The Nombase Podcast is now the CPG Operator Podcast, your go-to resource for what it takes to build and grow a food or beverage brand. The new name reflects what the show has always been about: candid conversations on the day-to-day realities of starting, building and growing a brand, from formulation and pricing to landing shelf space and scaling up.
This week's new product gallery features something hot (Liquid I.V.), something pop (Louie Louie) and something sweet (Organic Valley's seasonal LTO creamer).
Can Coke become the new… Poppi? The beverage giant is testing prebiotic versions of its stalwart brands, raising questions about where the functional soda market goes next — and what it means for Olipop. We also dig into whether mineral water is finally having its mainstream moment and examine the rise of dynamic grocery pricing and the new laws attempting to put guardrails around it.
This week, podcast co-hosts Brad Avery and Lukas Southard dive into the relaxation beverage category, a developing rift between MAHA advocates and the White House, more lawsuits over sweeteners and RIND Snacks' pivot deeper into co-packing.
Grocery store aisles are inundated with claims, benefits and buzzwords. Amara has taken a different approach. In this conversation, founder and CEO Jess Sturzenegger explains how the kids food brand grew from DTC to national retail via disciplined innovation and operational scaling. She also gets candid about protecting founder control and adapting her own role as the company grows.
The canned martini brand launched this summer with three 8% ABV vodka-based offerings “designed for the places that should serve a great martini, but don’t."
One misleading social post can spark a frenzy – but can brands keep playing with consumer trust? A brand’s curious ruse triggers a debate about the impact of “rage bait.” We also dig into Whole Foods’ latest LEAP cohort and hear from founders of three fast-growing brands about building community, creating better-for-you products and turning retail distribution into sustainable growth.
From blood orange flavors to caffeinated bone broth hot cocoa to something called "Eagleberry," we've got all the bases covered in this week's new products gallery.
The U.S. on-premise beverage alcohol market is sending increasingly mixed signals. NIQ’s September 2026 quarterly update shows a market that remains value-led, with higher pricing helping offset continued pressure on volumes across major categories.
On this episode, the team covers new Recess appointments, inflation's impact on grocery and rumors of a popular oil brand seeking a buyer.
The clear skinny cans are certainly eye-catching, and gets across that this liquid is truly as simple as its name: vodka and (flavored) water.
How do you repair an industry that’s steadily lost relevance with younger consumers? If you’re the founders of Wonderwerk, you go where they live and breathe – and throw a party. Co-founder Issamu Kamide joins us to share how the unorthodox wine brand challenged category conventions, used culture and community to build the brand, and turned consumer behavior into a roadmap for innovation.
All Día goes the extra mile to be even lower than some of the typical 5% ABV hard seltzer and hard teas on the market.
Kroger is drawing a line on pricing — and some of the biggest brands in CPG are finding themselves on the wrong side of it. We dig into the retailer’s standoff with Red Bull and Boar’s Head and what Kroger’s growing embrace of private label could mean for brands negotiating with major retailers. We also discuss HopLark’s recent bankruptcy filing and recap our spirited San Francisco meetup.
