Licensing Deal Brings Nine Loko Intoxicating Hemp Beverages to Market
Four Loko-maker Phusion Projects has licensed some of its brand assets to Chuck It LLC for use on intoxicating hemp beverages.
Headlines
Taste Radio: Time To Rethink THC… And DTC?
One brand is preparing for a regulatory shakeup. Another just landed in Target with $24 million in fresh capital. The Taste Radio hosts discuss BRĒZ’s bet on a future beyond THC, Stars & Honey’s leap from DTC success to a nationwide Target launch, and how brands are reinventing Shirley Temples, protein bars, and Rice Krispie treats for a new generation of consumers.
Marketing: Sprite Celebrates Hip Hop History
Sprite is teaming up with Genius, the online music and lyrics annotation platform, to launch “The Living Tracklist,” a campaign which “reimagines” some of the most iconic hip hop songs in history as “a living, evolving canon shaped by culture, conversation and community,” according to the company.
Adam Kost on How Dirty Shirley Cleaned Up
Most founders build to scale, but Adam Kost, founder of ready-to-drink (RTD) brand Dirty Shirley, built to prove.
Inside Private Equity Investment Decisions With KarpReilly
At BevNET Live Summer, KarpReilly's Hank Spring explained the current landscape of beverage investment and how the PE firm strategizes its funding role.
White House Demands Congressional Hemp Regulatory Framework
Hemp industry advocates are celebrating the inclusion of pro-hemp language in a recent White House letter to Congress.
Review: Slice Soda Gets Dirty
The execution is solid, offering approachable flavors that lean lighter and more restrained than many competitors in the category.
CPG Week Podcast: Tara Bosch’s Next Bet and Trade Dress Distress
This week on the podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard discuss Algae Cooking Club’s funding round and BRĒZ’s strategic pivot, plus SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch’s second entrepreneurial act and a legal battle between two electrolyte beverage makers.
Another Round for Adult Soda
Like all consumer trends, the circle came back around and consumers started craving flavor again and before we knew it, hard soda was back. Producers are hoping this time the trend is stickier (but maybe less syrupy).
Reports: Diageo Layoffs Hit North American Business Unit
Diageo CEO Dave Lewis is reportedly slashing jobs as part of a reorganization of the struggling alcohol giant, whose portfolio includes Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Smithwicks, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal and Casamigos.
Owl’s Brew Follows Hard Soda Debut With Functional NA Mixers
After launching its Spiked Pop hard soda in February, Owl’s Brew is shaking up its portfolio again with a line of NA mixers.
NÜTRL Founders Back Los Sundays Expansion
The founders who built NÜTRL into Canada's top vodka soda are putting that playbook to use again, this time with tequila.
Disruption at Scale: A Conversation with Athletic Brewing CEO Bill Shufelt
At BevNET Live in New York City, Athletic co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt dug into how he’s tackled the brand’s scaling, how passion and authenticity have been key to Athletic’s resonance with consumers and why investing in grassroots marketing was important for the business.
Distribution: Coco5 Gets Into World Cup Spirit, Adds Club
In beverage distribution news, sports drink Coco5 hits World Cup cities' airports and smartwater enters PVOLVE fitness studios.