BevNET Best Of Awards 2023

At the conclusion of each year, BevNET honors the companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas and trends that have helped drive positive growth across the industry over the last 12 months.

And in 2023, positivity is a truly valuable commodity. It felt something like a culmination of the seismic events of the past few years, as post-COVID market trends crashed into the choppy economic waters and supply chain disruptions born from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Within the industry, conditions further stressed entrepreneurs by a collective pivot away from emphasis on raw growth and towards profitability. Beverage founders and operators have suddenly been asked to rewrite the playbooks that had brought them to prominence. Optimistic projections for endless future growth suddenly didn’t seem so certain.

What was predictable, though, was the way in which those beverage leaders responded to the opportunities inherent in that challenge. Giant legacy brands like Gatorade, Monster and Red Bull now face substantial competitors in the guise of Electrolit, PRIME and Pepsi-aligned Celsius, which has been turned around under CEO John Fieldly to nearly $400 million in quarterly sales. The red-hot ‘adult non-alcoholic’ space has been a wellspring of inspiration for product innovators – how else would we get a zero-proof, olive oil-spiked martini? For the answers to questions about the viability of a canned plant-based milk for kids, or if there’s room on the shelf for more robusta-centric RTD coffees, just read on here.

The winners of BevNET’s Best of 2023 Awards embody that spirit and drive, combining inspiration with effort, style, dynamism and personality. Try to tell these brands that they can’t, and they’ll show you how they can.

BRAND OF THE YEAR

PRIME

Acknowledging the old timers we admittedly are, we won’t even pretend to understand all of the factors that create a media movement like PRIME, but we do know that there’s been an incredibly well-coordinated mix of execution and earned media that has allowed this brand to be as disruptive in the hydration and energy categories as Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath upended the heavy metal game. They’ve activated a new set of fans, getting them early, making it the must-have beverage for the cool kid at the soccer field.

What they’ve done right: on the marketing side, they’ve leveraged a pair of international media stars to create a youth movement on both sides of the Atlantic, have those stars continually promote the brand to a tween- and teen-age audience, spend on high-profile partnership targets that match that demographic (Arsenal, FC Barcelona, NASCAR, UFC, the LA Dodgers). On the manufacturing side, Congo Brands has kept product flowing – after a short scarcity issue that had shop owners acting like they were selling a Sony PS5.

Roll in a little bit of pearl-clutching in the U.S. Senate to give the new energy drink SKUs some extra heat, and in two years the brand has reached more than a half-billion at retail, with a run rate expanding like a whale’s maw in a krill colony. In other words, it sounds like it’s PRIME Time indeed.

PERSON OF THE YEAR

John Fieldly, CEO, Celsius

It’s a landing worthy of Top Gun. Celsius was coming in hot and the PepsiCo landing pad was already torn ragged from ongoing scuffles with previous energy drink partners, but John Fieldly and his team have managed to bring the brand into its new distribution system in as smooth a fashion as could be imagined.

In the year-plus since, Celsius has proven to be a partner worthy of the $550 million that PepsiCo invested in the brand, and the person at the center of that transition has been Fieldly, whose leadership has been steady, reliable, and consistent, focused on scaling with his partners as opposed to in spite of them. The brand has soared to an expected $1.15 billion in revenue this year – triple what it was two years ago and an incredible 10 times what it reported in 2020.

For bringing Celsius to a rapid boil – without getting anyone hot under the collar – Fieldly is an easy choice as BevNET’s Person of the Year for 2023.

BEST MARKETING

Tractor Beverage – “Escape the Ordinary”

In 1949, author and literary theorist Joseph Campbell introduced the idea of “The Hero’s Journey” – that most major works of storytelling follow a pre-existing arc in which the singular hero is called to adventure, undergoes trials and tribulations, and through metaphorical death and resurrection returns to the ordinary world triumphant and wiser. It’s a model that has been identified in everything from The Odyssey to Star Wars. So why not a 90 second animated commercial where the monomythical hero is a sentient plastic cup full of ice?

Tractor Beverage Co.’s first ever ad campaign, “Escape the Ordinary” is a psychedelic cartoon odyssey all its own, set to a rendition of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” performed by roots artist Valerie June, featuring urban dystopia, dreamscape wonderlands, and better-for-you craft soda fountains. The vivid animation and strange imagery (Why does every individual ice cube have eyes? What is with the faceless flying peach cherubs?) stuck in our minds all year long, and we can only hope it had a similar impact on the consumers who saw this ad in its various forms on streaming services, TV and movie theaters where the disruptive fountain beverage company placed this standout campaign.

