Mude Launches in Erewhon, Lassens

The Naked Collective, maker of functional beverage brand Mude, announced this week that the product is now launching in Erewhon, Lassens and various independent stores in the Los Angeles area.

“The Naked Collective was born out of a frustration over the lack of transparency from brands with lofty health claims,” said co-founder Niall Phelan in a press release. “Through our knowledge of the brewing process we set out to develop truly healthy drinks that are better for people and our planet. Partnering with a retailer like Erewhon that has a similar brand value is a thrilling step to bring Mude to the LA area and the global move towards a healthier lifestyle continues to gain traction.”

Available in five varieties — Chill, Play, Work, Sleep and Protect — Mude is a functional wellness brand with drinks designed around immune support and mood-based benefits. For example, Chill contains ashwagandha and chamomile to aid relaxation, while Work contains branch chain amino acids and mineral salts to increase focus. Each 12 oz. can contains 40 calories and is non-GMO and vegan.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Naked Collective by bringing Mude to our shelves and into the hands of our community,” said Sydney Karmes-Wainer, brand management at Erewhon, in the release. “Being able to share another natural and health-oriented brand on our shelves only furthers our commitment to encouraging a radiant lifestyle in our community.”

Waterloo to Go International via Grovara

Sparkling water brand Waterloo is now available on ecommerce platform Grovara, a B2B marketplace which sells wellness brands to international retailers, the company announced in a press release.

The launch is expected to give Texas-based Waterloo a presence in the Latin America, Middle East and Asia markets. Waterloo CEO Jason Shiver said the partnership is the first international launch for the brand and Grovara provides turnkey solutions for the expansion.

According to the release, the online retailer automates many of the “complex and fragmented steps” of exporting product and offers brands tools to manage overseas sales channels.

“We are immensely proud to be able to offer such a dynamic brand on our marketplace,” said Grovara CEO Abu Kamara in the release. “This relationship demonstrates the power of our platform and how we are changing global commerce, and we look forward to helping Waterloo achieve its international goals.”

Founded in 2017, Waterloo has established a national footprint in U.S. retail. Last year, the brand was acquired by a group of private equity firms led by Flexis Capital for an undisclosed sum. According to market research firm IRI, Waterloo’s sparkling water dollar sales were up 33.5% to $61.6 million in the 52-week period ending October 3, positioning the brand behind companies such as Spindrift but ahead of sparkling water lines from Schweppes and Poland Spring.

“Grovara has an impressive online platform and an experienced global team,” Shiver said. “We are thrilled to partner with Grovara and join their portfolio of brands as we expand our brand awareness and distribution to the international market.”

SESH Expands to Eight New States

Following its March launch in retail, ready-to-drink cocktail brand SESH is now available in 12 states, according to the company.

Initially available in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois, SESH has now rolled out to Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Nevada.

The products, a blend of cocktail and seltzer and available in Mojito, Moscow Mule, Gin & Tonic and Paloma varieties, have sold over 35,000 cases over the past seven months, the company said in a press release.

SESH is the first brand from startup beverage incubator XED Beverages, which was founded by college students Zeke Bronfman and Nate Medow. The company raised $4.5 million in a seed round earlier this year. Its latest release, which rolled out to 145 BevMo stores last month, is HAPĒ a sake-based spiked seltzer.

TEAKOE Expands in Southwest

Colorado-based brand TEAKOE, maker of a line of RTD “Fizzy Teas,” announced this week that it has expanded its presence across the Southwest in Southern California and Arizona.

According to the company, TEAKOE is now launching in Mother’s Market & Kitchen and Lazy Acres stores in California and in AJ’s Fine Foods accounts in Arizona, a total of 25 new stores for the startup brand. TEAKOE launched in Erewhon earlier this year and has also partnered with UNFI for further expansion.

Within Colorado, the brand is available in accounts such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, King Soopers, Safeway and Natural Grocers. In Texas, the brand is in Central Market and United Foods.

TEAKOE’s Fizzy Tea line is available in seven flavors — Pineapple Lemon Myrtle, Lemon Raw Honey, Pomegranate Hibiscus, Pear Garden Mint, Peach Lavender, Cayenne Ginger and Strawberry Cardamon. The drinks are available in 12 oz. cans and contain 0-30 calories and 0-7 grams of sugar per serving.

HOG BITE Launches in Southeast

Florida-based, women-owned energy drink brand HOG BITE has launched in eight southern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina, the company announced in a press release.

“For us to bring HOG BITE Energy Drink to the South and Southeastern States is a natural fit,” VP of sales Daniel Rogers said in the release. “In addition, we know there are a lot of hog fans from sports, high/college kids, hunters, bikers, and meat-lovers which makes HOG BITE stand out for consumers to enjoy.”

Each can of HOG BITE contains 116 mg of caffeine and B6 and B12 vitamins. The drink is available in original (100 calories) and sugar-free (5 calories) varieties.