New Beverage Showdown Winter 2024 - Semifinal Round

Ray Latif [00:37] Good morning and welcome back to day two of Bevnet Live Winter 2024. I'm Ray Latif, the editor and producer of Bevnet's Taste Radio podcast, the number one podcast for anyone building a business in food or beverage. We're gonna kick off the day with the semi-final round of the new beverage showdown, which is Bevnet Live's signature beverage brand competition. Sponsored by the new revenue streams unit of the Coca-Cola Company, excuse me, Coca-Cola North America, the showdown gives 12 early-stage and promising brands the opportunity to present their business plans and products to a panel of expert judges and the audience here at Bevnet Live. The winner of the two-day competition will receive $10,000 in prizes and join a shortlist of brands that have triumphed in the showdown, including Health Aid, Can, Hop Lark, Rse Brewing Company, and Malk. Let's talk about the rules for the semifinal round. Each of the 12 brands presenting will have 2 minutes to present and receive 2 minutes of immediate feedback from the judging panel. The judges have already sampled all the beverages early this morning. If contestants attempt to go over the 2 minutes, they'll hear the dreaded gong. You don't want to hear that, folks. All right, after all the brands are presented, the judges will pick 5 brands to move on to the final round, which will take place tomorrow. The 6th finalist will be chosen by audience vote. At the end of today's semi-final round, we're going to show a list of all the participants and a number next to the brand name. Audience members in attendance and those watching at home on the live stream can vote by texting the number corresponding with their favorite brand to a phone number that we'll provide. We're going to show that phone number at the end of the semifinal round. You'll have until 10:00 a.m. Pacific time to vote. All right, let's meet our panel of esteemed judges, beginning with our very own Mike Schneider, AKA Bevnet Mike. You got one woo. That was good. Good for you. Well done. First time. Mike is a serial tech CMO turned Bevnet Nosh and Brewbound chief marketing and revenue Officer. He's also a co-host of the Taste Radio podcast and a fan of the Arsenal Football Club, two titles that are most certainly mutually exclusive. Up next, it's too early in the morning for everyone to get that. Don't worry. Uh, up next is Corey Nicely. Corey is the category manager of Cooler at Pilot. In this role, she's responsible for strategy setting, planning, and executing all programs within packaged beverage, non-alcoholic and alcoholic, for the company's 650 travel centers. Welcome, Corey. A familiar name to some as he should be Eric Schnell. Eric is the founder and CEO of Beyond Brands, a collective of entrepreneurs, C-level and VP-level executives, and industry experts dedicated to building and scaling consumer product goods companies. Eric has over 20 years of experience in the natural products industry and is best known as the co-founder of organic tea brand Ste's. All right, there it is. All right, you can cheer even louder for our final judge who is Jesse Cas uh Jesse Quezar. Jessica is a seasoned marketing executive with over 20 years of experience driving brand strategy, product innovation, and multi-channel marketing for some of the world's leading consumer brands. She's currently the EVP of marketing for Suite 9C Design Studio, where she brings extensive strategic marketing expertise to a diverse portfolio of clients. Jessie, we're so happy to have you. And a round of applause for all the judges. All right, we'll get right to it. And turn the mic over to our first semifinalist, that is Lena Zurovsky, who is the co-founder of Passion Joy. Come on up. You can clap and you should clap. Hello. There you go. Please keep an eye on your timer. Hi, my name is Lena. I'm founder of Passion Joy. When it comes to fizzy beverages, I realized there are only two choices, tasty and terrible for you, or functional but hard to finish. I wanted to find a way to bridge a gap between flavor and function without sacrificing quality. In our journey to create a refreshing, organic, low sugar beverage for the whole family. I discovered the ingredient that packs powerful benefits, the passion fruit. It's an underrated super fruit that's packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help boost immunity, reduce stress, and support whole body health. And with that we created passion joy. Born in sunny California and made in the US, passenger comes in four flavors mango, pineapple, strawberry, lime, and guava. It's 30 calories, plant-based, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, kid-friendly, and certified organic. It has no guns or anything artificial. There is no other organic beverage in the market that delivers on flavor, ingredients, and calories that they passionately does. We are proudly immigrant funded. I was born in Ukraine with over 16 years of experience in beverage sales and distribution. Our team will bring passion joy to market both here in the United States and internationally. Give your body a boost with each refreshing sip of your new favorite beverage, passion, joy. Thank you. All right. Great job. Well done. All right, Mike, let's start with you. Passion, joy, uh, did you get a sense of what this is and when you would drink it? I think so. I mean, um, you know, the, the, the flavor callouts are pretty evident of what, what you're gonna get. Um, it's super cute. I love the combination of passion and joy because You know, you can be passionate about something that doesn't give you joy, for instance, like Manchester United, and uh, and I think like that's cut his mic off please. I love this. It tastes really good too. Awesome, Corey. Uh, merchandizing is so important when it comes to new and emerging brands. Um, do you feel like this would be something that you could merchandise relatively easily in your stores? Yeah, I really like the fact that they use the 12 ounce sleek can. You know, that's, that's the killer package right now is that can, and with the passion joy at the very top, you can be sure that when you put it in the glide of the coolers, you can still see the brand and it, yeah, she killed it. Awesome. Eric, let's talk about tastes. How do you, uh, evaluate the taste of these products? I thought the taste was spot on, really good, unique. A passion fruit has its own kind of taste to it that's different than other fruits. I think the organic formula is great. I think it's clean. Um, I just question on, you know, is the viability in the market ready for a brand that's all passion fruit versus a skew and another brand that's, you know, one or two flavors that, that I think the jury is out there. Jesse, obviously label designs so critical for early stage brands. Talk about the hierarchy that you've seen on these products and what you think of it. Um, well, what I really liked across the top, how you actually had to flip it upside down to read some of the writing and the writing said, please flip gently, you know, to enjoy the right way. So I thought that was genius. Um, I really like the, you know, the differentiation of the flavors across the different, uh, skews, and yeah, it's, it's just really, really clean and it draws your attention in really well and. You know, I didn't realize earlier that it was a drink for the whole family, but when I heard that in the pitch, it definitely resonates in the packaging. Awesome. Mike, did you want to follow up there? I think there was some comment on the functionality of passion fruit, and maybe some callouts on Pack here would help just bring that to life because I think The flavor cues here are great, and when you, when you have a chance to drink it, that's awesome, but maybe some additional benefits would be good here to get someone to pick it up. All right, great feedback, good job. Let's move on to our next semifinalist for the new beverage showdown. That's Jasmine Pineda who's the owner of Maas Energy. Come on up. Hello. Good to see you. Your microphone, and please just keep an eye on your timer. Growing up in a Mexican household, I was surrounded by the vibrant, refreshing flavors of agua fresca, a beloved staple of my childhood. As I got older and adopted a more