RISING STARS

Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits

Long before everyone you know was doing Dry January or Sober October, Lyre’s was already in the door. The Australian company’s innovative range of zero-proof spirits and canned cocktails has been winning fans since its introduction in 2019, but this was the year in which it truly broke through. Lyre’s has gone from strength to strength in 2023, closing a $34.5 million funding round in July and elevating CMO Paul Glosser to the chief executive position, all while deepening its presence across the Middle East to reach audiences eager for more alcohol-free options.

Its ties to live music also grew tighter, thanks to its role as an official sponsor of SXSW Sydney and through a partnership with French EDM DJ/producer David Guetta announced in November. Now standing at 11 SKUs spanning from an Italian bitter spritz to white rum and absinthe, Lyre’s was the top trending non-alc spirit of 2023 (per Drinks International’s annual brand report) and showing no signs of slowing down. What’s the secret? A simple approach, as, rather than teasing an original recipe or highlighting added functional ingredients, Lyre’s is positioned as a like-for-like replacement for traditional spirits.

Poppi

When apple cider vinegar drink Mother Beverage won BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown 12 in 2016, it looked and felt nothing like the brand it was about to become. But after an investment from Rohan Oza and CAVU Ventures (earned through a fortuitous 2018 appearance on Shark Tank) Mother dialed down the vinegar and re-emerged in 2020 as Poppi, now positioned as a gut health supporting prebiotic soda. Today, the functional soda set is among the most buzzed about emerging categories in the beverage industry and Poppi has surpassed $100 million in retail sales positioning it well, alongside friendly competitor Olipop, as a category leader. Under CEO Chris Hall, Poppi reported 148% growth in 2022, including 250% growth online, and scanner data suggests it’s on track to repeat triple-digit improvement this year as well.

Poppi didn’t reach its position overnight, but a few overnight growth spurts certainly helped; the social media savvy of co-founder and chief brand officer Allison Ellsworth propelled Poppi’s sales and awareness on TikTok soon after its rebrand and subsequent financing has helped drive new out-of-home marketing and retail expansion (hovering around 30,000 doors nationwide). While the brand now needs to prove it can maintain that momentum and continue its rapid scaling efforts, it’s fair to say Poppi has already made its name at the top of the pop set.

Tractor Beverage Co.

As a new generation of better-for-you fast casual restaurant chains like B.GOOD and Garbanzo have, over the past decade, remade the landscape of out-of-home dining, Tractor Beverage Co. has aptly sought to use this new wave in foodservice to remake the soda fountain. In a format long dominated by the major CSD conglomerates, Tractor – with the backing of one of those conglomerates in Keurig Dr Pepper – has been quietly sowing the soil in foodservice accounts across the country since beginning as a simple organic soda brand in 2014.

This year, the Idaho-based company kicked into high gear, unveiling its first ever ad campaign featuring a see-it-to-believe-it cartoon spot that hit movie theaters, TV and streaming services, in July as well as sponsoring surf competitions (take the farm to the beach, why not?). Meanwhile, behind the scenes Tractor has, in a matter of months, brought in a roster of experienced CPG executives to lead the fast-growing business. The company has previously indicated it has begun executing on an “aggressive” growth plan that will continue into the new year and as it continues to build its 25 SKU roster of sodas, teas and ades, those seeds are beginning to sprout.

Culture Pop

By the time Massachusetts-based Culture Pop emerged on the scene, the next-gen CSD movement was already well underway, thanks to the work of OLIPOP (a 2022 Rising Star winner), this year’s fellow honoree Poppi, and a slew of kombucha spinoffs.

But despite the frantic fight for space on the new frontiers of soda, Culture Pop has managed to hurdle much of the competition by taking a patient, simple approach, starting with liquid that eschews use of sweeteners or leaning into classic soda flavors in favor of adding a touch of juice and embracing botanical-fruit fusions (the latest being Black Cherry). After establishing itself in its Northeast backyard with key distribution allies like Big Geyser and Polar, national expansion picked up pace this year with a move into seven Whole Foods divisions and a growing cohort of regional DSD partners, all of which has been supported by its first formal marketing campaign (dubbed “Good For You, Soda”). Under the steady hand of beverage veteran Tom First, Culture Pop has found a cadence for scaling that bodes well for its long-term health and prospects. In other words, the bubble on this Pop is far from burst.

BEST PACKAGING

KIDDIWINKS

How do you get kids to drink a prebiotic plant-based milk? Not by touting sustainability credentials or ingredient claims, it turns out, but by viewing the product from a kids’ perspective: whimsical, wondrous and made exclusively for them. With its loopy characters and bubbly typography, KIDDIWINKS’ head-turning can design, courtesy of The Young Jerks, is a playful reminder that this category can (and should) be fun, too.

