Backed by new innovation, Rowdy Energy is looking to hit the gas with C-store retailers this summer. The two-year-old brand, co-founded by NASCAR star Kyle Busch and ex-Suja founder Jeff Church, is shoring up its presence in the Midwest and South with a slate of new retail placements, according to an email from the company.
Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. This week's special co-host is Wade Yenny, the Director of Grocery, Dairy, & Frozen for The Fresh Market, who shared his thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.
Noah Gray, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing tequila seltzer company Onda, spoke about the brand’s origins as a “trade up” concept, the reasons behind strong consumer trial and repurchase, what up-and-down-the-street sales informed the team about effective retailing and merchandising and how he landed meetings with and won over high-profile investors.
Brooklyn Cannery’s Prebiotic Sodas is a new line of low calorie carbonated soft drinks enhanced with prebiotics. The products have no added sugar and several varieties contain added fruit juice. The product line is packaged in 12 ounce cans and there are currently five SKUs.
Leelanau Tea is a line of RTD teas and lemonades that are made with a base of tart cherry juice from cherries grown in Michigan’s Leelanau peninsula. The product line, which launched in 2020 and rebranded in 2021, features five SKUs packaged in 16 ounce glass bottles.
Taste Radio’s hosts discussed several recently announced collaborations, including those of high-profile drink brands that have aligned to create new RTD cocktails, a well-known entertainer and an upstart energy drink company and a humanitarian initiative that connects with better-for-you brands. They also chatted about notable new products, including a line of shelf-stable tamales, NA wine and beer and a protein bar with a somewhat odd name.
When it was acquired by Peet’s Coffee in 2018, Revive was focused on making refrigerated kombucha in glass bottles. But after releasing a shelf-stable line in 12 oz cans in 2019, the brand has discontinued kombucha altogether. Under its new brand identity of Revive Drinks, the company is looking to reintroduce itself with its debut product: sparkling probiotic sodas, available in Cherry Cola and Root Beer flavors.
Now that “Christmas in July” is officially underway, brands like International Delight are rolling out new Grinch-themed products far in advance of the holiday season. However, other brands such as Tropicana and KeVita are embracing the summer heat and rolling out beach-friendly flavor extensions like Peachy Pineapple Paradise and Peach Lemonade.
Phreshly is a two-SKU line of premium RTD cocktails that are marketed as being made with “no BS ingredients.” The products are 6% ABV and the company behind it is proudly black-owned.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is best known in beverage circles as the face of Pepsi since 2017, but with the ink finally dry on a new contract with the Bronx ball club, he's moved on to a new chapter in business with Hawaiian volcanic water brand Waiākea.
Alison Cayne, the founder and CEO of Haven’s Kitchen, an innovative and fast-growing brand of refrigerated sauces, spoke about why emphasizing use case and occasion is critical for fueling consumer adoption and repurchase and how effective merchandising of the products has enabled it to become “the ultimate basket builder.” She also explained how to use anecdotal data effectively when pitching to retail buyers and how she found a co-packer that would invest in the brand's future.
Leisure Project is a new line of non-carbonated beverages that are enhanced with electrolytes, adaptogens and nootropics. Marketed as a “mind-boosting hydration” beverage, Leisure Project contains only 30 calories per 16 ounce can.
In this week’s roundup of new products, Coca-Cola announced a limited-edition soda flavor in collaboration with Grammy-nominated artist Marshmello, Cann spiced up its lineup of THC-infused beverages and Vita Coco splashed into the RTD cocktail category.
Frescos Naturales is a new line of sparkling aguas frescas that are made with real ingredients. The product line presently features six flavors, including Rosa de Jamaica, Tamarindo, Piña (pineapple), Maracuya (passion fruit), Guayaba (guava) and Mango.