active lifestyle, energy drinks became a part of my everyday routine. Yet no matter how many I tried, I found myself longing for the nostalgic flavors of my culture. I searched high and low online and on-store shelves for an energy drink that could combine the bold flavors of my heritage and a clean energy boost that I needed, but nothing came close. That's why I created Mass. Hi, I'm Jasmine Pineda, founder and owner of Mass Energy. With the first line of Latino-focused flavor profiles on the market, Mas has three authentic flavors. Our first being mango, our most recognizable flavor, as it reminds you of biting into that fruit we all know and love, tamarind or tamarindo, a must if you enjoy a sweet and tangy flavor with a hint of spice, and last, hibiscus or jamaica, a refreshing herbal agua that strikes a perfect balance of sweet and tart. Mass offers a unique energy drink that is not only delicious, but also loaded with benefits such as antioxidants, electrolytes, and of course your 200 mg of caffeine. We are not your average energy drink. We are the childhood memories so many of us grew up with, and we are the drink that will represent an unrepresented customer. We are more energy with more flavor. If you want to be a part of spreading a proud heritage and lead the industry with a first of its kind drink, you can't go wrong with Moss. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you so much. Well done. All right, Corey, let's start with you. Uh, Jasmine talked about Mass as being the kind of brand that can represent an unrepresented customer. What are your thoughts on that? No, I think, I think this is a very unique package. I, when, when I first looked at it, I didn't know it truly was it an energy drink? Was it an isotonic? Like what was the purpose. But then as you look at it a little bit further, you're like, OK. Based on the flavors and based on reading the, the label, it kind of makes sense that Latino focused flavor profile. I think that there's really an opportunity to, to get that customer that you don't have today. It's just Is that the right packaging? Does it need to have a little bit more verbiage around, Hey, I'm speaking to you. I want you to pick this up and have something you don't have today? Yeah, Eric, Energy, very competitive category, but does mass in its current form have enough to kind of break through and make its own mark? So I've got a lot of experience in this category, having created the first organic energy drink in 2004 at Skis. So really I've been part of this category since the beginning. I think the, the Latin inspired, um, angle, the unique flavors. Kind of draw from that area of the world and the sweetness profile is right on for that consumer. The constructive feedback I'd give, the advice I'd give, it's playing in between two levels of energy. It could either be zero calorie because it uses sucralose and it uses sucralose, but it also uses sugar in the formula which puts it at 60 calories. So I'd recommend they rethink, you know, where's the position? Is it a zero calorie energy or you might as well just take out the scralose and go full sugar and have it. Like a monster that I think needs to be figured out because it's consuming, it's confusing to the consumer, I think. Second thing is the big miss here which can easily be fixed is the caffeine source is this plain standardized anhydrous caffeine. So if it's going to be from Latin America, that should be your hero ingredient, your caffeine, whether it's guayusa or a coffee berry from, you know, that part of the world. I think that's the miss, but that's an easy fix, swapping out, you know, synthetic caffeine for a natural source that you could tell a story around with Latin American inspiration. Jesse, uh, that black, uh, can be kind of disruptive, I think, for a category. Um, with energy, do you think it makes a difference? Um, I'm actually, my question is on the actual form of the can itself, um, being a 12 ounce, like a, uh, you know, standard 12 ounce can, you don't, when you're looking for an energy drink, you don't have to look to that. So, this being a new brand and sitting in a cooler, um, if somebody's looking for energy, they may not actually notice this drink. Um, so I feel like that, that should be solved for, um, you know, in, in more of a, like a just a slim can or a tall can. Um, but I do think, you know, there's an opportunity for black, and I, you know, the black and white does stand out really well, and it definitely calls to their consumer. Um, but yeah, for me it's more about the actual form function of the can. Mike, having tasted at least thousands of energy drinks at this point, what do you think about the flavor of moss? I, I really like the flavor of moss, um, especially the mango, and I didn't, um, and we've had a few of these in the office, so I've I've gotten a chance to try. A few cans of this, and I, I think um one thing to work on is the consistency of the liquid from can to can isn't like it's not the same flavor each time like we got some syruppier mango and some lighter mango. So um you want it to be the same each time and, and again that that said, the flavor is really good, so you know it's, it's definitely worth fixing. Um, I also agreed about, uh, with, with others here that maybe some of the vibrancy is lost in the, in the dark branding here, um, and it's not exactly, you know, category appropriate, I guess you want, you want someone who sees an energy drink to just know immediately this is an energy drink, so, you know, the can format that's already been mentioned, and I guess the elephant in the room here is that there is an um. Uh, you know, a company with a plus after Moss that has a little, a few more resources than you that, that, uh, it might be worth just looking at the mark and the branding here and figuring out, you know, can you actually own this or not, and I'm saying all this stuff out of love. I think this is a really good beverage. Outstanding, great feedback. Up next we have Danny McPherson, who's the co-owner of Grind with Gratitude. Come on up. Hello, how's it going? Please on your timer. All right. Welcome. Uh, my name is Danny McPherson, one of the co-founders with Grind with Gratitude. Uh, my partners Johnny and Ty are in the audience as well. We're a group of serial entrepreneurs. Uh, we've got 12 restaurants on the East Coast. Uh, we'll have over 100 in the next 3 years. They've allowed us to sell over 100,000 bottles of champagne this year, projecting to double that. Um, being entrepreneurs, we wanted to find a way to give back. So the next company we came up with was Grind With Gratitude. Last night we got a lot of questions. What is Grind with Gratitude? Wrong question. The question is who is grinding with gratitude. We are the entrepreneurs, the athletes, the artists, the dreamers who are out there. Nervous to be on stage to give a presentation, taking the risk to get up and be vulnerable. We're the ones who are changing the world. We are the dreamers. And so what we do at Grind with Gratitude, 2 G's, is we give $2000 out to entrepreneurs out there who are chasing their dreams, who hate their 9 to 5, who dream of one day launching their own beverage brand or whatever other widget they might sell. So our beverage that we started with for grind, that's hydration, that's simply water. Then there's gratitude. You've got to be thankful for all the hard work that you put in. We have a THC seltzer. So these first two beverages are what ties our name grind with gratitude into what we believe. What we believe is working hard, taking risks, being a dreamer, but then also being a doer. And so what we are more than a beverage company is a brand. We are out there building a community, a community that I see here in this room that I met last night of people who are taking the risk, the people who are going after it. So a portion of the proceeds from every product we sell, we give back to the community. We give $2000 away so that the next year, the next competitor up here will be able to say, I got my seed money from Grind with gratitude, and that's our story. Thank you so much. All right. Jessie, let's start with you. Grind with gratitude, it's not just a beverage company, it's a brand. Uh, do you get that sense from what you saw and what you heard