BevNET Live Summer 2017: Day Two Recap
If day one of BevNET Live Summer 2017 offered the goods on how to innovate and scope out the future of the beverage industry, day two was a crash course in the nitty gritty details of monetizing that future.
Headlines
Rise Brewing Wins New Beverage Showdown 13
Rise Brewing Company is touting its coveted crown as the winner of New Beverage Showdown 13 after claiming the top spot in the early-stage beverage brand competition. Co-founders Grant Gyesky and Jarrett McGovern competed against entrepreneurs from five other brands participating in the final round of the Showdown, which is intertwined with BevNET Live Summer 2017 and held at Metropolitan West in New York City.
BevNET Live Summer 2017: Day One Recap
The delivery of the message was softer, with a few jokes thrown in, but the connective lesson from presentations at Day One of BevNET Live Summer 2017 was quite clear and quite serious: In a rapidly changing world, your business needs to keep up the pace or get stuck in the past.
Battle of the Brands: New Beverage Showdown 13 Finalists Named
Representatives from Ugly Drinks, Lion Tea, Rise Brewing Co., Smart Pressed Juice, Mooala, Cannabinoid Creations, FYLO, Limitless Coffee & Tea, Ounce Water, Remedy Organics, Inspired Brews, and Still Thyme Soda all faced off in the competition’s semifinal round, held at Metropolitan West in New York City on Tuesday morning.
Alt-Milks Brew Up Interest At Coffee Retailers
While soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk and other non-dairy alternatives have already established a presence on retail shelves, the category still has plenty of room to grow. And in retail coffee shops both big and small, brands have found a valuable opportunity to get more of their product into consumers hands, or cups.
Press Clips: Rowdy Mermaid Sees Rapid Growth
Rowdy Mermaid sees rapid growth in lead up to $2 million Series A round; The New York Times probes cold brew; Massachusetts coffee shop sells Donald Trump-themed "Covfefe Coffee"; NIH delivers more bad news about diet soda in latest study.
BevNET Podcast is Now Taste Radio
Included in our first episode as Taste Radio is a conversation with Jordan Gaspar and Lauren Jupiter, the founders of venture capital fund AccelFoods, which invests in early-stage and innovative food and beverage companies. Gaspar and Jupiter discussed the evolution of AccelFoods’ investment and business strategy and shared their take on nascent trends in food and beverage.
Humm Kombucha Raises $8M Led By VMG Partners
After Massachusetts-based Spindrift Beverage Co., Humm is now the second beverage brand to receive investment from VMG Partners, a private equity firm with a portfolio that includes Kind Healthy Snacks and Health Warrior.
Marion Nestle Talks ‘Soda Politics’ in K-12
Two days after Seattle became the latest addition to a growing group of cities that have implemented a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, “Soda Politics” author and advocate Marion Nestle appeared at Harvard University for a scheduled talk about the business of soda.
Distribution Roundup: CVS Takes Better-For-You Brands Nationwide
CVS takes Dry Soda and Drink Maple nationwide following better-for-you pilot program in select stores last year, Verday Chlorophyl Water expands into Whole Foods South Pacific region, AQUAhydrate expands presence in Arizona.
AriZona Gets Into Zero-Calorie Bubbles
The new line, AriZona Sparkling, is set to launch in metro-New York with a nationwide launch in select stores slated for later in the summer. AriZona describes the line as a “sophisticated take on bubbles” that includes five flavors; Strawberry, Pineapple Coconut, Orange Grapefruit, Lemon Lime, and Black Raspberry.
Seattle City Council Approves “Soda Tax”
In a 7-1 vote yesterday, the Seattle City Council approved a 1.75 cents per ounce tax on distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) that is expected to take effect in early July.
Analysts: A PepsiCo/Vita Coco Deal Would Reshape Coconut Category
Last week a Reuters report that PepsiCo was in talks to acquire Vita Coco maker All Market Inc. had the beverage industry buzzing over what could be yet another billion-dollar acquisition of an entrepreneurial beverage company by a strategic giant.
People Moves: Crowley Joins Soylent
KeVita's former chief strategy officer Bryan Crowley joins Soylent as president, Stumptown taps former Boombotix CEO Sean Sullivan for top positions after Ricci departure, Jacqueline Harrigan leaves marketing post at Agua Brands as the company partners with an agency.