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.
Earlier this week, BevNET visited New York City to meet with two companies taking inspiration from the craft spirits movement to help elevate non-alcoholic drinking through complex flavors, eye-catching presentation or immersive on-premise experiences.
On this week's episode of Taste Radio, BevNET CEO John Craven joins Brewbound editor Chris Furnari for a conversation with Andy Thomas, CEO of the Craft Brew Alliance.
In discussing the deal with BevNET, analysts and experts in the organic grocery space noted that while the deal was ostensibly about freeing Danone to secure the bigger prize of acquiring WhiteWave, it also affirms the long-term value of a strong organic brand.
Three former employees have sued the company and its recently departed founder and CEO, Ben Weiss, for allegedly cheating them out of the fair market value of their ownership stakes in the company ahead of its $1.7 billion sale to Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) last November.
The San Diego-based brand will unveil a four-SKU line of organic kombucha at Costco stores in three regions later this month, with a broader launch in natural and conventional grocery channels set to commence this fall.
A Cook County, Ill. judge moves to delay the implementation of the county's tax on sugary beverages, a class member objects to the terms of the GT's Kombucha-Whole Foods lawsuit settlement, and Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits faces allegations of fraud.
This year's Institute of Food Technology (IFT) expo hosted over 20,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors showcasing a range of ingredients, flavorings, colorings, sweeteners and everything in between, painting a broad portrait of the current state of the industry and pointing the way towards further developments and innovations that are only just beginning to emerge.
During the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2017 show this week, BevNET spoke with analysts from leading market research firms Mintel and Innova Food Insights about their observations on the macro-trends in this space that are helping shape the next wave of consumer food and beverage products.
BevNET hosted Mike Burgmaier, managing director at Whipstitch Capital, Nick Giannuzzi, managing partner at law firm The Giannuzzi Group, and Tim Spier, founder and managing partner at Boulder Food Group, for a panel discussion on the state of beverage investment last week at BevNET Live Summer 2017.
Parent company Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) did not cite a reason or provide any further details regarding Ben Weiss’s departure from the brand he founded in 2009, but included a brief statement from the former CEO in a press release.
In a wide ranging presentation on beverage trends, Weiland discusses topics such as the rapid growth of drinkable bone broths and fermented beverages, why cold brew coffee still has room to expand, and why he thinks tree waters are a way off from competing with coconut and watermelon waters.
As nitro cold brew moves out of boutique coffee houses and into the mainstream, brands are staking out footholds in this emerging market for both on-premise service and packaged products, and keeping the door open for as-yet-unexplored possibilities for infusing nitrogen into other beverages.
As the industry continues to mature, the manner in which individual brands choose to approach the issue of alcohol and sugar content in kombucha will likely play a significant role in determining the health of the category going forward.
While soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk and other non-dairy alternatives have already established a presence on retail shelves, the category still has plenty of room to grow. And in retail coffee shops both big and small, brands have found a valuable opportunity to get more of their product into consumers hands, or cups.