on stage? From what I saw on stage and what I saw in the can, um, not necessarily. So there was a lot going on in the can. Um, there's a lot of words, very long quote. Um, there was a QR code and it said scan here, um, to learn about $2000. I didn't know if that was a contest or if it was a giveback, um, just sort of at a first glance. Um, so I, I was, you know, there was, there was a lot going on. Mike, uh, two very distinct beverages. We have a THC infused beverage which I know you dabble in from time to time, and then, uh, bottled water, which you also dabble in from time to time. What do you think about those two as the first two products for this brand? I, I, I gotta say I don't understand just the disparity in the products here, um, because the packaging is so similar. Well, I mean, obviously the form factor isn't similar, but the branding is very similar. Um, sure, THC is called out really nicely there, and, uh. Uh, but it says it's the higher connection, not necessarily the ingredients. So maybe it's supposed to be fun. I'm not sure. I, I guess. The mission is admirable and awesome, but in order for the mission to succeed, you're going to need to not come up on the stage and say, hey, the product's not that important. That's what I got from, from the, you know, the, the presentation here. It has to be like a really great product for you to get that mission. To succeed because otherwise there aren't going to be any profits to give anyone. So I think we need to lean a little bit more into the product here. Just, you know, focus a bit. I, I love the mission. I love the passion. The founders are really cool. I met them last night. They're doing all kinds of fun stuff, but the product feels a little secondary at this point. Mhm. Well, let's say that for a sec. If you were to go with one of the two products, Corey, water, what would you lead with? Water for sure, yeah yeah. Yeah, and I would be curious. Like, I know how expensive aluminum bottles are. There is a resealable package. Like there is a market for that for sure, but I think even looking at the 16 ounce canned option too for the water, just being able to have the same packaging across all of your packages and just helping with that streamlining and getting people to know the product, but. Um, yeah, definitely water for sure. Yeah, we haven't really talked about taste, and I know you are also familiar, Eric, with formulating a THC beverage, but you know, just in general terms, if you could talk about the taste of that product in particular. Great question, but I'll start with, with, so with a lot of love as a fellow beverage entrepreneur, uh, I've co-founded 6 beverage companies, and I can tell you the grind is real. And you've got to own it, and I'm super confused on what this brand is. I think if the brand founders want to build a beverage brand that's successful and attract investment and build consumers that are loyal, they've got to own grind and maybe it becomes a coffee brand because that signifies usually a coffee ingredient or something related to coffee. If they want to be philanthropists and give back to the world, call it gratitude and own that. But they're playing in two lanes and as a Industry, consumer, and also veteran. I'm just confused on where the positioning is and where it stands. I think the formulas need to be improved. The taste is a little was a little hard for me, so I think, I think they've really just got to rethink what their purpose is. And once they've defined their purpose and their big why, own that. And it's probably one SKU and one brand first, winning that in the market, proving it out, and then launching the second SKU after the second line extension after that. So I think I'd love to see these guys. Back in a year, having figured that out, I think that's what we're supposed to do as judges is to give constructive feedback. Yes, um, if I could add one small thing about the taste specifically, one note that I did make is, um, with the THC, like a lot of THC products, you generally taste that THC, like that sort of that, but there wasn't that in this, and that was actually really impressive. Yeah, that was very noteworthy. So I'm curious how they did that because I've never experienced that in another THC drink. So yeah, it's tough, Mike, and one more positive, the water tastes like water and it was good. Mike is our resident dad joke giver here on stage. I mean, that was positive showdown. Really good. He's really good at it. All right, on to our next semifinalist for the showdown. It's Matty Frank, who's the founder and CEO of Dappy. Hello again. See you, microphone. Please keep an eye on your timer. Who here has ever woken up after a night out and played the dangerous game of what did I do? Or worse, who did I text? Same. My name is Maddie and I'm the founder of Daffy Boost Free Drinks. Let's face it, the way we socialize is changing. One third of young adults are rethinking alcohol, but the options out there sparkling waters, sugary sodas, sad mocktails just don't hit the mark. People want to feel included, have fun, and avoid the awkward Why aren't you drinking? question. That's where Dappy comes in. Day has unique, delicious flavors like cucumber ginger yuzu and grapefruit tangerine jalapeno, feel-good functional ingredients, and fun relatable branding with the flavor names don't text your ex and anxiety not included. Now I know what you're all thinking. The non-alcoholic beverage market is exploding. What makes Dappy different and special? Rather than prioritizing health and wellness messaging, DPI focuses on creating community amongst consumers who are looking for connection without alcohol. With our conversation starting flavor names, bold, eye-catching packaging, and unique refreshing taste with just the perfect amount of bubbles, Day delivers an experience, not just a product. Not to mention it's only 30 calories per can. DI launched 3 weeks ago with a direct to consumer strategy, retail partnerships already brewing in San Francisco, and excitement building across social media platforms. So here's the question, are you ready to join us in rewriting the rules of socializing? Because with DAI, the party and the morning after just got better. Thank you. I'll take that. Excellent. Well done. Don't text your ex. This drink is hotter anyway. I love that. Uh, Mike is our resident sober, curious tastes Radio host. Uh, did you like Dappy, the flavor, the branding? There's so much to love about Dappy, and I have notes. Um, so, uh, first, for Dappy, I think it's supposed to be in that non-alk space and I was expecting a little bit different flavor like it, this one is between a crusher and like I or Bon Buzz or Ceylon or Little Saints, some of the ones that I think should be the analogs of Dappy. That said, I really like the flavor. Um, it does still feel like an adult drinking occasion, but it is a little closer to a crusher until you get to the jalapeno. Um, I didn't have a problem with that, but, but, um, I could see how some people might, uh, you know, get confused. I also think that, um, The, the packaging is phenomenal and I wouldn't, I wouldn't settle on a name for anxiety not included because no one will reach for a don't text your ex, but they'll reach for a tangerine grapefruit jalapeno. So I'd make that the hero and I would take the opportunity to change those once in a while, you know, I'd, I'd, I'd refresh in those labels and, and, you know, so you, when you pull for the can, you, you just get like a little bit of surprise and delight. I, we were howling in the judging room because it's so funny. You were coming up with names that you could use as an alternative. We can come up with some other ones too, but these are great. OK, yeah, and we'll talk about that in a little bit, uh, Corey, this is definitely a category on the rise. Seems like a lot of people are interested in alcohol analogs, booze-free drinks. Um, do you think it fits into that rising set? Yeah, I think, I think so, and I kind of want to build on what he was saying. I think that the The flavor profile was honestly really good. It wasn't in your face. The jalapeno was a little hot for the, the needy people here, um, but I think that, hey, I got you, um, but I think that calling out the flavor a little bit larger, maybe bringing, you