - Quality, Service, Speed at Accord Carton Company

Your Go-To Laboratory Partner!

AZ Laboratories LLC

Located in Tempe, Arizona, we boast over 14 years of serving our many customers with our laboratory capabilities. From beverages, to supplements to food products in many forms, our flexibility and laboratory service is reliable and quick. ISO 17025 accredited, we take our laboratory standards seriously, and boast in our customer service. Reach out to us today and see what we can do for you!

Callisons is on a mission to make the flavor process simple. For over 120 years we have innovated in the market and that journey has brought us to the flavor company we are today. We utilize our experience to proactively bring our partners a personalized flavor experience that meet their goals. Callisons is excited to take on the challenge of developing the perfect flavor for your newest beverage! Making Flavor Simple

Custom Flavor Development

Flavor Dynamics, Inc.

We are the perfect choice for your beverage flavors. Our experienced team is guided by a commitment to creating innovative, superior quality products. Our "AA" BRC audit grade represents our commitment to food safety and quality assurance. Ask us for your clean label requirements, including Organic, Non GMO, Natural, Gluten free and Vegan. Our team is up to the challenge. Call us today.

GIVING PACKAGED FOOD THE UPPER HAND (& WORTH A 2nd LOOK) since 2005

Axiom’s food scientists are the innovators of plant-based, nutrient-dense sustainable ingredients, featuring patented claims & more.

From fortified snacks, breakfast, bakery and frozen foods, to plant-based alternatives, Axiom’s food scientists have created plant protein & milk ingredients to meet your needs. Ask about versions based upon your cost vs functionality needs, and samples that match orders. Axiom is also offering even better payment terms & quicker turnaround on multiple SKUs.

ORYZATEIN® RICE PROTEINS

The ONLY FDA GRAS + USDA Organic Rice Protein, Oryzatein® has 4 clinical studies vs whey with patented claims. Always allergen-friendly versions include smooth soluble grade, isolates vs concentrates, conventional vs organic, and new production lines meeting even larger commercial demand.

VEGOTEIN™ PEA PROTEINS

In addition to the best tasting CLEAR PLANT PROTEIN, launching NEW this year are multiple Neutral Vegotein™ Pea Proteins from N. America. Axiom’s patented technology makes these some of the best tasting pea proteins yet. Check out multiple concentrations & price points far below tariff-layden Chinese pea protein.

DAIRY ALTS TASTE AMAZING

Axiom’s Avenolait & Oryzolait are the ONLY N. American Rice & Oat Dairy Alternatives certified whole grain & allergen-friendly, & can help maillard.

Solution Alcoholic Freezer Bar Manufacturer

Functional Plant Proteins & Milks = Neutral, Clear & N. American Vers. Axiom Foods

Flavorman

Creating beverages in every drink category is what we do—but it’s not all we do. With over 30 years in the business, Flavorman offers a wide range of professional services—from R&D, product re-formulation, and value-engineering, to shelf life testing, regulatory assistance, production support and planning, consulting, and much more. Partner with Flavorman and change what the world is drinking.

Coconut Ingredients

Franklin Baker, Inc.

Franklin Baker, Inc. is the largest processor of coconut ingredients in the Philippines as 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.

GNT USA, LLC

EXBERRY® by GNT is the leading brand of natural colors for the food and beverage industry. Our colors are non-GMO and derived solely from fruits, vegetables, and edible plants through a process of chopping, pressing, filtering and blending. Our team of technical specialists are available to guide customers through each stage of the formulation and upscaling process.

Gotham DSD (Direct Store Delivery) provides a Dedicated Sales Team, Delivery Trucks and Warehouse to get your brand accelerated into the NYC marketplace. Gotham DSD succeeds by working with only a few select food and beverage brands at a time. With limited brands to manage, we can focus on executing the needs of each brand while giving each brand the ability to grow. info@gothamdsd.com

Over the last two generations, our family-owned company has grown from a sugar supplier to a one-stop ingredient shop. We have 14 distribution centers across the country and manufacture custom ingredient systems at our SQF-certified facility, Aviator. From functional ingredients to custom blends, we have what you need to create successful products.

Consumers today want it all—you’re balancing the demands of great taste, supply chain challenges, regulatory hurdles and consumer acceptance. The experts at McCormick 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 Studio in Geneva, IL or Irvine. We’ll bring the best taste solutions to the table.

