Luna Bay Label Update Continues Its Move Beyond Booch, Towards Tea
After working hard to earn its name in hard kombucha category, Chicago-based Luna Bay is now eager to bring consumers beyond the category.
Headlines
RNDC Rocked By Brown-Forman Exit As Supplier Exodus Continues
The country’s second-largest distributor, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) has been shedding suppliers at an alarming rate, with another major national loss announced today. Following Brown-Forman’s exit from RNDC in California this month, the whiskey giant will now follow suit in other states.
5-Hour Energy Did Not Violate Antitrust in Pricing Discrimination Case Court Rules
A California federal judge agreed this week that 5-Hour Energy maker Living Essentials LLC created an unfair competitive environment for family-owned wholesalers by offering “disproportionate promotions” to Costco, but stopped short of ruling it an antitrust violation.
Distribution: Leisure Hydration Lands East Coast Partner; Huxley, Holy! Water Expand
The latest distribution updates from around the beverage industry, including Huxley's budding partnership with Kroger and a new N.Y-based partner for Leisure Hydration.
L.A. Libations Investment Wing Taste Tomorrow Ventures Debuts $30M Fund
L.A. Libations is looking to spread the wealth with the launch of Taste Tomorrow Ventures, a venture capital arm that has closed a $30 million fund to invest in emerging beverage and snack brands.
Celsius Offers Alani Update: $50M In Synergies, Bigger Role for Protein?
Celsius shed some more light on its now-finalized acquisition of Alani Nu yesterday, though further details on distribution were notably absent.
Reviews: From Little Saints to a Bad Mermaid, Plus Meet Campari’s Crodino
Some people have angels and devils on their shoulders; this week, our review team is seeing Little Saints and a Bad Mermaid, with an appearance from Campari's new non-alc import, Crodino.
Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Reveals His New Dominican Rum Brand
Former Boston Red Sox All-Star David "Big Papi" Ortiz is the founder of a new brand of “ultra-premium” rums, Ozama Rum, produced in his home country of the Dominican Republic.
Anheuser Busch Unveils Dana White-Backed Phorm Energy Drink
Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) has revealed its new energy drink line Phorm Energy, as the beer giant seeks to make its presence felt in a category that has become increasingly important, and unstable, to beer distributors in recent years.
Taste Radio: Scaling Tradition — The ‘Daughter’ Building A Cultural Food Empire
Dumpling Daughter isn’t just a food brand. It’s founder Nadia Liu Spellman’s heartfelt homage to family, culture, and comfort. Her mission is simple but powerful: to make high-quality, restaurant-style comfort food accessible at home, while honoring the deep emotional ties that food can hold.
Retailer Confidence Drops 15 Points Since 2024; 73% See Private Label as Priority
Uncertainty and pessimism are rising major among U.S. retailers as labor challenges and inflation have dampened future outlook, according to a report by Progressive Grocer last week.
Afterdream Re-Awakens: AMASS, De Soi Distiller Launches THC RTD
Morgan McLachlan, the master distiller behind adult non-alc (ANA) brand De Soi and botanical spirits line AMASS, is dipping back into an exploding beverage category.
More Than Coachella: Why Alix Earle’s Poppi Partnership Matters
Influencer partnerships have become a go-to tool for CPG brands seeking to gain an edge in the crowded marketplace, but how can one ensure the return will be worth it?
Taste Radio: How Elavi Landed A Million-Dollar Deal With Costco
Michelle Razavi, the co-founder of Elavi, pulls back the curtain on how the brand landed a $1 million order from Costco just four months after the debut of its protein brownies. The hosts also discuss Chobani’s purchase of Daily Harvest and Via Verde Valle’s acquisition of A Dozen Cousins, and how the latter may reflect a new paradigm in which founders favor strategic exits over prolonged fundraising.