know, just. Bigger bolder text to that and then maybe even putting them don't text your ex, the funny taglines across the top of the rim or something would really just bring it to life, um, and I think that non-out segment or the, the booze free is coming along. I don't know if it would ever be, uh, a staple in our stores just because our consumers are a little bit different than the people like me that would love this, um, but no, I think she's done a great job with this. I'm excited to see how she, how she does the final tweaks. Eric, uh, Maddie talked about focusing on community more than sort of the health and wellness aspects of the brand. What do you think about that approach? Well, I think, you know, what we're supposed to think about as judges, one of the key things is market readiness, and the good news is she's only done one production 3 weeks ago, so she has the whole year ahead to fix things and tweak things, and usually, you know, you do, do 3 iterations or flavor combination improvements over the first year in beverage. So there's a lot of room to improve this brand. I think she did a great job in the formula. I love the guayusa as an ingredient because. Feel that and I think she wants to give a feeling to her consumer that you walk away saying, OK, something's going on right now. So the formula delivers on the nootropics. It's got some key ingredients. It's sippable, so it's not really gulpable. So I think it puts you in the I have a cocktail in my can or hand when you're drinking it because it's not something you're you're going to guzzle. So it delivers on kind of all of that. Um, positioning, I think the, uh, the major advice would be from our standpoint as judges, uh, constructively is I, I think they've got to own the dappy name. What does that really mean? I think it's a little confusing. Do you feel dappy? Like, I think there's something there, there, the big why of the name, and I think she needs to tease that out into a stronger marketing campaign. Uh, Biggest recommendation though, just looking at the brand overall. Can't come to market with 2 SKUs. I mean, everybody knows in beverage 3 SKUs is pretty much the standard minimum. 3 skews across the shelf builds a brand block, a rainbow effect. Distributors get more excited. Everyone's more excited about 3 at minimum. So I think she should think about a 3 SKU on her next production run to build out the rainbow effect. Yeah, Jesse, if Matty were to make it to the finals, what would you want to hear in tomorrow's presentation? Oh, well, but I want to hear more, um, more about Dappy and the name, um, but also, uh, you know, a bit more about again, the, like the future of the brand and where it's going and who it's for, um, and really, you know, again, I really like the product as well, um, but for me, this is an exploding category. There are other players. How is this different? um, you know, what, what is it a different functionality? Is there a different level of a certain ingredient? Is there a different, you know, individual consumer or like. Pocket of the, you know, target that you're going for, is it like younger college kids, you know, just what is that market differentiation, um, in your value proposition among the category? All right, I got one, Ray. Sure. Remember last night and you crossed out the question mark and put an exclamation point. Oh, I like that. Well done. You'd think he has been doing marketing for 20 years, you know, good stuff. All right, up next we have Alan Garcia who's the founder of Fruga. Come on up. Good to see you. How are you? Good morning, everyone. Who here loves soda? Right, that's pretty much everyone. I know I do. I grew up in Mexico in the 80s, so I'm probably a sodaholic. I've been drinking it since the age of 3 at school, restaurants, at home, at the park, at the movie theaters, pretty much everywhere. And it wasn't only me, it was my family and friends too. Everyone was drinking soda. I can't believe how much sugar we were drinking back in the day, but we didn't know better. Now we do. And that's why, that's the reason why. Fruga was born because I wanted to create a fruit soda made with all natural ingredients, real fruit, but most important, something functional. Fruga has fiber and probiotics. It also has essential vitamins and antioxidants, but I, I went to supermarkets and I was impressed that there was a lot of good products with all natural ingredients, organic, you name it. But there was always missing. It was either too much sugar or the flavor wasn't there, and that's what fruga is here for. Fruga, we actually nailed it with the actual fruit taste, and that's something that you have to experience to know what I'm talking about. And, uh, well, it's a big market, er, er, pretty much, er, er, you see this. Category growing more and more every time and I think that we have a product that everyone can enjoy the whole family. My daughter, she's now 3 1/2, and she loves frugga, and I'm OK with her drinking because I know the ingredients are right and I know that it's something that delivers less sugar and also wholesome ingredients for her. Well, thank you very much, everyone. Mm Well done. Way to on the stage. Thank you. Uh, yep, you can step off and tomorrow, perhaps if you're with us, you can stay on stage, but for now, I'll ask you. Thank you. All right, uh, Corey, let's start with you. This is definitely a category on the rise, better for you, soda. Uh, what do you think about Fruga's chances in standing out within that category? Yeah, I think this one, you know, the, this very Latin inspired, that's a great term, um, product, I think it. It's a, it's a very popular segment right now, especially in key markets. Obviously we've got stores across the country and really narrowing in on the markets where something like this would do really well. It gives me Doritos vibes. It gives me better for you, but Still very much fruit forward or flavor forward I guess. Um, I think that this segment has a lot of legs on it. It's how do we, how do, how does he get fruit to stand out above what it is, right? It's really great packaging, really clean flavor profiles, um, and it calls it out on the can, but how does it stand out to the consumer that's just walking by and wanting something? Different. Yeah, well, the criticism I always hear about better for you sodas, they don't really taste like the traditional sodas, but Eric, I mean, how do these products taste? So taste was actually fantastic. You do feel like you're drinking real fruit. I think he totally nailed the taste. I think he totally nailed the packaging, but I think he nailed it for his daughter. I think he nailed the packaging for a younger crowd, a younger audience that's getting into healthier, healthier sodas. If the idea was to go out and build a competitor to Olipop and Poppi and Culture Pop, which he mentioned, that's you know the category he's entering, he has one. Ingredient chicory root one ingredient that addresses gut health or probiotics, where if you look at Olipop's back of the can, there's 10 functional ingredients and the others have more as well. So I think that's what he's got to figure out for an under 12 crowd this is probably spot on an entry into the kids' probiotic sparkling market, but for, you know, Erewhon shelves, I think it's going to have a tough time competing with the brands that are already dominating the market based on ingredients comparison. Yeah, let's stay with that, Jesse. I mean, you know, functionality seems to be really important to a lot of consumers. Does that need to be more forward on the front of pack? Yes, that's one of the things I was going to say as well. You know, sparkling prebiotic soda is very small across the top, and again that is the main functionality of this drink, and that's the category it will sit in. So it's almost, you know, and again, because it does look like it's for a younger consumer, maybe a parent might be picking it up. I almost feel like it needs to shout what that means, you know, is it gut health? Is it, you know, happy gut health, titration, whatever that might be. Um, so it's one thing to have the, you know, the prebiotic soda, but also like what, what does that do for you? Um, so that does need to be a little bit, I think, more forward on the, on the front