The summer heat has already hit much of the U.S. and brands are meeting the weather shift with a variety of new beach-friendly flavor extensions, including lemonade-inspired offerings from Monster Energy and Sunwink, seasonal sparkling drinks from Levia and Waterloo, and Pride Month bottles from Pressed.
Cold-pressed juice shot brand Vive Organic recently announced its first full size RTD product – Immunity Sparkling Drink, a three flavor line of certified organic sparkling beverages packaged in 12 ounce cans. The products have 40-45 calories per can, more than 20% fruit juice, and are enhanced with a cocktail of good-for-you ingredients.
Taste Radio’s hosts reflected on upcoming cultural events and the excitement surrounding NOSH Live and BevNET Live Summer 2022 in New York City. They also riffed on several new and innovative products, including crunchy mushroom chips, gut-health drinks made with upcycled whey, a soda-inspired line of kids’ beverages and cigarette-styled snacks made for “invisible friends.”
In this gallery, we highlight a sprinkling of notable new releases for this summer, including a single-barrel series that pays homage to Red Sox legend David Ortiz, the launch of Country Crock’s first-ever spirit and the debut of Westward’s Elements series that is inspired by the beauty of Northwest.
Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. This week's special co-host is Thuy Nguyen, the Forager for online grocer Good Eggs, who shared her thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.
Zoe Feldman, the GM of consumer for acclaimed and influential restaurant group Momofuku, spoke about the vision for the company’s brand of restaurant-grade pantry essentials, the impact of founder David Chang’s media presence on awareness and product trial, why she can’t hit the brakes on growth, and the reason she only hires “Swiss Army knives.” She also discussed the brand’s role in the evolution of the ethnic aisle and why she is focused on the fundamentals of building a good business.
In this week’s roundup of new product launches, MTN DEW rolled out a new limited-edition soda flavor exclusive to Circle K, two new alt-dairy brands made their debut in the category and H2OPS announced a revamped look for its IPW sparkling hop water.
Backed by fresh capital and a new brand design, Florida-based CBD-infused drink maker Jibby is looking to keep its momentum going in 2022 by launching with New York-based DSD house Gold Coast; Performance beverage brand NXT LVL is seeding the ground for national expansion as the company announced distribution in several new retail chains around the country this week.
With Memorial Day just around the corner, many brands are launching new ready-to-drink cocktails for your celebration. In this gallery, we highlight some of the notable new releases from the past month, including new formats from Onda and Spritz Society and fresh flavor releases from Monaco Cocktails and Cardinal Spirits. We also highlight House of Love, a new collection of cocktails and mocktails created by Svedka in partnership with RuPaul.
Produced by Vermont-based kombucha brewer Aqua ViTea, Aqua Probiotic Seltzer is a recently launched line of flavored sparkling waters that are infused with the company’s organic kombucha. This line is the company’s answer to the growing number of shelf-stable sparkling line extensions that have recently emerged from the kombucha category.
Bridget Connelly, the co-founder and CEO of Luna Bay Booch, spoke about her inspiration for launching the hard kombucha company and why brand story is an essential asset when meeting with retail buyers. She also explained why investment in the category is a two-sided story and how her mentors have played a critical role in the brand’s development.
Llama Mama is a new line of organic sparkling beverages that are enhanced with prebiotics and antioxidants through the use of Peruvian superfoods camu camu and yacon. The product line comes in three flavors, including Clementine, Cherry Berry and Lemon Lime, each 45 calories and no added sugar per 12 ounce can.
This episode features an interview with NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, who spoke with us about his upstart specialty coffee and lifestyle brand, BIGFACE. We also feature the latest edition of The Maxi Minutes with LDR Ventures managing director Maxine Kozler Koven, who advises entrepreneurs on how to speak to potential investors about their vision and exit strategy.
Paul Voge, co-founder/CEO of fast-growing artisanal sparkling water brand Aura Bora, recalled the clever way he landed his first meeting with a Whole Foods buyer, how his pricing strategy was ahead of the curve, and his tension-filled experience on “Shark Tank.” He also explained why acquiring sales data has been critical to the brand’s development and how he’s attracted industry veterans for key roles.
