Upstart CBD brand Ojai Energetics has added two beverage industry veterans to its management team, with former Coke executive Tom Hicks coming on as COO and Jim Tonkin joining the company’s advisory board.
The USDA last week added its interim final rule for the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program to the Federal Register. As the guidelines are implemented, hemp industry leaders reacted with a mix of relief, excitement and hope for a future of regulated cannabis food and drink products.
In this episode, we’re joined by Kelly Heekin and Ben Schmidt, the co-founders of Hoist, a brand of hydration beverages developed to be a more palatable version of Pedialyte. They discussed their strategy for mainstreaming a niche concept, why “staying power and the ability to adapt” have been critical to Hoist’s development and how they communicated their vision to stakeholders.
In this gallery, we look at some of October’s notable launches, such as the latest from Health-Ade, Odwalla and REBBL, along with seasonal releases from Sparkling Ice, Hank’s Gourmet Beverages and Pressed Juicery.
As outlined by co-founder David Karr, Guayaki eventual goal is complete self-distribution, to which the brand is over halfway there with approximately 10,000 accounts -- or, “all of California and basically most of the U.S., outside of natural [retailers],” -- serviced by a fleet of over 300 electric cars.
Waltz CBD Seltzer Launches in Colorado; NOCCO Adds 500 Accounts Nationwide; Phivida Partners with Gotham Brands for Oki Rollout; Califia Farms Adds 3,200 7-Eleven Stores; Spindrift Launches in Publix; Cafe Agave To Expand Across the Country; Petal Adds Gelson’s; Positive Beverage Adds Target in California and Colorado
Chnia Williams is the founder of Protea, a beverage startup that’s offering a line of plant-based tea lattes made with fresh crafted almond milk and sweetened with honey. The brand aims to deliver a premium experience by lightly brewing organic tea leaves for a smooth and non-bitter flavor.
As part of the restructuring, Molson Coors will also change its named to the Molson Coors Beverage Company in 2020 to reflect the company’s “strategic intent to expand beyond beer and into other growth adjacencies.”
The White House has approved the USDA's long awaited federal rules to guide hemp production. A draft of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program guidelines was published Tuesday on USDA’s website, and once published in the Federal Register on Thursday, public comments will be open for 60 days.
At a press conference earlier today, The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo announced the launch of Every Bottle Back, a sustainability initiative in conjunction with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners.
Rachel Drori, the founder/CEO of popular direct-to-consumer food brand Daily Harvest, explained why customer service “is not just about meeting needs, but anticipating them,” why social media is “not just a one-way relationship” and how “data is just part of the story” in understanding consumer needs.
Despite lingering concerns about regulations, the wave of beverage innovation surrounding CBD showed no signs of slowing down this month. In this gallery, we took a look at new hemp-infused products from established cannabis companies like Cannabiniers and Mirth Provisions, startups such as Mad Tasty and Feelz, and new innovations from brands such as Kickback and Sweet Reason.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, W*nder is a line of sparkling waters containing 20 mg of CBD per 12 oz. can along, with various adaptogens and other functional ingredients. Though the sparkling water category has been a popular platform for upstart CBD brands founder Tanisha Robinson told BevNET that she intends to launch W*nder as a regional play in Ohio, where CBD beverages are still sparse.
Nova Scotia-based organic kombucha brand Cove Kombucha announced this week it has raised a $1.2 million seed round, which will be used to expand its team, produce new packaging and launch a CBD-infused variety in Canada.
