Campbell’s new C-Fresh division is drawn and determined to grow — even if it takes buying other companies to get there. That was just one message delivered by Scott LaPorta, the president of Campbell-owned Bolthouse Farms, at this year’s BevNET Live in Santa Monica.
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Switchel, the apple cider vinegar-based drink pegged as Brooklyn hipsters’ soft drink du jour, is making its way well beyond the borders of the trendy borough, courtesy of CideRoad.
Peet's eyes a super-premium future as cold brew becomes the beachhead.
Bhakti Chai, which markets a line of bottled chai teas, has launched a pair of holiday-themed beverages. The company's Chai Nog and Chai Noir are nicely formulated, but the packaging and branding are, like other Bhakti products, in need of improvement.
The cola giant announced that Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED and Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Company have assumed distribution territories from Coke-owned bottler Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR) in five states.
Inko’s recently retooled its energy drink line. The new approach is a USDA Organic offering that has 100 calories and 165mg of caffeine per can. This seems in line with current beverage trends, although as a non-carbonated tea-based offering, it’s certainly not your typical energy drink.
Day 2 began with the return of two conference regulars: IRI’s Brian Reed and Kathryn Peters of SPINS, who opened up the day’s events with a data-driven state of the union address, exploring trending beverage categories across different retail channels. The gist: what was once niche is now mainstream.
JAB chairman Bart Becht hailed the deal as “a major step forward in the creation of our global coffee platform,” one that has rapidly expanded in recent weeks with JAB-controlled Peet’s acquiring Stumptown Coffee and taking majority ownership of Intelligentsia Coffee.
Loco Coco is a new line of cold brew coffee and coconut water blends. The beverages are high pressure processed and come in two varieties -- Black and Original, the latter is made with coconut milk and sugar -- and are packaged in a 13.5 oz. bottles.
GT’s Kombucha Sharing Gratitude is a limited-release product that the company has created to commemorate its 20th anniversary. The new variety is a blend of GT's raw kombucha, turmeric, carrot and ginger and is USDA organic certified. For a limited release, it’s exceptionally well done.
Califia’s Peppermint Mocha flavored Cold Brew with Almond Milk is a new winter seasonal flavor for 2015. There’s a lot going on inside this bottle, with layers of almond milk, chocolate, cold brew coffee, and peppermint. Somehow, it all works, with a flavor that is, aside from perhaps the peppermint, used with great restraint.
As much as the spirit of BevNET Live is one that’s rooted in education, collaboration and mobilization, the bi-annual conference for beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors never shies away from embracing the fiercely competitive nature of the industry.
Headlined by brand of the year Califia Farms and person of the year Suja CEO Jeff Church, the awards showcase the evolution of emerging beverage categories and companies that most effectively marketed cutting edge innovation in 2015.
