BevNET Magazine September/October 2021

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021

SQUEEZED!

As Older Brands Change Hands, New Juices Look for the Sweet Spot

2021

NATURAL SNACK GUIDE

KOMBUCHA'S CHASE PACK SLOWS DOWN

BUILDING A HEALTHY KIDS CATEGORY

MEXICAN IMPORTS SHINE

M

A

G

A

Z

I

N

E

Contents / September – October 2021 / Volume 19 / No. 5

NATURAL SNACK GUIDE • 2021

52

62

70

75

COLUMNS

FEATURES

6 First Drop The Kombucha Chase Pack Slows Down

52 Juices The Juice Squeeze: With major brands in transition, challenges and opportunities abound (with Brand News)

8 Publisher’s Toast A Tough, Lovely Day 46 Gerry’s Insights Gerry Speaks for the Teas

62 Kids Drinks Low Sugar, Little Space, But Opportunities Grow for Kids Drinks (with Brand News)

DEPARTMENTS

70 Import Beer Mexican Imports Shine

10 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Super Coffee, Super CP3; Ari Raz is Cuckoo for Coconut Cult; Hard Dew, Hard Tea

SHOW COVERAGE

38 New Products Rowdy Energy Has Two New Flavors!

48 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Preview

42 Channel Check Inside Dairy Alternatives

SPECIAL SECTION

98 Promo Parade Pepsi Loves Football, BTS

75 Natural Snack Guide

Follow Us Online www.twitter.com/BevNET

www.facebook.com/bevnetcom

www.bevnet.com/magazine/subscribe

BevNET Magazine (ISSN 2165-6061, USPS 24-552) is published bi-monthly by BevNET.com, Inc. 65 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to BevNET Magazine, Subscriber Services, 65 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458

5

THE FIRST DROP

BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

The Kombucha Peloton Hits the Brakes Have we hit a point where the energy is starting to go out of the kombucha “chase pack”? Recent turnover in management teams may indicate that investors are getting impatient.

Since the start of the year, three of the biggest brands in what I’ve long termed the peloton of VC-backed independent kombucha brands trying to reel in runaway leader GT’s have seen their original entrepreneurial founder/leaders replaced by new CEOs. At HUMM Kombucha, which has VMG as its lead investor, former Red Bull sales executive Matt Witherell has ascended from President to CEO, replacing co-founder and CEO Jamie Danek.

Brew Dr., backed by Castanea, saw founder Matt Thomas cede the CEO role to General Mills veteran Dan Stangler. Most recently, Health-Ade’s co-founder/CEO Daina Trout moved aside for investor Jack Belsito, the former CEO of Snapple and an investor with FBG (nee First Beverage Group) to take the top spot.

There are several moving parts here but my own instant reaction was that it’s a shame that in the case of Health-Ade and Humm, a pair of really great female founders, for whatever reason, aren’t going to be at the head of their companies anymore, particularly at a time when consumers, retailers, and, yes, investors are on record as wanting to support more diverse brand ownership.

Beyond that, it’s an indication of some of the frustration that investors are likely feeling around kombucha’s potential return on their capital.

For years, investors and strategics chased GT Dave, the prime mover and big fish in the kombucha category. Dave basically rejected entreaties from the big investors and brands but nevertheless has built GT’s Kombucha into one of the biggest independent beverage companies in the U.S. With Dave shunning the establishment, and a lot of other entrepreneurs starting to make their own versions of the vinegary stuff, it wasn’t long before food and beverage focused investors started to survey the field looking for their own vehicle for coldcase domination. A few years ago, they were barely blips on the IRI viewscreen, but Pepsi invested in -- and eventually purchased -- Kevita, founded by a former Wall Street executive, Bill Moses, and a brewer, Chakra Earthsong. Alongside Kevita, venture capital searched out a generation of smaller kombucha brands that seemed to have potential.

Coming from a variety of regions, they located brands like Health Ade, Humm, Revive, Brew Dr. and Clearly Kombucha, and very quickly, the brands that had started to generate momentum on their own were receiving boosts for the afterburn.

Maybe the ship had sailed on GT, but with a cash infusion and the vaunted “value add” of experienced CPG investors and their talent-stacked Rolodexes, the belief was clear that there must be another potential leader in the peloton.

Similar things have happened in other categories, of course; among others in recent years, coconut water brands, HPP juices and shots, cold brewed coffee, CBD tonics and plant-based dairy alternatives have all gone through a variety of investor based feeding frenzies; non-alcoholic cocktail alternatives are currently in lockstep with canned cocktails as the current crop of Cinderellas.

It’s a tough business, though. Only a few ever pan out.

6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 2021

Still, kombucha seemed to offer the greatest potential to marry new age values -- it’s ALIVE in there, for goodness’ sakes -- to a potential carbonated replacement for mainstream sugary sodas.

Kombucha’s functional characteristics -- 60 million probiotics have GOT to be good for you, right? -- fit its functional taste profi le, but the thought was, you could get used to it.

And there’s no doubt a vast set of consumers has done just that. In the past couple of years, sales for all of those kombucha brands mentioned above have bloomed alongside GT’s as they have slid across retail channels into more mainstream grocery stores. The category is approaching $2 billion in the U.S. But what the chase pack hasn’t done is bring in strategics for a large scale buyout. Even Coke, which had invested in Health Ade both directly and indirectly through its backing of FBG, wasn’t ready to pull the trigger, despite the brand’s fast growth and the functional flexibility its brand name seems to offer. PepsiCo made its bet very early, and Kevita has largely continued to ride the Pepsi system to broader distribution opportunities than anyone else in the chase pack. Revive seemed like it might have a shot in a refrigerated DSD program run by Peet’s coffee, but even after Peet’s bought up the majority of the brand expansion has been slow.

Other kombucha brands picked up by strategics, like Clearly Kombucha at Molson Coors, have largely created a collective shrug in the marketplace.

So who is left? Coke is out there, although the company’s investment in Health-Ade, along with that of VC fund CAVU, was bought out by FBG and it has pretty much killed off its cold-chain DSD after shedding Odwalla; so is Keurig Dr Pepper. Anheuser Busch has dabbled in products like Kombrewcha, an early spiked kombucha brand, but aside from regular rumors that it wanted to buy out GT’s, hasn’t seemed like a candidate to go after the chase brands. Certainly, there are plenty of potential fi nancing options for many of these brands, from further private equity deals to IPOs to the growing interest in gut health at companies like Nestle and Chobani.

But there are growing crosswinds, particularly a growing set of shelf-stable “kombucha-lite” vinegar based sodas like Culture Pop, Poppi, Huzzah, and Olipop that offer gut health benefits of their own that are drawing attention from both influencers and consumers alike. Closer in taste to the traditional soda that kombucha might have replaced, but nevertheless laced with a similar prebiotic or probiotic dose, they could undercut the funkier flavors of kombucha with an easier to adopt model. A fast-growing subset of full-booze kombuchas is also starting to take up a lane on the probiotic roadway, and there’s no telling whether they’ll grow the pie for the chase pack or not.

Kombucha brands in that chase peloton see it already, and of late they’ve been going for a variety of product innovations to broaden their appeal, including their own sodas, energy drinks, cocktail mixers and high-octane blends. Whether the intent is to fatten volume through platform expansion or just to succeed through a new route, though, the course isn’t clear, and the race sponsors have clearly gotten antsy.

Photo by Samara Doole on Unsplash

PUBLISHER’S TOAST

BY BARRY NATHANSON

M

A

G

A

Z

I

N

E

www.bevnet.com/magazine

Barry J. Nathanson PUBLISHER bnathanson@bevnet.com Jeffrey Klineman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jklineman@bevnet.com Martín Caballero MANAGING EDITOR mcaballero@bevnet.com Ray Latif CONTRIBUTING EDITOR rlatif@bevnet.com Brad Avery REPORTER bavery@bevnet.com Justin Kendall NEWS EDITOR, BREWBOUND jkendall@bevnet.com Carol Ortenberg EDITOR, NOSH cortenberg@bevnet.com Erin Cabrey REPORTER ecabrey@bevnet.com

SALES

John McKenna DIRECTOR OF SALES jmckenna@bevnet.com Adam Stern SENIOR ACCOUNT SPECIALIST astern@bevnet.com John Fischer ACCOUNT SPECIALIST jfischer@bevnet.com

Remembering, Celebrating, and Moving Forward This past Saturday was 9/11. It was also my son’s wedding day, which was postponed from last October. It was a most joyous event, one our family will long remember, and will long pay for. While we were all cognizant of the solemnity of the day, we also felt that celebrating on that anniversary showed the resilience, rejuvenation and healing of the country. The American spirit goes forward. Neither 9/11 nor Covid-19 could stop us. To see my David and his beautiful bride Michelle so happy makes it crystal clear what is important in life: not to get buried in the bull or to sweat the small stuff, but live to the fullest. I put this into my column to remind everyone what really matters.

In regards to recovery and going forward, I’m excited to see our industry rebounding and striving to move ahead. As I’ve written my columns over the past months, I’ve shown optimism, looking for signs that we’re back, hoping to manifest the vision with positive words. Actually, I wasn’t sure that was the case, but I’m a cheerleader for beverages. Now I can say with confidence that we’re close to pre-pandemic. In my conversations and visits with marketers, stops at stores and discussions with investors, we’re going full bore ahead.

8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

There are more new initiatives, so many held back, that are now coming to the forefront. Actually, some plans that were intended pre-pandemic have had to be modified or scrapped in favor of newer ideas coming out. Companies working on marketing strategies, graphics, and more sophisticated advertising, mostly digital, have had 18 months to plan and hopefully will be right on target. Suppliers have had time to work on formulating or reformulating their brands. These messages, for retailers and distributors, reflect the new realities of getting to the marketplace, and I hope they are ready for execution. I’m hoping that downside obstacles, such as packaging shortages and the search for drivers who can get products to market, are being addressed and reflected in more realistic budgeting and setting goals.

Thankfully, it seems that everyone is ready to roll. Our entire BevNET team will be spreading out over the next few months to attend and cover the events of the beverage industry. Our BevNET Live event in Santa Monica beckons. I hope to see you there, if only to show you the video of my granddaughter in her starring role as flower girl at the ceremony. That’s what it’s all about.

Jon Landis MANAGER OF BRAND RELATIONS jlandis@bevnet.com

ART & PRODUCTION

Aaron Willette DESIGN MANAGER Nathan Brescia DESIGNER/PHOTOGRAPHER

BEVNET.COM, INC.

John F. (Jack) Craven CHAIRMAN John Craven CEO & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR jcraven@bevnet.com

HEADQUARTERS

65 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458 ph. 617-231-8800

PUBLISHER’S OFFICE

1120 Ave. of the Americas, 4th Fl. New York, NY 10036 ph. 646-619-1180

SUBSCRIPTIONS

For fastest service, please visit: www.bevnet.com/magazine/subscribe email: magazinesupport@bevnet.com

BPA Worldwide Member, June 2007

Do Your Part: Please Recycle This Magazine

The Ally You Need, Today And Always Whether in boom times or those of uncertainty, trusted and reliable partners will always be your most valuable assets. It’s why Zuckerman Honickman, which has supported beverage brands with consistent service and innovative packaging solutions for over a century, is the preeminent resource for our industry.

A name synonymous with beverage packaging, Zuckerman Honickman has operated without interruption during the most chal-

lenging moments in our country’s history and always delivered the highest value to its clients, which have ranged from entrepreneurial companies to those marketing iconic brands including Pepsi, Vitaminwater, Honest Tea and Bai. “When you’ve been around for 100 years you have to have insight all along the way to stay successful,” said Ken Sadowsky, the senior food and beverage advisor for global investment firm Verlinvest and known as ‘The Beverage

Whisperer.’ “That comes with the right people, at the right time and the integrity and that are cornerstones of generational success in business. That is harder these days given the rapid rate of change that is happening today in the world.”

THE EARLY-STAGE ADVANTAGE A hallmark of the company’s business model is its commitment to working with early-stage entrepreneurs. Years before Keurig Dr Pepper acquired Bai for $1.7 billion

dollars, the brand was, like many in its cohort, small and relatively unproven. Nevertheless, Zuckerman Honickman was ready and willing to work with the founding team on a packaging strategy that would support the brand’s unique positioning and its ability to scale.

“From our days at Bai and now with Crook & Marker, we’ve enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Zuckerman Honickman,” said Ken Kurtz, former president of Bai and current CEO of spiked beverage brand Crook & Marker.

“When you are a young, entrepreneurial company looking to expand quickly, having a packaging partner that understands your needs and vision is critical.

The team at Zuckerman Honickman has a unique ability to help companies like ours solve for early stages of growth through the highest-quality packaging, which has supported the strength of the industry overall.”

Praise for Zuckerman Honickman’s dedication to trust and open lines of communication is common among highly successful brands aligned with the company, especially those that have disrupted traditional beverage categories and paved a path for others to follow.

“Building successful beverage brands requires reliable supplier relationships and Zuckerman Honickman has been more than a supplier to us; they are true partners and have come through for us at every stage of the BODYARMOR business,” said John Camus, VP Operations, BODYARMOR. “I have personally worked with Michael

Zuckerman and his team for more than 20 years, and they have never let us down.”

LEADING THE WAY IN DISRUPTIVE AND INNOVATIVE PACKAGING And while Zuckerman Honickman’s expertise in traditional package types is unsurpassed, the company has maintained a focus on cutting edge technology to support new product launches that will resonate with modern consumers.

“When it’s time to think outside the bottle, I reach out to Zuckerman Honickman,” said Todd Carmichael, Co-Founder/CEO, La Colombe Coffee Roasters. “Their ability to immediately understand our vision is remarkable, making any project that much more enjoyable and ultimately more successful.”

The company has long been on the front lines of sustainable packaging solutions, including the introduction of the first 100 percent recyclable PET bottle, a package that has since been embraced as a standard for plastic containers.

And amid surging consumer demand for biodegradable bottles, Zuckerman Honickman partnered with Pulp Packaging International (PPI), a manufacturer of environmentally sustainable bottles made from molded pulp. The two companies are united in their efforts to bring PPI’s patented, disruptive technology to beverage suppliers across the world -- and at an affordable cost.

“When Pulp Pak was looking for a distribution partner in the early stages of our business, we were

referred to Zuckerman Honickman,” Lee Green, CEO, Pulp Pak International. “After a short time we knew they were the right partner for us because of their knowledge of the industry, experience and forward-looking vision. Now we have expanded into other industries with Zuckerman Honickman by our side. I couldn’t be happier about our decision to work together.”

Zuckerman Honickman President

Michael Zuckerman has spearheaded the company’s innovation strategy, which has produced an evolving portfolio of packaging options that can meet the needs of companies at any stage of development.

“Innovation is, always has been and always will be a focus of ours,” Zuckerman said. “Over the last several decades we have participated in major pivots within the beverage packaging space. Our

focus now is decidedly on sustainability and expanding our renewable offerings. We have a dedicated sustainability department with the sole focus of sourcing and implementing our program.”

In addition to its relationship with Pulp Pak, Zuckerman Honickman has also signed an exclusive supply agreement with ecofriendly plastic company Timeplast. Timeplast specializes in the molecular disintegration of plastic at the point of manufacturing by pre-upcycling plastic and making it more recyclable than its virgin counterpart.

Meanwhile, Zuckerman Honickman is also heavily focused on aluminum beverage cans, which are increasingly utilized among beverage companies because of their recyclability and favorable economics.

The Zuckerman Honickman name is synonymous with packaging.

For over a century, they’ve been a leader in the beverage industry.

Look around and you will find Zuckerman Honickman bottles everywhere.

“Cans send a very positive green message,” Zuckerman said. “The economics are hard to deny as well, and this has resulted in cans being the fastest growing package segment in our company.

Our supplier partnerships have enabled us to grow this segment throughout the years, almost exponentially. We continue to focus heavily on cans and firmly believe that the aluminum beverage can segment will continue to thrive in the U.S. beverage industry.”

RELATIONSHIPS, FIRST AND FOREMOST With each new partnership comes a willingness by Zuckerman Honickman to support clients in every aspect of the beverage industry.

The company’s network of suppliers, distributors and investors,

curtated to meet the needs of contemporary brands, provides a massive advantage for newcomers to beverage.

“I came into beverage from the snacks industry, and I needed someone who could help me build the roadmap of relationships in the business,” said Jason Cohen, CEO, Halen Brands, which markets OWYN plant-based protein drinks.

“Zuckerman Honickman should not be looked at as a bottle supplier, but as a friend and advocate who can help you with every aspect of the business. Michael Zuckerman hangs his hat on helping customers with proper introductions to distributors and other entrepreneurs to help you gain confidence and velocities in those relationships. My whole career is looking for people who can make one plus one equal three, and Michael is one of those people.”

A commitment to success is the foundation of every relationship between Zuckerman Honickman and its clients. That dedication is grounded in the integrity, expertise, values and trust that the company has cultivated since its inception and is the reason that fast-growing brands turn to their team for winning solutions in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

“Zuckerman Honickman has been a trusted partner of ours since our very first can, which was a decision we made in January 2015 and wanted to launch at Expo West two months later,” said David Kimmell, SVP Operations, Spindrift. “From that start they have proven to be nimble, tenacious and strategic. I am an operator that very much believes in doing everything in-house to

maintain ultimate control, except in rare instances where an outside resource can provide me true value, and Zuckerman Honickman provides me that. Spindrift would not be where it is today without Zuckerman Honickman and there is no higher praise I can bestow on them than that.”

The true value of a relationship is often measured in the length that it exists, and industry veterans who know and have worked the Zuckerman Honickman team attest to their willingness to move mountains for their clients. It’s a fact that has existed for decades and will continue to be true in the years to come.

“I have been involved with beverages for 29 years now,” said Barry Nathanson, Publisher, BevNET Magazine. “In that time I’ve been witness to great success and epic failures. That’s the nature of business. Yet, more important to me is the integrity, honesty and accountability of companies that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and observing. Zuckerman Honickman is at the top of my list of companies I admire. They epitomize all that is good in humanity and civility. The relationships they forge and the sincerity of purpose in their business and personal relationships has been a joy to watch for all these years. They really get it. The industry is in a better place because of this storied company.”

191 S. Gulph Road King of Prussia Pennsylvania 19406 P: 610-962-0100 F: 610-962-1080 www.zh-inc.com

“Zuckerman Honickman has been more than a supplier to us; they are true partners and have come through for us at every stage of the BODYARMOR business...”

JOHN CAMUS VP Operations • BODYARMOR

BEVSCAPE

THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS

Cann Partners with Tove Lo to Launch First Caffeinated Flavor Cannabis-infused “social tonic” maker Cann has partnered with Swedish pop star Tove Lo for its latest product launch: Peach Passionfruit Maté, a limited edition caffeinated beverage infused with THC. The new product represents a step into a new functional space for Cann, which has mainly developed innovations for its low-dose THC and CBD-infused beverages around pack size and format.

The drinks are available in 12 oz. tall cans (in line with its Hi Boy line) and contains 65 mg of caffeine sourced from maté and 5 mg of THC. The retail price for a 4-pack is $20.

Cann co-founder Luke Anderson said Peach Passionfruit Maté was developed in partnership with singer Tove Lo, who is an investor in the company and was Cann’s first celebrity ambassador. Lo, who is known for her albums Blue Lips and Sunshine Kitty (as well as co-writing the Grammy nominated Ellie Goulding song “Love Me Like You Do”), selected the flavor combination. As Anderson noted, peach and passionfruit are “delightfully playful sexual innuendos, which is her brand.”

The line also marks Cann’s first retailer-exclusive product via a partnership with California cannabis dispensaries Sweet Flower (Los Angeles) and Airfield Supply Co. (San Jose). Peach Passionfruit Maté will be available for at least a year, Anderson said, but the company may look to expand the product into a full caffeinated line in the future.

Modeled after maté vodka cocktails, popular in the German club scene, Anderson said he had long wanted to produce a beverage using maté. While Cann’s product is not the first THC-infused drink on the market to feature caffeine (several infused cold brew coffee brands exist, including Somatik), there have been few THC-centric energy drink plays. For Peach Passionfruit Maté, Anderson said the company wanted to keep the caffeine content relatively low so that consumers can have multiple drinks in a night.

“All social drinks have caffeinated options — espresso martinis, Red Bull vodkas, and I mean, Four Loko obviously,” Anderson said.

“But by putting caffeine and alcohol together it can create a whole wave of issues. But we’re going ahead and making the statement that mixing THC with caffeine is not actually dangerous, and it can enhance the experience and make it more social than if it were just THC on its own.”

Lo will also play a significant role in marketing the new product both as a social media ambassador and as the face of the product on in-store displays, which through the Sweet Flower and Airfield Supply Co. partnerships will mark a major step up in in-store marketing efforts for Cann. Anderson said Lo will be featured in cardboard cutouts, as well as stickers and on shipping boxes, which will receive prominent displays in retail. The dispensary channel has long posed logistical challenges for beverage brands’ ability to merchandise — with no-to-limited cooler space among the biggest hurdles — but this rollout will look much more like a traditional CPG launch.

Anderson highlighted Canadian dispensary LCBO, which recently revised its beverage strategy by putting beverages into a “star” position via prominent merchandising and saw sales skyrocket. For Cann, the experiment has already been successful, with the soft launch resulting in “hundreds of units” being sold.

14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

“It’s a huge change,” Anderson said. “About 90% of the dispensaries in California don’t even have refrigeration that is visible to the consumer, and that is just not how we buy drinks…. So I think it’s not a demand failure, it’s a retail readiness failure. But if we can put good creative behind things we get prioritized, so this is how we’re trying to prove that it can work on a micro level.”

As the cannabis beverage space fights to gain traction in the U.S. (drinks are still just 1% of the legal marijuana market), activity in the category is picking up. Earlier this year, Keef Brands announced expansion into several new states and debuted new beverages infused with less well-known cannabinoids such as CBG and THCv. Also in August, Ayr Wellness entered a binding agreement to acquire Massachusetts-based infused seltzer maker Levia, with $20 million paid in upfront consideration and up to $40 million more to be paid on earn-out.

However, even as Cann faces more competition, Anderson said the company aims to stay ahead by continuing to target young, socially active consumers. The company recently launched a ketofriendly Lite version of its products, made without agave syrup, which he noted has had a strong repeat purchase rate.

Last year, Cann took in about $3 million in revenue, Anderson said, with projections on track to triple sales this year. The products are now available in five states, including California, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and the Tri-State area expected to come online in the next 12 months. Other product launches, such as the on-the-go squeeze pack Roadies line, have performed well, Anderson added. Roadies, in particular, could grow to make up about 15% of total sales, he said, while the Hi Boy line has seen strong sales in California.

Next, Cann is preparing to launch a premium “Cann Reserve” line, made with high-end ingredients and flavors to provide consumers with a more upscale experience.

“When we think about some of our most exciting things in the cooker, we haven’t been able to greenlight them only because it’s too expensive,” he said. “Now we have enough brand equity that people who are really, really interested in Cann might be okay paying 20% more for something that has a really editorial flavor profile and ingredients with really good stories.”

Though federal legalization continues to be the biggest hurdle between cannabis-infused beverage brands and mainstream breakout success, Anderson said Cann is not actively involved in any lobbying or regulatory efforts, citing high financial costs that would be better invested into growing the company. However, Cann remains an active voice for legalization and has in particular called for equitable regulations that benefit BIPOC entrepreneurs whose communities have been more heavily harmed by prohibition and the War on Drugs.

“We believe that microdose THC products should be available in grocery stores,” he said. “It will probably take us a decade to get there, but there’s really no reason they shouldn’t be given how much less dangerous they are than alcoholic beverages or overthe-counter drugs. There’s no reason for them not to be at Whole Foods. So one day, when we have the right people at the table and the access to capital, we will make a push for it. But for now, we’re just gonna keep making good tasting drinks and put ‘em places.”

BEVSCAPE First Bev Takes Controlling Stake in Health-Ade, Belsito Named CEO Private equity investment fund First Bev has acquired a controlling stake in Health-Ade Kombucha, the company announced in August.

