Headlines

BevNET Live Summer 2019: Inside ZX Ventures

In this presentation at BevNET Live Summer 2019, Liz Tomic, global director for ZX Ventures’ Explore Fund, discussed how the unit approaches the beverage marketplace, which categories, need states and channels it chooses to target, and why people and culture matter more than scale when it comes to selecting partner brands.

Summer Fancy Food Show 2019: Brooklyn Crafted Grows Beyond Ginger Ale

At this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, BevNET managing editor Martin Caballero spoke with Marcia Hu, marketing manager at Brooklyn Crafted, to discuss the brand’s growth and its push into new product segments, and how the company is building its base in New York with an eye towards steady national expansion.

Humm Drops Plans for East Coast Production Facility

Humm Kombucha has cancelled plans to construct a $10 million production facility in Roanoke, Virginia, telling the city that improvements in production and distribution capabilities at its Bend, Oregon headquarters made an East Coast expansion unnecessary.

Sweet Reason Raises $2.5M Seed Round

Cannabis-infused sparkling water maker Sweet Reason has raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by venture capital firm Lerer Hippeau. The round also includes investments from River Park, Max Ventures and cannabis investment firm Subversive Capital.

Taste Radio Ep. 169: What Makes an Idea ‘Innovative’? The Creators of Vita Coco, Justin’s, Boxed and Others Weigh In.

In this highlight episode culled from interviews with six innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs who joined us on Taste Radio during the first half of 2019, we explore the role that innovation plays several for category-leading brands. Our guests include Vita Coco co-founder Mike Kirban, Lifeway Foods CEO Julie Smolyansky, Justin’s founder Justin Gold, Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendricks Gin creator Steve Grasse and WTRMLN WTR co-founder Jody Levy. This episode is presented by BevSource.

BevNET Live Summer 2019: OTG CEO Rick Blatstein on Retailing at the Gate

Thanks to the dominating presence of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, airport terminals can be a tricky place for emerging beverage brands to stand out. On-the-go consumers often look to grab a familiar favorite before their flights, and notoriously high airport prices can deter even adventurous travelers from trying something new.

Distribution Roundup: EBOOST Adds Sprouts, Life Time

EBOOST Launches Nationwide in Sprouts, Life Time Fitness; Liquid Death Partners with LA Distributing; C4 Partners with Polar; The Living Apothecary Adds Retailers Nationwide; Soylent Partners with Dot Foods; Clear/Cut Phocus Adds CVS Stores; Ginjan to Test in Walmart, Adds Whole Foods

Gallery: June’s New Product Launches

In this gallery, we highlight this month’s newly released and announced products: from new protein and sports drinks to the latest additions to the CBD craze to seasonal offerings from Dirty Lemon and Raw Generation, there’s plenty to choose from as consumers head into the thick of summer.

Brand Profile: Thirty Drinks Growing One Cafeteria at a Time

Having started with 200 schools in the Cincinnati area, sports drink startup Thirty Drinks is now targeting expansion in public and private school lunch programs, and founder Patrick McGinnis is committed to this year making this unique food service channel “the backbone of the company.”

BevNET Live Summer 2019: How Millennial Entrepreneurs Think About Beverage

In this video from BevNET Live Summer 2019, reporter Brad Avery sits down with three millennial beverage entrepreneurs from startup brands Koia, Kitu Life, and Tea Drops to discuss how generational values such as transparency, authenticity, and diversity affect their approach to business.

Coca-Cola Wins Arbitration With Monster Over ‘Energy’ Line

The Coca-Cola Company received a favorable decision in its arbitration hearing with Monster Energy Corp., paving the way for the soda giant to expand its new energy drink, Coca-Cola Energy, into markets worldwide.

Summer Fancy Foods Show 2019: Format Fuels Innovation in Coffee, Mixer Segments

At this year's Summer Fancy Food Show, held June 23-26 at the Javits Center in New York City, there was plenty of beverage innovation to go around. Following yesterday’s look at several new products from the show, in this roundup, we explore developments in the coffee and ginger ale/tonic categories.