Ray Latif is the lead host, producer, and content editor of Taste Radio, BevNET’s flagship podcast and the go-to show for food and beverage industry insights. With 14 years of experience in the industry, Ray is a seasoned journalist known for his sharp interviews and in-depth coverage of trends, innovation, and news. He began his career at BevNET as an assistant editor, later advancing to managing editor of both the website and magazine. Since 2016, he’s been the driving force behind Taste Radio, overseeing everything from content strategy to production. Ray’s conversational style and meticulous research have earned him widespread praise from both guests and listeners. He has had the privilege of interviewing a diverse range of high-profile figures, including Patrick Mahomes, Jennifer Garner, Dan Aykroyd, Kobe Bryant, Padma Lakshmi, and Brad Paisley. His ability to connect with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and industry leaders has made Taste Radio a must-listen for anyone interested in the evolving world of food and beverage.
At the 2015 NACS show, BevNET sat down with Aquahydrate CEO Hal Kravitz for a video interview that covered several topics, including the company’s celebrity owners, Aquahydrate’s positioning as a “performance lifestyle brand,” and the non-traditional marketing approach of the alkaline water line.
In a video interview filmed at the 2015 NACS show, Matt Buckley, Mamma Chia's senior vice president of sales and marketing, discussed the company’s foray into convenience stores, noting that the retailing channel may offer access to millennial consumers.
Premium water brand Voss has introduced its first flavored line extensions. Packaged in Voss’ cylindrical glass bottles, Lemon Cucumber and Tangerine Lemongrass joined the brand’s subset of sparkling waters.
In this photo gallery, we feature a range of new brands, products and design revamps that we encountered at the 2015 NACS Show, as culled from our Instagram feed.
In an increasingly crowded field for cold brew coffee, Mojo is a super-premium offering that founder Ann Brainard views as differentiated by its taste -- she compares it to “melted coffee ice cream” -- and formulation, which utilizes a recipe cultivated by her New Orleans restaurateur family.
Peet’s is likely to lean on Stumptown’s proficiency in production and distribution of cold-brew coffee with an eye on launching its own ready-to-drink offering.
A former Coca-Cola Co. executive, John Blackington arrives at FulHum with over 30 years of experience in the beverage business, including the last 10 as a managing partner at consumer product advisory firm GBS Growth Partners.
In a move indicating its continued vigilance of the kombucha category, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has updated and consolidated information on its website regarding the production, labeling and sale of kombucha beverages.
Premium mixer and soda brand Q Drinks has announced new partnerships with three liquor wholesalers, including those representing California, Michigan, Georgia and Louisiana, as it builds upon a focused distribution strategy that leans on partnership marketing with spirits producers.
Coke’s decision is part of a broad review of its partnerships, according to a company spokesperson, and comes just weeks after the cola giant was criticized for its behind-the-scenes funding of a non-profit which downplayed the role of soft drink consumption on obesity.
Unlike competing at-home cold beverage machines, Kold does not use a carbon dioxide canister to create carbonated beverages. Instead, its sparkling drink pods contain what Keurig calls “Karbonator beads,” each of which hold beverage-grade carbon dioxide that is released during the drink-making process.
Details of the settlements have not been released, however, Bruce Schechter, an attorney with R. Rex Parris Law Firm, told LawyersandSettlements.com that Monster had recently paid the family of a 14-year-old who in 2011 died of cardiac arrest.
Marketing a range of products that have both unique names and formulations -- including a "medicinal mushroom"-infused, coconut milk-based chocolate drink called Reishi Chocolate -- Rebbl's business philosophy is as deeply entrenched in unique sources of nutrition as it is in organic and fair trade sourcing methods.
A few months after Honest Tea partnered with Wendy’s to launch a new organic green tea beverage exclusively in the fast food chain, the company’s Honest Kids brand is now being rolled out nationwide at Wendy’s as part of a revamped kid’s meal and is currently available in select Chick-Fil-A stores.
