Forager Expands Creamery Model with Ice Cream Launch

Former juice brand Forager Project this week announced it would launch plant-based ice cream — the next step in the company’s goal to become a plant-based “creamery.” The ice cream will debut in five flavors: Vanilla Bean, Bittersweet Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Salted Caramel and Mint Chip, the line will be available nationwide this Spring.

Target Commits Over $2B To Support Black-owned Businesses

Target is committing over $2 billion towards supporting Black-owned businesses through the end of 2025, the retailer announced today, as part of a broader effort to use its “size, scale and resources to create opportunity” for those companies.

Acid League Closes Round, Seeks to Reinvent Center Store Staples

Last week condiment and beverage brand Acid League announced it had closed $4.75 million in funding — capital the brand says will help it expand its omnichannel sales and marketing strategy as well as continue the company’s push into new categories.

Nielsen: COVID Anniversary Reflected in Mixed Total Beverage Sales

Non-alcoholic beverage sales saw mixed year-over-year results for the period ending March 27 as the industry passes the one-year anniversary of COVID-induced pantry loading, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Office Hours: Fractionals Lead to the Greater Whole

The latest Office Hours deals with the strategic use of fractional executives, including ways to develop trust, keep communication top-of-mind, and thoughts on the transition of roles as companies grow into larger armies.

New Dill: The Pickle Juice Company Builds Its Platform

The idea of drinking “Pickle Juice” may raise a lot of people’s eyebrows, and it’s a reaction The Pickle Juice Company is no stranger to. But as consumer awareness around the functional benefits of organic pickle juice-based drinks grows, the Texas-based beverage company is rapidly transforming to a broad-platform, international brand.

Profile: Waterbird Spirits RTD Cocktails Take Flight

Since launching, the Charlottesville, Virginia-based company has expanded its offerings from vodka to tequila-based drinks, and from three to 30 states, aligning itself with distributors such as Columbia and Gold Coast Beverage.

Speed Dating: Connecting CPG Brands with Investors on May 20

BevNET & NOSH will host our next Investor Speed Dating event next month on Thursday, May 20. Speed Dating is a virtual event series designed to facilitate direct, one-to-one connections between emerging food and beverage brands with a variety of industry gatekeepers and experts, including retailers, distributors, service providers and investors.

Taste Radio: Set The ‘Bar’ And Investors Will Find You. Just Ask Ryan Close.

Ryan Close, founder of on-demand cocktail machine Bartesian, which today completed a $20 million funding round and added actress Mila Kunis to its advisory board, spoke about the company’s breakout success, why overconfidence was helpful early on, how B2B sales were key to its initial funding strategy, communicating long-term value to customers and how Close assesses opportunities to scale.

Review: Wize Coffee Leaf Tea

Launched in 2020, Wize Coffee Leaf is a product that positions itself as a better for you tea that’s both low in sugar and lightly caffeinated. The RTD line is available in three flavors, including Lemon, Mango and Grapefruit.

ZenWTR Reveals Roster of Celebrity Investors

Marking its unofficial transition from soft launch into wide release, Zen WTR has revealed its slate of celebrity investors ahead of a retail push that aspires to take the brand into 50,000 locations by the end of the year.

In the Mood: Recess Expands Relaxation Platform with New Drink, Powder

Recess Mood takes the New York-based brand into a different state of mind. While the flagship product offered a sense of “calm, cool and collected” through a combination of hemp extract and adaptogenic herbs, Mood is positioned as a caffeine and CBD-free “uplift” delivered via a proprietary blend of magnesium L-theorate.

Quinn Snacks Promotes ‘Band of Brands’ to Improve Supply Chain

With the launch of the working group Band of Brands, Quinn Snacks founder and CEO Kristy Lewis hopes she can ease some of the burden of implementing of environmentally friendly measures and help food and beverage companies have a bigger impact on the supply chain.

Enroot Debuts Culinary-Inspired Sparkling Tea Line

Backed by an Oscar-winning actor and one of most country’s most prestigious culinary organizations, organic sparkling tea line Enroot has enjoyed plenty of pre-launch buzz prior to its formal debut online and in stores on Thursday.