Twrl Milk Tea

In this roundup of distribution news, we chat with Wandering Bear CEO Matt Bachmann about the cold brew brand’s approach to “thoughtful expansion” in natural/specialty grocery — in the form of 200+ new Whole Foods locations across five regions — with its 32 oz. cartons. Plus updates from Leisure Project and Twrl Milk Tea.

If you live in a major U.S. city, chances are you’re not too far from a boba tea shop. The indulgent Taiwanese beverage, also known as bubble tea or occasionally “Black Pearl” tea, was invented in the 1980s and is defined by the addition of marble-sized tapioca “pearls” – boba – to sugary milk tea, and traditionally is drank through an oversized straw that allows the boba to be consumed one at a time.