The move comes alongside an executive shakeup for the Californiabased brand, as co-founder and CEO Daina Trout moves into the new role of Chief Mission Officer while First Bev managing partner and beverage industry veteran Jack Belsito is moving from investor to CEO. As part of the transaction, First Bev (formerly known as First Beverage Group) is acquiring the stakes of two other Health-Ade investors, The Coca-Cola Company and CAVU Venture Partners.

Meanwhile, investment group Manna Tree Partners has joined in the deal, adding Health-Ade to a portfolio that includes Vital Farms, Urban Remedy and The New Primal. Exact financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to Trout, bringing on Belsito — a 35-year industry veteran whose history of scaling international brands includes turns as the CEO of both VOSS Water and Snapple — is intended to help take Health-Ade to the next level. The kombucha brand, founded in 2012, is currently available in over 45,000 doors nationwide and is now reporting over $200 million in retail sales annually, according to the company. Belsito’s skill set will lead a new chapter of growth, Trout said, including international expansion, scaling operations and transitioning to a platform brand by exploring possible M&A opportunities to add new brands under the Health-Ade banner. Belsito has also joined Health-Ade’s board of directors.

In the newly created role of Chief Mission Officer, Trout said her responsibilities will be to continue to drive the brand positioning with a focus on innovation and creative elements. She will work alongside Belsito, with an aim to develop and maintain Health-Ade’s corporate identity as it scales.

“Jack and I are completely lockstep with our vision and I think that’s what really triggered this whole deal — because we were both on the same page of where we wanted to take this thing,” Trout told BevNET. “If you really want to change how consumers see you or really want to be a meaningful, inspirational brand to consumers, that takes a lot of effort and work and that’s what I plan on doing. At the same time, to continue to grow double digits, we need to be in channels that kombucha has never been [in] before and countries that kombucha has never been [in] before, and that’s where Jack will put his effort.”

Health-Ade was among the first significant investments made by First Bev after the fund formed in 2013. According to Trout, the firm’s decision to acquire a controlling stake came earlier this year following a series of sit-down discussions about Health-Ade’s long term business plans. She noted that, in response to the pandemic, many beverage strategics have retracted from M&A to focus on their core portfolios and in-house innovation, making now “the perfect time to buckle down and focus” on scaling and defining the company as “a true champion for gut health.”

CAVU, a firm run by Rohan Oza and Brett Thomas, invested $7 million in Health-Ade in 2016. Trout praised the firm as a “great partner” but noted that First Bev’s plan to grow the brand over the next five to 10 years was not in line with CAVU’s vision for the company, prompting the sale of its shares.

“CAVU has made a really good business out of supporting brands just like ours in their beginning,” Trout said. “They’ve been involved for five years and I think it made sense from a timing standpoint and 16 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

from a return on investment standpoint for them to move on and continue to do this with other companies. I think when First Bev shared their excitement and desire to ante up for the next three, four, five or 10 years — whatever it’s going to take to really bring this brand to the Nike level for beverage — that wasn’t [CAVU’s] mission and so it was a handshake where they said this is a natural, organic time for us to make this change.”

First Bev will also acquire the stake owned by The Coca-Cola Company, which reportedly invested $20 million into Health-Ade in 2019.

Amid the pandemic, Coke has wound down its Venturing & Emerging Brands unit (VEB) to focus on refining its current portfolio. Though Coke itself is still invested in First Bev, therefore retaining an indirect stake in Health-Ade, Trout said it was another example of a mutual parting that made sense for both companies.

Ultimately, Trout said the decision to move ahead with First Bev and Manna Tree as its key investment partners allows Health-Ade to simplify its cap table and craft strategy with a focused group of investors who are all in agreement about the future of the brand.

Over the past year, Health-Ade has aimed to expand its consumer base beyond the core kombucha drinker with a number of new innovations, including prebiotic soda Health-Ade Pop, functional line HealthAde Plus and a line of kombucha-based cocktail mixers. As well, the company this year rebranded its core line with new packaging intended to build around the broader message of happiness and gut health. As the company moves ahead into this next stage, Trout said that owning “gut health” will be key to expanding Health-Ade into the platform brand it aims to be.

The transition also comes as the entire kombucha category has reached something of a crossroads; although kombucha has breached mainstream retail channels, its previously rapid growth has broadly plateaued, even as household penetration remains low. Health-Ade is also not the only company drafting experienced operators to seed the next stage of growth; in July, Brew Dr founder Matt Thomas stepped aside as CEO, with the company bringing in General Mills vet Dan Stangler to act as chief executive.

Health-Ade is profitable and continues to grow double-digits yearover-year, Trout said. But while it has remained among the best performing brands in kombucha regardless of category challenges, Trout said she is now thinking beyond this limited category definition.

“How the category performs is almost not in my vision, because it’s about health and wellness, it’s about gut health, and kombucha obviously is going to play a very important role in that,” she said. “The health and wellness set has expanded a lot, so I think we’re kind of making a mistake by looking at kombucha as its own category. To me it’s part of health and wellness food and beverages, this functional set which is on fire.”

While Health-Ade currently has over 150 full time employees and is likely to expand its team in the near future to support this level of scale, Trout, who started the brand with husband Justin Trout and friend Vanessa Dew, said that for now no other executive shake-ups are planned.

“I think the only shift is going to be me and Jack,” Trout said. “And mine, I really see it as a promotion. So I’m pretty excited to elevate to the Chief Mission Officer role. Honestly, it feels so exciting and I can’t wait to start Monday morning.”

Sensing “Right Time,” Vertical Wellness Debuts CBD Beverage Portfolio After waiting years to enter the CBD beverage market, Vertical Wellness isn’t wasting any time now that it’s in the door. The Californiabased company is preparing for a wide rollout of a suite of new cannabinoid-infused drinks spanning multiple categories and formats, as it aims to be one of the early national players in the burgeoning CBD market.

For beverage industry veteran J. Smoke Wallin, the president of cannabis brand Vertical who was named as head of its cannabinoid-based health division Vertical Wellness in 2019, drinks represent a particularly timely opportunity. Following the mantra of “wellness and branding delivered with science at scale,” he’s been active in building out the company’s infused product portfolio, which ranges from skin care and topicals (via a licensing partnership with model Kathy Ireland) to CBD strips to pet food. But plans to launch drinks had up until this point been stifled, as lack of federal regulation has left many retailers and distributors waiting for revised guidance before proceeding.

Things began to change in March, however, when Southern Glazer’s, the nation’s biggest wine and spirits distributor, changed its long-held position and announced a partnership with Constellation Brands-backed cannabis manufacturer Canopy Growth to carry its first CBD-infused drink in the U.S., Quatreau. The distributor has picked up several more brands in the months since — including Kill Cliff, MAD TASTY and CENTR — while other liquor houses like Republic National and Breakthru Beverage Group have also entered the arena with the likes of Daytrip and Recess, respectively.

The long wait for a definitive ruling by federal regulators on the status of CBD in food and beverages hasn’t ended, but conditions on the ground are such that brands now have an unofficial green light to operate, according to Wallin.

“We’ve been waiting for the right time,” he said. “The bigger companies have done their risk assessments and have clearly come down on the side of ‘the market is there and the risks are diminishing.’

They’ve decided there will be a ruling in favor of these products that will be forthcoming, or that the FDA is just simply not going to enforce [federal restrictions] and they are comfortable enough with the state regulations that have permitted ingestible in a number of states.”

Vertical’s own response has been definitive: the brand has announced plans in the coming months to release three new beverages in select markets. Those include products under existing brands Taos, which will premiere a line of flavored CBD-infused iced teas in glass bottles, and Hemp Moji, which is positioned as a more playful brand offering a shot line featuring 50mg CBD per TK oz serving, with each tailored to a different functional use: Immunity, Energy, Workout and Sleep.

Meanwhile, the latest release — a six-SKU CBD-infused flavored sparkling water line featuring 25mg of CBD per serving comes under Vertical’s Just Live brand, which produces infused topical products aimed at helping athletic performance and recovery.

In terms of distribution, Wallin declined to offer further details on retailers or partnerships, citing a forthcoming announcement. However, the products will initially launch in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Florida and Indiana, all states where Vertical’s strong relationships with chain retailers can be leveraged for maximum effect, he noted. At the outset, adding points of distribution will be prioritized over any volume metrics.

As distributors begin opening their doors, Vertical Wellness’ recent merger with Canadian hemp processor CannaFarma, set to close on September 20, is helping provide the company with the resources it needs to meet its growth ambitions. Wallin described the deal as the “catalyst” for Vertical’s entrance into beverages, one that has helped get products on the manufacturing line and enhance its infusion technology but will also put the company in a position to attract more capital as it scales.

“They were looking for a company with our kind of philosophy and our kind of brand portfolio, and also for someone to run the business,” Wallin said. “The fact that I could step in, take over the public company with our brands, and now have access to the kind of capital we need to support them was very exciting for me and for all of our investors.”

That portfolio of brands — each of which is tied to a specific consumer, use case and marketing identity, per company strategy — is seen as the key to unlocking the full potential of Vertical Wellness, Wallin said.

“It’s kind of a natural progression from the early brands in the CBD world, which weren’t really brands in the way that are typically defined.

They were just products that had ‘CBD’ slapped on,” he said, comparing the approach to generic private labels. “Now we’ve got brands that maybe cover more categories than I would necessarily want to, but part of that is about experimentation. At the end of the day, having a focus on who you are trying to serve and what you mean to that consumer base is a winning strategy, and that’s how we’ve approached all our brands.”

17

BEVSCAPE Super Coffee Closes $106M Series C Round

Super Coffee closed a $106 million Series C fundraising round in August. The round was led by Maryland-based venture group Durable Capital Partners and included participation by beverage industry veteran Clayton Christopher and former Peet’s Coffee CEO Dave Burwick, as well as another tranche from existing investor and distribution partner AnheuserBusch InBev (AB InBev).

After pitching “close to 50” investors since starting the process in March, CEO Jim DeCicco said the company connected with Durable Capital Partners’ founder and managing partner Henry Ellenbogen through a member of its board.

Though most of its portfolio is outside of CPG, Durable has recently made significant investments in food and beverage, including salad chain Sweetgreen ($156 million) and Boston Beer Company. Through the group’s connection with the latter brand, Ellenbourg helped connect DeCicco with its CEO, Dave Burwick, the former head at Peet’s Coffee.

Texas-based Super Coffee, which recently relocated from New York City to Austin, also has a pair of new locally based investors in Clayton Christopher and Doss Cunningham, chairman and CEO of supplement brand and C4 Energy parent company Nutrabolt, who invested through family fund LivWell Ventures.

After initially seeking $70 million on a $430 million premoney valuation, the round closed at $106 million. Around $30 million will go towards cashing out the company’s fi rst 20 investors, composed of friends and family, DeCicco said.

Since launching in 2015, Super Coffee has emerged as a fastrising challenger to established RTD coffee giants in Starbucks and Dunkin’, while also picking up consumers seeking alternative energy and protein drink options. The brand signed a master distribution pact with AB InBev last June as part of a $25 million funding round led by Skyview Capital. Currently marketing formats ranging from cans to multiserve bottles to K-Cups and packaged coffee (plus a line of creamers), the company is on pace for $100 million in sales for the full calendar year, DeCicco said.

The new fi nancing will help fuel Super Coffee’s ambitions to push beyond grocery retail, which accounts for around 60% of the business. That segment helped insulate the brand from 18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

slowdowns in c-stores, but with that channel representing nearly half of all RTD coffee sales, DeCicco noted that convenience is its next target. Backing those efforts is 7-Eleven, which invested $2 million through its 7-11 Ventures division and is rolling out four SKUs in cans and bottles to stores nationwide.

Behind the scenes, DeCicco said Super Coffee will continue to support its partnership with AB. The brand’s ACV on its highest-selling SKUs is only around 40%, less than half of what high-sugar rivals Starbucks and Dunkin’ can claim, so “we have a lot to build out” in terms of distribution and incentivizing wholesales, he added. But with no new innovation outside of seasonal LTOs until 2023, Super Coffee will seek to pump up brand awareness, hovering around 2% nationally.

Bringing on Chad Portas, former chief creative officer at Bai, is part of that effort, with the bigger target being this year’s Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. De Cicco said Super Coffee will have a large on-the-ground presence at the event — the idea is to “own” the post-game morning occasion of 6 a.m. to noon, he noted — in support of AB, which is planning to blow out its previous record-high advertising budget for the big game by more than double.

The new funding solidifies Super Coffee’s position as a direct challenger to Starbucks and Dunkin’, said James Watson, Executive Director of Beverage Research at Rabobank. The brand’s low calorie, protein-added formula gives it a unique better-for-you positioning within traditional RTD coffees, but its cross-over into the broader energy space has the most potential to open up the c-store channel, where hybrid products from Monster and Forto have carved out a foothold, he noted.

Yet while Coca-Cola and Pepsi maintain their legacy brands, most of the category innovation has been fueled by beer companies like AB and Molson Coors, the latter of which is a distribution partner for La Colombe’s RTD lattes. The fact that AB reinvested in this most recent round underlines their ambitions in the coffee space, Watson said.

“For beer companies looking outside of beer, they want the c-store,” he said. “You want a brand that travels well in all the same places that beer does, and that’s what this drink does.

Distributors are going to love having it.”

BEVSCAPE With Assist From New Investor Chris Paul, Koia Set to Enter HBCUs Beverage maker Koia has landed a major new partner in its mission to popularize and proselytize for plant-based diets: the company announced in August that NBA All-Star point guard and plantbased advocate Chris Paul has joined the brand as an investor.

Paul, most recently seen leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Western Conference title, has been a vocal ambassador for the health benefits of plant-based diets, specifically for athletic recovery and performance. But he’s also aligned that thinking into his off-the-court business interests as an investor in Beyond Meat and in GoPuff, which announced in February that it would be working with Paul to bring more plant-based brands on to the platform and introduce those products to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The pact with Koia includes its own HBCU component: starting with a pilot launch this year, Koia will introduce branded vending machines to select HBCU campuses with which Paul has relationships, to be followed by a broader rollout in 2022. In addition, Paul has made a commitment to purchase 50,000 bottles of Koia Straw-nana Dream Smoothie for GoPuff customers nationally, aiming to showcase the brand as an affordable and nutritious plant-based option that can quickly reach underserved communities through the platform.

“My hope for investing in Koia and other change-makers in the industry is that we work together toward a bigger systemic culture shift where underserved communities have access and opportunity to live better, healthier lives,” said Paul in a press release.

Speaking to BevNET, Koia CEO Chris Hunter said the collaboration came together shortly after Paul helped lead the Phoenix Suns to victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in this year’s NBA Playoffs and shared an image on social media of Koia as his “postgame recovery meal.” After getting connected and having a conversation, Hunter said he and Paul developed an “authentic and organic” relationship that facilitated opening the door for a strategic partnership at a point when it wasn’t actively fundraising.

“We really felt like Chris has a presence in different communities than we do,” he said. “We are not traditionally athlete focused. Through Chris and his support of the brand, we believe that other people are already taking notice.”

On the shelf, Hunter said a recent culling of its portfolio — both Coffee and Thrive lines have been nixed after debuting in 2020 — has helped Koia sharpen its focus around the core Protein, Keto and Smoothie offerings. The brand recently had its best off-promo sales week ever at longtime partner Whole Foods, he noted. Meanwhile, at Kroger, Koia has surpassed “benchmark” brand rivals Bolthouse and Naked (along with Suja, REBBL and others) in sales velocity over the last 12 weeks, according to data shared by the company. And in the club channel, Hunter said the brand has been working with Costco to bring to shelf a 32 oz. multi serve version of Straw-nana Dream, the best-selling SKU in its best-selling Smoothie line.

Smoothies have emerged as the brand’s “big innovation bet,” according to Hunter, “because it clearly paints how we are the next $400 million brand.” In contrast, the discontinued Coffee and oat milk-based Thrive lines strayed too far from Koia’s simple message of “low sugar, plant-based and delicious” by reaching into functional ingredients (MCT oil, moringa and various mushrooms, among others) that “didn’t resonate with our consumer base.”

“If we keep it simple and keep with what our brand stands for, we can’t lose,” he said.

Ayr Wellness Agrees Deal to Acquire Cannabis Seltzer Brand Levia Ayr Wellness Inc. has entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire 100% of Massachusetts-based Cultivana, the parent company of cannabis-infused beverage brand Levia, for $20 million, the two companies announced in August. The transaction is for $10 million in cash and the rest in stock. An additional $40 million will be paid in shares based on performance in 2022 and 2023. The deal is expected to close at the end of this year.

Massachusetts-based Levia only recently launched its line of THC-infused flavored seltzers, but the brand has quickly found its footing. The three SKUs — Achieve (Raspberry Lime), Dream (Jam Berry) and Celebrate (Lemon Lime) — feature sativa, indica and hybrid-dominant blends, each with 5 mg of THC per 12 oz. slim can. The company also recently introduced those same three varieties as water-soluble tinctures.

20 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Sourcing its flower from in-state partner cultivators, Levia extracts, infuses and manufactures its seltzers and tinctures at its production facility in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

Despite launching roughly six months ago, Levia has made an instant impact in the company’s home state, where it retains 80% of the market share in THC-infused beverages.

We believe this is a key factor in making Levia an approachable and sessionable choice for new and existing customers and will be key to unlocking many potential consumers who are interested in cannabis but haven’t yet brought themselves to try it.

With anchors in both Nevada and Massachusetts, Ayr Wellness is a multi-state cannabis operator that has been on something of a spending spree as it steadily expands its footprint nationwide. In recent months, fueled by an injection of $120

For more stories, check out BevNET.com

Cont’d. from Previous Page

million in equity and $110 million in debt fi nancing, the company has acquired Florida-based dispensary Liberty Health Sciences, as well as dispensaries in Illinois, plus cannabis companies in Nevada and Pennsylvania.

The company offers flower (Kynd), vapes, extracts (Origyn), edibles, pre-rolls, and topicals. Ayr also markets beverage brand CannaPunch, a line of THC-infused flavored fruit punch drinks. During an earnings call in August, the company raised its revenue target for 2022 to $800 million. Ayr’s Q2 2021 increased 222% from the same period last year to just over $91 million.

In an email to BevNET, Ayr said that Levia brings the company “into the rapidly-growing infused beverage segment, with an industry-leading formula that provides a fast, predictable onset, and maximum bioavailability that makes sure consumers get the full 5 mg of THC that they paid for.”

More specifically, the company said the 15-20 minute onset time for consumers to feel Levia’s effects is a key factor in making the drink approachable and sessionable, critical components of unlocking canna-curious drinkers.

“With a formula that provides consistently great flavor and zero calories in an infused beverage experience, we believe Levia has enormous potential as an alcohol alternative,” said

Jonathan Sandelman, CEO of Ayr Wellness, in a press release.

“In just six months since its initial launch in Massachusetts, Levia has become the top selling THC beverage. As we fi nalize our updated national brand portfolio to address all segments and form factors, Levia will play a marquee role in each market where we operate.”

Levia joins a cohort of brands like Cann and Keef Cola developing low-dose THC -infused drinks. According to a recent report from market research group Brightfield, cannabis beverages maintain about a 1% share of the recreational cannabis market.

21

NOSHSCAPE

THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS

Under NestFresh Umbrella, New Barn Preps Expansion In June, plant-based food and beverage brand New Barn Organics was acquired by national egg producer NestFresh in a move that promised to allow both companies to provide a broader range of products and give the brand a new runway for growth. Over three months later, that promise is taking shape.

Now with the entire portfolio sporting refreshed packaging featuring bright primary colors intended to help the brand pop on shelf, New Barn is aiming to expand nationwide as a kitchen essentials platform in the curious position of selling both vegan milks and animal-based foods, via an egg line, with new innovations expected to fi ll out its offerings in the coming months.

Speaking to BevNET, Hannah Youngblood, sales coordinator at New Barn, noted that while the brand has faced challenges in the past, its integration into the NestFresh system is poised to support the brand via its robust nationwide operations.

The acquisition involved an unusual structure: NestFresh purchased all assets of New Barn including the brand and products, but the company’s existing shareholders still retain ownership. NestFresh now pays royalties for every product sold and if the brand is ever sold again shareholders will then see returns. Despite this structure, Youngblood said New Barn’s operations have now been entirely folded into NestFresh, giving the smaller company access to its full network of sales, marketing and supply chain support.

At the time of the sale, New Barn was a smaller player in the plant-based milk category. According to IRI, in the 52-week period ending June 13, New Barn’s ready-to-drink almond milks were down -35.7% to $150,000 in sales, while additional milks classified as refrigerated fell -61.1% to $66,100. While the data shows only a limited selection of the brand’s sales, the company had struggled to fi nd its footing in recent years, including a move in 2019 to drop several product lines and scale back its retail footprint to 3,000 stores on the West Coast.

The goal of New Barn’s refreshed branding, Youngblood said, is to simplify its messaging through a color code system (Coconutmilk is blue, Almondmilk is red, etc.) to help the products pop on shelf and reduce consumer confusion. Though the core brand identifiers are still there, certain tweaks have been made: for one, the barn silhouette in the logo now features a heart. The new 32 oz. cartons also include new callouts, such as the Whole30 Approved badge, non-GMO Project verified and a symbol noting the products use sustainably sourced, dry-farmed almonds.

“When we were thinking about it and brainstorming, we really wanted shoppers to have an almost nostalgic feeling of pulling from a crayon box when they’re going to pick up their product from the shelf,” Youngblood said.

The design was developed by New Barn co-founder Kerry Robb, who shared on LinkedIn in August that the front-ofpack white band “visually widens the carton” — a response, she wrote, to consumers who felt the carton looked “overly thin” on shelf.

Now, NestFresh is looking at how to best expand New Barn’s portfolio under a cohesive vision after several years of cycling 24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

through innovations including flavored almond milks, cold brew coffees, vegan dips and frozen dairy desserts.

The plant-based milk lineup currently features Coconutmilk, Almondmilk and Vanilla Almondmilk (all unsweetened) as well as a non-organic Barista Blend, which will see an organic upgrade rolling out in the near future. Last year, New Barn also launched a line of eggs, initially supplied by NestFresh prior to the deal, in Multicolored and Pasture Raised varieties. Sold in one dozen cartons, the eggs perhaps best reflect the intertwined nature of New Barn and NestFresh and present an opportunity for New Barn to expand further into premium animal-based products.

According to Youngblood, the brand is aiming to appeal to flexitarian consumers who prefer plant-based milks but still consume some animal products, with a long term goal of transitioning into a platform brand focused on pantry staples.

While the breakfast occasion is the most common day-to-day use for the portfolio, Youngblood added that the products will also be designed with cooking and anytime use in mind.

“What we learned is that a lot of our fans are flexible in their eating habits,” she said. “And so by incorporating the eggs into the brand, we’re focused on making the staple foods that people actually eat. So that’s almond milk for your cereal, butter for your toast, creamers for your coffee — all things that we eat in the morning — and we really felt that eggs were a perfect addition to our lineup.”

While plant-based butters are not currently listed on New Barn’s website, despite previously being sold, Youngblood said the category is among the focuses for the revamped brand alongside milk and eggs. According to NestFresh marketing manager Sotheary Hom, the company is also developing several new innovations with broad line expansion plans, including new flavors, seasonal holiday items (hinting at an “egg and almond milk” product), grab-and-go beverages and other products tailored to lactose intolerant consumers.

“I think the strategy going forward is we really want to focus on R&D and get feedback from customers to see what the next big item might be,” Hom said. “So we’re really taking a different approach on launching new items.”

Youngblood said the West Coast remains the brand’s strongest market but the goal is to now bring the products nationwide again. The brand has already rolled out into New England and into Hawaii, with the natural and specialty channel remaining the focus including retailers like Whole Foods, Mother’s Markets and Erewhon.

NestFresh operates distribution centers throughout the country that allows New Barn to go direct to many of its retailers and the brand is also distributed through some DSD partners and UNFI and KeHE, Youngblood said. New Barn’s milks are also sold direct-to-consumer online which has helped to grow the brand in the middle of the country.

“I would say that we’re really committed to partnering with retailers who will support an opportunity to grow in new markets and can be essentially anchor retailers for us in those new markets,” Youngblood said.

