Wandering Bear Raises $2.4M, Expands Retail Business

The New York-based bag-in-box coffee brand completed a $2.4 million equity funding round this week, giving founders Matt Bachmann and Ben Gordon the capital to tackle expanded distribution and a growing product line.

Veri Soda Shuts Down

Amidst rumors of irreconcilable differences between its co-founders and its Dutch investors, Veri Soda Group shut down operations this past weekend after nearly five years of business.

Processing Leaders Launch New HPP Council

The group’s mission is to advocate for the advancement of HPP as a critical technology in the food and beverage world for processors, brands and consumers.

GIVN Debuts New Labels, Sparkling Water This Spring

GIVN co-founder John Houseal said the revamped packaging aims to distill the multiple call-outs on the previous version down to a simple core message, much of which is represented in the brand name itself.

Runa Hires Galindez as CEO, Gage Takes Role as Chairman

Runa, a maker of guayusa-based teas and energy drinks, has tapped veteran beverage executive Alex Galindez as its new CEO. Galindez, who was most recently the general manager of organic cold-pressed juice brand BluePrint, takes the reins from Runa co-founder Tyler Gage, who has a new role as chairman of the company.

Review: Exceptional Nitro Cold Brew Coffee from Rise Brewing Company

While there are a growing number of nitro offerings out there, this is, given the extra technical hurdle of working with nitro, still a point of differentiation for now. Fortunately though, what Rise has created is one of the best tasting nitro cold brews out there.

In the Courtroom: Craft Root Beer Maker Battles Monster

Craft root beer maker Thunder Beast faces a trademark infringement suit from Monster Energy, while Unique Beverage Company is hit with class action litigation over allegations its coconut flavored sparkling water is deceiving to consumers

New Age Acquires Coco Libre, Marley Beverage Assets

The acquisition of Maverick Brands and its flagship brand Coco Libre for a combination of cash and shares of common stock in New Age “fills an important gap to complete the Company’s functional beverage portfolio,” according to a press release.

Monster Pushes Back Hydro Launch

Bonnie Herzog, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wells Fargo, wrote in the March 30 edition of the company’s “Beverage Buzz” newsletter that Monster has delayed the launch of Hydro “due to unforeseen production complications.”

Soylent Goes Cyberpunk with A.I. Spokesperson and Dark Web Marketplace

Soylent announced earlier this month a partnership with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy to develop a new tech-centric marketing strategy that appeals to Soylent’s fanbase. The campaign includes the launch of the brand’s new spokesperson “Trish,” an artificially intelligent animated robot “programmed” to educate consumers on the nutrition Soylent can provide.

BevNET Podcast Ep. 51: Ripe Opportunities to Win in Beverage

In this edition, Howard Telford, a senior beverages analyst with market research firm Euromonitor shared his thoughts on pertinent trends affecting new product development as viewed at Expo West and beyond. This podcast also includes a conversation with Michel Boissy, the CEO and co-founder of cold-pressed juice company FreshBev, the maker of the Ripe brand of juices and cocktail mixers.

Blue Island Coffee Aims For Escapism

Chris Hopkins wants to take you on a tropical vacation. His mode of transport? Coffee. A longtime beverage sales executive, Hopkins recently launched Blue Island Coffee, a brand designed to carry consumers “away from their daily routine through coffee innovation.”