CircleUp Secures $22 Million for Consumer Growth Fund, Invests in Rumble and Sonoma Cider
The CGF’s announcement arrives as CircleUp recently passed the 100 transactions mark, with companies raising over $100 million to date on the platform.
Campbell’s VP of Beverage Discusses New V8 Infused Water, Brand Evolution
Explaining the rationale for the development of V8 Infused Water, Kelli McCusker, the Vice President of Beverage at Campbell Soup Company, said that “people are looking for water that is simple and flavorful and not just straight water, but not confusing either.”
Bulletproof Launches FATwater, Raises $9M
Bulletproof is currently a lifestyle platform with roots in media and home-preparation coffees and supplements, but with the investment it is branching into a brick-and-mortar cafe and store, as well as the RTD product.
Nielsen Numbers: Diet’s Demise Sees CSD Sales Slide
According to a recent analyst report from Cowen and Company covering Nielsen sales data, CSD volumes were down 4.7 percent in the four-week period ending July 11.
Lawsuits Target Pure Leaf’s “All Natural” Claims
Pure Leaf, a line of bottled iced teas produced by PepsiCo in a joint partnership with Unilever, is under scrutiny with plaintiffs in two separate lawsuits alleging that the products use citric acid -- an ingredient that can be synthetically created -- as a preservative and are being falsely marketed as “all natural.”
Washington Post: Seltzer is “Cooler than Coke”
Singled out as symbols of the category’s development are fast-growing LaCroix Sparkling Water, a product of National Beverage Corp. and Sparkling Ice, owned by Talking Rain.
Review: Venice Cold Brew
Venice Cold Brew is a product is made with direct trade coffee beans, which are steeped in natural spring water for 12 hours. The company triple-filters the liquid and bottles it. The end result is strong, but smooth, and compared with the rest of the cold brew category, the flavor is definitely up there with the best of them.
UVM Responds to Botched Bottled Water Ban
The study, titled “The Unintended Consequences of Changes in Beverage Options and the Removal of Bottled Water on a University Campus,” discovered an 8 percent increase in all bottles and a 25 percent increase in bottles of sugary beverages shipped to the University of Vermont between the Spring of 2012 and Spring of 2013.
Distribution Roundup: Maple Waters Increase Their Presence on Both Coasts
Boston-based DRINKmaple has elicited the services of Rainforest Distribution to bring the brand to the New York City metro area, landing on the shelves of 100 stores including Fairway Market.
Review: Pressed Juicery Shots
Pressed Juicery recently added a couple of 2 oz. shot products to its portfolio of cold-pressed juices. The Vitality Shot and Wellness Shot are both flavorful, and we like that the company uses a square-shaped 2 oz. bottle, which creates visual continuity with the rest of the brand.
The Litchfield Fund Invests in Harvest Soul and B’More Organics
The investment in Harvest Soul follows the recent news of former Alibaba executive Sanjay Varma investing $500,000 in Chuice, another beverage that falls within the emerging chewable juice sub-category.
Wells Fargo C-Store Survey Predicts Monster Growing Pains for Q2
Even though analyst Bonnie Herzog remained bullish on Monster’s long term outlook, she predicted continued “headwinds related to the [Coca-Cola] deal and international currency devaluation relative to the dollar” for the remainder of the year.
Review: Teaonic Herbal Tea Tonics
Teonic is a brand of 100 percent organic, unsweetened herbal teas. Packaged in 8 oz. apothecary-style glass bottles, Teaonic comes in a number of function-focused varieties, such as "I Love My Liver" and "I Love My Skin." For us, the overly functional and preachy vibe of the labels is slightly off putting, especially because what's inside the bottle is flavorful and tasty.
Review: Purify Juice
Produced in Vermont, Purify Juice is a cold-pressed, high processed juice brand. In our review of three of its varieties, we appreciate the minimalist quality of the labels, but feel that a bit more information about the ingredients and a nutrition facts panel is needed.