of the package. We've had some fruga in our coolers at BevNET HQ. Is this a product? Is this a brand that you would reach for, Mike? Yeah, Ray, I mean, to quote uh NOSH editor and CPG quote CPG Week podcast host, Monica Watters, it's fucking delicious. OK. You know we're gonna get in so much trouble because of you, Ray. This, this beverage knows exactly what it wants to be. It wants to be the Jarritos killer and it. You, you look at this beverage, you, you think about what it's going to taste like, you open it and it pays off exactly like what you thought it was going to be. I think there are a couple things you should consider on PACC. One is to call out the lower sugar. And the other is that What's the best kind of Coke? Mexican Coke from Mexico. I mean, maybe make, maybe say something about it being a Mexican soda. I mean, that is something everyone seems to want. So, and they think of it as the best, as premium. All right, good stuff. Let's get to our next semi-finalist. That person is Lauren Smith, who's the founder and CEO of Umi. Come on up. Mr. Please keep an eye on your timer. Hi, I'm Lauren, the COO of Umi, actually standing in for our intrepid founder and CEO Alyssa, who's currently traveling in Japan. At Umi we make functional prebiotic beverages out of aquatic plants that are better for people and the planet. We're bringing sustainable marine ingredients and hundreds of years of Japanese tradition to American consumers for the first time with our ready to drink beverages. We offer 3 skews in strawberry hibiscus, blueberry elderflower, and peach and lemon, retailing for 349 cents each. Umi contains prebiotics, only 20 calories, 3 g of sugar, and no stevia. Umi promotes good gut health and quiets cravings with agar agar derived from regeneratively grown red algae. Marine plants like red algae require no additional water or arable land and grow up to 12 inches a day, making them one of the planet's most sustainable crops. Although we haven't launched in stores yet, we've already gotten recognition. We were finalists for the 2023 Nexti Awards at Expo West and won Naturally LA's fan favorite award earlier this year. We're currently represented by Gather Brands and are excited to share that we'll be launching its Sprouts nationwide in May 2025. The timing couldn't be better as marine plants are trending. Just ask Whole Foods, which recently named plant-based aquatic ingredients as one of its top 10 trends to watch in 2025. After three years of hard work and R&D, we're excited to scale and share Umi with customers nationwide. Ride the wave and join the marine plant revolution to help us grow this exciting new beverage category. Thank you. Eric, uh, a marine plant revolution, uh, what are your thoughts on that in, in the context of this brand, Umi? I, I, I love the sea biotics positioning. I think everything from the ocean right now in terms of this category is super on fire, um. The main, I think, input construct that I have, I've been formulating beverages for over 20 years is agar agar is not generally to the consumer considered a good ingredient to have in a beverage unless it's like a dairy product or something that's got gelatin. It's used as a thickening agent, so we use it as a thickening agent throughout formulation all over the country in beverages, but That's like carragean and gelatin in that category, so I think they should own the Red Sea algae and just own that. I'm not sure if legally they have to put a gar gar in the back, but that's not something consumers are looking for in a gulpable beverage. So I think that's the part to figure out. I think, um, and that's maybe not that hard, but I think own the ocean. I think they should take out the erythritol, though. I think it kind of doesn't fit the brand. But other than that, I think it's a pretty cool product that has legs. Jesse, uh, for sure, consumer education is going to be important for Umi to succeed on shelf. Um, sometimes consumer education is best revealed on front of pack. Uh, do you think Umi did a good job kind of getting the consumer interested in this brand? Yeah, definitely. So I love Cbiotics. It definitely feels new. Um, it's something that will have a place, right? It's not, it's not feeling like a Me Too drink. Um, and you know, as a consumer, when you see something like that, you want to learn more. With this one, I, I think when you turn the can, there's actually a really nice, it's, it's formatted very well. There's lots of information. It's very clear to understand. So I think they actually did a really good job with explaining what Cbiotics are. There's a lot of education. I wouldn't think that would be best done on the front of the can because there's just so much that needs to be said. It can't be said in like two words. So I think they've done it really elegantly on this. Um, and yeah, the packaging is, is, is great. It really does stand out. Um, but yeah, my one criticism, you know, it tasted really nice was. That it does say gut health, but it does have erythritol in there. Yeah, so that was my only challenge as well to see if there's a way to kind of get that out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mike, I bet there are a lot of folks in the audience wondering, what does this taste like? Is it fishy? Is it salty? Does it have a lot of plant kind of, uh, taste to it? What does it taste like? I'll tell you, Ray, but I'm a little bit bummed that we couldn't get, you know, Neptune or the Queen of the Sea from Umi to appear on stage. I maybe we shouldn't have a tank big enough. They have to water or something. I don't know. Um, Lauren, you're great though. Um, so, here's the thing. I just don't think there are enough, um, I know, you know, Alyssa's from Japan and, you know, the, there's a probably a word in Japanese to describe the flavor. It's got like this kind of silkiness about it that I don't think we can explain in English, but That goes with just the peach lemon and the strawberry hibiscus and the blueberry elderflower. So it's got like a, a unique taste that you aren't expecting when you drink it, but that I think you'll like, Mike. That's what helps it as a thickening agent. It actually is smooth. It's a different feel, yeah, yeah, Corey, um, where would you put this on the shelf, and merchandizing can be so important to get anyone to even see this. But, uh, do you, do you have a sense of where this would fit? Yeah, I think so. I think it's gonna be in the, the better for you, but it's not a Me Too brand. You're right, it's, it's, it's a brand new segment that I think it's gonna be an exciting one that you can really build off of, um, I would put this. Near other items that are speaking to a consumer as, hey, this is an option for you to get a little bit more than just one thing out of it, um, not entirely sure what other brands would be similar to this yet since it's not me too, but I think that just putting this in that better for you, hey, here's a little bit extra with all the, all the good stuff in it. I mean, I think the innovation is just. That it's the C in prebiotics. So I, I, I kind of like that, um, and I think it could be next to a bunch of prebiotic brands and, and do well. Yeah, good advice. All right, keeping it going. We have Trent Hartwick, Hartwig, excuse me, who is the CEO of Oha. Come on up. How's it going? Good to see you. Your microphone, please keep an eye on your timer. Good morning everyone. I'm Trent Hartwig, and I'm excited to introduce you to Ohai, a new sparkling water experience. Sparkling water is everywhere. Over 100 million US consumers have made it a part of their routine. While the popularity has exploded, the conventional brands have hit a wall. They keep turning out new flavors, but where is the real innovation? It seems it's a revolving door of sameness. It isn't just boring, it's uncomfortable. People are getting fed up with the burn your throat bubbles, the belly bloating carbonation, and the suspicious artificial flavors. We knew it was time for something better. Our team has perfected a drink that is smoother and more refreshing than anything else out there, and it's all thanks to hydrogen and fusion. Think of it like a cold nitro brew coffee or a creamy Guinness beer, those smooth cascading bubbles that are easy on your palate and on your