Beverage Industry News, Reviews, Events, & Jobs


Taste Radio Ep. 107: Fuze/Core/BodyArmor Founder Collins — ‘Be the Pulse Before the Trend’
A self-described “entrepreneurial junkie,” Lance Collins -- the founder of Fuze, BodyArmor and Core -- is still itching for his next fix; How financial discipline, hustle and perseverance has paid dividends for Q Drinks founder Jordan Silbert.


Early Registration for BevNET Live Summer 2018 Ends Friday
Only three days remain to take advantage of early registration pricing for BevNET Live Summer 2018. The premier business conference for the beverage industry will bring together hundreds of beverage founders, investors, retailers, suppliers and industry professionals on June 6th and 7th in New York, NY. If you plan to attend, now is the time to register and save money. After Friday ticket prices will increase by $200 per person.


Press Clips: Starbucks to Review Policies After Accusations of Racism
Following nationwide controversy after two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks the company has said it will review its policies; PepsiCo trials Aquafina dispensers; Public outcry after Nestle is cleared to increase its pumping of Michigan groundwater; Finlays opens a Rhode Island facility; Lavazza reveals it turned down offers to sell from both JAB and Nestle.


It’s a Package Deal: Did Craft Beer’s Boom Help Beverage?
For non-alcoholic beverages in particular, the rise of craft beer had a huge impact in that it brought a perception of premium back to cans.


Taste Radio Ep. 106: Daphne Oz: Eating Healthy Food ‘Should Feel Like An Indulgence’
Daphne Oz believes that healthy eating should never mean sacrificing flavor. Hear why in our interview with the Emmy award-winning TV host, social media maven and chief innovation officer of Pure Spoon. Plus, original takes on meat and meatless brands in the latest edition of Elevator Talk. This episode is presented by RISE Brewing Co.


Kombucha Dog Targets Four Brands in Lawsuits
Having filed multiple lawsuits over the past year against brands such as Health-Ade, Humm, and GT’s Living Foods, Tortilla Factory -- the parent company of Kombucha Dog -- filed complaints against an additional four kombucha brands earlier this week.


Vita Coco Debuts PET Bottle At 7-Eleven, Preps for Sparkling Launch
After enjoying strong performance in conventional and mass retailers in a Tetra Pak, coconut water brand Vita Coco aims to use a new PET bottle as a springboard for continued growth in the convenience channel.


Review: Hälsa Organic Oatgurt
Hälsa is a line of plant-based yogurt drinks made with a base of fermented organic whole grain oats. The product is available in three flavors at its launch and its clean label is one of its key selling points.


Looking to Future, Night Shift Distributing Takes on Non-Alcoholic
As Boston-based operation Night Shift Distributing prepares to expand its portfolio to include products from seven non-beer beverage brands, the company is looking ahead to the long term prospects for a secondary business that has developed into a substantial operation.


Beyond Milk: Perfect Day Innovating with Animal-Free Dairy
Perfect Day, a food tech startup, is utilizing a proprietary process to create the same protein found in cow’s milk, allowing the company to develop lactose-free milks, cheeses, yogurts, and other such products with the same nutritional benefits of dairy without sourcing from animals.


Review: Montane Sparkling Spring Water
Montane Spring Water is a line of sparkling waters that are produced in Georgia using a quartzite spring. The product is launching with Original (unflavored) as well as two flavored offerings: Cucumber Lime and Meyer Lemon Honeysuckle.


Taste Radio Ep. 105: How Thrive Market is Democratizing Organics For ‘The 99 Percent’
Thrive Market co-founder Nick Green: “if we make healthy living affordable for everyone, there’s tens of billions of dollars [worth of] business to be built”; an Elevator Talk double-header with upstart brands Hubble and WholeMe. This episode is presented by RISE Brewing Co.


People Moves: Chris Hall Named CEO of Talking Rain
Chris Hall named new permanent CEO of Talking Rain; Karyn Abrahamson takes CMO position at Essentia; Bulletproof adds Shazi Visram to Board of Directors


Entrepreneurs, Gender Diversity, Strategy on Tap at BevNET Live Summer 2018
Change is upon the beverage business: insurgent brands are growing up, retailing and marketing are moving to the cloud, and issues of gender diversity are becoming key influences with regard to purchasing, investing, and brand loyalty. What doesn’t change is that BevNET Live will be the forum in which these important shifts are addressed, both onstage and in person.