Moving product is a critical piece of the business equation for drink manufacturers across all categories, but energy drinks have enjoyed (or suffered, depending on your perspective) a considerably more dynamic and dramatic saga in recent years as consolidation from the major strategics has reshaped the landscape.
The annual BevNET RTD Alcohol Beverage Guide.
Five years ago, hard kombucha was supposed to be the next big “fourth category” product, building off the initial momentum of hard seltzer, but promising bolder flavors and potential gut health benefits.
In the modern functional beverage era, products aligned with niche ingredients and attributes easily fall in and out of fashion. Even vital macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fats have been on the outs at times, but protein remains a nutritional evergreen.
New Hope Network’s Natural Products Expo West returned to the Anaheim Convention Center in March with a plethora of new product innovations in the beverage set, including freshly brewed products from La Colombe and Super Coffee, new line extensions from Uncle Matt’s and Minor Figures and much, much more.
In craft beer news: Highlights from the 2024 Craft Brewers Conference; Bart Watson: Differentiation Vital for Craft to Return to Growth; and NB2A: Black-Owned Breweries Are Growing Based on Craft’s Original Playbook – Authenticity and Community.
In beverage news: Super Coffee Founder Jordan DeCicco Named Interim CEO; Casa Azul Wins Trademark Case Against Clase Azul; Nutrabolt Bolsters Leadership Team With Former Red Bull, Hostess Execs; and Monster Co-CEO Rodney Sacks Announces Succession Plan in Q1 Earnings Call.
I have seen so many companies achieve short term success and then disappear. I’ve seen brilliant entrepreneurs over these 32 years, but none with the longevity of AriZona.
Bottled fruit drinks and bottled fruit juice blends by sales and growth.
In food industry news: Meati Raises $100M, Locks In Kroger Deal As ‘Path to Profitability’ Accelerates; Tyler Ricks Named CEO at Caulipower; Walmart Doubles Down On Private Label With Premium, Accessible bettergoods Debut; and Wilde Protein Chips Pumps Up With Muscular Investment.
It’s been a difficult time on the innovation side of beverages, with many companies struggling to raise capital from investors who seem frozen by uncertainty. That has coerced some founders into shotgun marriages with other brands or into rollup plays that may or may not yield their anticipated synergies.
With respect to celebrity coffee brands, we are all Vladimir Ivanov now. Who in the name of Krampus’ barn is Vladimir Ivanov? He’s a fictional Russian saxophone musician, played by Robin Williams in the early 1980s low-key chestnut “Moscow on the Hudson.”
