Insider Daily Briefing: The Impenetrable Popularity of Protein Shakes
Also in this edition: the FDA warns of a deadly Kratom product, Jones Soda secures $3 million private placement, why The Aether Group is going after mezcal and more.
Headlines
Taste Radio: When Innovation Goes Right… And, When It Goes Terribly Wrong.
There’s high praise, some head-scratching and outright dismay in this innovation-centric episode of Taste Radio. Among the highlights: an upstart labneh brand and a Gen Z-inspired line of better-for-you soda. Less appealing: a corporation’s commodification of ethnic foods and global flavors.
Aether Group Targets Corte Vetusto for Turnaround Potential in U.S. Market
Sometimes it’s a brand’s challenges that make it an attractive acquisition target. Last week, the Aether Group, a recently launched incubator and brand house from a former Coca-Cola executive made its first acquisition: Corte Vetusto, a mezcal brand with a U.K. footprint whose U.S. distribution stalled due to the pandemic.
New Products: Chobani’s Fall Seasonals, Plus Wandering Bear, Amaí, Celsius and More
In this week’s new products roundup, Chobani and La Colombe gear up for fall, Celsius takes inspiration from a classic soda flavor and ALOHA shows off its new PET packaging for its protein drinks.
NielsenIQ: Non-Alc Beverage Sales Stay Healthy in Early July
Non-alcoholic beverage sales remained solid in early July as volume sales accelerated in the two-week period ending July 13, according to an analysis of NielsenIQ retail scanner data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research. Retail dollar sales grew +3.6% in the two-week period, compared to +3.9% in the four-week period.
Southern Glazer’s to Acquire Horizon Beverage, Adding Massachusetts and Rhode Island to Footprint
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has plans to acquire Horizon Beverage Group, Southern Glazer’s announced today. The deal includes all of Norton, Massachusetts-based Horizon Beverage’s Massachusetts and Rhode Island operations and beer, wine and spirits portfolio, adding two states to the largest bev-alc distributor’s footprint.
Mommenpop Update Puts a Citrus, Organic Twist on Aperitifs
For winemaker Samantha Sheehan, the spritz’s rise to one of the most popular cocktails in the U.S. has been a boost to her Napa-based aperitif brand Mommenpop.
KDP: “Healthy” Q2 Growth, Amid Coffee Declines
Keurig Dr Pepper reported single-digit net sales growth and margin expansion in its Q2 2024 earnings call amid challenges in coffee pricing and at-home consumption.
Brightfield Group Q2 Report: Functional Beverages for Women
This report, which focuses on functional beverages for women, features exclusive content created just for our BevNET Insider audience!
Oatly: Supply Chain Strategy Shift Drives Q2 Volume Growth, Margin Improvements
Oatly saw volumes grow in all segments during Q2 and credited its shift to an asset-light supply chain model as the key driver, allowing the brand to reduce its cost structure and focus on more efficient execution, per an earnings report this morning.
THC-Infused Beverage Maker Climbing Kites Pushes Forward Amid Murky Iowa Law; Distribution Expansion On Tap
After being stuck in limbo for much of July following the passage of regulations on THC-infused beverages in Iowa, Iowa City-based Climbing Kites is pushing new products into retailers this week.
Taste Radio: Yes, Somos Made Mistakes. But The Fix Is Helping Them Make (And Feed) Millions.
Miguel Leal, the co-founder and CEO of modern Mexican food brand Somos Foods, talks about how the company adjusted its positioning to resonate with a broader audience; how Somos identified areas for improvement. and how his timeline for an potential acquisition has changed significantly.
Coca-Cola: ‘Solid Topline’ in Q2 Despite Sliding Volumes in North America
Coca-Cola’s volume growth overseas has helped buoy softening numbers in North America, where declines across water, sports drinks, coffee/tea, soda and its flagship brand dragged volume down 1% in Q2 2024.
PRIME Violates Trademarks, Claims U.S. Olympic Committee
Logan Paul and KSI’s PRIME Hydration has caught the ire of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which filed a lawsuit against the sports drink brand last week alleging it violated the committee’s trademarks on the packaging of its recent collaboration with NBA star and Team USA member Kevin Durant.