NOSHSCAPE Country Archer Launches Mushroom Jerky, Brings on New Executive Team Meat Snacks brand Country Archer is making moves from grass-fed beef to mushrooms, announcing the launch of a new line of plant-based jerky. The launch comes after the company also added new CPG leaders to its executive team in preparation for its next phase of growth.

Debuting online and then in Sprouts and Whole Foods Markets later this year, Country Archer’s Mushroom Jerky will be available in Hickory, Spiced Bacon and Barbecue flavors. The plant-based line will retail for $7.99 for a 2 oz. bag, a slight increase in price over the brand’s grass-fed beef and zero sugar jerky.

Unlike many other plant-based jerkies on the market, Country Archer’s line is gluten-free and soy-free, using a base of king oyster mushrooms in place of other meat alternatives such as soy or pea protein. Still, despite the fungi base, the line has four grams of protein per serving and three grams of fiber.

Establishing a presence in plant-based meat had always been part of the brand strategy since 2019, CEO and founder Eugene Kang said, with the question more a matter of when rather than why.

“Most brands will chase innovation without really looking at data and some proof validation points,” Kang said. “We had conviction that plant-based jerky was going to be a subcategory. I think where we did not have clarity on is what was truly going to move the needle in terms of where consumers wanted it to be.”

To begin setting the stage for the pivot, the company underwent a rebrand in 2020 and also changed its name from Country Archer Jerky to Counter Archer Provisions — a subtle difference Kang said offered it permission to play in more categories.

With the new design in hand, and several new beef-based launches on shelves, Kang said, there was time to invest in the new plant-based product without risking the core business.

“I think we’re actually probably entering at the right time,” Kang said. “It’s hard, right? How do you have permission to enter into a category and subcategory, that hasn’t really been proven out yet?”

There are certainly plenty of other plant-based jerkys on the market, with Louisville Vegan Jerky Company, Gardein and It’s Jerky Y’all all offering 100% vegan lines. Meanwhile, both Krave Snacks and Perky Jerky have both launched plant-based options to compliment their meat jerkys and Pan’s, Moku and Eat the Change have both launched their own mushroombased products.

Still, Kang said, in his opinion most of these options fall flat when it comes to both offering a clean ingredient deck (in particular, avoiding highly processed soy) and great taste. For Country Archer, the goal was to create a product that wouldn’t just appeal to vegans, but instead also flexitarians. That meant creating a line that had the chew and texture of traditional meat-based jerky.

“Being authentic to who we are as a brand, I don’t think that it would have made sense for us to come out with another soy 26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

based protein jerky,” Kang said. “We had to do it in a way that fits the broader pieces and ethos of our business, and that’s using real ingredients.”

For that, the company once again partnered with chef Will Horowitz, the owner of (now closed) restaurant Duck’s Eatery, who had also crafted Country Archer’s Zero Sugar Jerky line last year. Horowitz has developed a reputation in the industry for creating whimsical plant-based versions of meat dishes, such as a carrot hot dog or watermelon-based ham.

The resulting jerky is notable not only for its meat-like experience, Kang said, but also because it can be processed using the same marinades and machinery as its meat products, allowing the company to save on costs.

Country Archer is currently sold in more than 17,000 retailers across club, mass, foodservice and natural channels, including Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, Safeway, Costco, Kroger, Target, 7-Eleven and Hudson News. In the natural channel, Country Archer has a 30% share of the jerky segment, Kang said, and launching the new plant-based line will help the company deepen that presence. Plant-based options currently represent 12% of the natural meat snack category across meat snacks, jerky and sticks, he said.

At the same time, the company will seek to avoid cannibalization from its existing core line of meat snacks.

“We want to fish where the fish are swimming,” Kang said.

“What we don’t want to do is introduce [consumers to] plantbased ahead of our core line, because the reality is we still have so much whitespace in conventional, convenience, club and mass with our core jerky line…we have this partnership dynamic that allows us to be a little bit more adventurous in natural, but we don’t have that same level of depth in conventional just yet.”

Going forward, the company plans to explore other ways to also capture flexitarian eaters either with other plant-based snacks or hybrid products that focus more on reducing meat consumption.

On the business side, the company has also invested heavily in building out its executive team. In June, Adam Razik (the former COO/CFO/Co-founder of Bright Foods and former GM of Kevita) joined as CFO while in May Stephanie Paras (the former VP of operations for RxBar) joined as COO. The duo joins Michelle Flegel (former EVP of sales at Tillamook Country Smoker), who came on in January to run sales.

“You can have the best brand and the best product, but if you don’t have the right talent in place, you literally handicap yourself as a business,” Kang said.

“It’s a different level of experience to go north of $100 million and that’s the goal.”

NOSHSCAPE Voyage Foods Seeks to ‘Future Proof’ Favorites via ‘Food Architecture’ Voyage Foods wants to make sure consumers’ favorite foods are around for the next generation. Ironically, the path to ensuring this continuity means eschewing their core ingredients entirely.

The company announced it will launch a cacao-free chocolate, peanut-free peanut butter and coffee-free coffee — all made using patented technology and easily accessible ingredients.

Founded in late 2020 by CEO Adam Maxwell, a veteran of “molecular spirits” company Endless West, Voyage has already raised $5.8 million from investors including Valor Siren Ventures and Horizon Ventures.

The company’s ultimate goal is to revolutionize the food industry by offering affordable and sustainable alternatives to products with problematic supply chains — be it contributing to climate change or deforestation or issues surrounding fair labor practices. Other areas of focus also include replicating foods that are associated with food allergies (such as peanut butter) or that utilize crops that may struggle in the future due to climate change (such as coffee). Though some might argue that the best way to create these products would be to fix the existing issues, Maxwell counters by noting that some crops may simply cease to exist given current farming practices.

“It’s inevitable,” he said in reference to crop extinction.

“We’re not fixing coffee cultivation in any way, shape, or form, but hopefully we are part of the solution of making sure that as the supply goes down because of environmental changes, and as consumption goes up, that people can still afford to drink a cup of coffee all over the world.”

While Maxwell remains an advisor to Endless West and counts himself an oenophile, he said the impetus to start the company came from a desire to create an “issue-driven” company that could improve the food system. While Endless West showed him that “it’s possible to do the impossible,” in the end, he said, the spirits industry can only do so much for the planet.

“It’s hard to be truly a mission driven spirits company,” Maxwell said. “I have nothing wrong with the spirits industry, but like, at the end of the day, you are selling poison.”

Rather than looking for one solution, Voyage uses a combination of process chemistry, process engineering, analytical chemistry, sensory science and data analytics. Unlike many other plant-based companies, these are all technologies that are readily available. Maxwell said, just utilized in a new fashion.

However, unlike some other food tech players, Voyage does not seek to molecularly match its synthetic products to the original ingredient sources. Instead, its scientists analyze taste, texture, smell and appearance as a whole, and reverse engineer what ingredients could be used to recreate these sensory responses. The result, Maxwell said, is a product that is “decoupled” from its “source material,” instead using the “closest precursor” to that ingredient, but still providing the same experience to the end consumer.

“So much of what we’re doing is based on taking everyday things and transforming them into these value added goods,” Maxwell said.

Because the company looks to utilize easily accessible commodity crops as well as upcycled ingredients, Maxwell said, the product’s nutritional panel is also easy for consumers to under28 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

stand, with a short ingredient list such as fats, grapeseed, sunflower meal, sugar, salt and natural flavors. It also is non-GMO. Another point of differentiation comes from production. Maxwell noted, for example, that NotCo purchases “off the shelf” ingredients and combines them, while Eat Just doesn’t do their own extraction or protein purification. Voyage, in comparison, does everything in-house at its Oakland, Calif. headquarters — from scientific research to the processing of ingredients to the manufacturing.

Voyage just recently finished building out its 25,000 square foot plant by using off the shelf equipment that has been modified by Voyage, Maxwell said production is “easily scalable.” The company decided to keep production in-house not only because it allows them to “capture more of the value chain,” but also because it will eventually allow better pricing of its products, he added. “[Thinking about the] cost margin structure, we want to build an enduring business and we want to be able to have really accessible, cost-effective products,” Maxwell said. “There is the initial capex, but it will pay for itself much faster then I think anyone would believe just based on our cost of goods structure.”

First up, the company will debut its peanut-free peanut butter this November, both in larger foodservice packages and shipped direct-to-consumers in jars. The target market will be shoppers who are allergic to peanuts or restaurants and schools that have had to stop using the ingredient.

For the launch Voyage plans to invest in consumer education, explaining to shoppers that despite its name, its peanut butter won’t cause an allergic reaction, something that differs from other products that seek to molecularly mimic ingredients. For example, Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein cannot be consumed by those people with dairy allergies.

To support the launch, and future development, Voyage plans to close an “eight figure” round of capital later this year.

The coffee, which will be offered as a ready-to-drink beverage and concentrate, as well as the chocolate, sold in bar form, will hit the market in the first half of 2022. The dual strategy of investing in physical products while also being an ingredient supplier is one that many other plant-based food tech providers — namely Perfect Day, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods — have all also utilized.

All items will be priced “comparably” to their counterparts in the market, and the goal is to eventually have them priced in line with more commodity options. For example, once Voyage hits five to 10 million pounds a year of chocolate, Maxwell said there should be price parity.

That pricing is important not only to make sure that everyone can still have their favorite cup of joe, but also in order to get large producers to turn to Voyage for ingredients, Maxwell said.

As a stand-alone brand, there’s only so far the company can go, yet at the same time, it needs to start somewhere.

“For proof of concept and to validate the technology works and to validate that there is a customer base for it…we will be launching a consumer brand later this year,” Maxwell said. “[But] for thinking about how we can make the most impact and function at the highest scale, then yeah, definitely, we’d have to be on the ingredient side.”

For more stories, check out NOSH.com

Once Upon a Farm Co-Founder Heads to Coconut Cult as CEO Moving from youngsters to yogurt, Once Upon a Farm cofounder and president Ari Raz announced in August he has joined Coconut Cult as the company’s new CEO. As Raz joined the team in early August, Coconut Cult’s cofounder and now former CEO Noah Simon-Wadell also shifted his focus to product development and creative projects in his new role as chief innovation officer. Raz will remain based in San Diego, with the company’s production team of 11 employees continuing to operate from its San Luis Obispo, California manufacturing facilities. Additional team members in sales, marketing and administration will likely work remotely.

Raz co-founded cold-pressed baby food brand Once Upon a Farm in early 2015 and served as the company’s CEO until 2017.

At that time, former Annie’s CEO John Foraker took over the role, also becoming a co-founder alongside actor Jennifer Garner, and Raz took on the position of president of the company.

For the last four years Raz has focused on the childrens’ food brand’s e-commerce efforts and specialty sales. When Foraker joined the brand, Raz said, the company needed a more seasoned executive at the helm, but after four years working under Foraker and alongside a team of experts in their respective fields, he feels more confident with his own leadership skills. “[In 2017] I wanted to lose some responsibility across departments because I did not have the experience required to scale any of those departments as quickly as they needed to be scaled and John knew what to do,” Raz said. “I’ve learned what steps were taken in the short, mid and long term to really turn Once Upon a Farm into a world class CPG operation. I’ve really gotten the full scope of what that entails and I do feel far more ready and far more comfortable assuming this role today.”

The company’s yogurts are currently sold in roughly 800 doors. The products’ unique tart flavor profile, higher price point (on the company’s website, an 8 oz jar is roughly $19 while a 16 oz jar is $39), and labor intensive manufacturing process has put Coconut Cult on a slower growth trajectory, Raz said, adding that his immediate priority will be to bring in additional talent that can help the company quickly add more retailers and new channels.

“My goal is to deliver innovation that will open up new channels — [moving] beyond our current line,” Raz said.

“I’m making big shifts in our strategy because we need to make these calls in order to really emerge in a big way.”

To support these efforts, Coconut Cult is currently in the process of raising additional capital, with 35% of the funds closed already and a final round expected to close later this year. Investors in the brand include CircleUp and Able Partners.

Raz declined to comment on the details of any new products, but added that the company is focused on new items that can have a broad appeal because “our current line is not appropriate for many channels.”

To that end, the company also announced that it will discontinue it’s probiotic, plant-based gelato line, which had launched in summer 2019. Raz said for now, he believes the company needs to focus and the frozen line not only “stymied

our growth in yogurt” but also was too expensive to produce and margin dilutive. The line may reemerge as a direct-toconsumer option in the future, but for now, is being discontinued entirely.

“The category has such great incumbents as well as new brands coming in and we felt that it would divide up our time and resources to try and grow meaningfully in both categories,” Raz said. “We really believe that we can innovate, and lead the charge on the next great innovations to come to the plant-based yogurt category, and that’s what we intend to do.”

29

BREWSCAPE

THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS

Boston Beer and PepsiCo Partner to Create ‘HARD MTN DEW’ Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo Beverages have formed a partnership to produce “HARD MTN DEW.” Launching in the U.S. in early 2022, the 5% ABV flavored malt beverage will be developed and produced by Boston Beer, while PepsiCo has set up a new entity to sell, deliver, and merchandise the product, according to a press release.

“We know that adult drinkers’ tastes are evolving, and they are looking for new and exciting flavorful beverages,” Boston Beer CEO Dave Burwick said in the release. “The combination of our experience in brewing and developing the best-tasting hard seltzers and hard teas, and Mountain Dew, a one of kind multi-billion dollar brand, will deliver the excitement and refreshment that drinkers know and love.”

While Hard Mountain Dew will have similar branding to the Mountain Dew soft drink, the new product will have no caffeine and no sugar, according to a Boston Beer spokesperson.

A fi nal calorie count is not yet available because the recipes are still in fi nal development stages. It will be available in original, black cherry and watermelon flavors, with a soon-to-be-named fourth forthcoming, the spokesperson said.

Hard Mountain Dew will be available in 24 oz. single serve cans and variety 12-packs of 12 oz. cans.

“For 80 years MTN DEW has challenged the status quo, bringing bold flavors and unmatched beverage innovation to millions of fans,” Kirk Tanner, PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO, said in the release. “The Boston Beer Company partnership combines two recognized leaders in our respective industries to address the changing tastes of drinkers and we are

thrilled at the opportunity to create HARD MTN DEW that maintains the bold, citrus flavor fans know and expect.”

For now, the partnership is only focused on Mountain Dewbranded offerings.

“As part of our collaborative work, we will be looking for opportunities to innovate together, but currently we do not have any plans to share involving other brands,” the spokesperson told Brewbound. “We’re looking forward to getting HARD MTN DEW on shelves fi rst and then will go from there.”

While the partnership between the two companies is new, their connection through Burwick goes back decades. Before taking the reins at Boston Beer in 2018 following the departure of longtime CEO Martin Roper, Burwick’s career included 20 years at PepsiCo, where he last served as chief marketing officer in 2009.

This new partnership is the second time Boston Beer has blurred lines beyond its heritage as an early craft brewery. Last month, Boston Beer announced a joint venture with spirits behemoth Beam Suntory that will cross categories for both companies.

Early products expected to come from the JV include Truly Hard Seltzer-branded spirits, which Beam Suntory will produce, and Sauza Tequila-branded flavored malt beverages, which Boston Beer will produce.

The release follows several other partnerships between breweries and non-alcoholic beverage producers.

Boston Beer previously dabbled in hard soda in 2015 with a line under its Coney Island Brewing brand, but those fi zzled out when the hard root beer fad ended

IHOP to Add Beer, Wine to Menus in San Diego and New Mexico Noted pancake purveyor IHOP is soft launching its “Bubbles, Wine & Brews” menu in three of its restaurants in San Diego and New Mexico, with additional locations in New York, Rhode Island, Maryland and Ohio, among others, to follow.

The addition of beer, wine and champagne to the menus of those stores is part of the 62-year-old diner chain’s effort to “pilot, test and learn” how well those offerings are received by guests and gain “feedback to optimize the menu rollout and new offerings more broadly.”

In a press release, IHOP president Jay Johns said the company’s recent “Drinks and Dining Survey” — conducted in July by Toluna, surveying 1,000 adults ages 21-70 — revealed that 66% of recent IHOP guests and 58% of guest ages 21-34 said they want alcoholic beverages to accompany their IHOP meals.

“As we continue to focus and expand on our daytime and evening menu options, adult beverages offer a terrific innovation and evolution to enjoy IHOP for every occasion,” he added.

Unsurprisingly, the initial beer list includes offerings from major producers: Bud Light (Anheuser-Busch), Blue 30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Moon (Molson Coors) and Corona (Constellation Brands).

However, “locally sourced beers” will also be included. How deep IHOP will go into local craft for its menus remains to be seen. Notably absent from the menus are hard seltzers.

In addition to beer, IHOP is adding mimosas and wines by the glass from E.& J. Gallo Winery, including Barefoot brands Bubbly Brut, Bubbly Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alcoholic beverages will only be available for dining in, with prices varying by store.

The Nation’s Restaurant News reported that IHOP’s dalliance with alcoholic beverages follows moves by First Watch and Cracker Barrel to add alcoholic beverages to their menus last year. Other fast-casual restaurants have tested and added beer and alcoholic beverages to their menus. That doesn’t mean programs such as this are always successful.

In early 2017, Starbucks scrapped its “Evenings” program, which included craft beer, wine and small plates.

Still, with 1,772 restaurants worldwide, there’s a good chunk of business with IHOP to be had for those who can claim it, should the program expand.

BREWSCAPE Lone River Rolls Out First National Campaign Six months after its acquisition by Diageo Beer Company, Texas-based Lone River Beverage Company has tapped into the marketing resources of its parent company with the launch of its fi rst ever national campaign.

The 60-second commercial at the center of the “Follow It West” campaign, starring Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer songwriter Ryan Bingham, can’t get any closer to the brand’s origin story — it was filmed on Calamity Creek, the West Texas ranch where Lone River founder and CEO Katie Beal Brown’s family has worked the land for generations.

“We started Lone River with a simple story, a story 100 years in the making,” Beal Brown said in a press release. “This was always a long play for us, to build a legacy that celebrates the culture connected to Ranch Water. A culture emblematic of the American West.

“We knew the only way to share this story with a national audience was to give people a taste of the real deal – out on our family’s ranch in Far West Texas with the cowboys, cowgirls and ranchers from the area,” she continued.

Beal Brown founded Lone River in 2019 based on the traditional recipe for ranch water, a classic Texas cocktail of tequila, soda water and lime juice, but with hard seltzer as a base. Diageo acquired the brand in March, and it was the best selling ranch water in the U.S. at off-premise retailers in the 52 weeks ending August 14, according to NielsenIQ data cited in the release.

In addition to the original cocktail, Lone River Ranch Water is also available in Spicy, Rio Red Grapefruit and Prickly Pear.

Each 12 oz. can checks in at 80 calories and 4% ABV. It is available in 48 states and will add Utah and West Virginia to complete nationwide distribution by the end of September, according to a spokesperson.

In addition to the commercial, which depicts Bingham and “real cowgirls and cowboys from West Texas” on horseback, the campaign includes “a large investment” in the fourth session premier of the Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, in which Bingham has a recurring role. Bingham and Lone River have signed a one-year partnership that includes appearances and performances, the spokesperson said.

“When I think of ranch water, I’m instantly reminded of my time spent in West Texas and the way of life out there,” Bingham said in the release. “I think of days working cattle, nights writing songs and a cold beverage at the end of a long day. Lone River is a success because it’s as authentic as it gets. We are on a ranch, we are working cattle and we are building fences — this campaign is the real deal.”

“Ryan Bingham felt like such a natural partner to help us tell our humble story on a grander scale,” Beal Brown added. “His music has been the soundtrack that has inspired so much of our journey, and we immediately connected through our shared roots in Far West Texas.”

The campaign will also include digital, social, audio and out-of-home advertising, as well as point-of-sale support, and “a sizable presence” at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.

Rhinegeist Names Mike Parks as Next CEO Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist Brewery has named Mike Parks as its next CEO, company founders Bob Bonder and Bryant Goulding announced in a letter to employees in mid-August.

Parks most recently served as CEO of TNT Crust, which makes pizza crusts and is “nearly twice the size of Rhinegeist, with many similarities in its range of departments and employees,” Bonder and Goulding noted.

The need for new leadership comes as Rhinegeist embarks into employee ownership, a change that was fi rst announced in October 2019. Bonder and Goulding wrote that as the business transitions, they wanted to ensure that the brewery and its employees “are set up for success.” “[W]hen stepping back and reflecting about what we need to achieve that, it became clear that it’s time for some new leadership,” they continued. “As co-founders, we want to step away a bit and take time for ourselves, but frankly, we just aren’t as good at running a 300-person business as we are at being entrepreneurs. All the employees who are becoming owners deserve a leader who knows how to navigate this stage in a business’s life with passion and experience. Someone who knows how to lead with empathy, empowerment, and a habit of putting employees before themselves.”

32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Bonder and Goulding say they’ve found that in Parks, following a four-month search and interview process that included numerous Rhinegeist employees from multiple departments.

“Mike brings the balance of experience and compassion to lead through whatever this wild obstacle course brings next,” they wrote.

“We’re all looking forward to what he will bring to the table as a leader and co-owner,” they added. “It’s been a wild and wonderful eight years, and we’re confident that we’re set up for many more with Mike on the team.”

Parks will relocate to Cincinnati from Baltimore with his family.

Although Bonder and Goulding are stepping back, they said they will remain “co-owners alongside the employees for the next 15+ years.” They will also chair the brewery’s new board “to ensure that the business stays uniquely employee owned, and a part of the community that has supported it since its inception.”

“Thank you to our employees and to the community,” they wrote. “We’ve steered the ship, but you all have really built Rhinegeist. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we can’t wait to see where this next stage takes us all.”

Rhinegeist fi nished 2020 as the 24th largest craft brewery by volume in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association.

BREWSCAPE Production Begins at City Brewing’s California-Based Irwindale Brew Yard Production has begun at City Brewing’s Irwindale, California-based facility, five months after the brewery’s acquisition from Pabst Brewing, the company announced in mid-August.

“With IBY now operational, City is in an even better position to serve the needs of our current and future customers as demand for their products accelerates,” City CEO Ross Sannes said in a press release.

Both City, the country’s largest beverage alcohol co-packer, and 40-year-old Irwindale Brew Yard (IBY) have been subject to several fi nancial transactions in recent years.

One year after announcing it would shift its production to City facilities, Pabst struck a deal to acquire the Irwindale Brew Yard from Molson Coors for $150 million in November 2020. That same month, rumors of City’s sale swirled following an anonymously sourced report in Bloomberg news, which then-CEO George Parke III shot down.

A murky picture became clearer in March 2021 with the announcement of City’s acquisition by a consortium of investors. That group includes Charlesbank Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, City management, and Blue Ribbon Partners — “a new investment platform focused on the beer and beverage industry in the U.S.,” according to a press release about the deal. Pabst co-owner Eugene Kashper is the chair of Blue Ribbon Partners, which also owns Pabst Brewing Company and holds “a significant ownership interest in City Brewing,” according to the release.

City’s new ownership acquired IBY as part of a $630 million investment program announced in March that aims “to accelerate the company’s growth and fund its capacity expansion program to meet growing demand from key customers,” according to the release.

IBY has already launched one production line and will add another this month, City said in the release. A third will come online in January 2022, which

will increase the facility’s capacity to 55 million case equivalents annually. Within the next five years, City expects capacity to reach 110 million case equivalents. City’s other three facilities — in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (formerly the Latrobe Brewing Company’s brewery); Memphis, Tennessee (a former Schlitz brewery); and LaCrosse, Wisconsin — produce about 130.8 million case equivalents combined.

City has hired 120 employees to staff IBY, which the company said will be “the largest full-service, low-alcohol beverage contract production facility in the western United States,” once it becomes fully operational. By the middle of next year, the brewery will employ 150 workers and eventually 400 as City follows its plans to build out the facility, a company spokesperson said.

“We have a talented team that is committed to maintaining and building on Irwindale Brew Yard’s storied brewing legacy while ensuring we are capitalizing on the tremendous market opportunity in the alcohol beverage marketplace through a tireless focus on quality,” Sannes said in the release.

The brewery’s output will include hard seltzers, fl avored malt beverages, beer, craft beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and spirit-based, ready-to-drink offerings. IBY will offer automated variety pack capability, which is key for hard seltzer producers, as the majority of the segment’s dollar sales flow through variety packs.