Beverage & Food Development

PTM Food is the ultimate product development and manufacturing support firm that offers unparalleled expertise, creativity, and development services to help you achieve a distinct competitive advantage. We leave no stone unturned in our quest to uncover critical industry insights and develop products that are truly cutting-edge. Our team is more than capable of delivering successful results!

National Sales & Merchandising

Shelf Keepers

Shelf Keepers is a premier sales and merchandising partner for leading CPG brands, providing tailored solutions for growth and visibility. Using advanced analytics, our expert team ensures effective product distribution across retail and digital channels, focusing on strategies that resonate with your audience. Choose Shelf Keepers to enhance your brand and boost sales!

EXBERRY® Plant-Based Colors

Gotham DSD

Gotham -Grow your Brand in NYC

IFPC

McCormick FONA

Flavor & Taste Solutions

PTM Food

QBD coolers are cost-efficient, reliable and built in North America.

Due North Corp. Minus Forty QB

Pizzey Ingredients’ PurFlax™ line includes a range of whole and milled flaxseed ingredients, adding the nutritional and functional benefits of flaxseed to your snack food items. Our PurFlax™ products can replace eggs, fat, and gums, and are ideal for gluten-free, keto, vegan, and other specialty applications. PurFlax™ is non-GMO and pesticide-free, and is guaranteed shelf stable for 2 years. PurFlax™ is backed by the cumulative knowledge of five generations of Canadian farmers, who have been milling flaxseed since 1991.

100%

Healthy Snacks with Flaxseed Pizzey Ingredients

Insurance for Beverages

We work with specialty beverage manufacturers and importers covering a wide variety of beverage types to include, alcoholic, non-alcoholic, functional, energy drinks and supplements. Policy types include General Liability, Product Liability, Excess Liability, Property, Product Recall and Ocean Cargo. Very familiar with wholesale and retail insurance requirements for many major vendors.

We amplify brand performance through innovative strategy, imaginative concepts, and breakthrough creative. The GRO Agency, with 30 years of experience, excels in branding, packaging design, and marketing. We craft identities, packaging, and campaigns across various industries, building brands that steal the spotlight.

From our family ranch in California’s Central Valley, Traina Foods grows, sun dries and produces premium tomatoes and fruits for Ingredient, Foodservice, and Private Label customers. Our sun drying process is one of the most sustainable forms of food preservation. We dice, double dice, make granules and powders for intense real-flavor ingredients, or steep into brews, teas, and other beverages.

Get your product into 500 hands that are all your target audience. Stop wasting money on in-store demos that mainly sample to kids or busy guests. Move the masses from awareness to trial to sales with TRYIT1ST. The best way to get product into the right consumer hands. Retailers have commented "The best idea I've seen in years".

Specialty Food Beverage-PCI

The GRO Agency

Brand & Packaging Design

Traina Foods

Sundried Fruit and Tomatoes

Tryit1st

Redefining Product Demos

Choose TCHO Chocolate TCHO Chocolate

Custom Flavor Creations for Refreshing Beverages

T. Hasegawa

COMPANY

21 Holdings LLC

Accord Carton

Alice's Sweet Tooth

Amy's Kitchen

Matt Ingemi - - (630) 231-7590 sliqspiritedice.com

Amal Hadad Alsip IL (708) 272-3050 accordcarton.com

Elyse Eisenberg West Hollywood CA (310) 490-9416 alicessweettooth.com

Defne Crowe Petaluma CA (415) 786-9613 amys.com

Atlantic Natural Foods - Nashville NC (310) 850-6940 lomalindabrand.com

Attack!

Axiom Foods

AZ Laboratories LLC

Better Sour

Blue Zones Kitchen

Bon Bee Honey

Christian Jurinka Portland OR (415) 777-5236 attackmarketing.com

Rick Ray Los Angeles CA (916) 813-1878 axiomfoods.com

Susan Vu Tempe AZ (480) 955-9870 azlaboratories.com

Bella Hughes -

bettersour.com

Kate Cohen Austin TX - bluezoneskitchen.com

Kendra Bennett Longmont CO (720) 340-4981 bonbeehoney.com

Brazi Bites - Portland OR - brazibites.com

Callisons

CFT Packaging USA

CHiPZ Happen

Chiwis

Chocxo Chocolatier

Cibare Foods

Confusion Snacks

Daily Crunch Snacks

Deebee's Organics

Dixie Grace’s Boiled Peanuts

Due North Corp. Minus Forty QB

Ethel’s Baking Co.

