ZOA Introduces First Line Extension With Pre-Workout Supplement ZOA+
ZOA continues to be busy in the early months of 2022, announcing this week the launch of its first-ever line extension, a pre-workout energy drink called ZOA+.
Diageo Opens New $110 Million Illinois Manufacturing Facility to Increase RTD Production
Diageo North America has opened a 225,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Plainfield, Illinois, expanding the company’s production capacity by more than 25 million cases. Diageo Lincolnway, a $110 million project, includes the installation of two new high-speed canning lines, which will support production of both malt- and spirit-based ready-to-drink canned cocktails (RTDs).
Ex-Waterloo Marketing VP Launches Country Luau RTD Cocktails
Just a few weeks after his former colleague Jeff Arnold joined LALO Spirits as its president and COO, another alumnus of Texas-based Waterloo Sparkling Water’s management team is entering the beverage alcohol category with the launch of Country Luau, a new spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktail line set to hit stores later this month.
JuneShine Launches RTD Canned Cocktails In Next Step Toward Becoming Lifestyle Brand
Ready-to-drink canned cocktails from JuneShine began quietly hitting store shelves in Southern California last week and officially launched March 1. The release of the spirits-based canned cocktails marks the first non-hard kombucha product launch from the San Diego-headquartered company.
Taste Radio: When ‘Better’ Is Your Mantra, Everything Is Possible. Just Ask Aimee Yang.
BetterBrand founder/CEO Aimee Yang spoke about how she analyzed the opportunity to create a better-for-you bagel, why raising her first $1 million was both remarkable and lamentable, the fortuitous way she met several investors, what she wanted to convey in branding and package design and why she embraces a “software mindset” when it comes to iteration.
Rowdy Mermaid’s Functional Platform Expands with Adaptonic Clarity Launch
Less than a year after launching its first non-kombucha offering with its functional Adaptonic products, Colorado-based beverage brand Rowdy Mermaid is taking another step beyond its roots in kombucha with Adaptonic Clarity, a line of sparkling drinks made with Lion’s Mane mushrooms.
This Week’s New Products: Nitro Pepsi, Light Tropicana and Spindrift’s New Flavor
What this week lacked in volume of new products, it made up for with releases from some of the leading names in major categories like juice, sparkling water and kombucha, not to mention soda.
ThinkThin Founder Launches betterland foods with Perfect Day
ThinkThin founder Lizanne Falsetto is going from protein bars to animal-free dairy protein, announcing today the launch of betterland foods, a new company developing products made with Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy proteins.
Taste Radio: There’s Big Money Flowing Into Small Brands. And, Why We’re Skeptical About A ‘Bowl.’
Following a two-week period that saw five beverage brands collectively add nearly $60 million in new funding, the hosts discussed each deal and how the companies are planning to deploy the capital. They also spoke about the increasing prevalence of food and beverage conglomerates internally developing on-trend concepts while taking branding and design cues from entrepreneurial companies.
Monster: 2021 Saw Double-Digit Growth Despite Challenges, Alcohol Ambitions Move Ahead
With rumors circulating that it may be closing in on a merger deal, Monster Beverage Corporation reported record growth for the fourth quarter and full year 2021 in an earnings report this week, with 2021 net sales up 20.5% to over $5.5 billion.
Gatorade Gets ‘Fit,’ Drops Sucralose for Stevia In New ‘Real Hydration’ Play
Gatorade is pivoting away from sucralose with the launch of Gatorade Fit, the first product from the sports drink leader that does not include either sugar or artificial sweeteners.
KDP: Full Year 2021 Net Sales Grow 9.2% as Beverage Share Increases
As the company celebrates the completion of its three-year merger period, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) reported high single-digit growth for Q4 and the full year 2021 in an earnings report today, posting an 8.7% net sales increase for the quarter and 9.2% growth to $12.6 billion for the year.
De La Calle Adds Four New Flavors, $7M in Funding To Fuel Expansion
After a solid first year on the market, De La Calle is looking ahead to further growth in 2022, closing a $7 million growth funding round while preparing to roll out four new varieties in its line of ready-to-drink Mexican tepaches.
Molson Coors Full-Year Shipments Decline -0.5%, Net Sales Increase +6.5% as Company Focuses on Premiumization
The company posted net sales of $10.279 billion for the year that ended December 31. Worldwide, shipments (sales to wholesalers) declined -0.5% and brand volume (similar to depletions, which are sales to retailers) declined -1.7% over the course of the year. However, Molson Coors’ price and sales mix increased +5.2% as it continued to focus on the premiumization of its portfolio.