IBY’s geographic location is a boon to City customers, including Boston Beer Company, which relies heavily on City facilities to produce Truly Hard Seltzer. Boston Beer founder and chairman Jim Koch explained that contract production at IBY and at Red Bull maker Rauch’s Arizona-based facility will help improve the company’s margins in the second half of the year during a conference call about the company’s Q2 earnings report last month.

“All of those freight costs will be reduced as we begin to supply the western half of the United States from western breweries,” Koch said.

34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

BREWSCAPE New Glarus CEO Vows to Fight Minority Shareholders’ Lawsuit New Glarus Brewing co-founder and CEO Deborah Carey called a lawsuit filed in August against her and her Wisconsin craft brewery by three minority investors “slanderous,” and she said she plans to file a counter complaint.

“These things are so egregious and so ridiculous, they’re going to be easy to defend, easy to prove,” Carey told Brewbound. “I’ve got the slander suit all lined up.”

The three original investors in New Glarus claim in their lawsuit, filed in Wisconsin’s Dane County Circuit Court, that Carey breached her fiduciary duties and the company has oppressed minority shareholders.

“Deb Carey operates the company with no regard for established corporate rules and instead exercises complete autocratic control with no personal accountability,” the complaint reads.

The plaintiffs — Steven Speer of Camas, Washington; Roderick Runyan of Lawrence, Kansas; and Karin Eichhoff of Middleton, Wisconsin, who inherited her shares after the 2015 death of her husband Dierk Eichhoff — have owned shares, currently amounting to 12.46% of the craft brewery, since its founding in 1993.

According to the complaint, Speer owns 1.71% of the company’s voting shares and 3.85% of the overall business; Runyan owns 0.46% of the voting shares and 0.91% overall; and Eichhoff owns 3.41% of the voting shares and 7.7% overall. Eichhoff and Speer are the third- and fourth-largest shareholders, following Carey (50.48% of the voting shares and 37.98% of the company) and its Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), which holds 26.6% of the voting shares and 20% of the overall business.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that New Glarus has “compiled $100 million in retained earnings and $40 million in cash, and repeatedly refused to distribute any of those profits and reserves beyond the tax distributions that are specified in the shareholder agreement.”

Carey disputes those claims.

“There they are, sending out a press release that no dividends have been paid and Deb’s taken $100 million from the brewery,” she said. “I just got audited by the state, a two-year audit. They started out thinking I was going to owe them this huge amount of money. They owed us at the end over $100,000. You think they wouldn’t have noticed that I pilfered $100 million?”

The lawsuit also alleges that “although the brewery has become extremely successful over time, the defendants have thwarted the reasonable expectations of sharing in the profits and have instead operated the brewery for the benefit” of Carey and her husband, Dan Carey. New Glarus is the nation’s 12th largest craft brewer by volume, according to the Brewers Association. It produced 206,302 barrels of beer in 2020 — all sold within the borders of its home state of Wisconsin.

“Where you see the oppressive conduct is that Deb Carey has given herself more and more control of the brewery, and she gets to decide where the money goes and what’s done with it,” Kevin Palmersheim, the attorney representing Speer, Runyan, and Eichhoff, told Brewbound. “The last straw was this recent shareholder agreement she’s proposing.”

In June, New Glarus proposed a new shareholder agreement that would allow the company to offer shareholders “an annu36 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

ally fixed internal price that could be substantially lower” than offers made by third parties to purchase their shares, and give the company the ability to purchase some, but not all of a shareholder’s shares, which would allow it to selectively acquire more voting shares, according to the complaint.

The proposed agreement also specifies that shareholders are only permitted to donate their shares to New Glarus’ Only In Wisconsin Giving, Inc., a non-profit foundation Carey set up this year, according to the lawsuit, and adds a clause that reads “all parties agree that it is in their mutual interests ‘to preserve local ownership of the brewery.’”

According to Carey, the company presented the proposed agreement with shareholders more than a month before the June meeting and advised them to consult their personal attorneys and come prepared with questions. During the meeting, Speer opposed the changes to the shareholder agreement.

“Steve in particular was upset, and we were like ‘OK, we’ll put a pause on this — let me make these changes that you’re asking for and we’ll send it to you to review and make commentary and see if we can find some middle ground,’” Carey said. “He said he wanted to work with us and was supportive of what I was doing.

“Where in this is oppression?” she asked. “They say, ‘She changed it.’ No, I did not change it, I want to change it. I talked to you about changing it. You don’t think in 30 years, I’m going to propose some changes?”

Carey, her family members and the ESOP that New Glarus instituted in 2015 are not beholden to the shareholder agreement, and Carey does not intend to sign an agreement herself.

“Well, there’s really no reason to,” she said. “I am the founder and the president; my initial contract with the brewery was for three years, and I have worked there for almost 30, so I have given my life and an enormous amount of time and energy to building this business. These people invested a few thousand dollars and stay at home and collect checks. Now, why should I have the same agreement they have?”

Speer — a neighbor of the Careys in Fort Collins, Colorado, before they relocated back to Wisconsin — and Eichhoff’s late husband assisted in the brewery’s formation, according to the complaint. Speer helped the Careys write a business plan and Eichhoff recommended the village of New Glarus as a location for the brewery, “given its old world European charm [that was] suitable for Dan’s beer styles, and a community that would be supportive of the new business, combined with the advantages of the close proximity to the larger Madison metropolitan area,” according to the lawsuit.

In 1993, Speer invested $25,000, which “represented virtually his entire savings” that he had “inherited from his deceased father.” Dierk Eichhoff invested $12,500 and acquired additional shares as the company grew, according to the complaint.

In 2019, the plaintiffs sold some of their voting class shares to New Glarus, which allocated 40 shares acquired from Runyan to the ESOP, but not the 1,250 and 625 it purchased from Eichhoff and Speer, respectively.

“Upon information and belief, the reason for this purchase structure was to retain Deb Carey’s slight majority control of

For more stories, check out Brewbound.com

Cont’d. from Previous Page

the issued and outstanding voting shares and that assigning Eichhoff[‘s] and Speer’s voting shares to the ESOP could lead to Deb Carey owning less than 50% of the outstanding voting shares,” the complaint said.

The plaintiffs’ goal is to sell their shares after a judge determines “a fair value” for them, Palmersheim said.

“Up until May of this year, their long-term goal was to absolutely remain a shareholder,” he said. “They were founding shareholders so they wanted to just remain and work these things out in the New Glarus brewery family. Now they just think it’s just gone on to the point where that’s going to be impossible.”

In regards to the valuation of the company, all parties are in disagreement. The lawsuit alleged that the company “refused to disclose fi nancial information and valuation information to the minority shareholders, even after shareholder requests.” However, Carey said this is untrue and added that the company’s valuation must be calculated annually for its ESOP, which is available for shareholders to see.

“They have at minimum a reviewed financial [statement], the valuation and an annual meeting, plus four communications with their dividend checks,” she said. “I don’t know, what do they think they should be getting?”

The most recent ESOP valuation placed New Glarus’ value between $92.8 million and $113 million, according to the lawsuit.

Carey estimated that it’s closer to $100 million. But based on recent acquisitions and other traits about New Glarus, Palmersheim estimated the value is between $350 and $500 million.

“This brewery is extremely profitable for the level of sales that it has,” he said. “It has zero debt; it’s expanded and bought all the land around it and built two new facilities. So, it’s a little different animal than the other craft breweries that I’ve seen.”

Palmersheim said the defendants don’t begrudge the Careys for their success and appreciate Dan Carey’s brewing talent, but want fairer treatment as shareholders.

“I do a lot of these types of cases in representing closely held businesses,” Palmersheim said. “I have never seen a particular case where I’ve seen such an extreme level of majority control and oppression in this particular case with New Glarus Brewery.”

Carey took particular umbrage with the lawsuit’s request that she be forced to step down or step aside for independent directors.

“I started this brewery with $237,000 — that would be a GoFundMe today,” she said. “With $237,000, I had built a multi-million dollar business … and somewhere in America, there’s someone else who can do my job? Please, show me another brewery who has outperformed me.”

Carey sees the lawsuit as the crystallization of a larger issue: Who should benefit from a company’s success?

“There is a lot of chatter about who should get the money, and I feel like there’s enough money to go around, and I’m really proud of the balancing I’ve done to really take care of my investors, and really take care of my people,” she said. “It’s interesting when this big national conversation gets down to a local level because that’s what you see now. Out of all of my investors, I’ve got three of them that are pissed off, and are going to try to destroy the company. Now, should they get to do that?

Are they so important that the rest of the investors and all the employees and myself and my husband should all suffer?”

The first time Carey said she sensed frustration among some shareholders was during the June meeting when she recapped the year and explained how New Glarus did not lay off any employees or cut their hours during the pandemic, nor apply for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Speer pushed back against those decisions, she said.

“I, basically in his opinion, wasted money keeping people,” Carey said. “I should have sent them home and saved some money, applied for PPP and all these additional funds.”

In addition to the plaintiffs, New Glarus has nearly two dozen other investors. The complaint said the company has 25; Carey said there are 27. After Carey and Speer’s standoff during the meeting, several other investors thanked her for her stewardship and assured her they were pleased with her leadership, Carey told Brewbound.

Carey colored the lawsuit as “a vendetta” both “personal and political” on the part of Speer, who she said has encouraged the brewery to hire his son, a trained professional brewer. The complaint noted that “one of the plaintiffs’ children was denied employment despite his college degree and experience being specific to brewing beer,” and contrasted this with the fact that the brewery has employed the Careys’ daughter Katherine E. May as an architect.

“Steve being upset that we didn’t hire his son is not going to get me to sell the brewery — we’re not going anywhere,” Carey said. “I don’t cave to bullies, and I don’t start fights, but I will finish them.”

37

NEW PRODUCTS

THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS

Cannabis Drinks Cannabis-infused sparkling soda brand Green Monké has launched in California with three THC-infused drinks: Tropical Citrus, Orange Passionfruit and Mango Guava. Founded in the U.K., the products contain 3 mg of THC, 6 mg of CBD, 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories per 12 oz. can. Currently available in select dispensaries, the line retails for $5 per can or $18 per 4-pack. For more information email info@ stpetersspirits.com.

Cannabis-infused seltzer Lift debuted with a line of microdose beverages containing 2 mg of THC, 6 mg of CBD and 20 calories per 8 oz. can. Available in Blackberry, Grapefruit and Pineapple flavors, the drinks are available in California and retail for $22.50 per four-pack. For more information visit www. liftseltzer.com.

Coconut Water Harmless Harvest has introduced a Pink Lady Apple fl avor to its fl agship coconut water line, containing 90 calories and 22 grams of sugar per 12 oz. bottle. The brand also added two new offerings to its coconut smoothie line: Chocolate and Mango. Each smoothie contains 120 calories and 15 grams of sugar per 12 oz. bottle. All three products retail for $3.99 and are available nationwide in Whole Foods stores. For more information call (347) 688-6286.

Coffee Vermont-based Cold Brewtus has partnered with George Howell Coffee to launch a co-branded “George Howell Reserve” RTD cold brew coffee. Available in 12 oz. cans, the new SKU will be available in select New England and New York stores, as well as affi liated George Howell cafes, with a suggested retail price of $4.99. For more information call (802) 458-2739.

Jot has launched its latest offering, Dark, made from a blend of fair trade, organic 38 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

coffee beans sourced from Sumatra and Colombia. The concentrated coffee product can be consumed black with added water, in a latte, or heated. Each 6.8 oz. bottle contains 14 servings and retails for $24. For more information email hello@jot.co.

CSDs It’s citrusy. It’s spicy. It’s MTN Dew Flamin’ Hot, the latest release from PepsiCo that aims to combine the best of classic MTN Dew fl avor with the heat of its famed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snacks. The drink debuted as a limited time offering on the brand’s ecommerce site the DEW Store and sells for $12 per 6-pack of 16 oz. cans. For more information call 1-800-433-2652.

Dairy Clover Sonoma has debuted the fi rst product in its new Clover the Rainbow kids brand with a fruit and vegetable-packed smoothie line intended to help get more nutrition into children’s diets. Sold in 6 oz. bottles, the drinks are available in Strawberry Carrot, Blueberry Beet and Strawberry Banana Butternut fl avors. The line is lightly sweetened with sugar and contains no artificial fl avors or sweeteners. The products retail for $6.49 per 4-pack. For more information call (800)237-3315.

LALA has launched a line of smoothies inspired by classic Hispanic fl avors. The Postres Auténticos line includes Fresas con Crema (strawberries and cream), Tres Leches Cake and Arroz con Leche (rice pudding) fl avors. Intended as a dessert or snack, the drinks are made with whole milk and each 6.7-ounce bottle contains 5 grams of protein.

For more information call 1-866-648-5252.

Energy Drinks KILL CLIFF’s latest celebrity partnership release is Tekilla Kiwi, a new addition to its IGNITE line of energy drinks developed with UFC fi ghter Israel Adesanya. With 150 mg of caffeine from green tea, 20 calories, B

NEW PRODUCTS vitamins, electrolytes and no sugar in each 12 oz. can, the new fl avor retails for $26 per 12-pack. The launch is the second fl avor created with a celeb partner, following last year’s Joe Rogan collaboration Flamin’ Joe. For more information call 1-855-552-5433.

Rowdy Energy has introduced two new fl avors, Blue Raspberry and Grape. Blue Raspberry is a keto-friendly, zero sugar drink containing just 5 calories per 16 oz. can. Grape features reduced sugar. Both fl avors contain L-theanine and 160 mg of caffeine sourced from green tea. The drinks are available online for $29.95 per 12-pack.

For more information call (704) 251-9791.

Kombucha Brew Dr. Kombucha’s newest seasonal offering is Crisp Apple, which incorporates the fl avors of Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Red Delicious apples with notes of honey and green tea. With 80 calories and artwork designed by artist Marisol Ortega, this limited edition SKU is available for $2.99 per 14 oz. bottle. For more information call (971) 271-2183.

GT’s Living Foods has debuted two new fl avors to its Synergy line: California Citrus and Lemon Berry. California Citrus is made with kumquat, ginger and vanilla and each fl avor contains 60 calories and 16 grams of sugar per 16 oz. bottle. The new fl avors are rolling out to retail in the natural and conventional channels and are also available online via the brand’s direct-to-consumer platform. For more information call 1-877735-8423.

Powdered Drinks G Fuel has teamed up with Sony for the launch of two new fl avors tied into the release of the comic book fi lm Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The powdered energy drinks are available in Black Ooze (black cherry) and Red Ooze (sour black cherry) fl avors. The limited edition release is available in 16 oz. 40-serving tubs and each serving contains 15 calories and 140 mg of caffeine. The products are sold on the 40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

brand’s website individually for $35.99 or in collector’s box packages. For more information call 1-877-426-6262.

Plants by People has launched its fi rst products with a line of powdered functional tonics available in five varieties: BLOOM (energy), GLOW (digestion), HARMONY (relaxation and rest), SHINE (cleanse) and THRIVE (immunity support). Using ingredients such as schisandra berry, ginger root and jujube date, the products are sold in five-pack boxes for $9.95. All products are USDA organic certified and non-GMO. For more information email hello@plantsbypeople.com.

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Los Sundays Tequila has made its fi rst expansion into the ready-to-drink cocktail category with a line of sparkling tequila seltzers sold in four fl avors: Tropical, Watermelon, Agave Lime and Grapefruit.

The seltzers contain no added sugar and are sold in 8-count variety packs for $19.99 or 4-packs for $10.99. For more information email hello@lossundays.com.

Tequila seltzer brand Onda has released the Paradise Collection of four new fl avors available in a 24-count variety pack. Flavors include Mango, Passionfruit, Pineapple and Strawberry. Each 12 oz. can has an ABV of 5% and the products retail for $65 per case.

The Onda Paradise Collection is available in select retailers in 28 states. For more information email cheers@drinkonda.com.

Sail Away Coffee has entered the alcoholic set with a line of cold-brew infused hard seltzers called Sail Away Club. Available in Ocean Berry, Pina Colada, Mimosa and The Original fl avors, each 12 oz. can has an ABV of 5% and contains 100 calories with no sugar and the caffeine equivalent of half a cup of coffee. Currently available in New York, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Kentucky and Washington, D.C., the drinks sell for $15.99 per 4-pack. For more information email info@sailawaycoffee.com.

CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORIES

REFRIG MILK SUBSTITUTES and ALMOND MILK The alt-milk categories are breeding grounds for innovation and entrepreneurial companies, and we’ve seen a plethora of successful new brands incubate there. Only one problem: the conglomerates are starting to get involved. For almond milk, Coke-owned Simply is sneaking into the category, and can likely trade out shelf space it has to share from the slipping citrus juice categories to outflank some of the newer entries. So if you’ve got cash problems, look out. Depending on how much of a priority Simply makes this, it could signal big changes next year.

Meanwhile, look at Chobani and Planet Oat, both with growth that is outpacing category darlings Oatly and Califia Farms.

We’re seeing lots of shifting leverage in the cold case, for sure.

ALMOND MILK

REFRIG MILK SUBSTITUTES BRAND Planet Oat

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs YEAR EARLIER

BRAND

CHANGE vs.

YEAR EARLIER

DOLLAR SALES

$119,688,588

107.7%

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

$597,671,395

2.2%

Oatly

$69,674,119

92.0%

Silk Almond

$369,851,198

-1.6%

Silk

$63,205,589

0.2%

Private Label

$283,845,698

4.5%

Chobani

$57,532,552

204.3%

Silk

$132,766,879

1.2%

Ripple

$39,856,548

34.6%

Califia Farms

$97,915,780

4.3%

Meyenberg

$27,936,999

11.2%

Simply

$30,537,538

338.8%

Califia Farms

$25,137,671

170.5%

All Mooala Brands Llc

$3,047,473

21.3%

Private Label

$13,493,321

162.3%

Hiland

$2,683,611

-23.5%

Good Karma

$6,943,844

-19.1%

All Malk Organics

$1,631,944

52.1%

$860,950

50.3%

All Mooala Brands Llc

$2,911,219

71.9%

All Three Trees Foods Inc

All Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery Inc

$1,671,679

10.3%

Other Smith Foods Inc

$719,265

-5.7%

Other Dairy Farmers Of America

$440,060

45.2%

Simply

$1,344,004

-

All Happy Planet Foods Inc

$804,686

-43.5%

All Pop & Bottle Inc

$327,974

7.4%

All Jindilli Bvrg Llc

$696,339

-17.2%

All Dakin Dairy Farms Inc

$149,387

281.7%

Mariani

$628,580

-24.7%

Smiths

$142,409

-13.5%

Other C F Burger Creamery Co

$469,113

-3.2%

All Beber

$81,258

-2.5%

All Forager Project Llc

$363,753

-2.0%

All New Barn

$79,392

-42.3%

So Delicious

$75,919

-96.8%

All Sunopta Grains & Foods Inc

$50,442

-55.9%

All Generous Provisions

$11,397

-93.1%

All Malk Organics

$355,773

255.8%

All Poplar Hill Dairy Goat Farm

$198,503

19.7%

Shamrock Farms

$166,184

-

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME ENERGY DRINKS

$15,580,114,285

13.4%

5.1%

TEA/COFFEE

$7,647,450,068

9.5%

8.8%

LIQUID DRINK ENHANCERS

$496,472,094

21.0%

SPORTS DRINKS

$8,675,364,061

14.6%

BOTTLED JUICES

$7,762,856,562

BOTTLED WATER

$20,286,577,401

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 08/08/21

42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

CHANNEL CHECK BOTTLED WATER

CANNED/BOTTLED TEA

BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$3,677,443,942

7.9%

Aquafina

$1,145,969,003

6.5%

Lipton Pure Leaf

$916,080,920

12.3%

Arizona

$598,344,865

Glaceau Smart Water

$1,025,103,123

19.6%

Gold Peak

1.9%

$463,078,971

4.4% 12.5%

Dasani

$953,820,344

-7.3%

Lipton

$377,081,283

Nestle Pure Life

$750,512,691

5.7%

Lipton Brisk

$363,817,803

1.4%

Poland Spring

$738,319,322

4.4%

Snapple

$202,275,007

-2.9%

Glaceau Vitamin Water

$532,649,984

10.2%

Monster Rehab

$196,464,890

-8.3%

Fiji

$494,011,662

18.8%

Diet Snapple

$160,923,156

-1.7%

Deer Park

$423,560,753

3.2%

Lipton Diet

$155,386,224

11.4%

Ozarka

$389,460,887

3.1%

Arizona Arnold Palmer

$132,317,674

-2.9%

SPARKLING WATER BRAND

CANNED/BOTTLED COFFEE

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Sparkling Ice

$740,960,250

20.1%

Starbucks

BRAND

$218,782,862

56.1%

Private Label

$692,907,886

4.3%

Stok

$153,797,122

49.7%

La Croix

$552,940,755

13.9%

International Delight

$121,823,861

26.4%

Bubly

$358,562,998

10.1%

Starbucks Iced Espresso Classics

$106,191,904

36.2%

Perrier

$302,478,384

4.7%

Califia Farms

$46,471,135

17.6%

Topo Chico

$277,414,094

36.5%

Coca Cola Dunkin

$30,772,490

168.7%

Polar

$257,739,078

13.9%

Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein

$17,435,752

13.1%

San Pellegrino

$183,892,606

5.3%

Private Label

$14,258,071

86.0%

Aha

$147,235,210

123.6%

La Colombe

$10,177,051

185.3%

Spindrift

$98,018,263

67.0%

Chameleon Cold Brew

$7,487,235

28.4%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 08/08/21

44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

ENERGY DRINKS BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Red Bull

$3,368,440,089

16.6%

Monster Energy

$3,360,986,695

15.3%

VPX Bang

$1,263,579,804

13.1%

Red Bull Sugar Free

$924,995,658

17.7%

Red Bull The Summer Edition

$722,445,188

121.1%

Monster Juice

$501,232,368

24.2% -0.6%

NOS

$436,734,118

Red Bull The Yellow Edition

$318,602,576

31.8%

Red Bull The Blue Edition

$297,055,576

24.7%

Reign Total Body Fuel

$290,168,532

37.2%

SPORTS DRINKS BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Gatorade Perform

$1,679,092,124

-1.1%

Gatorade

$1,547,420,436

23.1%

G Zero

$1,122,335,123

35.8%

Bodyarmor Superdrink

$861,198,002

26.8%

Gatorade Frost

$717,999,894

-3.1%

Powerade

$581,482,369

26.4%

Gatorade Fierce

$302,731,158

7.7%

Powerade Ion4

$253,438,675

-32.1%

Powerade Zero

$207,100,879

6.1%

Bodyarmor

$197,429,382

75.3%

HARD SELTZER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

White Claw

$1,984,195,976

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER 17.9%

Truly

$1,195,669,121

63.6%

Bud Light Seltzer

$428,364,926

99.3%

Corona

$166,390,387

69.6%

Vizzy

$125,674,453

289.6%

Michelob Seltzer

$93,360,484

-

Smirnoff Seltzer

$52,041,763

-32.9% -

Topo Chico

$45,639,850

Mikes

$42,244,157

-

Natural Light Seltzer

$36,033,995

-50.0%

CRAFT BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Blue Moon

$380,696,685

1.9%

New Belgium

$331,379,929

23.2%

Sierra Nevada

$320,304,096

3.2%

Samuel Adams

$226,043,425

-5.5%

Lagunitas

$189,258,574

-7.1%

Shiner

$143,794,801

1.8%

Founders

$124,737,325

1.2% 12.2%

Elysian

$120,982,632

Firestone

$118,151,948

9.1%

Bells

$108,901,996

7.2%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 08/08/21

45

GERRY’S INSIGHTS

BY GERRY KHERMOUCH

I Speak For the Teas When Anheuser-Busch InBev and Starbucks teamed up to launch an iced tea called Teavana back in 2017, I was initially impressed. The new line was offered in an appealing proprietary glass bottle and was reasonably tea forward. When consumers demanded an unsweetened entry, the partners quickly responded.

