Since launching in 2018, the Greenbelt Craft Kombucha team has urged consumers to use its products as a replacement for sugary soft drinks or alcohol. Now, the brand is “blatantly laying it out there,” according to co-founder Gavin Booth, with the creation of its non-alcoholic, cocktail-inspired line of yaupon tea-based kombucha.

In this weeks distribution roundup: Docklight Brands signs an agreement for nationwide distribution of Marley CBD beverages, Guru Organic Energy brings its retail sales, distribution and merchandising under the wing of PepsiCo Beverages Canada, Swoon Partners With Four Regional DSD Distributors and Biotin Water Enters Publix.

Here’s another marker that life is approaching a post-pandemic “new normal”: the reintroduction of free samples in grocery stores nationwide. To the relief of brands, who have long relied on sampling to win customers, many retailers announced plans this month to allow brands back in-store for product demonstrations.

The pandemic triggered an increased demand for functional and immune-boosting products over the past year – something that founders and judges paid attention to as they vied for the top prize in BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown 21 Semifinals.

Coffee Project NY has been innovating on-premise in their New York City cafes for years, but it took a global pandemic to push co-founders Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh to develop a coffee they could share with consumers beyond the city limits.

Channeling grief from their son’s suicide in 2019, Holy Kombucha co-founders are using their platform to advocate for teen suicide prevention through a national partnership with Hope Squad.

In this week's distribution roundup: CBD energy drink company, Elegance brands opens a self distribution center to serve over 1,400 San Bernardino and Los Angeles metro area retailers, Kroger now carries Jones Soda special release series, and updates from C4 Energy, TEAKOE, and more.

The e-commerce grocery channel rapidly expanded home delivery options last year as the world entered pandemic lockdowns. As those restrictions start to lift, Instacart doesn’t want to let go of its gains: the company is launching a new Priority Delivery feature that promises to deliver an order in as fast as 30 minutes.

In this weeks distribution roundup: Tru Inc. launches its functional seltzers at Massachusetts grocery store chains, Weird Beverages signs its first DSD agreement, and updates from Jones Soda and Take Two.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada against Las Vegas-based alkaline water brand Real Water, Inc. after an investigation revealed that unsanitary conditions and unregulated practices at the company’s bottling facility led to a non-viral strain of hepatitis contaminating the bottled water late last year.

In this week's Distribution Roundup, sparkling yerba mate beverage brand CLEAN Cause expands its reach in Texas and hydration drink REZ enters Publix stores. Plus: updates from Sproud, 100 Coconuts, Fit Soda and more.

As pandemic restrictions begin to lift and consumers slowly return to “new normal” habits, the U.S. CBD market is expected to see a strong recovery throughout 2021 while laying the groundwork for the market to return to its “explosive and volatile growth” by 2022, according to a recent report by Chicago-based intelligence firm Brightfield Group.

After almost a year of discussions, planning, and strategizing, market research firm IRI has launched the Diversity Advantage Program (DAP), a pro-bono service aimed at supporting minority and women-owned CPG companies by offering access to their market research and analytics, consumer and category insights, as well as training and consulting services.

In this week's Distribution Roundup, CBD beverage maker Unity Wellness doubles its nationwide distribution, partnering with several new DSD distributors including Legacy Distribution Group in Colorado and Lipman Brothers in Tennessee. Plus: updates from Reed's, Costa Brava Cocktails, Waterloo, BIOLYTE, Pivot Cold Brew and more.