Seven Questions For Petalfast CEO Jason Vegotsky

In January, route-to-market and incubator in the cannabis business Petalfast added SIP Elixirs to its brand portfolio, broadening its reach to include cannabis beverages alongside edible companies like Wana brands and a variety of flower companies. Just last week, it also began to work with Massachusetts-based, veteran led edibles company Freshly Baked.

Soylent Acquired by Starco Brands

Publicly traded consumer products company Starco Brands, Inc. has acquired plant-based food and beverage maker Soylent, completing the brand’s evolution from red hot food-tech startup to cross-category CPG platform.

Review: Jas Paloma Libre

Paloma Libre is the first offering from Jas, a startup company whose mission is to create alcohol-free no-compromise equivalents to craft cocktails. Their first offering is, as the name suggests, their take on the classic Mexican cocktail.

Pronghorn Invests in Four More Black-Owned Spirit Companies

Venture firm Pronghorn, an initiative focused on boosting Black entrepreneurship in spirits, announced today new investments in four companies: Anteel Tequila, Common Ground Spirits, Delta Dirt Distillery, and Old Hillside Bourbon Company. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

CLEAN Cause Broadens Offerings with ‘Sparkling Pick-Me-Up’ Launch

CLEAN Cause is looking to spread its support for addiction recovery further with its latest product launch: Sparkling Pick-Me-Up, a functional sparkling water line infused with collagen and prebiotics. According to founder Wes Hurt, the new line was soft launched last year in Austin, Texas-area stores and is now available in about 200 doors as well as online direct-to-consumer.

Taste Radio: Yes, Investors Love Healthy Brands. But All The Ingredients Matter.

Prior to the investment firm’s second annual Global Health Forum, we spoke with Ross Iverson, Brent Drever and Steve Young of Manna Tree for a trio of conversations about the urgency of making healthy and affordable food available to more people, why entrepreneurs are faced with shifting expectations for profitability and top line growth, their assessment of consumer confidence and spending and what emerging food trends are on their radar.

Remedy Drinks Re-Ups With Existing Investors To Fuel Retail Growth

Australian kombucha maker Remedy Drinks has closed a Series B funding round led by L Catterton and Australian investment firm Kin Group during Q4 2022. With this cash infusion, the brand plans to drive retail expansion with new and existing partners across the U.S.

Six Questions with Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve Master Distiller

Earlier this month, bourbon brand Woodford Reserve named Elizabeth McCall as master distiller, one of the few women to achieve the title among major whiskey companies. She is also the second generation of her family with a career in the spirits industry, following in her mother’s footsteps who worked at the Seagram’s production facility in the 1970s and 80s.