Greenbelt Kombucha Launches in Walmart; Olipop Adds Wegmans, Names New Board Member; OXIGEN Partners with Big Geyser; Tama Tea Partners with UNFI for East Coast Expansion

As Minor Figures quietly rolls out to U.S. coffee shops and independent retailers, the four-year-old brand is hoping its coffee credentials and playful personality will help it to disrupt an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Speaking with BevNET, Caliva head of beverage Chris Cuvelier said Soul Grind is part of a broader portfolio strategy for CBD drinks. The company currently manufactures both THC and CBD products including cannabis flower, tinctures and edibles. Soul Grind will be its first brand sold into mainstream retail channels.

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. has terminated its proposed acquisition of bottled water maker AQUAhydrate, the company announced today in a press release. According to terms of the acquisition agreement, which was announced in September, both companies had the right to terminate the deal if the agreement was not finalized by January 31.

Here Studio, the Los Angeles-based branding and design agency founded by former Juice Served Here CEO Alex Matthews, is set to relaunch sparkling apple cider vinegar brand Vina this month, the first product incubated in-house by the agency.

Eboost founder/CEO Josh Taekman chronicled his career path from music marketing, including a partnership with hip-hop and fashion mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, to beverage entrepreneurship with energy platform brand Eboost, and also discussed why he initially focused on non-traditional retail and how he landed a joint venture with AriZona Beverage Co. to produce and distribute the product.

Beverage brands are wasting no time in the new decade, rolling out plenty of new and innovative products this month, including functional waters from Powerade and VOSS, plant-based launches from Silk and Nesquik and probiotic-packed drinks from Stonyfield and Good Culture.