Distribution: Cannabis Beverages Target Southeast
Hemp-derived THC brands look toward new opportunities in the Southeast and other regions of the U.S. amid elevated interest in adult non-alc options, among other distribution news.
News
Tito’s To Move From RNDC to Reyes Beverage Group In California
Leading spirits brand Tito’s Handmade Vodka plans to leave Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) for Reyes Beverage Group in California. The announcement comes after RNDC filed notice to lay off at least 60 of its staff in the Golden State.
Taste Radio: How Upstarts Shined At A Final-ish ‘Fancy’
Before the sun set on a final Winter Fancy Food Show, the event cast a light on a swath of emerging, innovative and better-for-you brands. The hosts highlight a few of their favorite products exhibited at the show, and how package design, ingredients, form factor and taste helped them to stand out.
Fancy Food: Tastelli’s New Audience; A2 Builds Awareness
The final Winter Fancy Food Show kicked off at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sunday and while the show saw more food than beverage, a handful of exhibitors showed off new liquid innovations and brand extensions. Here are our notes:
Riding The RTD Wave: Hiyo Secures Nearly $20M In Funding
Los Angeles-based adult non-alc brand Hiyo has announced a new $19 million investment which included Series A funds, prior convertibles and a “recapitalization."
Inside Suja’s Slice Reboot: “We Have a Strong Story On Why This is Different”
Hoping to tap into a ‘modern soda’ renaissance, Slice is once again in the market as Suja Life has reintroduced the classic CSD as a healthy, gut health boosting functional beverage.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Monster Streamlines Brewing & Talks CEO Successions
With its business growing amid a rising U.S. energy drink category, Monster Beverage Corporation expressed confidence in its widening product portfolio and its alcoholic drinks arm, Monster Brewing Company.
Taste Radio: To Live Her Dream, She First Needed To Create ‘Absolute Trust’ In Her Brand
When Amanda Thomson launched Noughty Wines, a pioneering brand of dealcoholized wines, in 2019, she was, in essence, flying blind. In this episode, Amanda talks about how she charted an unknown path for a nascent category, why gaining the “absolute trust” of consumers is key to Noughty’s future and why she advises founders to consider what they want to achieve with their brands.
Protein2O Seeks ‘Multi-Hyphenate’ Status with Brand Refresh
Functional beverage brand Protein2O is getting a fresh new look next month as it prepares to roll out a rebrand and reformulation across its product lines. The 12-year-old business will introduce its new label on February 1, designed by branding firm Safari Sundays.
ZICO Rising Closes Series B Round
Coconut water maker Zico Rising confirmed the closing of a Series B round that raised $9.1 million of an anticipated $9.5 million. The brand would not comment on the details of the investment round.
TTB Proposes New Rules For Alcohol Labeling
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has proposed new rules for nutrient and alcohol content labeling on wine, beer, and spirits.
Taste Radio: $1.5 Billion For BFY Brands. Why They’re Worth It. Plus, ‘Mission’ In A Bottle.
What lessons can we extract from the acquisition of Simple Mills and majority sale of Spindrift, valued at nearly $1.5 billion combined? The hosts talk about what these better-for-you brands did right and what made them attractive to strategic companies and investors. We also sit down with Marcin Malyszko and Amit Singh, the co-founders of purpose-driven cocktail brand Mission Cocktails.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Are Soda Taxes Back?
Could sugary soda taxes make a resurgence again? At least in Beantown they are. The Boston City Council is set to debate a new sugary drinks tax after councilor Sharon Durkan called for a new $0.02 per ounce policy last week.
New Products: Organic Valley Mooves into Non-Dairy, Premier Protein Gets Indulgent
In this week’s new products roundup, Organic Valley ventures into oat-based creamers, Premier Protein unveils a line of dessert-inspired protein shakes and Pepsi adds a new flavor to its permanent portfolio.