Headlines

Koia CFO Michael Woolard Exits, Starts New Advisory Business

Koia president and CFO Michael Woolard is on to his next venture, leaving the plant-based protein beverage company to start his own consulting business. After more than six years with the brand, he has founded his own contract business, tentatively called Foundational CPG.

With Sales Down, Brown-Forman Aims to Expand Its RTD Reach

Soft consumer spending on bev-alc and tariff uncertainty weighed on whiskey giant Brown-Forman’s fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings and outlook for next year, triggering shares to plunge 15% Thursday morning.

Reviews: Rise Has Us Shaken, Beckett’s Has Us (Good) Burning

This week's beverage reviews feature plenty of zip (from cold brew specialists Rise), a pleasant burn (see Beckett's fiery mocktails), some tang (courtesy of Jabin) and a healthy serving of natural sweetness (via Coaqua Coconut Water).

CPG Week: A Spirits Distributor Exits California. Plus, AG1 Hits Costco

This week, the podcast team discusses the merger of two legacy cheesemakers and the exit of a major beverage alcohol distributor from a key spirits market. Next, the hosts dig into the debut of digitally-native supplement brand AG1 in physical retail and explore why the news of an energy drink startup’s new investor brings fresh opportunities for its growth goals.

DRY Soda Founder Debuts Low-ABV Gin Second Sip

DRY Soda founder Sharelle Klaus Azeroual is moving into the spirits business with a low-ABV gin, Second Sip, cofounded with spirits industry veterans Leo Robitschek and Nick Strangeway.

Can A ‘Big Tobacco’ Giant Be the New Face of Better-For-You Beverages?

As it works to wean itself off of the combustible tobacco products that made it a multi-billion dollar behemoth, British American Tobacco (BAT), the 123-year-old multinational nicotine producer, has been placing bets on the better-for-you, functional food and beverage sector

Liquid Liquidation: Beverage and Food Brand Aftermarket Sales Surge

According to a report last month in ModernRetail, the aftermarket for unsold food and beverage products is booming with a surging supply of premium items, a sign that the confluence of rising grocery prices, tight competition in key categories, and the influence of shifting dietary trends is having a material effect on the shelf.

Taste Radio: Outsmarting Big Food: How Mason Dixie Wins With Integrity

Ayeshah Abuelhiga, the founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Foods, shares how she's taking on the legacy CPG heavyweights by building a bold, next-generation frozen food brand. She dives into how the company harnesses consumer insights, rigorous cost discipline and category whitespace to expand and how Mason Dixie is reshaping the definition of “natural” for modern shoppers.