Six beverage startups emerged from a field of 12 contestants to secure a spot in tomorrow’s final round of New Beverage Showdown 23 at BevNET Live Summer 2022, sponsored by Coca Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands Unit (VEB).
Thursday’s final will feature hydration beverage brand Leisure Project, low-sugar beverage tablet maker Plink!, better-for-you soda brand Perfy, mood-boosting iced tea maker RUUTS, West African spiced hibiscus drink brand Berry Bissap and natural energy drink maker SOMI.
The finalists were selected from a field of 12 competitors which also included mocktail brand Muddle & Mint, better-for-you bubble tea brand BUBLUV, sparkling beverage maker Glish, better-for-you soda Fresh Fizz, hyaluronic beauty beverage 3LOVES and next-gen CSD neopop.
While offering several different kinds of beverage experiences, drinks that “support a happy brain” and improve mental well-being were prevalent.
The judges for the semi-final round included BevNET Director of Marketing Jacqui Brugliera; David De La Garza, Topo Chico Marketing Lead; Allison Ellsworth, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Poppi; and Brittany Jacobs, Sr. Sales Executive, Brand Partnerships at Instacart.
Tune into BevNET.com or visit our YouTube page tomorrow to watch the final round of the competition live, starting with part one at 11 a.m. EST and part two at 2 p.m. EST. The champion of New Beverage Showdown 23 will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, June 16 at 3:30 EST at the closing of BevNET’s annual summer conference.
The winner of the competition will walk away with bragging rights and a $10,000 awareness-building advertising package and join the cohort of previous New Beverage Showdown champions such as Hiyo, Agua Bonita, Kite, Cann and HopTea.