But there were a few odd things about the launch, too. Far from seeding the brand up and down the street, A-B preferred to amass displays in suburban grocery stores. That didn’t stop it from making an extensive media buy on the big LinkNYC kiosks dotting New York’s major arteries. For a while, when I saw a Teavana ad pop up on a kiosk’s screen, I made a beeline for the nearest instant-consumption outlet – whether a deli, bagel store, even a Starbucks shop – to see if it was available for purchase. Through a couple of dozen tries, it never was. And the ordering process for wholesalers seemed unusually cumbersome, a few complained to me. In the back of my mind I also did wonder whether it was wise to name a new RTD for a failed suburban shopping mall tea chain that Starbucks had acquired for $650 mil, then proceeded to dismantle, to the tune of hundreds of stores.

For a while, though, the Teavana RTD brand grew, adding sparkling and other extensions to earn a credible presence against premium entries like PepsiCo’s glass-bottle extension of Pure Leaf dubbed Teahouse Collection. My hope was that brands like these would offer a needed dose of energy, elegance and credibility to high-end tea, where activity had tapered off in recent years. But even as Teavana staked a claim as a high-end leader, ABI and Starbucks seemed to lose interest in the venture. Their leaders stopped mentioning it on investor calls, and it was omitted from the slew of “beyond beer” entries touted to wholesalers at ABI’s virtual sales meeting. In my newsletter, Beverage Business Insights, we called it the crazyuncle treatment. Teavana? Oh, he’s fi ne, resting comfortably up there in the attic. No, I’m sorry, he’s not taking visitors right now.

So I was disappointed but not shocked when ABI confi rmed in April that it was sunsetting the line.

Among some in my circle, this was taken as proof that ready-todrink tea has had its day. Maybe, like mainstream bottled waters, RTD tea has devolved to being a sub-premium convenience at this point. After all, Snapple has been mired in a morass of mediocrity for years, even before production snafus tanked volume in recent months. AriZona remains healthy enough, but its efforts to ride current trends with natural or unsweetened offerings haven’t ignited. Coke and Pepsi muddle along with their core tea brands without a great deal of innovation, even as Coke’s acquired Honest Tea brand has some distance to go before it hits the $1 billion sales milestone that warrants a victory lap in Atlanta. (Give it this: Unlike former VEB stablemates like Zico, Hubert’s, Hansen’s and Blue Sky, it has stayed in the game.)

46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

It’s a sad state of affairs for a segment I continue to believe holds enormous potential. After all, tea is highly approachable, a reassuring entry point for beverages that may layer on other ingredients or functionality to the recipe. It lends itself to astonishing flavor variety: there’s a reason recent decades’ proliferation of flavor options used to be called the Snapple-ization of beverages. Unlike coconut water and kombucha, it’s not in the least bit polarizing. It offers tradition, authenticity and nutrition as appealing attributes (trivialized a bit, I believe, when marketers adopt punning names like Serendipi-Tea – can we sunset that trend, please?). Then why this perception of a malaise? I prefer to dream we’re in a transitional period where fresher concepts are percolating and the stage is being set for a new wave of excitement.

Fortunately, there are quite a few of these refreshing takes on tea, from the blindingly in-your-face pickup-truck-on-the-label Joe Tea to exquisitely crafted Seven Teas, from brothers mining their Iranian heritage. The refrigerated brand Milo’s Sweet Tea is blowing it up with its simple, clean, flavorful concept. Asian players like Ito En continue to broaden their base. Loose tea brands like Harney, Rishi and Tiesta have migrated into RTDs. Among newer concepts I find promising are the flock of unsweetened canned sparkling entries like Sound and Minna that offer a palate upgrade on La Croix without the need to compromise on calories or weird sweeteners. Other brands are plumbing the mysteries of the diverse range of herbal teas, as with Hawaii-based Shaka Tea, which employs the rare mamaki plant grown only in Hawaii. White-tea pioneer Inko’s is up for sale, and maybe can find new vigor under a new owner now that the bigger brands have pretty much stopped dabbling in white tea. For a while it seemed like Matchabar would be the breakthrough brand for that caffeine-rich version of green tea, but it’s gone quiet lately; it’s not too late for it, Motto or another brand to take that ingredient to mainstream consumers. How about that only truly native American tea, yaupon? Delicious spicy chais?

HopTea and other quirky hybrids? I’m intentionally not mentioning yerba mate and kombucha brands, which I see as playing in different categories that haven’t suffered the same disillusionment as mainstream iced tea.

All that activity gives me optimism that tea will rise on the radar again. Maybe brands like Snapple, Fuze and Honest Tea won’t get their mojo back, but that tends to happen when independent brands enter innovation-challenged CPG giants with other priorities. Nor does Teavana rate as a cautionary tale: one can find other reasons for its demise than any obvious flaw in the concept or category.

So here’s hoping that RTD tea shows renewed signs of vitali-tea.

Dang. Now I’m doing it, too.

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

SHOW PREVIEW

BY BEVNET STAFF

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

National Association of

McCormick Place

October 5 - 8, 2021

Over 12,000

Convenience Store (NACS)

Chicago, IL

Tues-Thurs: 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Exhibitors

Trade Show 2021

Fri: 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Tuesday, October 5 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM Jennifer Powers

Wednesday, October 6 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Kendal Netmaker

Jennifer uses wit, humor, and audience interaction to help participants access tools to better handle the change experienced over the past year, and discover ways to help themselves be better.

The award-winning entrepreneur and author will be spreading his motivational message: regardless of where you come from and what challenges you face, you have the power to embrace resiliency and enact change.

Thursday, October 7 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Reinventing Convenience and Reimagining our Future

Friday, October 8 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM Ideas 2 Go Video and Panel Discussion

NACS President and CEO Henry Armour, 2020-21 NACS Chairman Kevin Smartt and 2021-22 NACS Chairman Jared Scheeler discuss what the future of convenience could look like—and what is needed now to define that path.

The NACS Ideas 2 Go program showcases five industry leaders who are leading the way by staying ahead of the everchanging consumer, technology and retail landscape.

ALPHABETICAL EXHIBITOR LIST Exhibitor

Exhibitor

Booth

'Merica Energy

Booth 255

Exhibitor brooklyn bottling

Booth 1666

Death Wish Coffee

7784

5-hour Energy

2413

Bug Juice Intl. / Vita Bug

7323

Defiance Fuel, LLC

2434

A88CBD Alkaline88

138

Buzzballz, LLC Southern Champion

367

Defy

8478

Abbott - Pedialyte

2823

Buzzkill Beverages LLC

153

Electrolit USA - CAB Enterprises Inc.

1413

Al's Beverage Company Frozen PEZ / Frozen Mike & Ike

7455

C4®

6109

Elegance Brands

1456

Cafe Agave Spiked Cold Brew

206

Essentia Water LLC

1524

Alkaline88

2668

7506

1813

8077

Calypso Lemonades King Juice Company, Inc.

FIFCO USA

Allwello Organic Cold Pressed Juice

FIJI Water

6709

CANarchy Craft Brewery

569

ALO Drink By SPI West Port, Inc.

2552

FitVine, LLC FitVine Wine

8377

Canopy Growth USA LLC

1852

Anheuser-Busch

5702

Founders Brewing Company

2806

Celsius

1466

AriZona Beverages

1863

G Fuel LLC

8281

CForce Bottling Company

913

Beam Suntory

167

GEN Z Water

8287

CG Roxane LLC Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring

7980

generosiTEA

8087

Chobani

560

good2grow

5102

6458

Harvest Hill Beverage Co. / Sunny Delight Beverage

7323

BeatBox Beverages / Future Proof Brands

8277

Bigelow Tea

460

Community Coffee Company

Bill’s Lemonade

6777

Constellation Brands

6413

BioSteel Sports

1113

Hawaiian Springs, LLC

8487

Country Time Lemonade LLC

6754

BODYARMOR

2117

Health-Ade

7323

Crook & Marker LLC

8176

Brew Dr. Kombucha & Uplift Yerba Mate

2470

Hillbilly Beverages LLC

8081

CUT Energy

7978

HUMANITEA Company, Inc.

2810

BevNET, NOSH and Taste Radio will be interviewing, broadcasting and filming throughout the event. If you’re attending or exhibiting, let’s connect! Reach out at news@bevnet.com, news@nosh.com, or ask@tasteradio.com 48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

Humm Kombucha

7879

Icelandic Glacial

2766

Nirvana Water Sciences

8388

Shottys

117

NOCCO

8085

Joe Tea & Chips

2841

Oatly, Inc.

7674

SLRRRP Alcohol-Infused Gelatin Shots

8389

Jones Soda Co

2435

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

7118

Surprise Drinks USA

2803

Keurig Dr Pepper

906

Ohza (RTD Mimosas)

205

Talking Rain Beverage

7323

Kill Cliff

201

ONE87 Wine And Cocktails

269

The Boston Beer Company

958

OXIGEN Beverages (USA) Inc.

2843

The Coca-Cola Company

1617 1519

Kona Gold Beverage Inc Ooh La LEMIN, Kona Gold Energy

8485

PATHWATER

7331

La Colombe Coffee Roasters

263

PepsiCo, Inc.

4605

The Coca-Cola Company Topo Chico

Last Call Beverages

568

Pocas International Corp.

2852

The Not Company NotCo

LIFEAID BEV CO

1517

Polar Beverages

363

The Pickle Juice Company LLC

2857

Liquid Death Mountain Water

157

Positive Beverage Company

8279

UPTIME Energy

2130

Mad Tasty

7777

Rally Brands LLC dba BIOLYTE

8180

Vita Coco Coconut Water/ RUNA

2601

Molson Coors Beverage Company

1724

RECOVER 180°

8284

Vive Organic

8188

Monster Energy Company

917

Red Bull North America

928

Water Joe Caffeinated Water

2521

More Labs

7881

Reed's inc.

2801

Weller

2845

Mpact Beverage Company

7640

Remedy Organics

8178

MYND DRINKS INTERNATIONAL

208

RIOT Energy

8289

White Claw Hard Seltzer/ mike's and mike's HARDER

652

New Attitude Beverage Corp. dba Blue Monkey

148

RISE Brewing Co.

8075

WIS-PAK

352

SHAKA TEA

454

ZenWTR Alkaline Water

8280

ShineWater

7979

ZOA Energy LLC

1239

Niagara Bottling, LLC

2607

211

49

By Martín Caballero In the later 1950s, residents of New York City looking out at the city’s ports could often find the familiar sight of the S.S. Tropicana, an 413-foot, 8,000-ton steamship that made a weekly trip up the Atlantic coast from its loading point in Port Canaveral, Florida filled with precious cargo: stainless steel tanks holding a total of 1.5 million gallons of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Until water transport was eventually scrapped for rail shipping in 1962, partly in an effort to reach the burgeoning Midwest market, Tropicana’s flagship steamer served as a life-sized representation of both Americans’ insatiable thirst for the citrus juice and of the engineering and logistical feats required by the fruit company to fill that demand.

Fast forward to 2021 and that ship metaphor takes on a wholly different meaning. Despite reporting sales growth in 2020, Tropicana had been resembling a rusty, dated cruiser for much of the past decade, as a variety of practical challenges, from distribution issues to encroaching competition from non-juice brands, combined with the anti-sugar movement to create a perfect storm of disruption for the category. The Florida-based company isn’t the only one feeling the squeeze: over the last 12 months, two other legacy brands — PepsiCo’s Naked and Coca-Cola’s Odwalla — have been either sold or divested completely, while Suja, once considered an integral piece of Coke’s strategy to pivot away from soda and into more natural categories, was acquired by private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners in July. Though names like Bolthouse Farms (itself sliced off from Campbells back to private equity a few years ago) and Evolution Fresh still remain, many of the of the breakthrough category brands from the past decade — Daily Greens, BluePrint, Juice Served Here — are either gone or barely pulsing.

52 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

With major brands in transition, challenges and opportunities abound Yet if Tropicana and the like have been decommissioned, a new generation of juice brands are charting their own course through the market with considerably more nimble vehicles.

Rather than simply chasing the cooler space left behind from the departure of heavyweight category names, this group is seeking to redevelop the juice space from a different perspective by leaning into functional ingredients and use-specific products, embracing innovative packaging formats and

by making it easier for their target demographic to get their hands on products, regardless of where they live or how they shop. The end of the “big juice” era marks the beginning of a new chapter for the category — but where the story goes is still far from certain.

Beverage Giants Move On

Not long ago, juice was seen as a healthier alternative to soda, and as a way for U.S. beverage giants to diversify their portfolios with a natural, healthfocused product that could offset declining soft drink sales; there’s a reason why Pepsi named its since-shuttered emerging brands division after Naked.

Compared to that, things in 2021 are pretty much upside down: not only are sodas as popular as ever, but the big bets that conglomerates like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Hain Celestial and The Campbell Soup Company made on juice have all failed to pan out (the exception being Starbucks, which owns premium cold-pressed brand Evolution Fresh). Even as technology has helped improve product quality and shelf-life, the deck remains stacked with logistical problems and extra costs, not to mention long-term declines in consumer demand.

Many of those issues have been an ongoing challenge for juice makers, but this year, corporations determined that they simply weren’t worth the trouble anymore. Divestment and a culling of bulging brand portfolios has been a consistent theme across the major industry players over the past year, which has seen Nestle Waters offload its U.S. water business and CocaCola put long-standing brands like Tab and Zico out to pasture.

But the biggest moves have come in juice — first with Coke’s closing of Odwalla in July 2020, and followed this year by the exits for Suja, Tropicana and Naked. The motivation, according to Euromonitor’s Howard Telford, is to keep the focus on a smaller group of high-performing categories — water, energy drinks, coffee and carbonated drinks, mainly — rather than continuing to work in a challenged segment.

“In part, the news of Tropicana and Naked reflects the uncertain role of fruit juice in the consumer’s routine long term and the ongoing concern about sugar, particularly in North America where Tropicana is largest,” wrote Telford in August. “While the category in the US enjoyed a boost in off-trade sales in 2020, with consumers seeking more vitamin C for immune support, the long-term trend has been one of decline. The role of fruit juice in future consumers’ diets will look significantly different in terms of portion size, functional need and packaged versus unpackaged formats.”

For Pepsi, having two of its flagship brands stalled at midsingle-digit dollar share of a fragmented, low-growth category no longer made sense, despite those brands bringing in $3 billion in revenue in 2020. While consumer interest in products with immunity boosting ingredients helped the brands grow 54 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

around 9% in 2020, years of declining sales prior suggested that the reversal could be temporary.

Meanwhile, the fluctuating nature of commodities (like orange juice futures, for example) makes margins on juice-based beverages inconsistent, at best; according to Credite Suisse, Pepsi’s juice EBITDA margins (12%13%) in 2020 lagged behind its overall numbers (18.6%). Analysts at Goldman Sachs noted that the deal puts Pepsi “one step closer” to achieving its goal of approximately 15% margins in its North America business, with proceeds from the sale going to fund growth for hot brands like Mountain Dew, Rockstar, Gatorade and bubbly. It also means unloading some hard assets in the form of Tropicana’s sprawling 285-acre manufacturing base in Bradenton, Florida, which processed around 4 billion oranges annually as of 2019.

Yet the deal would likely not have been possible without some additional incentive for Pepsi, which arrives in the form of the joint venture.

Under the terms of its agreement with PAI Partners, Pepsi will retain a 39% non-controlling interest and control exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the portfolio for small-format stores and foodservice via its refrigerated DSD network.

That architecture will allow the soda giant to hand off product innovation and scaling to PAI, while it focuses on serving customers in “arguably the most attractive segment of the portfolio” because of its relatively high margin, according to Goldman Sachs analysts.

“This joint venture with PAI enables us to realize significant upfront value, whilst providing the focus and resources necessary to drive additional long-term growth for these beloved brands,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta in a press release.

But the recent moves are mainly about unloading an expensive, complex business in favor of focusing on simpler and stronger ones: as Laguarta mentioned at the time, the deal “will free us” to concentrate on growth categories like zero-calorie drinks, healthy snacks and better-for-the-planet products, like SodaStream. At the time of the Pepsi transaction, Credit Suisse analysts voiced support for the deal, noting that its structure “removes legacy brands at a fair price while also providing future optionality in a large category.” Goldman Sachs agreed in their coverage, noting that the proceeds from the sale “will strengthen the company’s balance sheet and enable PEP to make organic investments that will likely support further margin expansion over time.” Though the deals have yet to close, Pepsi’s current trajectory appears to be positive: the company reported a 20.5% increase in net revenue during Q2 2021, with Pepsi Beverages North America (PBNA) and Frito-Lay North America turning over $809 million and $1.3 billion in operating profit, respectively.

The calculus for Suja was slightly different. At the beginning of the decade, the California-based brand seemingly ticked all the boxes as the next billion-dollar brand: controlling production from its own 20,000 sq. ft. facility, Suja quickly became one the country’s fastest growing beverage companies, picking up backing

from celebrity investors and PE firms along the way. By 2017, Coca-Cola had a 33% stake in the company (over $90 million invested), with an option to purchase it outright in 2020. The brand’s success with juice brought it into adjacent categories, like kombucha and shots, and after a sales dip last summer, Suja was recovering well under the leadership of CEO Bob De Borde.

Yet there was one glaring issue: the brand’s wide reach was dependent on its place aboard Coke’s network of refrigerated delivery trucks. According to Suja co-founder James Brennan, by shutting down Odwalla and its accompanying chilled DSD platform in July 2020, the soda giant effectively ended its relationship with the juice brand. The company subsequently bought out Coke’s stake and began shopping the brand, eventually agreeing to sell to PAI this July. The soda giant’s strategic shift away from chilled distribution also helped set in motion a similar process at Health-Ade Kombucha in August: Coke sold its stake in the brand, which was ultimately acquired by FBG.

New Horizons

Could there have been a different outcome for these brands?

Perhaps. As seen with kombucha, cold brew and coffee creamers, developing shelf-stable versions of refrigerated products is one way to escape the restrictions of the cold box and expand the audience for a product; see sparkling juice brands like Izze and Hubble, or fruit-derived drinks like coconut water. Whether in the cooler or the ambient shelf, the competition has also changed — juice brands aren’t only jockeying with each other, but also a new generation of hybrid products: think plant-based platform brand Koia, juice-hydration beverage Lemon Perfect, or the range of high-pressure processed coconut-based drinks and smoothies from Harmless Harvest and Genius Juice.

For retailers, the COVID pandemic helped spark broad demand for refrigerated orange juice in particular, but the role that different channels are playing in growing the category is changing. Speaking on a BevNET panel in March, Jeff Crumpton, Retail Reporting Solutions Manager at SPINS, noted that smaller regional grocers are becoming centers of innovation for juice, and in some cases are growing at 2x compared to chain and big box stores.

But brands are adapting in different ways. For fresh-pressed juice bars, the approach has been to find consumers where they live by simplifying their offerings: in the case of Pressed Juicery, it’s by refreshing its packaging and branding, or by expanding coverage by partnering with rapid-delivery platform goPuff, as with Pure Green. Elsewhere, brands like Uncle Matt’s Organic, which also recently underwent a rebrand, are using momentum from consumer interest in immunity drinks to push further into the segment, most recently with the launch of a line of “Ultimate Shots” with functional benefits. Juice shots, as readers likely know, have been a bright spot for the category in recent years, with names like KOR, Vive Organic and So Good So You all expanding distribution this past year.

Yet as younger brands push the envelope with innovation, the old fleet will be looking towards their new private equity owners to guide them towards the horizon. Even Odwalla may see a new life, its rights acquired by investment firm Full Sail IP Partners in mid-September. Much remains uncertain, but you can’t count on one thing: the old map doesn’t work anymore.

55

BRAND NEWS JUICE

Launched last June as a limited-edition seasonal product, Living Juice’s latest innovation -- Watermelon Juice flavored with mint and lime -- has become a top seller at the US Open and at Hampton beaches this summer. With high demand for the flavor, Living Juice announced plans to add it to its permanent lineup of cold-pressed juices.

Blending cold-pressed carrot and orange juice with ginger, turmeric and sea buckthorn, Garden of Flavor has launched an antioxidant-rich, upgraded version of orange juice called Turmeric Crush.

Cold-pressed and high-pressure processed juice brand Sofresco launched new functional shots with probiotics: Carrot Ginger and Apple. This new range contains one billion CFUs of certified BC30 probiotic – a science-backed and natural probiotic ingredient that can help support digestive health, immune health, and may help support protein absorption.

NewTree Fruit Company has partnered with Arty’s Premium Beverages to debut the Supper Club Lite line of canned cocktails.

Supper Club Lite contains 35% de-sugared fruit juice, zero sugar and less than 1 gram of carbs. The first flavors to roll out are Garden Party (Watermelon Cucumber Mint with Vodka), Gins ‘N Roses (Raspberry Lemon Rose with Gin) and Bramble On (Blackberry Mojito with Rum) which are available at select retailers in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Beverage brand Sarah’s Homegrown launched agua frescas made with real fruit sourced from Frey Farms – a womanowned business based out of southern Illinois. Sarah’s Homegrown agua frescas launched at Tony’s Fresh Market in Chicago beginning in September.

Sparkling juice maker Hubble – aka the healthy bubble – has added expanded distribution in Southern California to Jimbo’s Naturally and Erewhon. Hubble is also available in the region’s Whole Foods locations and also was recently included in the “Taste Tomorrow” section for emerging brands at the annual Kroger Wellness Experience in Cincinnati, Ohio. The brand will be launching new flavors later this year.

56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Following a brand refresh and website redesign, Happy Moose announced its entire portfolio of juices and shots will be available for nationwide shipping in the coming months. Currently, the brand’s immune-support wellness shots and cold-pressed juices are available for shipment to the West Coast.

Just under a year since its market debut, plantbased energy drink OCA has expanded distribution to five Latin American countries and across the East and West Coast of the United States. In its first year, OCA has gained more than five thousand points of sales and in October is set to announce a national partnership with a large chain retailer in the U.S.. The brand, a venture between Marc Anthony and Beliv, has plans to launch in markets across China and Europe and will also introduce new flavors and additional functional, plantbased line extensions.

Over the past year, Blue Monkey sparkling tropical juices has grown in its e-commerce and international distribution channels and by January 2021 saw a significant increase in its international distribution across Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, China, Kuwait and soon in France and the U.K. Blue Monkey Tropical Multi-Packs are now available in all Costco locations in the U.S. and Canada and will enter the retailer’s stores in South Korea and Japan by the end of this year.

Juice maker Suja Organic recently announced the launch of Suja Organic Elements, a line of sparkling, cold-pressed juice blends. Each bottle has one billion CFU’s of live probiotics, prebiotics, vitamin C, vitamin D & zinc to support immune and microbiome health. The enhanced sparkling line is made from high quality, organic ingredients, and processed using Suja’s high-pressure processing method.

The line also includes adaptogenic ingredients like Reishi and Lion’s Mane mushroom for added functionality. Suja Organic Elements replaced Suja’s Sparkling Cold-Pressed Juice line in major retailers nationwide.

Teen-entreprenuer founded juice brand NIU is launching two new flavors this Fall: Tropical Orange Eden is a blend of mandarin orange, vanilla and coconut water, while Tropical Berry features a mix of blueberry, raspberry, and assorted tropical flavors. The

BRAND NEWS JUICE

brand is also airing a new marketing campaign on ABC, CBS, and Fox that will run through the end of October.

Uncle Matt’s Organic recently launched a line of Ultimate Shots with functional ingredients and probiotics in three varieties: Ultimate Defense Shot, Ultimate Immune Shot and Ultimate Energy Shot. The shots are made with juice from 100% organically grown fruit that is free from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and GMOs and blended with multi-functional organic ingredients and live probiotics for digestion and immune-support.

Chicago-based cold-pressed juice company Twisted Alchemy released a Margarita Madness Kit available for free shipping nationwide. The cold-pressed juice kit makes up to 75 margaritas, contains six bottles of coldpressed juice, recipes and instructions. The kit requires the addition of the consumer’s tequila of choice and comes in Grapefruit, Passionfruit and Persian Lime Sour flavors.

This fall, Bolthouse Farms added two new functional varieties: Red Goodness fruit smoothie and Green Immunity Boost juice blend. The Red Goodness fruit smoothie provides 100% of the daily value of vitamin C and 90% of the daily value of vitamin B12 and includes a blend of apples, blackberries and strawberries. Green Immunity Boost mixes the juices of pineapple, cucumber, apple, and kale with immunity-support ingredients such as ginger, cranberry, pomegranate and goji berry. Green Immunity Boost and Red Goodness are both available in 52 oz. multi-serve and 15.2 oz. single-serve sizes.

