Taste Radio Ep. 176: Quality Is Always Going To Win Out. Need Proof? It’s In The Peanut Butter.

Teddie Natural Peanut Butter president/CEO Mark Hintlian explained why the company’s obsessive commitment to quality and dedication to its employees have been bedrocks of its success. He also spoke about how Teddie communicates the nutritional benefits of its products and why he believes that some competing brands marketing “natural” products are misleading consumers.

CBD Startup Good Day Aims for Anytime

Good Day launched its first product this month, a ready-to-drink, organic, shelf-stable cold brew coffee infused with 15 mg of hemp-derived CBD. The line is the first of three beverages, the others being a sparkling water and chamomile tea, each scheduled to launch this fall.

Natural Food and Beverage Brands Rank on Inc. 5000

Earlier this week, Inc. released the 2019 edition of the Inc. 5000 list — a ranking of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. Alongside marketing firms, healthcare management, financial services and other service providers, this year’s list featured dozens of natural food and beverage companies, showing the industry’s increasing impact on the American economy.

Taste Radio Insider Ep. 47: It’s Time To Prioritize Your Mental Health

Misfit Foods co-founder Ann Yang opened up about how the stress of entrepreneurship led to unhappiness and depression, and, ultimately, her decision to leave the company. She also explained how therapy has become a critical part of her life, her belief that we live in a culture that “mythologizes who the entrepreneur is,” and the resulting pressure to build “a personal brand.”

Former Anheuser-Busch Exec Launches Canned Cocktail Company Five Drinks Co.

“Less isn’t more. It’s right.” That’s the motto of Five Drinks Co., the new high-end, ready-to-drink canned cocktail venture co-founded by former Anheuser-Busch InBev executive Felipe Szpigel. The tagline is apt given that Five Drinks’ offerings are made with five ingredients or less and packaged in 6.8 oz. cans.

Richard’s Rainwater Sets Sights on Advancement

Texas-based Richard's Rainwater is doubling down on its belief that its unique sustainability message can help forge new paths forward in retail. Since 2002, the brand has been bottling and distributing purified rainwater in both still and sparkling varieties, the first company in the U.S. to receive approval to do so.

Reed’s: Supply Chain Issues Lead to Disappointing Q2

While customer demand for Reed’s products has grown, the company was hit by supply chain shortages during the second quarter of 2019 which resulted in an underwhelming growth report and delays on new product launches.

Review: IndiCoco Coconut Water

IndiCoco is a three SKU line of shelf stable coconut water beverages that are produced in Thailand. The line includes an unflavored product made with a single ingredient in addition to two flavored offerings.

Elevator Talk: Beauty Gourmet Supports Women’s Wellness Naturally

Kris Ravenscroft is the co-founder and CEO of Beauty Gourmet, a company that creates sparkling wellness teas for women. The company's first product line is Glitter Tea, which is sparkling tea that contains ayurvedic ingredients like Amla extract, adaptogens and antioxidants.

Taste Radio Ep. 175: They Called Him Crazy. Now They’re Eating Their Words… And His Pickles.

Grillo’s Pickles founder/CEO Travis Grillo spoke about why he pursued his passion despite the naysayers and explained why he fondly recalls the days when he was struggling and broke. He also discussed the unconventional way that Grillo’s got into Whole Foods, how he considers new hires and investment and why he’s just as likely to take advice from a homeless person as he would from a billionaire.

BevNET Magazine Feature: Iced Tea’s Fizz Factor

The massive success of carbonated waters, led by brands like LaCroix, Sparkling Ice and Bubly, has not gone unnoticed by the broader beverage space. Brands in categories such as coffee, coconut water and now tea have all sought to inject fizzy innovations into their respective products.

Distribution Roundup: Pillars Doubles Store Count

Pillars Drinkable Greek Yogurt Doubles Store Count; Yerbae Adds 2,000 Stores; MATI Energy Launches Whole Foods Southwest, Focuses on Office Accounts; LIFEAID Partners with Hudson News Distributors; ITO EN Oi Ocha Green Teas to Enter Walmart; HFactor Adds 1,500 Walmart Locations

Review: Purpose Purple Tea

Purpose Purple Tea is a line of ready to drink purple tea beverages that are Non-GMO verified and, as the name subtly suggests, is built around a social mission that focuses on female tea pickers in Kenya, where the product is sourced.