News

As Strategics Embrace Aguas Frescas, Startups Bank on Authenticity

Startup brand Agua Bonita is still growing, but it’s been flanked by other brands in a category that has received widespread attention from all reaches of the beverage industry, from startups such as Bawi and Frescos Naturales, to launches from corporate giants like Coca-Cola and BlueTriton Brands.

Taste Radio: Big CPG Vs. Emerging Brands. Why The Pendulum Is Swinging.

A recent Linkedin post penned by an executive of online distribution platform Pod Foods ignited a passionate discussion about the limited routes to market for emerging brands and whether things might be changing for the better… or worse. Taste Radio’s hosts have their say on the matter.

‘Proudly GMO’ ZBiotics Closes $12M Round, Plots Retail Expansion

ZBiotics, a food tech startup developing a slate of functional CPG products made with genetically modified probiotics, has closed a $12 million Series A funding round led by Spring Tide Capital. Joining Spring Tide are several other CPG-focused finance firms, including Access Capital, Seamless Capital, Goat Rodeo Capital and Seaside Ventures.

How Gin & Juice Aims to Leverage Snoop and Dr. Dre For A Gin Revival

Ready-to-drink products have built their brands around different cocktails: some are sessionable seltzers or old classics, others are obscure cocktails that haven’t yet hit mainstream. But Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, so far, is the only one that has emerged from a 90s rap anthem.

NIQ: Fourth Category Products Reach $13 Billion

Ready-to-drink (RTD) products surpassed $13 billion in off-premise sales in the 52-week period ending July 13, up +4% year-over-year (YoY), according to a mid-year report from market research firm NIQ.

Taste Radio: True Or False? Taylor Foxman Has All The Answers.

Taylor Foxman, the founder and CEO of beverage advisory firm The Industry Collective, joins us for a conversation framed as a series of statements that she addresses as true or false, including those about the value of great taste, the impact of bad PR, the sober-curious movement, the future of cannabis beverages and Gen Z consumers’ relationship with alcoholic drinks.

Gut Check: Tru CEO McNamara Talks ‘Gutsy’ Launch, Brand Expansion

Over the course of a decade as founder and CEO of functional beverage platform Tru, Jack McNamara gradually shepherded the Massachusetts-based brand from its early days as a liquid shot through to its current format – a line of 12 oz. canned RTDs – picking up industry backers (Polar boss Ralph Crowley) and investors (BTomorrow Ventures) along the way.

Taste Radio: Why Entrepreneurs May Benefit From The Mars/Kellanova Deal

The hosts welcome NOSH managing editor Monica Watrous to the show as they discuss Mars’ $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, including key takeaways from the deal, its impact on the food industry and why it may spur a flow of M&A activity among entrepreneurial companies.