Juice company Tropicana added four new SKUs to its premium beverage line: Summer Berry Bliss, Caribbean Sunset, Piña Colada and Strawberry Kiwi Sunrise. The new juice-based products come in 12 oz. and 52 oz. formats and are available at select retailers nationwide including Albertsons, HyVee, Meijer, Harris Teeter, Giant Eagle and ShopRite.

Pressed Juicery is now known simply as Pressed as part of its 360-degree rebrand from labels to storefronts. The new look is intended to reflect sentiments of an uncomplicated approach to its product. The brand 58 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

will also use the rebrand to make changes on its digital platforms and at retail including new logo and store design. The refresh also brings new membership perks and menu expansion to include wellness shots, smoothies, smoothie bowls and plant-based soft serve.

AMARUMAYU introduced two immunityboosting Superfruit Juices made with fruit that is wild-harvested by indigenous communities in the Amazon Rainforest. The two blends, Buriti and Camu Camu, offer a range of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. The ready-to-drink juices are shelf-stable and are packaged in resealable, reusable and recyclable 12 oz. aluminum bottles.

Sol-ti introduced Dragon Fruit SuperAde with fertility benefits and digestive and immune support to its lineup of organic living beverages. The new drink also features prebiotics and vitamin C derived from the dragon fruit. It is made with fresh-pressed dragon fruit and blended with lemon for extra hydration.

Lori’s Original Lemonade is launching Baja Lemonade Tea in early October which will be available in all of its existing local retailer partners and Whole Foods throughout Southern California. The new product is made with organic black tea leaves, the brand’s classic real juice lemonade and a splash of lime and was inspired

by Founder Lori Volk’s travels throughout the Baja Peninsula.

This year, Calypso announced a distribution agreement with Big Geyser, the largest independent non-alcoholic beverage distributor in the New York metro area. This partnership brings Calypso products to the five boroughs of NYC, as well as Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties, representing access to 26,000 outlets.

Me & the Bees Lemonade hit a milestone and is now distributed to all 50 states in the U.S. The brand also announced the hiring of a new director of operations, Shon Whigham, to manage logistics, supply chain, warehousing and distribution.

Whigham joined Me & the Bees after a tenure at Keurig/Dr. Pepper where he worked in operations and fleet supervision.

BRAND NEWS PLANT-BASED WATER

Drink Simple has upgraded its packaging to highlight the sustainability of its maple waters by ditching plastic bottles for ecofriendly cartons made with plant-based and renewable materials. The brand’s relaunch in TetraPak cartons marks the latest step in Drink Simple’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

Sapsucker has taken on the tree water category by introducing two new flavours available in 4-packs: The Orange One and The Grapefruit One. It also added its first-ever tree water ready-to-drink vodka beverage to its lineup, with additional innovations set to be announced across its entire portfolio in early 2022. ¡CACTUS! Organic Cactus Water recently placed runner-up in the 2021 WBENC Sustainability Pitch Competition. The brand uses nopal cactus, which is grown without the need of irrigation and regenerates within two weeks of being cut, to make its waters.

Chicago-based ÈSSE Water launched Sparkling WellnÈSSE Water at select Target stores. The line features two SKUs – Lemon Ginger and Elderberry Passionfruit – that are packed with plant-based vitamins and minerals to support a healthy immune system.

LAURO began a partnership with LA Libations to expand the reach of its Sparkling Prickly Pear Water in Southern California through its incubation program, which has helped the company secure distribution with KEHE, UNFI, and POD. The company is engaging in a further partnership with Independent DSD Beauchamp to extend into the Molson Coors distribution network.

Cactus water brand True Nopal announced that it has finalized an agreement with Green Spoon Sales to expand distribution across the United States. Through this new partnership the brand’s True Nopal Prickly Pear cactus water will roll out to nine regions across the country.

Coconut water brand CoAqua announced its agreement with global beverage distribution leader, UNFI, which services over 60 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

30,000 locations nationwide. The first phase of CoAqua’s coconut water distribution with UNFI will begin in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Organic beverage brand TREO has undergone a brand refresh to reflect its ingredients on its packaging and label. Organic TREO offers low calorie (15-20 per serving), low sugar (1 gram) of hydration-support that is naturally sweetened with birch water as the key ingredient and each bottle contains immune-support from Vitamin C and Zinc.

The brand’s Cacao Water is now available online in a new three-flavor variety pack for $18. Blue Stripes Urban Cacao Water is available in three varieties – Just Cacao, Cascara Coffee & Cinnamon and Chili, Lime & Cardamom – and offers hydration and gut-health support through antioxidants, magnesium and potassium. Cacao Water is all natural, has no added sugar and is available at Blue Stripes cafe locations in Nashville and New York as well as select Whole Foods and Erewhon locations across Southern California.

Beverage brand Body Intelligence EUPHORIA launched as the only nationallydistributed brand that features Kava and the only brand with verified Immunity and Relaxation health claims. The beverages are plant-based, with vegan-friendly Vitamin D3, and are distributed nationwide through KeHE. Pink Lady Apple is the latest new flavor of flavored coconut water from Harmless Harvest. The new flavor contains real fruit juice and electrolytes and recently hit shelves at Whole Foods Market.

Following its 2020 debut at drive-in concert with The Chainsmokers, better-for-you energy drink alternative brand Once Upon A Coconut has begun distributing its caffeineinfused coconut waters to retailers nationwide this year. The brand’s two varieties – Sparkling + Energy and Pure – contain electrolytes and vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. The Sparkling + Energy variety also contains Vitamin C and the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee.

by Brad Avery

IN

an era of hyperconsciousness surrounding health and wellness, be it the need to boost immune systems or the dangers of sugar, it should come as no surprise that parents are taking more caution over their children’s nutrition. And as kids head back to school in person without vaccine approval for the under 12 set, while the pandemic has proven to be far from over, that concern is sure to be at the front of many shoppers’ minds.

Take these numbers as examples: In August, Whole Foods Market released the results of an online survey conducted by The Harris Poll fi nding that parents of children under 18 spent an average of 27.2 minutes per week reading food labels and considering the ingredients in the food and drinks they give to their kids. That’s about one day per year.

Beyond that measure, an 87% majority of the 626 parents polled said they were concerned about the ingredients in their children’s food and, certainly to Whole Foods’ delight, 69% said they worry less about these ingredients when shopping at retailers they know prioritize healthy and clean label products.

This is, of course, not just the result of a global health crisis, but the culmination of a years-long CPG trend. As kids beverage makers have continuously worked to move the category towards better-foryou options, innovative brands are now being presented with new opportunities to gain a foothold in a notoriously challenging category, because major retailers are seeking out kids products with clean label ingredients and low sugar content. But it’s that last step, from the retailer to the lunchbox, that entrepreneurs are fi nding as the part of the path that is anything but smooth.

62 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

It’s What’s In The Bottle As functional beverages have emerged as a significant market for adult consumers, kids beverages are now seeing more innovations tailored around many of the same need states, including hydration, gut health, protein and immunity. But every parent knows it’s easier said than done to get a child to take something that’s good for them, leading to new products getting craftier in delivering full nutrition.

Beverage giants are joining entrepreneurs in the pursuit of a new breed of kid customer. The Coca-Cola Company has long had the Honest Kids line, and February saw the launch of Frutly, a new hydrating juice water brand developed

by PepsiCo. Pitched towards kids and teens, each 12 oz. bottle contains vitamins C and E and contains no added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Frutly was presented as a direct competitor to high sugar fruit juices and brands like Capri Sun and Juicy Juice and is targeting major retailers such as Walmart and Albertsons. Large and midsize brands are also stepping into the category; in December, Chobani launched its Little Chobani Probiotics yogurt smoothies as part of a broader line extension of probiotic heavy products.

While strategics are sending the signal to the industry that better-for-you kids drinks are a space worth investing in, midsize and small brands are simultaneously building their own innovation-driven plays.

In August, California-based dairy producer Clover Sonoma debuted Clover the Rainbow, a new platform brand of kids products beginning with a line of yogurt smoothies made with fruits and vegetables. Available in Strawberry Carrot, Blueberry Beet and Strawberry Banana Butternut varieties, the smoothies are intended to provide additional protein, calcium and probiotics for kids while using no artificial fl avors or sweeteners.

According to Kristel Corson, chief revenue officer and VP of sales and marketing for Clover Sonoma, the Clover the Rainbow brand has “a full product pipeline behind it” that will build around the blend of nutritious ingredients in dairy foods and drinks. Not dissimilar from “hidden veggie” food lines like Kidfresh, the smoothie line emphasizes sweet fl avors with low sugar to create a better-for-you product kids will want to consume.

“We’re teaching them about fruits and vegetables,” Corson said. “Future innovation will go in different directions and into other areas, but this fi rst line is our clearest interpretation of ‘eating the rainbow’ with fruits and vegetables.”

For California-based brand KidsLuv, CEO Ashi Jelinek said her goal is to bring the innovation of adult functional beverages into the realm of children via its zero sugar, vitamin enhanced beverages made with coconut water. Available in flavors that are perhaps less common in the American kids market, including Flying FlaMango, Starstruck

64 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Coconut and Peach Me, I’m Orange, the brand launched last year and has now laid out ground in about 1,600 stores nationwide including Walmart, Target, HEB and Stop and Shop.

Initially intended to provide an alternative format to deliver kids vitamins (as opposed to tablets and gummies), Jelinek said she does see the landscape changing amid the pandemic. The brand is now launching a new Mixed Berry fl avor containing Vitamin D and zinc to promote immunity.

“If there wasn’t the focus in your home already around ‘how do I keep my kids healthy?’ or ‘how do I add to their diet?’

Now, I think that even parents that maybe were never even interested in that are now interested in that,” Jelinek said. “I defi nitely think there’s this perfect storm of COVID, kids going back to school not being vaccinated, and how are you able to provide your kids with different immune options. So we’re a young brand, we’re really new, and I would say we’re just trying to offer parents an alternative to something that can be on the go.”

The Trouble with Retail While the overall trend towards lower-sugar ingredient panels may be impacting traditional brands, it’s not always opening the door for innovative, better-for-you products. According to Theo Goldin, COO at Hint, many retailers have reduced the size of their kids drink sets in recent years making it more difficult for new brands, even one with pre-established awareness like Hint, to get on shelf.

“As parents have increasingly shied away from juice and juicy drinks over the past few years, the category space has been reduced, even though unsweetened fl avored water sits within that set too,” Goldin told BevNET. “For several years we’ve been hearing things like ‘I wish I could give you even more space but the size of the kids drink set is being reduced.’”

Hint, a maker of unsweetened fl avored waters, entered the kids set in 2018. But even as parents seek out these healthier products, Goldin said the limited shelf space can sow confusion as products like Hint Kids sit next to full sugar juices and juicy drinks, leading consumers to assume the drink is similarly loaded with calories or artificial ingredients.

Despite the hurdles, Goldin said the line has seen swift growth, giving the company a much-needed edge within the minimal space allotted. But it’s still “a tiny portion” of the brand’s total sales. According to Nielsen, Hint’s overall still fl avored water sales grew 93.3% to $117.3 million in the 52-week period ending August 28, primarily driven by its adult-facing fl agship products. Hint Kids continues to expand however, most recently receiving chainwide authorization in Target stores, bringing it up to 6,000 total points of distribution, he added, and the company is now adding a second copacker on the East Coast to expand capacity and cut cost of shipping.

For Melanie Kahn, founder and CEO of reduced sugar lemonade brand Poppilu, the hustle to get onto store shelves has been further complicated by industry-wide supply chain disruptions that have led to rapid inflation in costs of materials, ingredients and freight. Those challenges put a strain on kids drinks brands which need to maintain low price points, while a lack of labor due to the pandemic has more directly led her company to hold back from expanding into new accounts.

While reduced shelf space may make it harder for startups to receive authorizations, the brands that are approved are now facing frequent outof-stocks.

“The kids aseptic juice set has just been decimated,” Kahn said. “I mean, you go into any given retailer, and it’s one of those categories where there are just massive gaps on the shelf, huge blocks of just nothing.”

As of September, Kahn said she has enough inventory to carry her through, particularly as the brand has staked out space in the mainstream through retailers like Walmart and Target. Poppilu, whose organic lemonades contain just 30 calories and 7 grams of natural sugar per 6 oz. pouch, initially launched as a brand for adults but found

66 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

more success focusing on the kids category. Poppilu’s reduced sugar approach has generated interest from buyers lately, Khan said, and in July the brand grew its footprint to over 2,500 accounts, including Stop & Shop, Lowes, Giant Eagle and several divisions of Albertsons.

“What I’m hearing is that the more fl avors you’re using, as opposed to drawing the fl avor from juice itself, you’re getting very polarized reactions from the child consumer,” she said.

“Because at the end of the day kids know what tastes good -- things like apple juice or full 100% juice, that’s what tastes good. So when you start mucking around with alternatives ... kids know the difference. So it’s about trying to fi nd that balance between what’s going to taste good for kids and what meets the nutritional criteria.”

Likewise, Jelinek said that she has seen a broad openness to functional kids drinks from buyers she’s spoken with. Whereas it used to be the independent and natural channel stores leading the functional charge, she said, she’s fi nding that the larger mass and conventional chains are, in fact, becoming more active in curating innovation, even within their limited space allotments.

“You know, they have a lot of more data than I have, and I’m sure that what they’re seeing is the growing consumer base of millennial parents and younger generations who are really looking for healthier products that hit those different notes that they look for in their own adult products,” Jelinek said. “So I think in general, that landscape is changing. And I think we’ll continue to see it change.”

67

BRAND NEWS KIDS DRINKS

Gnusante introduced a new kid-focused line of functional fruit shakes in four f lavors: Tropical Unstoppable, Lemon Limelight, Strawberr y Wise and Grape Aspiration. The Gnubees Plus line contains 8 grams of grass-fed protein, 4 grams of f iber and 30% of daily recommended vitamin C & D. The brand was also recently a f inalist for BC Food and Beverage product of the year.

KidsLuv launched a new mixed berr y f lavor Bear y Berr y this Fall. Bear y Berr y has immune boosting benef its and contains Vitamin D and Zinc to help support kids’ health throughout the school year. K idsLuv products are 100% clean labeled, certif ied non- GMO, kosher, glutenfree and vegan.

Good2grow launched Organic Milk in Strawberr y and Chocolate f lavors and packaged in single-ser ve, 8 oz. bottles with a re-closable top. In addition to its nutritional benef its – including vitamins A and D, calcium and 8 grams of protein per ser ving – the new product also is kid-oriented with its two f lavors and hundreds of kid-requested character tops.

Good2Grow’s Organic Milk is available for a suggested retail price of $3.99 per bottle PepsiCo launched the hydration-support juice water line Frutly designed for kids and teens this year. The drinks are made with fruit juice, wa-

68 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

ter and electrolytes for taste and contain vitamins C and E. Frutly beverages are available in three f lavors – Strawberr y K iwi, Fruit Punch and Apple Grape – and contain 60 calories per 12 oz. bottle.

Seeking to extend its reach beyond the hydration categor y and create a cleaningredient, family-oriented wellness platform brand, in July K inderlyte introduced both a new brand identity, Kinderfarms, and co-founder – actress Jessica Biel – along with announcing the launch of a a kidfocused line of plant-based protein shakes.

This spring, Juicy Juice launched two reduced sugar juices - Lower Sugar Juice Berr y Lemonade and Watermelon - - at retailers nationwide in multi-packs and multi-ser ve bottles.

The juice contains 35% less sugar than the leading juice, no high fructose corn syrup and is an excellent source of vitamin C. Earlier this year, Capri Sun reintroduced its “Adventures” line featuring globally inspired exotic f lavors including Passion Fruit Mango, Papaya Watermelon, Guava Strawberr y and Dragon Fruit Punch. Each is made with all natural ingredients and features 35% less sugar than the leading regular juice drink, according to the brand.

Driven by Recovery in Mexico, Beer Imports Continue to Grow

By Zoe Licata While many beer segments have struggled to keep up with the high off-premise sales performance that characterized 2020, imports have found a way to grow.

Through early September, imports (+3.1%) were among only a few segments, aside from hard seltzers (+15.3%) to post off-premise dollar sales growth year-todate in NielsenIQ tracked retailers -- and all while they are compared against a highly unusual year-over-year comparison due to the pandemic.

Total import volumes increased +16.8% year-to-date through July 2021, according to the Beer Institute (BI), a national trade association. Mexico led total imports by volume, growing +18.4% YOY as of July, followed by the Netherlands (+7.2%), Belgium (-13.9%), Canada (+4.5%), and Ireland (+46.9%). The top 10 import countries

were rounded out by Germany (+18.3%), Poland (+401.9%), Italy (+112.3%), Jamaica (+22.1%) and the United Kingdom (+12.6%).

The overall segment continues to be driven by Mexican imports, which grew +2.6% in July compared to July 2020, according to the BI. The growth is a stark improvement from the spring of last year, when beer production in the country was deemed non-essential by the Mexican government, and many top import brand families suffered production stoppages and delays.

“We are a bit lighter on inventory than we would normally be during this time of year. And that really is primarily predominantly driven by continued robust demand, particularly for our core Mexican beer portfolio,” Garth Hankinson, executive vice president and chief fi nancial officer at Constellation Brands, said at Barclays Global Staples Conference on September 8.

Hankinson emphasized throughout his conference update that Constellation plans to lean its medium-term growth on its Mexican beer portfolio -- which includes Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico -- adding that any of its various forays into hard seltzer will be additive to that growth.

Constellation reported $6 billion in net sales for 2021 in its latest full-year earnings report — an 8% increase from 2020. While Anheuser-Busch InBev took control of Grupo Modelo in 2013, it had to divest the company’s U.S. business to Constellation after regulatory concern. Modelo was the third best-performing beer brand family in total U.S. multi-outlet and c-stores sales for the 52-week period ending August 8, 2021, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research fi rm.

The Modelo brand family also held a 7.5% dollar share of the U.S. off-premise beer market.

70 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Additionally, Modelo Especial ranks as the third best-selling beer in the U.S., -- and in-turn the No. 1 imported brand -- with more than 85 million cases sold off-premise in the last 52 weeks ending August 8, 2021, according to IRI. Hankinson credited the growth of the brand to Constellation broadening Modelo’s consumer base outside of Hispanic consumers -- a change the company began about five years ago.

At that time, Hankinson said 80% of Modelo drinkers were Hispanic.

Now, 55% are Hispanic, while 45% are more of the “general market.”

“This is an important opportunity for us because the non-Hispanic households represent about 85% of the U.S. population, so it’s a big chunk of consumers to go after,” he added.

Even with its dominance, Hankinson said Modelo Especial still has room to grow, both in what he calls “simple distribution” (getting the product on a shelf) and “effective distribution” (getting the product in the right shelf or cold box placements in retail outlets).

“Modelo Especial is now the No. 1 imported brand in the U.S., but it’s still not as fully distributed as Corona Extra,” Hankinson said. “From a household penetration perspective, while it’s increased over the last few years, it’s still only about 75% of what Corona’s household penetration is. So, again, leaving a lot of runway for growth.”

To help support this growth, Constellation will build a new brewery in the southeastern part of Mexico, which was approved by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in

late May. The news came one year after Constellation was forced to halt construction on a brewery in Mexicali, after the $1.4 billion project was rejected by voters, who argued construction prioritized beer for Americans over limited water resources for the region.

“Consistent with our previous statements on this topic, we continue to engage in constructive discussions with the Mexican government as it relates to our long-term plans for production in Mexico,” a Constellation spokesperson said in June. “Together with government officials, we’re exploring options that include finding an alternative location in the southeast region in Mexico that has adequate water supply and a skilled workforce.”

The Corona brand family is the No. 2 imported brand family in the U.S., and ranked just below Modelo with a 6.34% dollar share of the offpremise U.S. beer market, according to IRI. Heineken (2.07% dollar share) is the third best-performing import brand family and 11th best selling overall beer brand, followed by Dos Equis (No. 15) and Stella Artois (No. 17).

Meanwhile, the world’s largest beer manufacturer is taking a different approach to its biggest imported brand in the U.S. In February, A-B announced a $1 billion investment over the next two years in its U.S. facilities to “help drive the country’s economic recovery.”

As part of this investment, the company has begun to transfer the production of its Stella Artois offerings to the U.S., citing “the instability of the international supply chain.”

The transition kicked off earlier this year, with production of Stella’s 11.2 oz. bottle as the first to move facilities. Cans and draft are on track to transition to U.S. based brewing before the end of the year, according to Peter Van Overstraeten, VP of premium and super premium USA at A-B. 72 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

IMPORT BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs YEAR EARLIER 14.2%

Modelo

$3,141,367,012

Corona

$2,786,503,114

3.1%

Heineken

$908,807,819

4.1%

Dos Equis Xx

$449,408,905

11.9%

Stella Artois

$445,486,508

4.1%

Pacifico

$214,957,218

19.2%

Guinness

$182,839,583

9.4%

Tecate

$149,501,796

-13.5%

Labatt

$148,006,212

-5.3%

Fosters

$76,957,786

-3.1%

Sol

$44,807,170

7.0%

Becks

$40,138,728

-13.9%

Peroni

$38,241,179

9.1%

Victoria

$36,838,262

-1.4%

Molson

$29,423,026

-10.6%

Red Stripe

$25,775,934

5.4%

Sapporo

$21,934,655

18.4%

Estrella Jalisco

$20,322,122

16.3%

Amstel

$11,467,334

-1.2%

Pilsner

$9,917,096

13.2%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 08/08/21

“Shifting production to the U.S. for our American consumers reaffirms our commitment to ensuring our consumers can continue to enjoy the same Stella they know and love, and results in a substantial investment in facilities across the country,” Overstraeten told Brewbound.

“As a Belgian myself, I’m proud that Stella is beloved around the world,” he continued. “While Stella Artois bottles produced in the United States will not be classified as an import, we believe what really matters is providing our beer lovers with their favorite refreshing, premium lager brewed with uncompromising premium quality.”

Overstraeten emphasized that Stella’s signature three-ingredient Belgian recipe made with Saaz hops, malted barley, and water will not change with the production move.

Production will be overseen by Isabelle Seunier, A-B’s head of research and development for North America, who is a Belgian global brewmaster, and will “work closely with the Stella Artois brewmasters in Belgium.”

While Overstraeten could not confirm any “firm plans” to create experiential or other on-premise spaces for consumers in the U.S., he noted the importance of the return of bars and restaurants to the Stella Artois brand.

“The restaurant and bar industry is at the heart of Stella’s identity,” Overstraeten added. “So we’re always looking forward to having a Stella Artois with our beer lovers on-premise.”

NATURAL SNACK GUIDE • 2021

75

BRAND LISTINGS America’s Favorite Organic Ice Cream Alden’s Organic

Alpha Plant-Based Chik’n Nuggets – Available in Original and Spicy!

Grain-Free, Wholesome and Delicious Plantain and Cassava Chips!

Artisan Tropic

NEW Super Food Snacking from the Andes! NOW AVAILABLE. GF-VG-NonGmo

Alpha Foods

Andean Bites

Alpha Foods is dedicated to crafting craveable, betterfor-you plant-based comfort foods. Our bestselling Original Chik’n Nuggets are high in protein, NonGMO Project certified, and cholesterol free.

Craving some heat?

It’s also available in Spicy!

These Super Food Bars come packed with unique ingredients from the Andes like BLACK MACA, ANDEAN LUPIN, GOLDEN BERRIES & QUINOA, with a hint of Andean Pink Salt.

Nutritious natural energy & plant based protein on the go!

Also in two other flavors.

Organic, Hemp-Infused Savory Sweet Snacks to Find your Daily Calm

Wholesome and Delicious Bars Made From Real, Simple Ingredients

Alta Goods

Bobo's

Find your calm anywhere with organic, plant-based tahini granola bites. Organic Vermont hemp, 3 Mediterraneaninspired flavors, batch tested for accurate potency. Alta bites are delicious, nutritious, and portable. Perfect for life’s adventures.