Firebelly Marketing

Flavor Dynamics, Inc.

Justin Biza Olympia WA (360) 790-2160 callisons.com

Amanda Podwinski - - (847) 247-0233 usa.cft-group.com

Rochelle Drumm La Mesa CA (619) 873-5178 chipzhappen.com

Sarah Goodman - - (778) 991-0831 -

Christian Quie Delta - (604) 515-7117 chocxo.com

John Aliotti Sacramento CA (916) 201-3047 cibarefoods.com

Aadit Patel Los Angeles CA - confusionsnacks.com

Laurel Orley Nashville TN (212) 671-2534 dailycrunchsnacks.com

Caitlin Ert - - - deebeesorganics.com

Dixie Grace Jersey City NJ (201) 995-3072 dixiegracesboiledpeanuts.com

Randy Skyba Rockwood - (416) 317-7684 -

Lily Bommarito Shelby Township MI (313) 268-3311 -

Duncan Alney Indianapolis IN (317) 557-4460 firebellymarketing.com/podcast

Colleen Roberts South Plainfield NJ (908) 822-8855 FlavorDynamics.com

Flavorman Spencer McGuire Louisville KY (502) 289-5549 flavorman.com

Franklin Baker, Inc.

glonuts

GNT USA, LLC

Gotham DSD

Greenridge Naturals

Healthee USA

Hotpot Queen

IFPC

Industry Collective

JOYÀ

Krier Foods

Legendary Foods

Lexington Bakes

Peter Kamen Memphis TN (901) 359-1532 franklinbaker.com

Kristin Charbo Los Angeles CA (424) 285-9342 eatglonuts.com

Jeannette O'Brien Dallas NC (704) 469-5555 exberry.com/en/

Trent Moffat Long Island City NY (877) 931-3030 gothamdsd.com

Claire Flannery Chicago - (847) 434-1803 greenridgenaturals.com

Imelda Veharanta Rancho Cucamonga CA (909) 481-7514 HealtheeUSA.com

Jia Liao Seattle WA (206) 502-9141 hotpotqueen.com

Mathew Brady Fenton MO (800) 227-8427 ifpc.com

Paul Dalton - - - -

Ruth Elnekave - - (416) 716-7424 thejoyalife.com

Zach Malin - - (920) 994-2469 krierfoods.com

Greg Tetzlaff Santa Monica CA - eatlegendary.com

Lex Evan Los Angeles CA (862) 414-1460 lexingtonbakes.com

COMPANY

Loli's Foods Scott Zimmerman - - (310) 614-9294 eatlolis.com

Maine Crisp Company Inc

MATCHA.COM

McCormick FONA

Lewis Goldstein Winslow ME (845) 214-2420 mainecrisp.com

Team Matcha Tucson AZ (520) 273-2110 bulk.matcha.com

John Fishel Geneva IL (630) 578-8638 fona.com

Michele's Granola - Timonium MD (410) 350-0021 michelesgranola.com

Mindright - - CA - getmindright.com

Mooski Robert Broome Encinitas CA (202) 295-7572 mooskisnacks.com

OMG! Pretzels

Stephanie Kriebel Plymouth Meeting PA (610) 773-9335 omgpretzels.com

PakTech - Eugene OR (541) 461-5000 PakTech-opi.com

Pizzey Ingredients

Poshi LLC

Mary Ekman - - (651) 797-3168 pizzeyingredients.com

Atilla Akyuz Coral Gables FL (786) 575-6375 poshi.com

PTM Food Don Rodgers Wall Township NJ (888) 736-6339 ptmfood.com

Puffworks Holly Portland OR - puffworks.com

Pur Spices Limited

Sonya Patel Bedford Hts OH (646) 246-5640 purspices.com

Rudi's Bakery - Boulder CO (877) 293-0876 rudisbakery.com

SATTVA ViDA

SEEDLY

Shelf Keepers

SoCo Tahini

Solely, Int.

Soom Foods

Sovereign Flavors Inc.