stomach. Now you're wondering, isn't hydrogen already in water? Of course, but free hydrogen gas is the game changer which delivers two main benefits. First, a silky, smooth, less acidic mouthfeel. And two, health benefits backed by over 1500 clinical studies, everything from better gut health to improved metabolism to anti-inflammation. Each can of Ohai also includes magnesium, a key electrolyte that is one of the fastest growing supplements in the country. At Ohai we keep things refreshingly simple with just 4 ingredients carbonated water, organic flavor, magnesium, and hydrogen. That's it. No junk, no confusion. We're certified organic, non-GMO, zero calories, zero sugars, and zero sweeteners. Oh hi hit shelves at just 699 to 799 for an eight pack. We're excited to launch with Meyer and Sprout stores in 2025. Let's rethink sparkling water. Let's say oh hi to a smoother bubble. Thank you. Hold on. All right. Uh, Jesse, oh hi, hydrogen infused sparkling water, um, is that something that really truly is a differentiator? Do you think that's something that consumers are looking for? And in particular, I want to hear about magnesium from all the judges because it seems like magnesium is having a moment. Um, yes, so it's interesting with the hydrogen, with the hydrogen, um, I've had other hydrogen drinks, but very loudly on the cans, you know, you have to drink it right away in order to get the benefit of the hydration. If the benefit of the hydration in this drink truly is the bubble, um, I've actually heard people, people are very particular about their carbonation. People love a. Chico because there's a bigger bubble or a, you know, Hal's or something because it has that like kind of bite, that acidic bite. Some people don't like that and they prefer a smaller. If that is truly what they're calling out for and what people are looking for, I'd like to see something about that on the front of the can, just like a smoother bubble or like the perfect bubble or something like that to call to people that are kind of really concerned about that or, or, or judging a drink based on that. Um, for magnesium, I, it's definitely popular. I take it at night. It's definitely a growing supplement, and a lot of people are adding it to their drinks. Um, I think the level was a little low for me to feel that there would be like that to consider this as like a supplement, um, but it's nice that it's there, um, and, you know, they do call out the benefit of, of magnesium on the package well in the, in the romance copy, um, but I don't know that it would be the key driver for me to buy this. Mike, uh, yeah, let's talk about the front of pack and the name itself. Oh high. What are your thoughts? I like the name a lot because it's like, oh hi, that's cool. Um I think there's an overstatement of the problem here, like, it's not like 55 million people are out there just like, oh no, my belly belching away and all that stuff. People are like, they love seltzer, they keep drinking it. I liked what Jesse said about You know, just downplaying the hydrogen aspect of it and just being like we're better bubbles. I love the magnesium call out. That's super trendy right now. I think maybe trying to do a little too much here because when you drink a beverage, think about why you do it. You want to just feel a little bit better than before you drank it and you know you're Drink this and go that's smoother. That's, that's better, you know. I, I think the flavors are great and the beverage is cool. It's just trying to do a little too much. We got confused like hydrogen versus hydration. We, we were like falling all over that in the judging room too, and I think other people will do that as well. Corey, uh, another very competitive category, sparkling water. margins are tough, um, but you know, we heard about this potentially being a whole new subsegment for sparkling water. Do you see it that way? Yeah, I think so. So we, you know, you have a lot of canned sparkling waters, but I think here we have to decide is this one of the flavor forward sparkling waters. It, it doesn't have an in your face flavor. It's, it's good, but it's not like, uh, quite as strong as some out there versus, you know, your Topochicos that are a little bit softer from a flavor profile perspective. I think this is one that could definitely be in that realm. I, we all know I don't love the shorter cans just from the way it looks in the cold vault, but I'm biased. Um, so I think that this one could really pop if it was in the taller can too and speak to a different consumer a little bit differently instead of just another Waterloo brand or whatever in the, in the shorter can. So I think it, it, it could have a good opportunity in any, but yeah, yeah. Eric is our formulation expert. What do you think about the ingredient profile and the taste? So I totally commend him for being non-GMO Project verified, USC organic out of the gates. He used elemental magnesium, which is pretty much known as the best. It's great that he's gone in the direction of more science supplement in the sparkling category where everyone else in the past few years has gone functional in terms of adaptogens, nootropics, and herbs. He's taken the more science route which. I think is great and there's a lot of education around that. The biggest advice I give this is said with love, is the name is going to be a problem with consumers. A lot of, a lot of consumers are going to call it oh he, even with stes, people still call us stiaz. Like they don't know until it's weird, but I think the name's going to be a challenge. I think the name doesn't fit the brand. I think the I think it's probably hydro is a better name or something that's more exactly talking about the hero ingredient. That's the miss I see, but that's said with love. What's going on? I don't know about that. Would you like that? I'm not. Science doesn't sell. I don't really love the idea of, you know, pumping up, go down the supplement aisles of Whole Foods. You'll see how much. Well, one thing I'll never do is call Steve Diaz, but maybe, I don't know, it could happen actually at some point. Diaz, I'm telling you, all right. Up next for the new Beveridge Showdown, we have Amy Bell, um, excuse me, Amy Bett, the co-founder and CEO of Mellow. Come on up. How can I get your name, Ron. Good to see you. There you go, and please keep an eye on your timer.

Speaker 2 [45:54] Hello everyone, my name is Amy Bett, I'm the CEO and co-founder of Mellow, and I am just ridiculously excited to be here today to tell you about our cava drink. As an Aussie mum and a busy business owner, I found myself feeling really frustrated about how alcohol was just making me feel so unmotivated and really tired, but so many of my social moments and my unwind time were revolved around a glass of wine or two. I knew I needed to cut back on alcohol, but the thought of a non-alcoholic drink that just didn't have any effect, honestly just wasn't really doing it for me. That's when a friend and I discovered kava. For those of you that don't know kava, kava is a plant known for its calming and social effects, um. And we felt really inspired to transform this ancient traditional beverage into something that was really modern, tasted really nice, and was really easy to drink, and that's how mellow was born. Mellow is the functional kava drink that makes you feel really happy, social, and relaxed within about 10 or 15 minutes of drinking one can. Uh, we have two flavors, or sorry, and the best part is there's no hangover. So we have two flavors so far, we have our passion fruit, orange and guava, and we have slightly controversial banana cream. Both flavors have 0 calories, zero sugar, and they're made with all natural ingredients. Um, I moved from Australia to LA in March, and we've been really busy. We've been scaling mainly online so far through Amazon and our D2C channels. We're really focused in California with our retail efforts and boots on the ground. Um, we just launched into lessons, we, um, are in about 20 independents, and we're just so excited to scale through the natural food chain. But what we're most passionate about is our partnership with the United Nations and International Trade Center. We're educating people about carva. Thank you so much, my time went out.