Non-GMO, GlutenFree, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free. With delicious, wholesome and real ingredients these oat bars made with organic oats will sure to be your new favorite snack for on-the-go breakfast, grab-and-go snack, and more. Baked With Love.

76 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The First Mind + Body Protein Bar Atlas Bar

BRAND LISTINGS ‘Meat’ our Droëwors: Handcrafted, Air-Dried, Grass Fed Beef Sticks.

Ayoba

Snack Smart with The Original Plant-Based Tomato Jerky!

Bella Sun Luci

Big bold flavor with all the healthy goodness of a tomato! This plant-based snack is crafted with quality in mind, packed with 6 grams of protein and fiber per serving. The guilt free snack is non-GMO, vegan, and is made with minimal ingredients, with no sacrifice of taste or flavor!

Awarded the Meatless Snack of the Year and Best Plant-Based Artisan Jerky of 2021. Customizable shippers are now available!

Potent Brain and Body Fuel Bang Energy ®

All Joy, No Worries!

Better Bites Bakery

77

BRAND LISTINGS Wholesome and Delicious Oat Bites Made From Real, Simple Ingredients

Chocolate Made With Simple Ingredients, High in Cacao and Low in Sugar

Plant-Based & Shelf-Stable Cashew Cheesy Sauces

It's a party on your plate, baby!

Bobo's

ChocXO

Core and Rind

Disco Sauce

Non-GMO, GlutenFree, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free. With delicious, wholesome and real ingredients these Oat Bites made with organic oats will sure to be your new favorite snack for on-the-go breakfast, grab-and-go snack, and more. Baked With Love.

Great chocolate should never come with guilt and healthier chocolate should never come with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Made by skilled chocolatiers, ChocXO is made using simple ingredients of real organic cocoa and is low in real organic sugar.

Core and Rind created plant-based & dairy free Cashew Cheesy Sauces. They have whole, real, plantbased ingredients, all of which you can pronounce! Create comfort foods like creamy mac & cheese, gooey nachos or any of your favorite cheesy meals.

Disco Sauce brings a dynamic balance of all-natural fruit and peppers to the party.

It’s not too sweet, and not too spicy.

Our flavor profile is versatile and always comes with a lot of energy. It’s not a gimmick, it’s Disco Sauce.

Uniquely Crunchy, Delicious, Vegan, Paleo, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free

Best-Tasting CBD Sparkling Water Available CBD Living

Daily Crunch Snacks

Essential Candy

Cherry Berry Nut Medley is the perfect mix of sprouted almonds, cashews, and walnuts paired with antioxidant-rich dried blueberries and cherries. Sprout your day right with five delicious flavors and get 10% off on our website with code NOSH21.

Essential Candy® is healthy hard candy infused with essential oils and plant botanicals. Our Signature Blends are 100% all-natural, organic, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, soy-free, and have no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.

Vegan Marshmallows For Retail And Foodservice

Plant-Based Meals in Minutes!

High-Quality, Protein-Packed Meat Snacks with Zero Added Sugar

Healthy Organic Hard Candy Infused with Pure Essential Oils

1st and #1 Cheese Wraps

Dandies Marshmallows

Folios Cheese Wraps

Dandies® Vegan Marshmallows turn family faves into treats you can feel good about. Our plant-based fluffy marshies are perfect for campfires, s'mores, hot cocoa, crispy treats, and snacking! No gelatin, no artificial flavors or colors, no corn syrup.

The perfect keto-approved, low-carb alternative for tortillas and bread. Available in 3 delicious flavors– Jarlsberg®, Parmesan, and Cheddar– leaving your options endless and your tastebuds overjoyed. Naturally lactose & gluten-free.

The #1 Samosa is Coming in New Flavors!

A fresh take on a Fall classic!

Chef Soraya

Chomps

Deep Indian Kitchen

Honey Mama's

Each bowl is packed with beans, rice, hemp, quinoa, & global spices. Six flavors perfectly balanced in protein, fiber & healthy fats. Freeze dried ingredients to rehydrate with hot water in minutes. GF, Non-GMO & no added sugar. Enjoy a bowl today!

We use the highestquality, sustainablysourced protein with no added sugar and no harmful ingredients to deliver meat snacks that taste delicious.

Chomps beef and venison are grass-fed and finished. Our turkey is free-range and antibiotic-free.

The #1 samosa in the Natural Channel, Deep’s Potato & Pea Samosa, is coming in new flavors for 2022, including Spinach Paneer (#1 Indian Vegetarian Entrée) and Chickpea Masala for saucy, spicy flavor in a crisp, snackable bite! (Spins YTD '21)

Welcome the season of change with a fresh take on a time-honored classic.

Spices and warmth are swirled into this creamy cocoa truffle that finishes with a bright citrusy note that just might have you dancing under the next Harvest Moon.

78 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

BRAND LISTINGS Organic Mushroom Jerky in Five Chef-Crafted Flavors Eat the Change

Keto-Friendly, Sugar-Free, Direct Trade & Regeneratively Farmed Snacks GoodSam Foods

GoodSam Foods believes in food that is good for you, good for farmers and good for the planet.

Maintaining deep relationships with supply chain, manufacturers and indigenous communities is at the heart of everything GoodSam does. The brand works with farms to maintain the quality of soil through regenerative practices to ensure farms thrive for generations to come. Using only the best organic and non-GMO ingredients, GoodSam products are made with no added sugar and are vegan and keto-friendly. Instead of cane sugar, GoodSam incorporates allulose, a natural low-calorie sweetener. GoodSam created the first-ever keto chocolate candy-coated candies with organic chocolate from the Central Andes of Colombia and allulose + Isomalt. Perfectly paired to sweeten and candy coat, you will never go back to the sugar-sweetened stuff. The Macadamia Nuts are available in Raw and Dry Roasted & Salted, made with 22g of fat and 2 net carbs/ serving, keeping you on your keto, low carb goals. The brand has also released various chocolate bars, chocolate chips and coffee, all available for purchase on GoodSamFoods.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.

Gluten-free chef-inspired frozen food, ready in minutes.

Feel Good Foods

80 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

America’s Fastest Growing Date Brand!

Joolies Organic Medjool Dates

BRAND LISTINGS The Best Gluten Free Waffle You'll Ever Taste!

The snacks you always wished existed for your kids.

Josie's Best Gluten Free Mixes Our waffle mix has earned a great name by many: "The Best Waffle Mix"(notice how they didn't mention Gluten Free) It's that good, you truly can't tell it's GF! Our mixes are made in a dedicated top 8 allergen free facility & offer options for all!

Microwaveable Keto Cookie Cups!

Littlemore

Mel's Toffee

Mission MightyMe

Organic, wholesome and delicious snacks developed by a Mom and pediatrician.

Simple ingredients and savory forward flavors to promote adventurous eating.

No corn or rice, and no added sugar or salt. Snacks they love to eat and you love to feed them!

Mel's Toffee is an award-winning, bold, unique and gourmet toffee company. We make an array of flavors to suit every palate. Our motto is, "One Bite is NEVER Enough". We are certain that after a bite of our toffee, you'll be hooked. Give us a try!!!

On a mission to end the food allergy epidemic by making it deliciously simple to include peanuts and other common food allergens in infant diets, as feeding guidelines now recommend.

Developed by food allergy parents and the top pediatric allergist.

Savory Korean Style Pancakes : Available in Veggie or Kimchi

Kalifornia Keto Now you can enjoy our homemade keto kookies in a convenient, single serve Kookie Kup. Just add water, microwave and have yourself a warm, delicious cookie! Made with all natural ingredients and lightly sweetened, it is sure to fit your macros.

LiquidCore.store Liquid Core Gum Company

Award-Winning, Gourmet Mel's Toffee for Puffs with Purpose: Peanut for Baby Made Safe and Delicious. all Retail,Boutique and Hotels

NEW Harissa Whole Seed Squeeze and Serve Tahini

Lucky Foods

Mighty Sesame

Lucky Foods makes it simple to enjoy authentic Korean flavor at home. Korean pancakes are a savory Korean staple, filled with vegetables and can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a hearty snack, or a meal. Fully cooked, just heat and serve.

Introducing NEW Mighty Sesame® Harissa Whole Seed Tahini, the first-ever harissa-flavored tahini on the market.

The new variety contains a blend of natural harissa spices for a distinctively aromatic, roastedchile pepper flavor profile with a kick.

Discover your BLISS with each bite of MOMO's Bean to BLISS Bars!

MOMO's CBD: Bean to BLISS Bars MOMO's CBD brings together Ethically sourced Peruvian Cacao with 40 mg.

Broad Spectrum CBDYou will discover your BLISS at first bite: Vegan/Non-GMO/ Gluten Free/Soy Free/ Hand Crafted/ Small Batch/Lab tested for purity and potencyFeel Good Vibes!

Nature’s Garden - leading the smart snacking movement.

Nature’s Garden

At Nature’s Garden, our focus is creating snacks that are healthy, functional, and a delicious delight to the taste buds. Therefore, our credo is to Snack with Purpose - do more than simply fill the hunger gap with nutritious snacks that give back to the body.

Why? It’s because we understand that healthy eating isn’t easy. The time between meals feels longer and longer, there’s uncertainty as to whether the food you’re eating actually helps the body, and well, some healthy snacks just don’t taste good. With Nature’s Garden, healthy snacking has never been so easy, convenient, and darn right delicious.

In 2021 alone, our commitment to functionality and innovation has been recognized and awarded nationally. Our Probiotic Apricots was the winner of Good Housekeeping’s Best Fruit Snack, while our Keto Deluxe Mix picked up the 2021 Mindful Award for Best Snack Mix. For more on our products and story, visit: naturesgarden.net 82 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

BRAND LISTINGS Keto Cauliflower Hummus Dips

nib mor Organic Dark Chocolate - Tart Cherry Snacking Bag

Naya Natural foods

nib mor, Inc.

Naya foods Inc is a women-owned business. Naya foods makes keto-friendly, low carb, vegan, and plant-based food products based on Mediterranean diet recipes. We also Keto Friendly Cauliflower Hummus that comes in four delicious and healthy flavors!

Guilt-free organic snacking chocolate & hot cocoa for the whole family. Each certifiably indulgent square has less than 3g sugar, is plant based & gluten free.

Flavors: Sea Salt, Blueberry, Mint, & Extra Dark. Hot cocoa flavors: Traditional & Mint.

NewGem Sandwich Wraps: Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Carb & Keto Friendly

Nutty Gourmet - Seasoned Walnuts and Nut Butters!

NewGem Foods, LLC

Nutty Gourmet

NewGem Foods is the original creator of 100% plant-based wraps. Our flavorful wraps replace bread, tortillas and seaweed on sushi. A tomato wrap is made from tomato, a mango wrap is made from mango, etc. Reinvent classic recipes and create new ones!

Nutty Gourmet is a vibrant bunch of bold flavors that will satisfy your Omega-3 nut cravings. Seasoned Snack Walnuts: Sea Salt, Honey, Maple Cinnamon, Rosemary, Hatch Chile Limon, Buffalo, & Habanero.

Nut Butter: Walnut, Pistachio, & Pecan Praline.

Full of Flavor, Free of Guilt™ Outstanding Foods

Dairygold Launches Pastureland™, Irish Grass-Fed Cheddar Cheese Pastureland

Dairygold, one of Ireland’s largest farmer-owned dairy co-operatives, announces the debut of its first ever branded cheese in the United States called Pastureland™. Pastureland™ is a brand-new line of Irish cheddar cheeses that will be introduced throughout the U.S. commencing with Extra Sharp Irish Cheddar and Aged Creamy Irish Cheddar. Pastureland™ is the first and only range of specially selected premium Irish cheeses, produced exclusively in Ireland’s historic Golden Valley dairy region. Having high sustainable dairy practices, Pastureland’s ingredients bring food to life for cheese lovers who want to experience a unique tasting and naturally nutritious cheese.

The name Pastureland™ speaks for itself, highlighting the very root of the new cheese brand’s unique identity, curated directly from grass-fed cows grazing some of the world’s most fertile pasturelands, rooted in nutrient rich glacial soil. Pastureland™ sets itself apart from other cheese brands because of its Irish roots, which guarantee that every pack of Pastureland™ cheddar cheese is sourced directly from Ireland’s premier dairy region, the Golden Valleys.

Old Amsterdam Debuts 2 New Gouda Cheeses Old Amsterdam

Plant Snacks

Leader in Branded Aged Gouda debuts 2 new flavors: The Reserve- bourbon, caramel & pecan undertones + firm, crumbly texture sparked with lots of ripening crystals; & The Mild- creamy, semi-soft texture excellent for melting, sandwiches, and snacking.

Plant Snacks' veggie chips and tortilla chips are crafted using a tasty proprietary flour blend. All our chips are vegan, gluten-free, non-gmo and free of the big 8 allergens. Craveable plant-based snacking made easy, convenient, and worry-free!

Skinless Popcorn: A Healthier Alternative to a Traditional Snack.

Papa's Pops Skinless Popcorn Unlike traditional popcorn, Papa’s Pops Skinless Popcorn removes the skin (also known as the hull), from the kernel before it's popped using a proprietary process. This creates an entirely new piece of popcorn that won't get stuck in your teeth or gut

84 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Craveable Plant-Based Snacking

Made with Love & Seasoned with Real Ingredients Right from the Farm Popzup Popcorn We make popcorn by hand using pure & simple ingredients like kernels, butter, and cheese right from the farm- Popzup Popcorn, Popzup Popper microwave popcorn (chemical free), K-Pouch kernels for stovetop, & popcorn seasonings.

NON-GMO & Gluten Free

BRAND LISTINGS A Whole New Approach to Healthy Veggies!

Poshi

The Upcycled Food Movement's Leading Brand!

ReGrained

Salivation Snackfoods

Upcycled and delicious, savory and nutritious, these bold flavored foods represent an even bolder idea—that each bite can be better for you and the planet. ReGrained's patented technology creates uniquely differentiated ingredients and products!

But do they taste any good? Nah. They're delicious! Seriously, we worked with a pastry chef and keto experts to ensure our brownies were big on taste but low in Net Carbs. Boosted with Collagen and MCT Oil, these brownies answer prayers. In 3 Flavors

Taste The Spirit Of Aloha Royal Hawaiian Orchards With over 70 years of experience growing delicious macadamia nuts, we are proud to offer our nutritious, plant-based, betterfor-you snacks that are NON-GMO, KETO, PALEO, VEGAN friendly, and even have a HEART-HEALTHY SEAL from the FDA. Enjoy.

Mahalo.

FrieslandCampina Debuts Royal Hollandia Entry Packs Royal Hollandia

Keto Brownies With 3g Net Carbs Boosted with Collagen (Refrigerated)

Simple is Better with Sattva Vida Energy Bites!

Sattva Vida Energy Bites crafted from dates & nuts, with only 3-6 ingredients. Made in small batches with big love ??.

Vegan/PlantBased, GlutenFree, no added sugar, & delicious.

Simple is better!

Mozaics. Now that’s a REAL Veggie Chip!

The Planting Hope Company, Inc.

Royal Hollandia Entry Packs launches an entire new size of cheese for the deli. This new entry point allows consumers to try cheeses in smaller sizes and at smaller price points. Entry Packs are available in six varieties that are perfectly portioned in 3.5-4 oz exact weight pieces. All product ships in shelf ready packaging that is easy for retailers to stock and easy for consumers to shop. Royal Hollandia Entry Packs are available in 5 varieties: Mild Gouda, Creamy Swiss, Smoke Flavored Gouda, Chili Pepper, Mediterranean Herb, and Parrano Originale is available as the 6th item in the lineup. All Entry Packs have clear descriptors with pairing suggestions and a flavor profile scale allowing ease of purchase into the specialty cheese category or trial of a new cheese type.

Royal Hollandia cheeses are made with the highest quality ingredients and are produced in a meticulous fashion, which began over 120 years ago delivering premium cheese products. Dutch cheesemakers have a long and rich history in cheese-making and cheese is ingrained in their culture. This makes them expert cheesemakers.

For more information and flavor profiles, go to https://www.royalhollandia.us 85

BRAND LISTINGS Woodridge Snacks, Globally and Sustainably Sourced are also Delicious

A crunchy NEW super snack has arrived!

SPI West Port Inc

The Only Bean

Inspired by the globalization of regional cuisines and the fusion cuisines that have united different cultures with flavor, Woodridge Snacks searches the world for the very best ingredients and techniques. Our discoveries become guiltless delicacies.

Crush your snack cravings with Crunchy Roasted Edamame Beans! Our beans are dry roasted (never fried) and seasoned to yummy perfection.

Enjoy this proteinpacked super snack straight from the bag or on your favorite meal for some added fuel!

Cactus Tortilla Chips - Grain Free, Gluten Free, NON GMO Tia Lupita Foods

Walden Farms Salad Dressings: 0 Cal, 0 Carb, 0 Sugar, 0 Fat; 100% Great Walden Farms

Walden Farms® introduces a major re-brand across its product line, beginning with 22 new-andimproved salad dressing varieties. Walden Farms’ dressings are proudly free from artificial flavors and dyes, made with real vegetables, fruit fibers and ingredients. Offering a full line of delicious dressings with zero calories, zero net carbs, zero sugar and zero fat, Walden Farms uniquely provides consumers with unmatched attributes vs. other brands in the marketplace. Additionally, all products are keto friendly, gluten free, kosher and have no high fructose corn syrup and most are vegan, dairy free and cholesterol free.

With creamy and vinaigrette varieties in 22 flavors, Walden Farms has a salad dressing for every palate including Bacon Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese, Caesar, Chipotle Ranch, French, Honey Dijon, Italian, Ranch, Raspberry Vinaigrette, Sesame Ginger, and Thousand Island.

Walden Farms’ Dressings allow people to control calories, fat, carbohydrates, gluten, or sugars without giving up great taste.

Learn more at https://www.waldenfarms.com

86 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Organic Functional Ingredients Applied Food Sciences (AFS)

Flavor Manufacturer Abelei Flavors

Water Soluble CBD Ingredients Caliper Foods

As a flavor manufacturer abelei creates delicious, application-specific flavors assisting our clients in getting to market faster with flavorings that fit their product requirements. abelei specializes in creating great-tasting sweet brown, citrus fruit, soft fruit and other top-note flavors perfect for beverages, dairy, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceutical applications.

At Caliper Foods, we’ve spent the last six years developing standardized, water-soluble cannabinoid products and technologies that simplify the development process and provide consistent consumption experiences. Our team of food scientists, manufacturing specialists, and quality systems experts hail from some of the largest, most well-respected CPG companies on Earth.

Functional US Milks + Proteins Axiom Foods

Real People. True Flavor.

Callisons

Innovating FDA GRAS non-GMO plant-based ingredients since 2005, our nutrient-dense rice & oat dairy alts are certified whole grain & allergen-friendly. Also US-made, our soluble patented rice protein is clinically tested vs whey(4x). Looking for extruded pea or fava protein? Choose sizes from Denmark & Asia.

From sacha inchi & pumpkin to hemp, sample functional & neutral-tasting ingredient options

Since 1903, Callisons has created authentic flavors using the highest quality, natural extracts directly from nature. Known as the leader in mint, Callisons develops a diverse portfolio of true flavors with a passion for the Beverage, Confection & Oral Care industries. As tastes change and the market expands, we evolve and innovate to always remain on the forefront of the next flavor revolution.

Accelerate Your Business Amazon Launchpad

Re-Imagine the Possibilities Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

We’re re-imagining the possibilities for functional foods, beverages, dietary supplements, cosmetics and personal care products. Great things can happen when you sharpen your competitive edge with Bioenergy Ribose and RiaGev because our ingredients do more, and they do it better. (Cue the music and fanfare!)

Do you want more sales? Then forget what you thought you knew about energy products. Bioenergy Ribose is a healthy, functional sugar that increases cellular energy by enhancing the body’s ability to make ATP. As the backbone for custom energy blends, it boosts the performance of other energy ingredients, such as CoQ10. This is THE go-to ingredient for noticeable sustained energy, without any unwanted side effects.

Healthy aging is an enormous opportunity. Even those taking NR will be sold on RiaGev, our newest ingredient. It’s the next big thing in healthy aging because it uniquely increases ATP, NAD and glutathione production simultaneously. Science shows RiaGev supports concentration and motivation while reducing fatigue.

88 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

BLS wants to be Your Total Solution Provider by using our innovative ingredients to create applications and finished concepts; partnering with you to develop or refine new formulations and line extensions; and offering marketing support to further strengthen our partnership with you.

Contact us today to advance your business to the next level.

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Support Gut Health with DE111 Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes

Custom Flavor Development Flavor Dynamics, Inc.

Deerland's highly stable, spore-forming probiotic Bacillus subtilis DE111 enhances functional foods and beverages with clinically-backed health claims to support immunity and digestion in children and adults, cardiovascular health and aspects of sports performance. DE111 survives harsh environments, such as the GI tract as well as many food and beverage processing conditions.

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.

Clean Label Ingredients Farbest Brands

Beverage Development Services Flavorman

Recruiting Exceptional Talent Fairfield Partners

Fairfield Partners performs executive search assignments for innovation driven growth companies in natural foods/snacks space.

We are driven by an uncompromising commitment to provide talent that helps our clients achieve their vision and offer a one-year guarantee on every search we conduct.

Our Ingredients. Your Sourcing Simplified. We can help you meet the demand for clean-label ingredients with a full range of high-quality dairy and plant proteins, gum acacia, vitamins, sweeteners, natural colors, as well as USDAcertified organic, and NON-GMO Project Verified ingredients No matter your budget, application, or label claim we can guide you to the ingredients that are right for you.

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

Replace Refined Sugar Today!

Desert Valley Date

90 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Natural Snacks clients include Angie’s BOOM CHICKA POP, Bear Naked, Beyond Good, Brownie Brittle, evol foods, Fast Bar, Food Should Taste Good, jack and annie’s, KIND Snacks, NatureBox, NuTrail, PopCorners, Raymundo’s, TCHO, Unreal, YumEarth, and many more.

Insurance that’s good for you.

Foa & Son

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Clean Label Taste Solutions FONA International

Custom Ingredient Blend Mfr IFPC

Consumers today want it all. You’re balancing the demands of great taste, regulatory hurdles, and consumer acceptance. The experts at FONA can help. From ideation to launch, we can create a seamless, winning path for you. We are FONA. Let us bring the best clean label flavors and taste modification solutions to the table for you.

Over the last two generations, our family-owned company has grown from a sugar supplier to a one-stop ingredient shop. IFPC partners with beverage manufacturers across the country supplying quality ingredients, creating custom solutions, & providing expert advice. Our goal is to help you create the best products for your customers to ensure your business is successful.

Coconut Ingredients Supplier Franklin Baker, Inc.

Cold-Brew Master Extractors Javo Beverage Company

Beverage Innovation Solutions Kerry

Kerry is your trusted partner, helping you create beverages that deliver both exceptional taste and functionality your customers demand. From concept to commercialization, we are your industry partner with expertise in R&D, consumer insights, sensory, applied health & nutrition and regulatory with operational flexibility and manufacturing capabilities. We’re leading the way with on-trend flavors and clinically-backed functional solutions, formulating great-tasting beverages in tandem with our customers. Contact Kerry to see how we can help you quickly and competitively deliver the right beverage to market. 608-363-1200 Kerry.com

Franklin Baker, Inc. is the largest processor of coconut ingredients in the Philippines and the premier supplier to the global beverage & food market. Franklin Baker offers an extensive portfolio of coconut products including Coconut Water, Coconut Milk/Cream, Coconut Concentrate, Creamed Coconut. Our extensive third-party certifications are unrivaled to the highest product standards.

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

Natural Color Solutions GNT USA Inc.

100% Japanese Bulk Matcha.com Matcha.com

From Our Hands To Yours Milne Fruit

Flavor Manufacturer Mother Murphy's Flavors

EXBERRY® by GNT is the leading brand of natural food coloring for the food and beverage industry. EXBERRY® colors are derived solely from fruits, vegetables, and edible plants through a process of chopping, pressing, filtering and blending. EXBERRY® products can be applied to a range of beverage categories including enhanced waters, carbonated soft drinks, dairy, and plant-based milks.

