Review: Califia Farms Nitro Cold Brew
Califia Farms Nitro Cold Brew is a dairy-free offering that is, at least as far as we know, the first nitro cold brew offering to incorporate almond milk (and macadamia milk).
BevNET Podcast Ep. 18: Cold Brew On Fleek
Amid a surge in new cold brew coffee products, suppliers are doubling down on efforts to differentiate from the pack and appeal themselves to new consumers. In this edition of the BevNET podcast, we discuss how brands are innovating in terms of packaging, formulation and flavor variety and examine the impact of nitro cold brew products.
The Litchfield Fund Announces Investment in Genius
Announced Friday via press release, Tom Malengo, chief business officer at The Litchfield Fund, discussed the investment in a call with BevNET, saying he was impressed by Genius’ recent brand revamp and gains in distribution and founder Alex Bayer’s vision for the company.
Review: LIVE Sparkling Drinking Vinegars
LIVE has done a nice job of creating one of the more market-ready vinegar-based offerings that’s currently out there. While it’s hard to say exactly how big the potential is for a product like this, it certainly seems like something that can tag along with their kombucha products, at least in some retail outlets.
Press Clips: Bottled Water Set to Surpass Soda; For LaCroix, it’s the Summer of Sparkling
Bloomberg attributed the shift not only to Americans’ ongoing evolution away from sugary beverages and towards healthier options, but also to consumer concerns regarding the safety of their tap water, citing recent cases of lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, Newark, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.
Powerplant Ventures Closes Fund to Help Grow Plant-Based Brands
Plant-based food and beverage private equity firm Powerplant Ventures today announced the closing of a $42 million fund. The fund is led by Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO Coconut Water, Kevin Boylan and T.K. Pillan, co-founders of the Veggie Grill restaurant chain, and Dan Beldy, former Managing Director of Steamboat Ventures (the venture capital division of Disney).
Review: Starbucks Finally Joins the RTD Cold-Brew Space
Compared with what’s already on the market, this product isn’t exactly an innovative offering. But its execution is clean and the product is enjoyable, which allows Starbucks to be in the game with something that can certainly hold its own.
ABA Spent $10.6 Million In Unsuccessful Fight Against Philadelphia Soda Tax
Disclosure filings recently made public by the Philadelphia Board of Ethics revealed the trade association spent more than four times the amount of those backing Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney’s initiative.
Review: BluePrint Kombucha
The BluePrint Organic brand has been on an innovation tear as of late, releasing a host of new beverages that include both juice products and vinegar drinks. Its latest effort is this one, a four flavor line of organic kombuchas.
Video: Runa Revamp — Co-Founder Discusses New Look
Runa's revamp was a project nearly 18 months in the making, but co-founder Tyler Gage believes that the company, a marketer of guayusa-based tea and energy drinks, finally got it right.
BevNET Podcast Ep. 17: Entrepreneurship and The Roots of Our Labor
The usual suspects of this podcast -- John Craven, Ray Latif and Jon Landis -- discuss how their paths led to BevNET and examine parallels in their experiences at an entrepreneurial media company to that of many beverage entrepreneurs.
Waiakea Responds to Accusations of Misrepresented Water Sourcing
Reached by phone Thursday, Waiakea founder and CEO Ryan Emmons called the complaints “slander” coming from a competing brand, and that the company resolved the aforementioned labeling issues with the agencies earlier this year.
Video: Powell & Mahoney Co-Founder Talks Surging Sales, Facility Expansion
Bolstered by national distribution at Target, Powell and Mahoney pulled in nearly $3.13 million in sales for the 52-week period ending on May 15, up 75.6 percent year-over-year, according to IRI. Co-founder Mark Mahoney attributes swelling growth to rising consumer demand for premium and natural options within the mixer set, along with brand’s focus on high-quality ingredients and its recent innovation with carbonated varieties.
Press Clips: LaCroix’s Unsolicited Meme Marketing; Soy Milk’s Suffering
Munchies recently interviewed Nathan Sims, the man behind @PamplemousseLaCroixMemes, an often absurd and over-the-top social media account dedicated to paying tongue-in-cheek tribute to - and often directly poking fun at - LaCroix sparkling water.