Sparko Sweets

Specialty Food Beverage-PCI

Sunnie Inc

T. Hasegawa USA

TCHO Chocolate

Karen Lauterstein New York NY (917) 596-4935 sattvavida.com

Mateen Pouyafar New York NY - eatseedly.com

Messi Gerami New York NY (646) 789-3686 shelfkeepers.com

Dana Harary - - (216) 232-0146 eatsoco.com

Sales Team La Jolla CA (858) 699-4133 Solely.com

Julie Ozlek Philadelphia PA (609) 892-7158 soomfoods.com

David Ames Santa Ana CA (714) 437-1996 sovereignflavors.com

Jerry Zhou Pomona CA (626) 788-2690 sparkosweets.com

Tom Wallace - - (866) 461-0709 specialtyfoodbeverage.com

Katy Tucker Encino CA (310) 422-3020 feelsunnie.com

Douglas Resh Cerritos CA (562) 302-5492 thasegawa.com

Josh Mohr Berkeley CA (612) 723-5110 TCHO.com

The GRO Agency - New York NY (212) 725-6710 thegroagency.com

The Jel Sert Company

The New Primal

Theo's Veggies

Kyle Harrington - - (630) 818-7374 jelsert.com

Erin Taylor Daniel Island SC (843) 303-2491 thenewprimal.com

Aaron Brodkey Chicago - (734) 972-0441 theosplantbased.com

TiDBiTS Candy Kristi Vartanian - - (559) 906-0677 tidbitscandy.com

Traina Foods

Treeline Cheesemakers

Tryit1st

Tony Varni Patterson CA (209) 892-5472 traina.com

Molly Carrera Kingston NY (845) 331-9800 treelinecheese.com

Tyler Wincup - CA (951) 289-0078 Tryit1st.com

Tucson Foods - Tucson AZ - tucsonfoods.com

TWG Health & Nutrition - Lafayette LA (133) 778-3309 twghealthandnutrition.com

Vermont Smoke & Cure

Michael Schafer Hinesburg VT (215) 439-7995 vtsmokeandcure.com

Zego Colleen Kavanagh San Francisco CA - zegofoods.com

Zion Packaging

Gary Martin Corona CA (949) 842-1458 zionpack.com

Brisk Iced Tea Transforms Doja Cat into Its Newest Claymation Icon

Brisk Iced Tea has teamed up with the singer Doja Cat to revive its signature claymation ads while encouraging fans to put themselves first.

“I’m known for pushing boundaries and making the impossible a reality, so I was honored to collaborate with Brisk Iced Tea and bring our creative energy to life in a way that fans have never seen me before. As a Brisk fan and someone who personally loves to express my art both visually and sonically, seeing myself transformed into the iconic claymation style was like stepping into a wild, animated dream,” Doja Cat said.

The animated content leans into nostalgia while aiming to take the brand to the next level for a new generation.

“Brisk has always been about celebrating bold creativity and self-expression, and with Doja Cat bringing that energy to life, we’re giving fans permission to prioritize themselves. We’re so excited to have her leading the charge in our return

to claymation, reigniting the nostalgia for longtime fans while engaging a whole new generation,” said Julie RahejaPerera, General Manager/VP - Pepsi Lipton Partnership North America.

As the first female artist to be rendered in clay for Brisk, Doja Cat joins the ranks of legendary artists, actors, and characters immortalized in the stop motion animation style used in the brand’s classic ‘90s and ‘00s ads.

Actress Madelyn Cline Unveiled as the New Face of Reign Storm Energy Drinks

Madelyn Cline has a new offscreen role as the face of Reign Storm, a zero-sugar plant-based energy drink.

The 26-year-old actress kicked off the partnership in September with the release of an advertising campaign featuring her favorite Reign Storm flavors, Strawberry Apricot and Citrus Zest.

Known for her presence and energy – on and off camera – as well as her commitment to wellness and a healthy lifestyle, Cline is the perfect fit for Reign Storm, which offers clean energy refreshment with immunity support and vitamins to help people “Live Life Better,” according to the company.

Cline said the decision to join the Reign Storm family was an easy one, as it meant representing a brand she already loves and often relies on – especially during those long days on set.

tween filming, working out, going on adventures with the people I love, I always need a little bit of energy to pick me up.”

