Attendees at BevNET Live Summer 2022, taking place in New York City on June 15 and 16, will have a chance to hear from an incredible practitioner of the selling narrative this summer when Romitha Mally, the founder of The Mally Collective, an M&A and IPO advisory firm focused on high-growth, disruptive consumer companies takes the stage.
Austin, Texas-based RTD cocktail brand Canteen Spirits has hired industry veteran Brian Smith as its new Chief Sales Officer, charged with leading the brand’s national expansion; Zach Rueda, chief brand officer of Massachusetts-based flash frozen coffee capsule producer Cometeer, has stepped away from the company.
Rather than trying to pull spirits drinkers into a new format, a cohort of emerging brands are looking to make the transition from cocktails to cannabis as smooth as possible.
Another independent canned cocktail maker boarded the “mother ship” last week when Constellation Brands announced Thursday the full acquisition of Austin Cocktails. It’s a move that’s in step with the other global beverage companies picking up fast-growing RTD producers - but observers in the industry caution that the deal may not be the harbinger of a flood of RTD acquisitions.
Brad Kintzer, Chief Chocolate Maker at TCHO, discussed the company’s emphasis on sustainable and ethical sourcing as a key metric of quality, how it defines “better” when evaluating progress, how he’s been inspired by winemaking and why, despite TCHO’s cachet, the brand recently introduced massive changes in its formulation and branding.
Female PoC-owned sparkling, adaptogen-enhanced water brand Droplet activated a crowdfunding campaign this month on NuAMP, a new platform dedicated to connecting PoC founders with various forms of capital. Created in collaboration with community fundraising platform NuMarket and AMP, a tech company connecting PoC founders with funding resources, the NuAMP program debuted with seven active crowdfunding campaigns to support diverse founders across the country
Talking Rain Beverage Company, the parent company of Sparkling Ice, announced today it has appointed Ken Sylvia as its new permanent CEO, effective immediately. He had been serving as interim CEO since Chris Hall’s abrupt departure on April 1. Sylvia joined the Seattle-based company in 2010 and has held a variety of roles, most recently serving as COO overseeing sales and supply chain.
Waterbird Spirits believes two container sizes will take the brand to the next stratosphere of growth: 24 oz. single-serve cans and half-barrel kegs, according to founder Wilson Craig.
Hydrogen-infused water maker Susosu has closed a seed round backed by food and beverage accelerator Union Kitchen, marking the Virginia-based brand’s first ever outside investment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Avacajoe is a line of RTD coffees that blend cold brew coffee with avocado milk to create the first “avocado coffee.” The product line is packaged in 7.5 oz cans and available in three flavors: Dark Roast, Vanilla and Mocha.
Last week, e-commerce beverage-alcohol platform Provi filed a complaint against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), alleging that the companies have unlawfully stifled the growth of its platform. The complaint filed March 29 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, alleges that the defendants have acted together and individually to “boycott, disparage and tortiously interfere with Provi’s business.”
New beverage startup Kowa has teamed with ingredient maker Nura to feature its branded organic 5-HTP supplement in its line of mood-boosting functional drinks; U.K.-based ingredients manufacturer Tate & Lyle announced last week that it has signed an agreement to acquire Chinese fiber producer Quantum Hi-Tech Biological Co., Ltd for $237 million; and more news from Kerry and Sweegen.
In this week’s roundup of new product launches, both Coca-Cola and MTN Dew rolled out new limited edition soda flavors targeting the gaming community, regional cannabis beverage makers introduced new line extensions, and the gut health boosting soda and seltzer trend continues with launches from emerging player Poppi and newcomer Aqua ViTea.
In this episode, Taste Radio’s hosts discussed new products in several food and beverage categories, including a nootropic-boosted hydration drink brand launched by an NFL star and NFT icon, a nostalgia-inspiring cinnamon spread, RTD milk teas and spiked tonics, artisanal and low-sugar sweets and perhaps the best-tasting tortillas on the market. They also riffed on this weekend’s Specialty Coffee Association trade show and a funding round for a brand of experimental condiments and beverages.
