NIQ: As Margarita Sales Cool, Martinis Step Into Spotlight
The margarita’s grip on cocktail menus is loosening as drinkers, particularly younger ones, have begun to diversify their beverage choices.
News
Taste Radio: Why The Next Big Thing—In Booze Or Beyond—Is Often Borrowed
CPG's next big ideas often emerge in unexpected places. In this episode, we explore what founders across food and beverage can learn from the rapid rise of hard sodas and hard sports drinks, as alcohol brands borrow from health, wellness and functionality to connect with younger consumers.
Hemp Beverages Grew 133% Last Year, HBA Reports
Despite a looming regulatory ban, hemp beverages are booming. The category grew 133% year-over-year between 2024 and 2025, according to a new report by the Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA).
People Moves: ROAR Organic, Refresco Welcome New Presidents
Dutch beverage giant and longtime hydration brand ROAR Organic each welcome new leadership, plus updates from Laird Superfood and L.A. Libations.
New Beverages: GT’s Brings Kombucha to Cans, Silk Pumps Up the Protein
GT’s Kombucha After building its place as a kombucha category leader exclusively in glass bottles, GT’s is taking a step forward with Synergy Enlightened, its first move into 12 oz.…
Zero Proof Playbook: Jill Sites On How To Find Growth In Adult Non-Alc
Want to unleash faster growth in adult non-alcoholic drinks? Get ready to break some rules, says Jill Sites, who recently concluded a stint as EVP of sales at non-alc brand The Pathfinder.
Albertsons Is Now Testing Hemp THC Drinks In Chicago
The country’s second-largest grocery retail chain is launching a dedicated THC set featuring some of the category’s best known brands at its Jewel stores in Chicago.
Distribution: Big Geyser Adds Gym Weed, Gym Soda to Roster
New York metro area DSD house Big Geyser is betting on fitness-focused functional beverage brand Gym Weed, along with its modern soda sub-line Gym Soda.
Joel Gott Wines, Powerhouse Producer of Affordable Wines, Turns To RTDs
A winery known for its entry-level supermarket staples is tapping ready-to-drink (RTD) and functional trends with a new release launched today.
Review: Can Simply Push Build ‘A Better Soda’?
Simply Push's take on soda offers a light, refreshing drinking experience that sits comfortably between sparkling water and traditional CSD, delivering enough sweetness to satisfy without feeling heavy.
Where Growth Is Shifting in Beverage Alcohol – NIQ On Premise July 2026
The latest NIQ On Premise analysis highlights a beverage alcohol landscape increasingly defined by divergent category performance and evolving consumer preferences. Spirits continue to strengthen their leadership position, delivering value growth and gaining share while Beer and Wine remain under pressure.
Ex-Mela Team Brings Premium Water Chiarella To U.S.; Manhattan Beer On Board
With former Mela COO Nick Spiekhout and former CEO Dominic Purpura at the helm as Co-Presidents, Chiarella's immediate goal is to establish a foothold for the brand in U.S. food service and hospitality, channels where its premium aesthetic and design can thrive.
Taste Radio: How Curious Elixirs Built An Eight-Figure Brand Without Outside Investors
He built an eight-figure brand without raising a single dollar of outside capital. In this episode, Curious Elixirs founder and CEO J.W. Wiseman explains exactly how he did it. He shares how a direct-to-consumer strategy fueled profitable growth from day one, why relentless product refinement has always taken priority over rapid expansion, and the lessons that have helped the brand thrive on its own terms.
In Rebrand, Free Spirits Ditches The Wellness Pitch For Cocktail Culture
As many companies across the beverage aisle run towards wellness, one alcohol replacement brand is backing away from it. The Free Spirits Company has overhauled its packaging, formulas and messaging across its full lineup of zero-proof spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, repositioning the five-year-old brand toward the cocktail ritual itself.