“I used to drink so much coffee – I even worked at a coffee food cart once – but I wanted a better for me energy, so I turned to Reign Storm because its yummy flavors are plant-based and bonus... it has Biotin and vitamins.”

“Working with Reign Storm is like getting to work with a friend as they have already been part of my daily routine for a while,” Cline said.

“As my schedule just keeps getting busier and busier be -

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Madelyn Cline to the Reign Storm family as our newest brand ambassador,” said Dan McHugh, Monster Energy CMO. “She embodies the values we strive to promote and provides inspiration to all via her adventurous spirit and focus on living out every moment more authentically.

“Her commitment to wellness and her approach to life resonates deeply with our mission to provide beverages that support both physical vitality and overall well-being. We look forward to collaborating with Madelyn to inspire and empower our community.”

TÖST Beverages Announces Partnership with T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

TÖST Beverages, which touts itself as a category leader in the non-alcoholic beverage space, announced a partnership with TMobile Arena in Las Vegas, owned and operated by MGM Resorts International and AEG. As of September 2024, TÖST is available throughout T-Mobile Arena at its bars, concession stands, suites, and restaurants.

TÖST Original and TÖST Rosé are available both by the glass and in 8.45 oz. aluminum cans, a format exclusive for select events and event-based onpremises accounts.

The partnership marks a meaningful expansion in TÖST’s growing presence at stadium, arena, and entertainment venues across the country, having also recently become available at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.

“TÖST was founded on the concept of inclusivity, and that has remained a key part of our DNA,” said Brooks Addington, CEO of TÖST Beverages. “We’re proud to offer customers a delicious, substantive beverage option when not drinking alcohol. So, whether you’re there for a sporting event or a concert, TÖST is a delicious and inclusive way to enjoy your time at T-Mobile Arena.”

Sally Bae, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at T-Mobile Arena, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome TOST Beverages to T-Mobile Arena as part of our growing selection of premium non-alcoholic options. As the demand for non-alcoholic sparkling continues to rise, we’re excited to offer our guests the sophisticated and refreshing experience that TOST provides.”

The Finnish Long Drink Announces Proud Sponsorship of Michigan Athletics

The Finnish Long Drink, rooted in Finland’s legendary long drinks tradition, announced that Long Drink has been named a Proud Ready to Drink (RTD) Canned Cocktail Sponsor of Michigan Athletics. As the RTD Sponsor, Long Drink will be among the alcoholic beverages served throughout several Michigan Athletics venues, including Michigan Stadium, Crisler Center, and Yost Ice Arena.

“With sports being deeply entrenched in the origin story of long drinks, which first gained international recognition at the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, The Finnish Long Drink company is pleased to sponsor Michigan Athletics to support

their best-in-class athletic department and celebrated football, basketball and hockey programs,” said Evan Burns, cofounder and CEO, The Finnish Long Drink.

Available for sale in 46 states and having recently launched in Canada, The Finnish Long Drink has grown exponentially since its launch with Finn co-founders Ere Manner, Sakari Manninen, and Mikael Taipale, along with American entrepreneur Evan Burns. Long Drink is backed by actor Miles Teller, Kygo, The Palm Tree Crew, professional golfers Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, and most recently Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners.

AriZona Beverages and GOAT USA Launch Limited-Edition

Collaborative T-Shirt Collection

GOAT USA has teamed up with AriZona Beverages to launch an exclusive, limitededition t-shirt collection.

Inspired by the “Greatest of All Time” ethos, GOAT USA celebrates ambition, greatness, and the idea that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things. This partnership with AriZona Beverages, famous for its refreshing drinks and bold, colorful packaging, marks a significant milestone in GOAT USA’s journey.

The collaboration features four distinct t-shirt designs, each reflecting the iconic elements of AriZona Beverages while embodying the spirit of GOAT USA:

1. AriZona GOAT USA Cherry Blossom T-Shirt: This vibrant electric green t-shirt showcases the beautiful Cherry Blossom graphic from AriZona’s famous Green Tea can, combining the best of both brands.

2. AriZona GOAT USA Skull T-Shirt: Navy in color, this design reimagines AriZona’s legendary cattle skull with Chuck the GOAT in skeleton form, symbolizing the brand’s enduring spirit.

3. AriZona GOAT USA Checkered T-Shirt: Sporting the iconic AriZona pattern on a light blue shirt, this design is a perfect blend of both brands’ iconic visuals.