Illicit Elixirs

If you’re going to promise the kind of mind-expanding experience promised by Illicit Elixirs, you’ll need an equally creative package design. Consider that box ticked, and how: sporting a high-contrast, bizarro carnival funhouse vibe, Illicit feels both inviting and exclusive as it manages to clearly indicate its functionality and flavor amidst the cheeky, instantly memorable cartoon iconography.

Chamberlain Coffee

Emma Chamberlain’s arrival to ready-to-drink coffee couldn’t have come at a better moment: in a category crying out for visual innovation on-package, Chamberlain’s canned RTDs inject the same kind of warm, casual-but-quality appeal that have carried her bagged coffees to much success thus far. The result is thoughtfully crafted and approachable, feeling less technical and serious than many of its competitors.

BEST NEW PRODUCTS

Sanzo Pomelo

One of the keys to Sanzo’s success has been its ability to introduce new fruit flavors to American audiences that require a sidestep rather than a giant leap, the latest being Pomelo, grapefruit’s slightly sweeter sister. And like the brand’s other SKUs, this one instantly vaults to the front of the flavor stakes with an offering that’s highly crushable, crisp and clean.

CHA by Better Booch

From concept to design to execution, everything about CHA embodies a clean and effective simplicity that we found irresistible. Artfully sweetened with agave and stevia, these drinks boast unexpected depth that comes alive with a kiss of carbonation, all put together in a modern, attractive package.

SANG Vietnamese Coffee

After honoring Nguyen Coffee’s RTDs last year, this year saw another woman-run Vietnamese coffee “Cà Phê Sữa Đá” startup steal the show. Fully embracing its deep roots in the national coffee culture, SANG reflects everything we love about Vietnamese coffee: rich sweetness, complex flavor, eye-popping energy and the joy of daily ritual.

HOP WTR Ruby Red Grapefruit

Blending function and flavor has been HOP WTR’s calling card from the start, but each new innovation reflects a tighter marriage between those two. Ruby Red Grapefruit provides maybe the best example yet of the brand’s penchant for bold yet balanced taste experiences, with big, juicy tart notes softened by bitter hops.

DRY GUYS – Graza x Aura Bora

We’ll admit, we didn’t think any of Aura Bora’s outstanding sparkling waters were in desperate need of gourmet EVOO — but we stand corrected. This carbonated collaboration captured us with its stylish can and on-trend positioning, but mostly because the combination of Graza Drizzle Olive Oil, yuzu extract and juniper oil in bubbly water tastes so damn good.

Equitea

Equitea’s founder Quentin Vennie began his canned tea brand with a mission to promote health and wellness through organic ingredients. With a focus on functional adaptogens, botanicals and natural sweeteners, Equitea has succeeded across its lineup of sparkling beverages – which includes a focus-boosting Lavender Green Tea, antioxidant-rich Spiced Hibiscus, immunity support Peach Ginger White Tea and a refreshing and energizing Black Tea Lemonade – creating products that are both delicious and revitalizing and easily among the best of the year.

OLIPOP Crisp Apple

When it comes to flavor innovation, Olipop has been busy. The prebiotic soda maker began the year by debuting its Lemon Lime offering and hasn’t slowed down since, offering up Ginger Ale, Watermelon Lime, and our new favorite Crisp Apple. Released this fall, the soda is made with apple juice concentrate and delivers a lightly sweetened, at times cider-like fruit flavor. While it’s been great to see Olipop build out its position as a modern soda brand by filling in the blanks with its classic CSD flavor lineup, Crisp Apple stands out as one of its most unique innovations and for that it’s one of our Best New Products of the year.

Chamberlain Coffee

Emma Chamberlain’s arrival to ready-to-drink coffee couldn’t have come at a better moment: in a category crying out for visual innovation on-package, Chamberlain’s canned RTDs inject the same kind of warm, casual-but-quality appeal that have carried her bagged coffees to much success thus far. The result is thoughtfully crafted and approachable, feeling less technical and serious than many of its competitors.

Nixie Black Cherry Lime

Innovation in the sparkling water category is often harder than it looks. For a beverage usually defined by the simple formula of low or no-calorie and carbonated, finding new flavors that differentiate a brand from the pack is no small task. Nixie, however, has repeatedly nailed the art of blending two flavors together to create a satisfying, unsweetened refreshment (that’s also organic and non-GMO certified). The brand’s latest offering – Black Cherry Lime – is as good as they come and a fine addition to Nixie’s portfolio, and to the sparkling water shelf writ large.

Wild Pop by Buchi

As the functional soda category has experienced no shortage of new entrants over the past few years, Buchi won us over with its take on the formula: Wild Pop. Made with prebiotics and probiotics, Wild Pop is organic and comes in Cream Soda Swirl, Lemon Lime Fizz, Strawberry Cream and Root Beer Float flavors that bring unique sweetness and full flavor to the space that we were more than taken with.