Let’s make one thing clear up front: iced tea isn’t going away anytime soon. Regardless of the variety, sweet or unsweet, functional or just plain old cold tea, consumers aren’t ready to abandon the summertime favorite -- at least, not yet. But the category hierarchy sure doesn’t look like it used to.
BevNET’s annual Natural Beverage Guide.
Things were good at BTL SVC. Leading up to the pandemic, the premium ready-to-drink cocktail company, was increasingly found in some of the country’s most well known hotels, at concession stands at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, and had just received purchase orders from Jet Blue Airlines.
When the Coca-Cola Company announced in November 2021 that it was acquiring challenger brand BodyArmor for $5.6 billion, it was a signal to the industry that the sports drink category was officially entering a new era. Though Coke, through its ownership of Powerade, had long been the number two player in the space, it was always an afterthought to PepsiCo’s Gatorade. But with BodyArmor – the Repole-and-Collins founded, Kobe-backed upstart that recently passed PowerAde in sales volume, the acquisition solidified Coke as a formidable asset holder.
During the opening day of NOSH Live Summer 2022, held June 14-15 in New York City, John Lowe, CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, announced he will step down from the role after 13 years.
Even as the nation has been turning the corner on two horrific plague years, lifting spirits and reopening some crucial channels, recent months have brought a rash of dispiriting developments for the innovation sphere. Public markets have grown precarious, sending valuations of early-stage bevcos crashing down amid a broader correction. That has rippled out to the private market, making deals
In food industry news: UNSTUCK Launches New Products, Celebrates ‘Friction-less’ Model Success; Mondelēz To Acquire Clif Bar For $2.9 Billion; Magic Spoon Raises $85 Million And Hits Target Shelves Nationwide; Stryve Brings on Seasoned Exec as New CEO
Oat milk and almond milk by sales and growth.
As with most hot-and-heavy star-crossed celebrity romances that quickly turn into public breakups, there were rumors, shouts, recriminations, lawyers. It’s America, after all, and since our commerce and attention helps build these things, we’re all entitled to our own little piece.
BevNET Live Summer 2022 returned to New York City in June for the first time in three years at a “precipitous time,” according to Jeff Klineman, BevNET Editor-in-Chief, during his opening remarks. Beverage industry leaders and professionals convened eagerly for the two-day industry conference, which opened with a state-of-the-industry discussion featuring insights from retailers, brands, investors and distributors.
This June, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show returned in-person to New York City for the first time since 2019.
In craft beer news: Court Approves Sale of Modern Times to Brewery X; COOP Ale Works Strikes Deal for OKC Armory; Stone Brewing to be Sold to Sapporo Holdings; New Belgium to Launch Free Bar and Restaurant Training Program to Create Safe Spaces.
In beverage news: Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s Set to Launch RTD Cocktail; Chameleon Coffee and REBBL Acquired By SYSTM Foods; Super Coffee Tests ‘ENRGY’ Line; Bang Announces Split from PepsiCo; and Bolthouse Farms To Acquire Juice Brand Evolution Fresh From Starbucks.
As our lives seem to be rolling back to where we were before the start of COVID-19, it’s time to take stock of the present, because business isn’t the same. First, while the pandemic seems to be receding in so many eyes, it is important to remember that it’s still affecting the country’s health, and in the impact it has had on us emotionally and financially is profound and lingering. There are still many factors affecting the beverage industry. We’re looking for normalcy, but it didn’t come fast enough for many brands that left us the past two years.