4. AriZona GOAT USA Desert T-Shirt: This sandshell-colored t-shirt features Chuck the GOAT in a desert scene, encapsulating the adventurous spirit of both brands.

The t-shirts will be available at all GOAT USA retail locations, including Roosevelt Field in Garden City, NY; Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, NY; Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ; and King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, PA as well as online.

“GOAT USA embodies a spirit of ambition and determination that resonates deeply with our own values at AriZona. Their mission to inspire everyday greatness aligns perfectly with what we strive to achieve with our products—bringing a sense of enjoyment and possibility to people’s lives. We’re excited to partner with a local Long Island based company that shares a similar vision and brings this unique collaboration to life,” said Spencer Vultaggio, Chief Marketing Officer at AriZona.

Spritz Society Announces New Lemon Iced Tea Flavor in Collaboration With Bravo’s Southern Charm Star Craig Conover

Spritz Society, the spritzer brand founded by media influencers and entrepreneurs Ben Soffer, Claudia Oshry, Jackie Oshry, Zach Weinreb and Jake Lewin has launched a new flavor, Lemon Iced Tea, in collaboration with “Southern Charm” reality star and founder of Sewing Down South, Craig Conover. The launch of the flavor comes on the heels of Spritz Society announcing its partnership with Conover back in April.

Paying homage to Conover’s South Carolina roots, the new ready-to-drink spritz brings a carbonated twist to a classic Lemon Iced Tea.

“I was excited to join the Spritz Society family for many reasons, but creating my own flavor has definitely been a highlight,” said Conover. “I’ve learned so much during the process and am so pleased with the result. This drink is really something special and I’m very excited to share it with our fans.”

Lemon Iced Tea will be the first flavor available in the brand’s larger, redesigned 12 oz. can and has 4.5% ABV, 120 calories, and only 5g of sugar, making it more sessionable while staying true to Spritz Society’s commitment to providing all natural, great tasting beverages.

Spritz Society has made collaborations core to their strategy. Lemon Iced Tea by Craig Conover marks the third for the brand, following Pink Lemonade made in partnership with Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential and the viral Pickle by Claussen with Kraft Heinz.

“Our collaboration flavors have been an overwhelming success and I know this one with Craig will be no exception,” said Ben Soffer, Founder and CEO of Spritz Society. “I’m proud to call Craig a friend and knew we had to get him involved when I found out he was already a fan of our brand. As everyone knows, taste is top priority at Spritz Society. We spent

months making sure Lemon Iced Tea will exceed our fans expectations and we can’t wait for everyone to try it!”

“Craig’s authentic connection with his BravoTV and Sewing Down South communities is truly inspiring. The overwhelming support and enthusiasm from our community since announcing our partnership has been incredible. We are thrilled about the crossover between our fans and can’t wait for everyone to try our new flavor,” added Jake Lewin, Founder and President of Spritz Society.

Guayakí Yerba Mate Partners with Major League Soccer’s LAFC

Guayakí Yerba Mate has announced a historic partnership with the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC).

According to Guayakí, this alliance marks the first time a mate brand has collaborated with an American soccer team. The move unites partners who share a belief in business for good and a vision for a connected and sustainable world.

Yerba mate, a traditional South American beverage known for its robust health benefits and communal drinking culture, has long been a staple in the soccer communities of South America.

“The partnership between Guayakí and LAFC is not just a business move; it’s a cultural bridge,” said Ben Mand, CEO of Guayakí Yerba Mate. “Yerba mate has been at the heart of South American soccer rituals, where it is celebrated for strengthening team bonds. Introducing this tradition to American soccer

with a team as dynamic as LAFC is a natural fit, embodying our mission to share the spirit and benefits of yerba mate with the world.”

“Guayakí and LAFC share a vision to be a force for good and to bring people together through football,” said LAFC CoPresident & CBO Larry Freedman. “We look forward to working with Guayakí as we continue to embrace the multicultural identity of our city and fans.”

As part of the three-year deal, Guayakí will provide yerba mate to the players and staff of LAFC, and the brand will also be prominently featured at BMO Stadium for fans to enjoy. This initiative is expected to increase awareness of yerba mate’s benefits including a boost in activity and focus, in and around one of MLS’ top clubs.