Sparkling Tequila Soda Onda Closes $5M Series A Round

Sparkling tequila soda brand Onda has closed a $5 million Series A round of funding led by Aria Growth Partners and beverage entrepreneur Clayton Christopher, the company announced last week.

DELOCE Raises $1.5M in Seed Round Led by Vice Ventures

DELOCE, a California-based maker of ready-to-drink espresso martinis, announced last week that it has closed a $1.5 million series seed round led by Vice Ventures. Founded in 2019 by CEO Sean Zoka and CMO Keaton Moody, DELOCE makes a canned Espresso Martini made with 100% cold-pressed arabica espresso beans and premium vodka.

Nestlé Acquires Hydration Platform Brand Nuun

Nestlé Health Science has acquired hydration tablet brand Nuun for an undisclosed fee, the company announced today. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2021.

Aloha Looks to “Provide Options” with rPET Bottle, Iced Coffee Launch

Plant-based protein brand Aloha is getting ready to become a more serious beverage player. The Colorado-based, plant-based CPG brand, which makes bars, powders and protein drinks, announced this week a line extension of its ready-to-drink beverages, adding new rPET plastic-packaged variations of its core flavors.

Mayawell Closes $2 Million Seed Funding Round

Prebiotic soda brand Mayawell has raised $2 million through seed funding led by Mexico-based distillery, Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto, to expand distribution throughout Texas, California and Florida as well as introduce a new flavor and packaging with a lower carbon footprint.

Nestle Waters North America Sued For “Real Fruit” Claims

This week, Spencer Sheehan, an attorney who has led several legal campaigns alleging deceptive advertising by food manufacturers, has recently filed a pair of class-action lawsuits on behalf of consumers who he claims are being misled by water brands.

Chobani, Fair Trade Announce New Dairy Certification

Fair Trade USA and Chobani announced yesterday the formal launch of a certification program for dairy farms and cooperatives “that provides financial premiums to dairy farmers and workers, which will help protect and empower them while raising sustainability standards,” according to a press release.

Rowdy Energy Raises $13M

Rowdy Energy announced today that it has raised $13 million in a fundraising round intended to shore up the brand’s marketing initiatives and finance new innovation. Launched last year, Rowdy Energy is a better-for-you energy brand founded by CEO and Suja founder Jeff Church and NASCAR star Kyle Busch.

Roar Organic Announces Brand Refresh, Charts New Retail Strategy

One year after brand investment firm Factory acquired an equity stake in Roar Organic, the company, under new leadership, is using a redesigned and reformulated RTD line to deepen its presence at natural retailers while it takes on ecommerce with its similarly refreshed powder mixes.

PepsiCo Debuts Functional Sparkling Water Brand Soulboost

Soulboost is a sparkling water brand made with real juice and functional ingredients. The drink is available in two varieties: first is Lift, which contains 200 mg of panax ginseng, the other, Ease, is made with 200 mg of L-theanine to support relaxation.

Review: Olipop Orange Cream

For its latest seasonal limited edition release, Olipop has chosen a classic flavor that’s a throwback to the days of soda shop-style CSDs: Orange Cream. It’s a modern version of the timeless orange creamsicle soda that used to be a part of many premium CSD lineups.

Maple Hill Creamery Launches Zero Sugar Organic Milk

Looking to bring consumers back into the arms of dairy, New York-based Maple Hill Creamery debuted Zero Sugar Organic Ultra-Filtered Milk, the first product in a new platform of sugar free dairy made without sweeteners or additives.