We reviewed hundreds of grades, not only from all other bulk suppliers but from many tens of producers and farms all across Japan. With the help of our founder Dr. Weil's discerning palate and 60+ years of travelling to Japan creating relationships, we've arrived at our current lineup of bulk matcha grades. We have a grade for every purpose and price point, and can beat any price and quality!

Milne is committed to the industry’s best practices in every phase of production using state-of-the-art processing technologies. Milne’s fruit and vegetable ingredients are available as juices or purees in both not from concentrate and concentrated options. Many items are also available as organic!

Mother Murphy's is a full service flavor manufacturer dedicated to supporting customer needs through quality and flavor innovation.

At Mother Murphy's we specialize in flavor and prototype development for the beverage and snack industries and have over 60,000 flavors in our portfolio. We have made the world taste better for 75 years!

Nuts-Roasted-Seasoned-Butter Grower Direct Nut Ingr. Supply

Branding & Packaging Design McLean Design

Trust the monk.™ MONK FRUIT CORP.

Contract Manufacturer NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO

Walnuts, almonds, macadamia, pecans, pistachios. Capabilities include: dry steam pasteurization, dry roasting, seasoning, bagging, nut butters (jars, drums, eco-friendly meta-pail).

Manufactured to industry specifications for ingredient applications or as private label retail finished goods. Highlights: all-natural, plantbased, gluten-free, non-GMO, Halal, Vegan, BRC Cert., OU Kosher, organic.

Understanding our clients, their markets, their unique needs, and most importantly, their consumers’ subconscious desires, allows us to create truly compelling brands and packaging engineered to enrich consumers’ lives. We’ve driven over $60 Billion in revenue with businesses of all sizes. We are a team of highly-trained specialists united by the common compulsion to create triumphant brands.

Monk fruit allows you to create great tasting, innovative products with significantly less sugar and calories - all from the goodness of fruit! Monk Fruit Corp is the recognized industry leader, with the best quality and widest variety of monk fruit products and the majority share of the global monk fruit market (more than 3X our nearest competitor). Looking for monk fruit? Trust the monk.™

Nor-Cal Beverage Company, Inc. is a full-service Contract Manufacturer with two production facilities in Northern and Southern California.

Both locations offer a range of production capabilities and certifications. We also offer finished goods and distribution service centers positioned to supply West Coast fulfillment needs. Family owned and operated since 1937 also Women's Owned Business.

92 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS ON-DEMAND STEAM SOLUTIONS MIURA AMERICA CO., LTD.

Specialty Beverage Insurance Personal Coverage, Inc.

Beverage & Food Development PTM Food

You will receive personal attention regardless of company size. Great place for education.

Product offerings include General Liability, Excess Liability, Commercial Property, Domestic and Ocean Cargo, Product Recall, Workers Compensation and Commercial Auto insurance.

We are licensed in many states. Very familiar with contract requirements and working with US subsidiaries of foreign entities.

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

Healthy Snacks with Flaxseed Pizzey Ingredients

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Stiebs

Miura boilers are available in two series: The LX Gas/Low NOx Series, Low and High Pressure Steam Boiler (from 50 -300HP) uses natural gas or propane and are compactly-designed. The EX Gas/Oil Series High Pressure Steam Boilers (from 100HP and 50HP increments up to 300HP) are the most versatile boilers in the world.

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 are ideal for gluten-free, keto, vegan and other specialty applications. PurFlax™ is non-GMO, available in organic and conventional varieties, and is guaranteed shelf stable for 2 years.

Stiebs is a multi-divisional California processor and importer of industrial juices, concentrates, purees, and frozen items. In addition to our broad portfolio of Industrial Ingredients Stiebs Foodservice division markets frozen fruit cubes as well as branded Especial Fruits Acai and smoothie products.

Sustainable Packaging Handles PakTech

Get Your Packaging Picked Up Printpack

Celebrating over 60 years in business, and 10+ years in their Made in the USA manufacturing facility in Rockmart, Georgia, Miura has become the world leader in steam boiler innovation and technology and a favorite of the Beverage and Food industry.

Miura’s once-through watertube boilers are exceptionally reliable, efficient, safe, and feature a range of impressive benefits including: Cold start to full steam in less than 5 minutes, which allows users to turn units on/off quickly depending on load requirements, while conserving resources and reducing energy costs; enhanced operational reliability; modular, space-saving design; advanced controls and remote monitoring; and a best-in-industry safety record with zero catastrophic vessel failures resulting in casualty.

In 2020, Miura, along with Hartford Steam Boiler and Armstrong Services introduced Steam as a Service (SaaS), a turnkey, fully-financed solution that meets the steam requirements of a range of users by designing, building, operating, maintaining, and continuously optimizing their steam generation onsite.

93

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS The natural choice for sweet brown extracts & flavors PROVA

Pyure Sweetness Ingredients Pyure Ingredients

Pyure Brands sells clean label high & low intensity sweeteners, no-sugar-added chocolate inclusions & coatings and sugar-free baking mixes for snack food applications. Pyure is distinguished for pioneering the first-to-market third party certified Stevia, Erythritol, Allulose & No-SugarAdded Chocolate Chips & Compounds in North America.

Pyure is trusted for taste & quality by millions of producers, marketers & consumers who insist on reducing sugar consumption without sacrificing taste. Our team of innovation, sourcing, regulatory, logistics & cobranding experts have over 80 years of experience creating & supporting our manufacturing, foodservice, retail & direct to consumer partners.

Visit www.pyureingredients.com or email ingredients@pyurebrands.com. Sweet.

It’s a Matter of Taste!

Sensient Flavors & Extracts

Sensient Flavors & Extracts offers value-added flavors, systems and extracts that bring life to products. We inspire our customers to deliver products that offer multi-sensory experiences that are “just picked from nature.” Thanks to our wide-ranging product library, development teams and cutting-edge facilities, we’re able to implement thoughtful solutions for complex challenges.

With industry-leading expertise in the savory, beverage and sweet markets, we provide comprehensive solutions that meet our customers’ flavor, color, and functionality requirements. At Sensient Flavors & Extracts, we use our advanced proprietary development technologies to create fresh, unique flavor systems. Additionally, we have a complete line of masking & flavor enhancing technologies.

We are experts in the science, art and innovation of taste. We are market-savvy influencers, grounded in facts and driven by the needs & occasion of our consumers. We are problem solvers, and you are what makes us a collaborator, and a true partner. Together, we can solve the most challenging product puzzles and together, we can make products that are delicious, craveable and truly inspired.

94 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Beverage Premix Solutions The Wright Group

Connect with the team of experts at The Wright Group to learn more about turnkey beverage solutions to add to your product portfolio.

Beverages create ideal systems for functional ingredients since flavoring / sweetening systems can often mask unfamiliar tastes from functional ingredients.

Microemulsion value-added ingredients often perform better in beverage delivery systems since they may not subject to the same cooking or mechanical stresses as in food production. Valueadded premix solutions deliver performance and stability to your products...often at a cost savings!

Custom nutrient premixes have been shown to work well in a variety of products even extruded bars, breakfast cereals and beverages. SuperBlend© custom nutrient premixes are engineered to perform at high temperatures and shear processes. The Wright Group delivers custom nutritional blends, vitamin & mineral premixes and microemulsion-value added ingredients for the beverage and nutritional supplement markets. Our 100+ years of innovative expertise, accomplished technical team, and comprehensive production capabilities allow us to provide shorter lead times enabling you to successfully bring your products to market.

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Your Sales Team Solution Sunset Strategic Brands

Plant-Based. Non-GMO Solutions Top Health Ingredients, Inc.

Sunset Strategic Brands is a proven outsourced sales, strategy, sales finance, and retailer marketing integrated partner that mindfully scales your CPG business at a remarkably low cost. We're not a broker, rather we are YOUR sales team. Let our success and experience help you build and scale your early stage food business!

Top Health Ingredients has been a trusted leader in providing the highest quality non-GMO, plant-based proteins, fibers and sweeteners to the functional food & beverage markets for over a decade. We work closely with our manufacturers and valued customers to develop and supply innovative plant-based ingredient solutions for unique applications like dairy alternatives, or meat and seafood analogs!

Inspiring Taste in Snack Foods Synergy Flavors, Inc

Synergy Flavors is a supplier of sweet and savory flavors, vanilla, coffee, tea and botanical essences and extracts for the global food, beverage and nutrition industries. With over 130 years of expertise and understanding of frontto-end-product development, Synergy blends art, science, and market insights to create an array of exceptional taste profiles for the snack food industry.

95

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

Abelei Flavors

Info@abelei

-

-

(630) 859-1410

WEB SITE abelei.com

Alden's Organic

Natalie Ayers

Camas

WA

(360) 713-6800

aldensicecream.com

Alpha Foods

Matthew Newman

Glendale

CA

(360) 567-7278

eatalphafoods.com

Alta Goods

Nyree Bekarian Mack

Arlington

MA

(510) 684-0046

altagoods.com

Amazon Launchpad

magdalena jedlinski

Bellevue

WA

(646) 637-6644

sell.amazon.com

Augusto Barrantes

Miami

FL

(786) 930-9375

andeanbites.us

Andean Bites

Jackson Zapp

Austin,

TX

(512) 732-8300

appliedfoods.com

Artisan Tropic

Applied Food Sciences (AFS)

Juan Nino

Monroe

NC

(832) 795-4540

artisantropic.com

Atlas Bar

Jylle Ryan

Duxbury

MA

(303) 881-7179

atlasbars.com

Axiom Foods

Kay Abadee

Bell Canyon

CA

(818) 266-2461

axiomfoods.com

Ayoba

Matt Harris

Springfield

VA

(202) 796-8554

ayobafoods.com

Bang Energy ®

Yanilis Polito

Weston

FL

(954) 802-3546

bangenergy.com

Bella Sun Luci

Emily Baker

Chico

CA

(530) 899-2661

bellasunluci.com

Better Bites Bakery

Rachel Brocker

-

-

(512) 350-2271

betterbitesbakery.com

Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

Penny Portner

Ham Lake

MN

(763) 746-3926

bioenergylifescience.com

Bobo's

Boulder

CO

(303) 938-1977

eatbobos.com

Jolene Jacobs

Commerce City

CO

(720) 273-3824

caliperingredients.life

Kim Carson

Cincinnati

OH

-

Bobo's Caliper Foods Callisons

callisons.com

CBD Living

Sean

Corona

CA

(800) 940-3660

cbdliving.com

Chef Soraya

Jennifer Calderazzo

Boulder

CO

(303) 736-6259

chefsoraya.com

ChocXO

Rebecca Campbell

Los Angeles

CA

(213) 225-4415

chocxo.com

Chomps

Pete Maldonado

Naples

FL

(239) 233-6722

chomps.com

Core and Rind

Rita Childers

St Louis

MO

(314) 608-5034

coreandrind.com

Daily Crunch Snacks

Caroline Pratt

Troy

MI

(615) 598-0855

dailycrunchsnacks.com

Dan Reed

Addison

IL

(630) 629-9667

dandies.com

Dandies Marshmallows

Kiernan Laughlin

Union

NJ

(908) 296-7432

deepindiankitchen.com

Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes

Deep Indian Kitchen

Leanne Levy

Kennesaw

GA

(404) 797-3138

deerland.com

Desert Valley Date

Chris Rogers

Coachella

CA

(760) 398-0999

desertvalleydate.com

Disco Sauce

Alexander Paramithiotti

New York

NY

(603) 845-8465

discosauce.com

Rick Tidrow

Bethesda

MD

(916) 666-2730

eatthechange.com

Essential Candy

Dean Ernst

Wellington

FL

(561) 371-4856

essentialcandy.com

Fairfield Partners

Brian Curry

DARIEN

CT

(203) 202-7195

fairfieldpartners.com

Farbest Brands

Cheryl Pasiut

Park Ridge

NJ

(201) 573-4900

farbest.com

Feel Good Foods

Andria Sato

Brooklyn

NY

(562) 972-1502

feelgf.com

Colleen Roberts

South Plainfield

NJ

(908) 822-8855

FlavorDynamics.com

Eat the Change

Flavor Dynamics, Inc. Flavorman

Phil Icsman

Louisville

KY

(502) 289-5549

flavorman.com

Foa & Son

Bradley Hamburger

Rye Brook

NY

(212) 812-8990

foason.com

Folios Cheese Wraps

Hayden Hammerling

-

-

(973) 405-4600

thebendergrouppr.com

FONA International

John Fishel

Geneva

IL

(630) 578-8638

fona.com

Franklin Baker, Inc.

John Slade

Memphis

TN

(901) 881-6681

franklinbaker.com

Jeannette O'Brien

Tarrytown

NY

(914) 524-0600

exberry.com

Marcia Bell

-

ME

(207) 347-1963

goodsamfoods.com

GNT USA Inc. GoodSam Foods Grower Direct Nut Ingr. Supply Honey Mama's

Tony Varni

Hughson

CA

(209) 448-6105

growerdirectnut.com

Shannon Sweeney

Portland

OR

(631) 942-8670

honeymamas.com

IFPC

Renee Famula

Fenton

MO

(800) 227-8427

ifpc.com

Javo Beverage Company

Joanne Sheean

Vista

CA

(760) 330-1141

javobeverage.com

Joolies Organic Medjool Dates

Amanda Sains

Coachella

CA

(703) 980-8441

joolies.com

Josie's Best Gluten Free Mixes

Josette Johnson

Sisters

OR

(800) 477-2815

josiesbestgf.com

Kalifornia Keto

Stacey Chilcoff

Yorba Linda

CA

(714) 851-0331

kaliforniaketo.com

Shawn Gerstenkorn

Beloit

WI

(608) 201-5470

kerry.com

Kerry

96 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Liquid Core Gum Company

scott schaible

Denver

CO

(720) 795-5547

liquidcore.store

Littlemore

Joana Fraser

Charlestown

MA

(802) 375-5770

littlemoreorganics.com

Lucky Foods

Cindy Harling

Tualatin

OR

(503) 612-1300

luckyfood.com

Matcha.com

Sean Matteson

Tucson

AZ

(520) 548-6268

matcha.com

Jeff Plank

Walnut Creek

CA

(925) 944-9500

McLean-Design.com

Mel's Toffee

Michelle Williamson

Rochester Hills

MI

(248) 496-0186

melstoffee.com

Mighty Sesame

Hayden Hammerling

-

-

(973) 405-4600

www.thebendergrouppr.com

Tyson Jones

Prosser

WA

(509) 786-2611

milnefruit.com

McLean Design

Milne Fruit Mission MightyMe MIURA AMERICA CO., LTD. MOMO's CBD: Bean to BLISS Bars

JJ Jaxon

Atlanta

GA

(917) 912-4442

missionmightyme.com

Andrew Eklind

Rockmart

GA

(888) 309-5574

miuraboiler.com momoscbd.com

Mo George-Payette

Huntington Beach

CA

(714) 401-7435

MONK FRUIT CORP.

Paul Paslaski

Libertyville

IL

(847) 367-6665

monkfruitcorp.com

Mother Murphy's Flavors

Michael Oden

Greensboro

NC

(336) 273-1737

mothermurphys.com

Nature's Garden

Aiden Mould

Totowa

NJ

(205) 561-7088

naturesgarden.net

Naya Natural foods

Nadia Gara

torrance

CA

(194) 946-6295

nayasfoods.com

NewGem Foods, LLC

Matthew deBord

Fife

WA

(253) 896-3089

newgemfoods.com

nib mor, Inc.

Ross Rutherford

Stamford

CT

(203) 902-2925

nibmor.com

Pete Grego

West Sacramento

CA

(916) 372-0600

ncbev.com

Nutty Gourmet

Tony Varni

Hughson

CA

(209) 448-6105

nutty-gourmet.com

Old Amsterdam

Hayden Hammerling

-

-

(973) 405-4600

thebendergrouppr.com

Outstanding Foods

-

Los Angeles

CA

-

PakTech

-

-

OR

(541) 461-5000

PakTech-opi.com papaspops.com

NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO

Papa's Pops Skinless Popcorn

outstandingfoods.com

Samantha Trainor

New York

NY

(505) 999-8609

Hayden Hammerling

-

-

(973) 405-4600

thebendergrouppr.com

Personal Coverage, Inc.

Tom Wallace

Ballston Spa

NY

(866) 461-0709

specialtyfoodbeverage.com

Pizzey Ingredients

Mary Ekman

Rockford

MN

(651) 797-3168

pizzeyingredients.com

Plant Snacks

Kevin Barry

Needham

MA

(617) 967-6239

plantsnacks.com

Pastureland

Popzup Popcorn

Julie Lapham

Dover

NH

-

Doruk Karakasoglu

Miami

FL

(305) 777-0948

Rachel Morrissey

Atlanta

GA

(404) 460-7000

printpack.com

PROVA

Beverly

MA

(978) 739-9055

provaus.com

PTM Food

Don Rodgers

Wall Township

NJ

(888) 736-6339

ptmfood.com

Poshi Printpack PROVA

popzup.com poshi.com

Pyure Ingredients

Gregory Drew

Naples

FL

(201) 388-9789

pyureingredients.com

ReGrained

Dan Kurzrock

Berkeley

CA

(510) 833-2638

regrained.com

Royal Hawaiian Orchards

Claude Weiller

Dana Point

CA

(949) 661-6304

royalhawaiianorchards.com

Royal Hollandia

Deborah Seife

-

-

(201) 906-5050

royalhollandia.com

Brad Armistead

West Hollywood

CA

-

Sattva Vida

Salivation Snackfoods

Karen Lauterstein

New York

NY

(917) 596-4935

sattvavida.com

salivationsnackfoods.com

Sensient Flavors & Extracts

Sydney Riethman

Hoffman Estates

IL

(847) 645-7031

sensientflavorsandextracts.com

SPI West Port Inc

Brian Choi

South San Francisco

CA

(650) 616-7777

woodridgesnacks.com

Stiebs

Brian Nova

Madera

CA

(559) 455-8606

stiebs.com

Sunset Strategic Brands

Ken Messick

-

CT

(201) 615-1766

sunsetstrategicbrands.com

Synergy Flavors, Inc

Chris Ricco

Wauconda

IL

(847) 487-1011

synergytaste.com

The Only Bean

Kristine Yang

Wyoming

MI

(616) 826-8075

theonlybean.com

The Planting Hope Company, Inc

James Curley

Chicago

IL

(773) 459-1450

plantinghopecompany.com

The Wright Group

Lacey Landry

Lafayette

LA

(337) 783-3096

thewrightgroup.net

Tia Lupita Foods Top Health Ingredients, Inc. Walden Farms

Hector Saldivar

Tiburon

CA

(415) 420-2820

tialupitafoods.com

Brittany DeMarco

Edmonton

-

(780) 439-1425

tophealthingredients.com

Hayden Hammerling

-

-

(973) 405-4600

thebendergrouppr.com

97

PROMO PARADE

INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS

Pepsi Urges Fans to Stay In During Football Season Though the world may be calling, so is football. This year, Pepsi is giving the “okay” to all football watchers to choose their love of the game above all else, and fans agree. According to Nielsen, 2020 football fans were as devoted as ever, tuning into NFL games at more than three times the rate of other primetime programs. Pepsi is celebrating these loyal watchers with its “Made for Football Watching” campaign designed to inspire fans and gear them up (literally) for a season of prime unapologetic NFL binge watching.

Along with the return of national TV spots celebrating the football watcher, this year’s program debuts with “Football Is Calling,” new digital content featuring Billions star and Breaking Bad alum David Costabile, alongside a new program that gives fans a chance to score NFLShop.com merch and exclusive game-changing prizes – all to take their watch parties and football marathons to the next level.

“Sundays are very special days for NFL fans, as the football watching experience at home has become a somewhat sacred experience for many,” said Pepsi VP of marketing Todd Kaplan..

“Now that fall schedules are beginning to fill up, we felt it was important to remind everyone to unapologetically prioritize their football watching time – even if it comes at the expense of social or household obligations. No matter where you find yourself this season, we’re encouraging fans to celebrate their love of countless hours of football…and to do so with a Pepsi in hand, decked out in their favorite team gear.”

Pepsi is unveiling a brand-new digital spot called “Football Is Calling” featuring Costabile to remind fans of the importance of their football Sunday watching rituals. Inspired by some of the most iconic speeches in sports film history, Costabile’s character delivers a championship-worthy rallying cry to some faltering football watchers trying to bail on their gameday gathering to attend other social activities like brunch and shopping. “But there are six other days of the week you can go out. Days such as Tuesday. And Wednesday. But not today. Today is for football,” Costabile’s character passionately declares to the group.

Through a new partnership with NFLShop.com, Pepsi is also gearing up fans by giving away over $1 million of NFL gear and prizes through October. Fans who scan the code on specially marked Pepsi bottles or packs can score points and use them in two ways – redeem them on NFLShop.com for gear across 32 NFL teams to show-off in front of friends, family and rivals, or use points to enter weekly sweepstakes for a chance to score oneof-a-kind prizes including a trip for two to Los Angeles to attend Super Bowl LVI and watch the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, an Unapologetic Fan Cave Makeover, a watch party with an NFL Legend and more.

Cold Brewtus Partners with George Howell Coffee for Co-Branded Launch In collaboration with coffee legend and pioneer George Howell, Cold Brewtus has announced the newest addition to its product line-up, aptly named: “George Howell Reserve”. The new co-branded brew will be initially available in select New England and New York Metro Markets as well as George Howell affiliated retail cafes and locations in the Greater Boston area. The brew can also be purchased from the company’s online store.

While the cold brew coffee market has seen an explosion in flavor combinations and added ingredients, Cold Brewtus has remained dedicated to its mission as a craft, small batch cold brew coffee company, offering the freshest quality cold brew available.

“Working with George has been an extraordinary experience,”

98 BEVNET MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

said Bill Peters, managing partner of Cold Brewtus. “His knowledge of precisely what coffee varietal would create an elegant, naturally sweet thirst-quenching brew was amazing and I believe cold brew coffee fans will love the result”.

“When Bill approached me about collaborating on a cold brew coffee project, I was initially skeptical that we could produce a unique beverage with the taste qualities that I have championed during my entire career,” said Howell. “For our new brew, I selected and roasted a Bourbon varietal from the Montecarlos Estate, creating an exceptional cold brew experience, with super clean, crisp tasting notes that will satisfy even the most discerning coffee lovers”.

Los Angeles Lakers Name BioSteel Official Sports Drink BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. marked a milestone in its mission to provide Clean.

Healthy. Hydration. to the world in August, announcing a multi-year sponsorship as The Official Sports Drink of the Los Angeles Lakers. The sponsorship is the ninth in the past year for BioSteel as it continues to expand its U.S. footprint with retailers and distribution partners, in addition to strengthening relationships with some of the most exciting teams, professional athletes and health-conscious consumers across North America.

Through the multi-channel sponsorship, BioSteel will support the 17-time NBA champions’ performance with Clean.

Healthy. Hydration., and the BioSteel brand and products will have a year-round presence on and off the court. This includes BioSteel Sports Drink on the Lakers team bench and integration of the BioSteel brand into the team bench set ups, locker room displays and in-arena signage.

“Fans worldwide know the Lakers as one of the most entertaining and storied franchises in all of sports, and we’re excited they’ve chosen BioSteel as their team’s official sports drink,” said Michael Cammalleri, co-CEO and co-founder of BioSteel.

“Spending the first part of my NHL career in LA, I take great pride in seeing this come full circle. We look forward to providing the Lakers with Clean.

Healthy. Hydration. and to expand on our message of providing a better for you product to athletes and consumers across the U.S.” “We are committed to providing our players with the products and tools needed to improve their performance,” said Lakers president of business operations Tim Harris. “With quality clean ingredients and sustainable packaging, BioSteel leads the way in supporting the health and wellness of athletes, which makes them a perfect sponsor for our team. We are thrilled to welcome them to the Lakers.”

Founded in 2009 by Michael Cammalleri and business partner John Celenza, BioSteel has achieved a reputation for being the hydration product of choice for professional athletes looking for a healthy alternative. The brand is committed to using premium ingredients, maintaining product transparency and delivering essential nutrients needed to support physical activity. Each electrolyte-packed sports drink comes in an eco-friendly 16.7 fl oz Tetra Pak. The range of delicious flavors includes Mixed Berry, Blue Raspberry, White Freeze, Rainbow Twist and Peach Mango to keep consumers hydrated throughout the day.

99