Alcohol conglomerate Diageo is extending its reach into the ready-to-drink cocktails category with the acquisition of Loyal 9 Cocktails, makers of a line of vodka-based canned beverages, from Sons of Liberty Spirits Company. The acquisition will be funded through Diageo’s existing cash resources. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
According to the firm’s latest “Beverage Bytes” survey of retailers representing nearly 30,000 stores nationwide (roughly 20% of the channel), overall beverage sales increased 10% year-over-year in Q1 of 2021, compared to 7% growth in Q4 2020, driven by increased foot traffic from consumers who are steadily returning to old shopping habits.
Health food ecommerce retailer BUBBLE Goods announced this week that it has named Savraj Singh, former CTO of Daily Harvest, as chief technology officer, responsible for leading the company’s engineering team and digital platforms; Walmart was ordered to pay $115 million to Texas-based food tech startup Zest Labs after a jury in Arkansas ruled that the retailer was guilty of stealing its shelf-freshness technology.
California-based hemp milk maker UFO announced this month that it has opened a new 7,000 sq ft. co-packing facility, owned by a local SoCal brewery, ahead of a distribution expansion this year; Hemp extract-infused mocktail maker Proposition Cocktail Co. announced that it has partnered with Urban Outfitters for online sales, increasing the California-based brand’s nationwide presence.
Powdered beverage maker MANTRA Labs announced this month that it has closed a $1.5 million seed round, intended to help the company expand its around-the-clock health and wellness platform brand.
Powdered hydration beverage maker Nuun is continuing to build out its suite of functional products with its latest line extension, Nuun Energy. The dissolvable tablets contain a blend of 80 mg of caffeine sourced from organic green tea extract, Vitamins B5, B6 and B12, ginseng and electrolytes for hydration.
Non-alcoholic beverage sales saw mixed year-over-year results for the period ending March 27 as the industry passes the one-year anniversary of COVID-induced pantry loading, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
The idea of drinking “Pickle Juice” may raise a lot of people’s eyebrows, and it’s a reaction The Pickle Juice Company is no stranger to. But as consumer awareness around the functional benefits of organic pickle juice-based drinks grows, the Texas-based beverage company is rapidly transforming to a broad-platform, international brand.
As the bottled water category has witnessed disruption from sustainably packaged water brands, M&A activity among premium brands and innovation in the form of functionality, The Alkaline Water Company is aiming to do it all. Founded in 2012, the Arizona-based, publicly-traded beverage company owns the Alkaline88 brand, which over the past few years has expanded its portfolio from bulk jugs of 8.8 pH water to include sustainably-packaged lines, flavors and CBD-infused drinks.
Seeking “a little more pop on the shelf,” caffeinated sparkling water brand Clear/Cut Phocus has introduced refreshed packaging, which is rolling out now amid a nationwide expansion for the Kentucky-based brand. The new cans feature a cleaner graphic design with more saturated coloring and the added slogan “Naturally Energizing Sparkling Water.”
As Oatly scales its U.S. operations, Millville, New Jersey-based Innovation Foods announced this month that it is building a new $45 million processing and packaging facility to produce plant-based aseptic and extended shelf life beverages for the Swedish oatmilk maker.
Rowdy Mermaid is extending its portfolio of functional beverages beyond kombucha with its new Adaptonic line of sparkling immunity beverages. The tonics, launching this month, are made with fruit, botanical herbs and Reishi mushrooms.
Looking to take the company to the next stage in its mission to help the environment through sustainable packaging, bottled water maker Pathwater has rebranded as PATH, a move that comes as the company completes a celebrity-backed funding round and rapidly scales its retail footprint.
Health-Ade Kombucha is further expanding its platform with Health-Ade Mixers, a new line of kombucha-based cocktail bases launching this spring. The new line, which is rolling out as a Whole Foods Market exclusive, is made with kombucha and additional ingredients, including simple syrup, bitters and juice, to create a unique style of cocktail mixer.