Ray Latif [48:00] Excellent. Well done. All right, uh, Mike, we've seen a lot of different iterations of cava drinks come to market. Um, never really seen a lot of things break through, but does Mello have the potential to be that brand? I think Mello is a beautiful brand, um, and I think that, um, you know, if you, especially if you have a chance to talk to Amy and her team about just the beverage. Um, you will just get pulled into the story. Um, in terms of just the, the branding itself, I don't love that mellows on the bottom because I'm afraid it's going to get hidden on some shelves. Um, I'd move it up a bit. I love the bubbles and, um, you know, as Amy was saying about the controversial banana flavor, we talked a little bit, um, before the show about, you know, that being really the most popular flavor or indeed to see and banana, as you would say, is a weird flavor and um. I think if you had some more accessible flavors it would just bring more cava to people because if you're selling banana that's a really hard thing to do. So I think you could do even better with some more accessible flavors. Corey, is this a brand that consumers are looking for? Are they more interested in cava in particular sparkling variety? So this is a new segment for me. So we are trying, well, we have a lot of stores, a lot of, uh, complexity within our. What is allowed, what is not allowed in our stores, and a lot of questions around that. So we haven't explored this realm. So this is my first time really getting to get some hands on where I'm also from Tennessee, so very different than out here, let's just say. Um, but I really get excited about the brand. I think I, I'm with you. I'd love to see the, the name on the top or middle even because, you know, with the, the way that we from a fixturing standpoint, we put this in the deli cold case or anything like that, the, the signage strip on the bottom may cover up that brand and then it kind of gets lost. The color is still there. The, the excitement is still there, but the, the name itself wouldn't be. So no Aans in Tennessee. Uh, Eric, uh, what's your experience with cava, and, you know, do you think you liked what you saw out of what, uh, how me formulated the supplements industry 28 years ago, and we used to sell cava when it first came to America, and, uh, we saw the power that it had and, and, and the effect that it had when you consumed it. We used to consume way too much of it to the point where we couldn't even talk, but that was the old days when we were kids. I've been waiting for a brand like this to come around for two decades. I think it's got its rightful place now in the movement of nootropics and honoring indigenous plants that actually give a feeling. And an effect, so I think the flavors were incredible. I disagree with Mike completely. I think if you go to their website and read through the website, they own their cultural heritage. So these ingredients and I think they need a third skew, by the way, you need the rainbow effect. That'd be my big advice. But I love the fact they're doing unique ingredients like banana cream. Who's doing that? They're different. But if you go to the website, you see they're honoring the farmers. The culture Cobb is all about ceremonial. It's a ceremonial drink consumed for thousands of years. I think they, they can improve the packaging. I agree with lifting the name up, but I think she's spot on with the flavors, spot on with the formulas. Packaging's sexy, and she's a very backable founder. We're going to have to have Eric in every store demo say that to every customer. That's the problem. Well, that's an important point. I mean, Jesse, you know, the front of pack, as we talked about, is so important to get people to want to pick up the can and try it, you know, do you think Melo does enough to do that? Yeah, I love it. I think it's so clever and beautiful. It's super clean, you know, it's got everything is really, really well balanced, to your point. It is. It's more of a piece of art because it, it may not function as well on shelf because it could be covered with the glide with the brand name there. um, so that could be very easily fixed, but I think it's, it's great and it draws a lot of attention. Um, and again, form factor, I, you know, I like that it's, I like the can that it's in. I'm wondering if it could be, you know, a little more sleek or something because it is maybe to replace an alcoholic drink. Um, so is there something that could be done, you know, just considered. To make it, you know, a little bit more special, because that's when you're drinking it, you know, and you don't have like a cocktail in your hand or something like that. As someone who shops at marijuana, I saw there yesterday, um, you know, do you think that this mellow. And the category for cava really has a runway for success, or do you think it is something that will remain kind of small? I really hope it does have a runway for success. I'm starting to hear about it more. I'm very, very interested in the category. I've been trying different drinks. I'm getting excited to see it out there. I really hope that, you know, cause there are a number of brands that are in there. I hope that they have, you know, sort of a rising tide lifts all boats effect and really starts. Get it out there more and more people start to pay attention to it because I think it's a great product. It's a great functionality, and I'd like to see more options wherever I go for it too. Just one note to support that in it's similar category, kratom-based beverages right now, which are similar in terms of plant origin are on fire. There's a brand new brew out there that I heard is going to do $10 million this year. It's like 2nd year in business, so I think this is right on trend. All right, good stuff. Let's keep it going. We have Aaron Wisniewski, who's the founder and CEO of GetUp. Come on up. Mr I may have butchered your brand name, but you can tell everyone what it

Speaker 3 [52:59] actually, you crushed it. You crushed my last name too. It's probably even harder. Um, great. OK, so you're all probably very aware that we're in the middle of the biggest shift in our attitude and behavior towards alcohol since prohibition. And it's not just that millions of people are cutting out on drinking, uh, it's that they're leaving behind the bar scene entirely in favor of run clubs and pickleball leagues and volleyball meetups. And for those people, that golden hour after the workout isn't just about hydration and recovery. It's about relaxing and socializing, dating and unwinding. Golden Ho has essentially taken the place of happy hour, and while plenty of people seem perfectly happy sipping a booze-free margarita, for a lot of us, cosplaying as an alcoholic doesn't cut it. I'm definitely one of those people, but I'm also a professional beverage designer. So in order to savor and celebrate golden hour, I designed a drink that makes your mind, mood, and mouth feel great while simultaneously hydrating and restoring your body. It's called Gnep, and it's a non-alcoholic ocean mineral built with, sorry, it's a non-alcoholic cocktail built with deep ocean minerals, potent nootropics and adaptogens, and for the first time ever in a commercial beverage, the insanely delicious flavor of the Caribbean gannet fruit. A fruit flavor that can probably only be described is if you combined a lime and a lychee, um, or rather maybe like if a lime and a lychee had a baby and that baby was raised by a guava, um, so. If you want to learn more about Gannett fruit or golden hour or about the power of deep ocean minerals or how we've taken this from idea to the shelves of sprouts in less than 18 months with only 2 employees, then make sure that we make it to the next round of the beverage showdown, and I look forward to seeing you all there. Thank you.

