Martín writes news articles and feature stories covering the non-alcoholic beverage industry for BevNET. A graduate of Boston University, Martín's previous work has appeared in USA Today, The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald.
Today Humm Kombucha announced it had reached an agreement with the City of Roanoke, Va. for the construction of a new $10 million, 100,000 sq. ft. facility that will be the future home of the brand’s East Coast brewery.
Icelandic Water Holdings, the parent company of premium water brand Icelandic Glacial, has entered into a partnership with Golden West Food Group Inc. to collaborate on marketing, sales and distribution for the latter’s two beverage brands, Bowery Coffee Co. and the forthcoming KÖE Kombucha. The deal, which was finalized two weeks ago, is the first step in turning Icelandic Glacial into a multi-brand global beverage company, according to CEO Reza Mirza.
In this video interview recorded at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago earlier this month, actor Mark Wahlberg, a co-owner of premium high-pH alkaline water brand AQUAhydrate, spoke to BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero about his personal commitment to growing the brand, how his roles as an investor and endorser has evolved since he first joined AQUAhydrate, and how he has leveraged product placement in his film and television projects to give the brand a bigger platform.
In a video interview recorded at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago, the Vultaggio brothers Wesley, who also serves as the company’s chief creative officer, and Spencer, AriZona’s chief marketing officer, joined BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero to discuss how the brand’s identity is evolving towards new categories, use occasions and consumer types. The brothers spoke about AriZona’s pivot towards premium beverage offerings, including its premium Good Brew iced tea line and the brand’s new sparkling mineral water.
As the dominant players in c-store coolers nationwide, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Monster Energy and other major corporations showed a range of new products and line innovations aimed at taking -- or at least holding -- a larger share of the market. As they do, they are taking different approaches to various opportunities and challenges currently roiling the marketplace, including concerns over sugar content, the development of a broader dairy set, and offering natural and “clean” energy products.
In a video interview recorded last week at the NACS 2017 show in Chicago, Lisa Selk, president and CEO of CytoSport, discussed the development of the brand’s recently debuted plant-based protein line, Evolve, and how it fits into the company’s overall C-store strategy. She also explained how Cytosport is diversifying the Muscle Milk portfolio with food and beverage products that fit different use occasions and broaden the brand’s appeal beyond simply supporting athletic performance.
Though convenience store traffic has dipped in 2017, you couldn’t tell from looking around the packed floor at this year’s National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show last week in Chicago. Exhibitors from across the spectrum of food and beverage took over two halls of the McCormick Place for three days, showcasing a range of new products and innovations that will be rolling out to c-store coolers over the next year.
A former employee of sparkling water company Talking Rain is suing the company and its former president and chief executive officer, Kevin Klock, alleging sexual harassment, disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, violations of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and retaliation. The complaint was filed on Oct. 10 in the King County Superior Court, in Seattle, Washington.
Forto today announced the launch of two new reduced caffeine SKUs to its line of organic cold brew coffee shots: Pure Black Espresso and Hershey’s Chocolate, a co-branded release developed in partnership with The Hershey Company. The new flavors, which contain 100mg of caffeine in each 2 oz. serving, will be showcased for the first time on the NACS show floor ahead of a planned roll out on November 1.
In this roundup of legal news around the beverage industry, Gatorade settles a bizarre complaint in which it was accused of using a Usain Bolt-branded video game to portray water as a hinderance to athletic performance. Also, a San Francisco ordinance requiring health warnings on outdoor advertisements for sugar sweetened beverages is struck down, and Nestle Waters moves to dismiss a suit claiming Poland Spring bottled water products don't meed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of spring water.
Alive will be available in three varieties, each featuring a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms and apple cider vinegar paired with a different tea: Mate Mint, Guayusa Turmeric and Pu-erh Root. Each will be packaged in a 16 oz. glass bottles and contain 30 calories and 7g of sugar.
Barely two months after going into effect, the finance committee of the Cook County, Ill. Board of Commissioners today voted 15-1 to repeal its controversial tax one-penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, known as the Sweetened Beverage Tax Ordinance. The repeal will now go to a full board vote on Wednesday, where it is expected to receive final approval.
Fitness recovery drink Kill Cliff today announced the launch of Kill Cliff Endure, a two-SKU subline aimed at supporting hydration and performance during exercise. The line will be available exclusively at the brand’s fitness account partners for its initial rollout.
At SupplySide West 2017, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from Sept. 26 - 28, BevNET spoke to several companies working in the space about the state of the market for pea protein, what’s driving new innovation on a supplier level, and both the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
