“It Has to be an Experience”: Bacardi’s Plan For On-Premise Recovery
Bars and restaurants are still traveling down the long road to recovery since the end of pandemic lockdowns, Bacardi is offering a potentially faster route.
Headlines
How Did Gorgie Raise $6.5M Without VC Cash?
After just six months on the market, female-focused energy drink Gorgie is already finding its stride. The New York-based brand founded by Michelle Cordeiro Grant announced the close of a $6.5 million pre-seed funding round today.
Taste Radio: Nothing Tastes Better Than Nostalgia. This Founder Is Proving It.
This week features a conversation with GN Chan, the founder of Double Chicken Please, a New York City bar widely recognized as one of the best in the world. As part of our interview, Chan explained his view of the bar as “a design and performance studio,” an innovative menu in which you “drink your food and eat your drink” and the regionality of non-alcoholic cocktail and spirit trends.
Co-Packer Connector Platform Raises $4M
PartnerSlate, a contract manufacturing database, has raised $4 million to expand its PartnerMatch platform which connects food and beverage brands to co-mans using AI streamlining the process of searching for and matching with suitable producers.
Bloodthirsty for Bourbon: Six Questions With Vampire Diaries Stars and Founders of Brother’s Bond Bourbon
We chat with the stars of TV series Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who have sunk their teeth into the bourbon industry with Brother’s Bond Bourbon.
Taste Radio: The Surprising Trends Reshaping Back Bars & Pantries Alike
There’s big money flowing into emerging concepts… and we have the receipts. Within this episode, the hosts discussed canned wine, plant-based analogs of popular snacks and THC-centric brands. We also discussed influential trends and innovative products in the evolving world of mixology in interviews with past World Class US Bartenders of the Year Jessi Pollak and Adam Fournier along with James Beard-honored mixologist and author Kim Haasarud.
Jones Soda Names David Knight as President and CEO
Jones Soda has named David Knight as its new president and CEO, effective June 23, replacing outgoing executive Mark Murray. Knight comes to the Seattle-based craft soda brand from CBD company CFH Ltd., where he has served as chief beverage officer since 2021.
This Week’s New Products: The‘Ultimate’ Coke, Plus Marquis, Pressed, C4, Mary Jones
In this week’s new products roundup, Coca-Cola teams up with Riot Games to launch the ‘Ultimate’ gamer-focused flavor, Liquid I.V. debuts its first sugar-free product and Boxed Water, 100 Coconuts and Karma Hydration launch fruit-forward offerings sure to keep consumers hydrated in the summer heat.
Carbonated Bevs, Energy Drinks Lead Circana’s New Products Pacesetters
While inflation may have hit consumers’ wallets hard last year, it hasn’t curbed their appetite for new CPG innovation, according to the 2023 New Product Pacesetters report from market research firm Circana.
Is Ready-to-Serve Crashing The Premium Party?
After an explosive few years, the ready-to-drink rise is showing signs of moderating but larger formats of pre-mixed cocktails may be an emerging growth opportunity, according to NIQ during the company’s C360 conference yesterday.
Kill Cliff & Joe Rogan Want You To Drink Elk Blood
Energy drink Kill Cliff announced it is expanding its partnership with celebrity podcaster Joe Rogan and adding endurance sport and bowhunting influencer Cameron Hanes as a new collaborator on an exclusive CBD beverage, Elk Blood Spicy Cherry.
8th Wonder Brewery Acquired by Texas Cannabis Company Bayou City Hemp
8th Wonder Brewery, Distillery and Cannabis has been acquired by Bayou City Hemp Company, a Houston, Texas-headquartered cannabis company. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Rolling Stone: Indie DSD House Opens Up Non-Alc Portfolio with Mela
Watermelon water maker Mela has partnered with independent California distributor Stone Distributing Co., making it one of the first non-alcoholic beverage brands in the DSD house’s portfolio of beer, hard kombucha and spirits brands.
Five Trends Impacting Global BevAlc Growth, According to the IWSR
Global beverage alcohol is projected to deliver over $21.6 billion to the global economy by the end of 2023, with premium plus segments and no/low alcohol representing bright spots, according to a report from the IWSR Drinks Market Analysis released today.