Distribution Roundup: Bimble Expands to Rhode Island; ‘Try My T’ Makes Retail Debut

 

Bimble Expands to Rhode Island with Horizon Beverages

Cannabinoid drink brand Bimble has signed an agreement with Horizon Beverage, marking the distributor’s entry into the CBD beverage market.

Bimble products are packaged in glass bottles instead of cans like the majority of products in the space and contain raw honey and 25 mg of various cannabinoids such as CBD, CBC, CBG and CBN. Currently, Bimble is available at a number of local retailers throughout New York state and online through Fresh Direct, but with the worst of the pandemic seemingly over, Moskowitz said Bimble is now looking to expand throughout New England.

“When COVID hit we did what any scrappy startup would do and we pivoted to D2C in order to survive,” said Moskowitz. “It’s only now that things are starting to open up, are we coming out of our shell… the D2C portion of the business has certainly been a focus for us because at the end of the day when people walk into a store, if they see a brand they’ve never heard of they are going to keep on walking.”

Moskowitz said the partnership with Horizon will help Bimble reach channels that have previously been closed off to CBD. The agreement will enable Bimble to enter the “virtually untouched” on-premise channel that was off-limits during COVID, with Moskowitz noting that the area will be one of its main focuses when building brand awareness.

“People are watching their alcohol consumption and are looking for better ways to relax where they don’t wake up with hangovers,” he explained. “People are coming out of COVID with a heightened awareness of their mental wellness and some of that doesn’t include impairment. I think this is a fantastic moment for Bimble and Horizon is going to allow us access to parts of the business that were untapped before.”

Moskowitz continued that the brand used to be very focused on store counts and numbers, but have since shifted its approach to getting into the right stores and increasing product turnover. According to Moskowitz, business operations are also becoming slightly easier now that individual states – such as New York – have issued regulations on hemp use, helping to mainstream the market and “lightening the risk” on distributors looking to get a hand in the game while they await official FDA guidelines.

“I come from a Wall Street background,” explained Moskowitz. “When I was working it was a different world. I never had an option of a non-impairing drink that could help calm me and just help me be a better person and that’s the lane that Bimble is trying to stay in.”

‘Try My T’ Iced Tea Makes Retail Debut At SoCal Whole Foods

Los Angeles-based ice tea maker Try My T (TMT) made its retail debut at 14 Whole Foods locations across Southern California this month. The brand has been growing for the past four years starting out by selling the product in cups at local parks and festivals. TMT made the switch to a bottled format in 2019 when it began selling at sports stadiums in the Los Angeles area.

“This was all an accident,” said Dawn Patton, Founder and CEO of Try MY T. “Try My T was never meant to be a viable brand to be sold anywhere. It was a means to help my daughter support her way through school.”

In addition to entering Whole Foods, TMT has also gained shelf space at 51 Southern California Sprouts locations and will become an official beverage for foodservice supplier Food Buy/Compass.

“Our strategy is to prove our concept, be strong where we are, fail fast in terms of our mistakes and then scale hard,” Patton explained. “I don’t want to set myself up for failure because this is a tough game and this is a tough space. I want to ensure I am going to have the greatest amount of success and when the world opens up that’s when I want to go in.”

Though Whole Foods approached the company at the height of the pandemic, Patton decided the timing wasn’t right to launch, and that cautious approach has ultimately been validated.

“There’s major changes being made to the industry and I am not tarnished by what happened yesterday,” continued Patton. “I am learning, growing and going through these changes with my retailers. Even though it’s painful sometimes, I get to grow and evolve with them.”

Looking ahead, Patton said the brand is developing a new product that will launch exclusively on its D2C platform later this year. She explained that TMT isn’t trying to create differentiation in the category by innovating on its black tea base by adding fruit and botanical flavors, rather than through niche ingredients or countless SKUs.

Patton said she doesn’t know where the brand will grow but she believes that they are uniquely positioned to take on the crowded category: “I am actually trying to compete with water, that’s my competition. My competition is not the other teas on the market.”

Cruise Beverage Partners with Egizii Distributing

Chicago-based Cruise Beverage signed an agreement this week with Egizii Distributing to bring its nitro-infused CBD drinks to 300 retailers across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri. The agreement has significantly expanded Cruise’s presence across the southern half of Illinois

“You are only as successful as your distribution partners and Egizii is a great partner,” said Brian Post, CEO of Cruise Beverage, in a press release. “This sets us up to be a leader in the Midwest and Egizii Distributing expands our coverage state-wide, which is very important in our home state.”

This partnership is also aimed at increasing the brand’s presence across grocery store chains, independent markets, c-stores, liquor stores and university food service accounts including University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Bradley and Quincy.

Take Two Barleymilk Now Available at Schnucks

The upcycled food company Take Two introduced its Barleymilk in three SKUS – Unsweetened, Original and Chocolate – to Schnucks stores throughout Missouri, Illinois and Indiana this week.

“We are thrilled to launch Take Two Barleymilk with Schnucks. Creating partnerships with aligned and committed industry leaders is necessary to transform the food industry and to upcycle the billions of pounds of spent grain that go to waste annually. Take Two’s partnership with Schnucks will result in over 90,000 pounds of spent grain saved the first year,” says Co-Founder and CEO, Jerek Theo Lovey.

Take Two Barleymilk is also available throughout the Pacific Northwest at retailers such as Whole Foods, New Seasons, Metropolitan Market and Market of Choice and at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide.

KRISP DRINKS Launches in New York

Better-for-you beverage company Krisp Drinks has partnered with Preferred Beverages to distribute its flavored waters to the five boroughs of New York City and other parts of the state. The Pennsylvania-based company’s line of zero-calorie flavored water Fruitish will be distributed throughout New York and is available in strawberry, mixed berry, coconut, grape, watermelon and fruit punch flavors.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Preferred Beverages for our NY launch,” said Founder and CEO of Krisp Drinks Sean Banks in a press release. “Lou Ferraro has a lot of experience launching emerging brands including brands like Vitamin Water, Vita Coco, Calypso Lemonades and many more. He gives brands the attention and care needed to have a successful launch in the New York market.”

More Distribution News:

  • Relaxation beverage Zenify announces new partnership with Green Spoon Sales to expand its grocery retail presence nationwide.
  • Cannabis beverage producer Keef Brands is now available in Colorado and will expand to additional states later this year. Keef has also partnered with BevCanna to bring the beverages to Canada by the end of 2021.
  • Hylux vitamin-enhanced water launched online at Walmart.
  • Vitamin D-enhanced Shine Water is now available nationwide through retailers including select 7 Elevens, Targets, QTs, Meijers, and Whole Foods locations as well as online channels.