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Yerbae Receives Vistar Investment Ahead of Expansion, Rebrand

Vistar has taken a minority ownership stake in RTD yerba mate maker Yerbae, the beverage brand told BevNET, opening a partnership which will give the brand access to over 12,000 food service accounts nationwide. Yerbae CEO Todd Gibson said the investment comes as the brand prepares to roughly triple its retail distribution footprint by the end of this year.

Taste Radio Ep. 202: The Difference Between Good and Great Brands Often Comes Down To This

We spoke with Marco Canora and Andrew Garner, the founder and CEO, respectively, of pioneering bone broth company Brodo about communicating its value proposition to consumers, how Canora attempts to use his influence as an award-winning chef as to support better-for-you brands and why he believes the steepest part of the learning curve in CPG is also its most frustrating.

Norman E. Snyder Named CEO At Reed’s Inc

Reed’s Inc. announced today that COO Norman E. Snyder, Jr. will succeed interim CEO John Bello in a permanent capacity effective March 1. Snyder will take on the role just months after joining Reed’s in September during a management shakeup that also saw the exit of CEO Val Stalowir.

New Spirits Gallery: Winter Whiskeys & Gins

In this gallery, we highlight some of the notable new whiskey and gin releases from the first months of 2020, including a special gift box from The Macallan, the first single estate whiskey from Glenmorangie and a "Gentlemen"-inspired expression from Flaviar's Dear, Bear and Moose.

Taste Radio Insider: Could The Secret To Retail Success Be This Simple?

Anouck Gotlib, CEO of European-inspired snack brand Belgian Boys, spoke about how her background in fashion influenced the brand’s identity, the key to successful relationships with retail buyers, how Costco has become a critical partner for incubating new products, best practices for effective merchandising and how the company landed a deal with JetBlue.

Distribution Roundup: Lemon Perfect Enters Big Geyser

Lemon Perfect Enters Big Geyser, Expands Whole Foods; CLEAN Cause Goes Chainwide in Whole Foods; Kill Cliff Adds Publix, Weis Market; SkinTE Goes Chainwide in Sprouts; The Bitter Housewife Adds Whole Foods Rocky Mountain Region

All Presentation Videos Released from BevNET Winter 2019 Events

Four events over six days. Last December was packed with business discussions and networking across the beverage, food, beer and cannabis industries. Now it’s time to revisit those insights and dive deeper. The complete agenda of presentations from BevNET Live, NOSH Live, Brewbound Live and Cannabis Forum are now available to watch online, including main stage and educational presentations, Livestream Studio interviews and breakout session discussions.

Constellation Brands Invests in Karma Wellness Water

Constellation Brands announced this week it has acquired a minority ownership stake in Karma Culture LLC, the makers of Karma Wellness Water. The deal marks the beer and spirits giant’s first investment in a non-alcoholic beverage brand through its Constellation Ventures arm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

People Moves: Nestlé Waters North America CEO Steps Down

In this roundup of People Moves: Fernando Mercé steps down as CEO of Nestlé Waters North America, SodaStream USA adds Matt Kahn as its first ever United States-based CMO and Jordan Shulman joins Better Booch as VP of sales. Meanwhile, Juliet Blake leaves Lemon Perfect to launch a brand consulting service and Red Thread Coffee Co. names its new VP of sales and operations.

Liquid Death Raises $9M Series A Round

Canned water maker Liquid Death announced today it has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round led by Velvet Sea Ventures, bringing the company’s total funding to $11.25 million. The round will primarily help the brand to build out its sales team ahead of national expansion in retail and on-premise outlets this year and will also help to increase manufacturing output.

In the Courtroom: Court Tosses Wanu Water Suit in Blow to Founder [Updated]

A lawsuit filed by Wanu Water against shareholders and former directors was dismissed last week; Monster and Coke lost a jury trial last week which ruled in favor of the family of Hubert Hansen; LaCroix maker National Beverage Corp. declared victory in a class action lawsuit after the plaintiff retracted allegations that the brand was falsely advertised as “100% natural.”