Ray Latif [55:00] Corey, let's start with you. Uh, a lot going on here. Um, is there one particular aspect of the brand or what you heard in the presentation that really drew you in? Yeah, so I like the, the golden hour vibe is, is, I think that's one that he could really leverage here. I think, um, when I, I love the product. I thought it was a very tasty beverage, but I think a lot going on on the can, and I would love to like this golden hour thought process that he's put together here on that post recovery or post-workout and anything in between, I think is, is the right place to go, um, and it, I, I love the golden hour. I think he could really sell it with that. Ocean Minerals. Did you sit up in your chair when you heard that jam, right? Yeah, so we, we met at fancy food show in the summer. Uh, I had 5 of my team at Beyond Brands. We walked by his booth and we met him for the first time. We stayed there for 1 hour because about 20 minutes in of sampling, first of all, we fell in love. He, he nailed it on the crispiness, the taste, the cleanliness of the product. It's a beautiful art, art, art. I formulated product and I guess because he's got that background he really put his passion into this but about 20 minutes in we started feeling it and we didn't expect to feel it. We started feeling good, like relaxed, happy, spent an hour with him, so I got to really understand the story, loved that he went to the deep ocean minerals. I think that's talking about electrolytes and hydration, that's a trend right now that's not going to go away. People want more real electrolytes, not synthetically added electrolytes, but his, his use of the Fruit Gwynep, which has been around for a long time, it's very popular in the Caribbean, is, I think, the hero ingredient. I think the one advice to him would be really own Gwynep and really educate on Gwynnep. It's the name, it's the fruit. It's known throughout, you know, the country that it's, it's, it's grown as a, as a great product. I think that's the education here, but overall I think this is a hot brand, and I give him a lot of credit and I love, I love the founder. I think he's super backable. Jessie Corey talked about, uh, golden hours being really interesting to her. Can you build an identity via that sort of term? Um, I think you can. I do, especially because it's more of a, I see, you know, it's post-workout recovery. I will say I was a little confused by the occasion mentioned in the presentation. I saw this more as, you know, a functional beverage with the deep sea ocean minerals and more of a hydration beverage. Um, I didn't drink enough of it to. Feel something different. So that might be where that's going, um, but I didn't necessarily get that that was the purpose of the drink from the packaging. Um, I do like the idea of Golden Hour. I think it's really smart. I don't know that people are really owning that. Um, if they, you know, if they do it right, if they really play up the functionality and more of the, the mood side of it, um, I think they, they have a good opportunity there. Someone should trademark that name for a beverage. It's a great name, Golden Hour. Yeah, for sure. Uh, Mike, you know, you don't have a lot of time to get someone's attention on front of pack. If there were a few things that you could adjust or not adjust at all, I mean, what do you think about that front of pack? I don't think I would do a lot to adjust the front of pack when you like, you see Gwynep and Ocean Minerals and the artwork that it was enough to inspire me to pick it up, maybe not enough to inspire the mainstream consumer, so, um. You know, something about hydration. I, I think what I'm confused about here and when I, I thought this was going to be a very different presentation. I mean, I love the idea of owning golden hour, but golden hour doesn't always happen because of the weather. Um. And I don't think it needs to be golden hour, nor do you need to be a half naked person to enjoy this. You can, you can have this all day long. I mean, I, I, we've had this in the fridge, at Bevnet, and I've been crushing it all day. I didn't even know it was supposed to be a non-alk uh cocktail because it doesn't really have the same flavor profile as again, like the, the guia, the Iss, the Bon buzzes, the Little Saints that I think are, you know, and Ceylons that are building that category. Um, I think this has a lot more potential. Well, if it doesn't have to be for half naked people, why do you walk around the office chest naked drinking these products? It's very, it's how I like to roll, right? Probably not something we should see. I roll. All right. Uh, we're going to keep it going with Susan Buchwalter Hartman, who's the co-founder of Recoup. Come on up. Hello again. Good to see you. Please keep an eye on your timer. Your digestive system is running a marathon every day, and just like your jelly legs after a 10 km, it doesn't run well dehydrated. So we created recoup, gut healthy hydration with three key ingredients, prebiotic fiber for digestion. Sustainably harvested maple tree water, an alternative to coconut water with fewer calories, and a clinically proven dose of ginger. My co-founder was introduced to the power of ginger through his mom's home remedies. He spent the 1st 3 years of his life in the hospital, went through 10 major surgeries before he was 12, and his mom's home remedies played a big part in his recovery. So we joined forces and created Recoup. We met in Cornell at our MBA program, and I brought a passion for hydration. I was a college athlete. I did the heptathlon, so 7 events in track and field. I was always dehydrated, always thirsty. I feel like I've been on a lifelong quest for healthy hydration. So why is recoup special? We're the only beverage brand so far combining gut health and hydration, which is key to gut function. We have no added sugar and no stevia, which I get gratitude for every day from consumers, and we're the first regenerative organic certified beverage brand. We're championing resilience for people on the planet. And it's going really well, so we launched in June and we're in 650 doors, including Airwan, Jimbo's, Sprouts, Wegmans. Our Sprouts pilot went so well that two weeks into the 90 day trial, they said, You're almost running out and we'd like to order more, and you have a spot nationally starting in February. Uh, we are building our community and fitness and yoga studios and really kind of bringing that lifestyle together. On January 1st, I will be live in millions of living rooms, uh, pitching recoup on HSN and so kind of telling that story of gut health and hydration to the nation. We are raising capital, so I hope you'll join us on our mission to champion resilience for people and the planet. Thank you. Excellent job. Hold on. All right, Eric, uh, what do you think about this approach, dual functionality in a brand, gut health and hydration? Well, their formula delivers it. It really does. They did a great job. I love the ginger. They use a lot of ginger. It tastes like it. I think they did a great combination of the formula, but I think the unsung hero is, and she probably could have expressed more if she had more time, this is the first Regener Organic certified beverage brand. That's like going back to November of 2002 when you were the first organic certified beverage. Regener Organic is the future of organic, and everybody knows that Whole Foods has a mandate right now to bring in more regenerative. Regeneratively grown or regeneratively certified. The fact that they're certified to regener organic is huge. So I think there's a whole, you know, positioning there that they've got to play up. I think the brand delivers. I've tried it. It's delicious. Only advice, and this is said with love, is I think the logo that doesn't fit the packaging, recoup. I think that should go through an improvement and luckily they're in their early stage, so I think they could look at marketing and packaging a little better and bring out the regener organic a little more. Yeah, let's continue on that front. We have probiotic, excuse me, prebiotic sparkling beverage with electrolytes, gut healthy hydration. Jessie, is there something that you would Uh, change or adjust, or do you think the front of pack is spot on? I love the front of pack. Um, they are doing a lot, but they communicate it really well. The hierarchy is really easy to understand. Um, this is, you know, I, I think it looks really nice to, to your point though, the logo, it's just not that cool. Like there's a, there's a bit of an opportunity to, you know, to play that up a little bit, um, and, and have a little bit more fun. I think this is a great drink, but I think there's just that one last like little unlock. Um, yeah, yeah. Yeah. What would make it more fun in your opinion? It's a long question. Um, you know, I think, well, I mean, there's so many different little things like there's the, the, like, even just like the, the font type is so simple. Yeah, it's so simple. I think there, it could, you know, I would say talk to 90. We can help you out. All right, yeah, Mike, uh, recoup in terms of flavor again, so critically important. Did it deliver? Oh yeah, Eric is spot on about the ginger. They use a lot of ginger and it's good and I want like more ginger on the label, you know, I would love the word ginger to be bigger because it's in all of them too. It's like the, it's the, the thing that ties each skew the hero. Sorry, it's the hero. It is the hero. Well done, well said. I couldn't say it for some reason, but my good friend Eric was there for me. Thank you. Um, and also speaking of the hero, um, we always talk about on taste radio like if you want, if you have a new beverage and you want someone to try it, go for accessible flavors and make it just evident that that's what the flavor is. This is the most, that's the most evident thing on pack and that's, that's a winner right there. And then you start to look at the, at the callouts and you're just like, I gotta try this. Corey, um, is there one way you would lean more than the other in terms of sort of merchant merchandizing opportunities? Is it gut health? Is it hydration? Is it spar sparkling prebiotic beverages? I mean, where do you think this would fit best? I think it would be gut health for uh, gut health for us. I think that. We haven't necessarily unlocked that hydration segment that this, this would blow everything else out of the water that we have today, right? We have the OGs of the hydration and, and this is just so much more than that because of everything that's in it. I think definitely for us it'd be in the gut health world, um, that they, they really killed it with, with this brand. All right, great stuff. How is it possible we've flown by so quickly because we're down to our final semi-finalists for the new beverage showdown. That person is Stephanie McGregor, who's the founder of Ringa. Come on up. Hello, microphone, please keep an eye on your timer.

Speaker 4 [1:04:50] Hi everyone, I'm Stephanie McGregor, founder of Ringa, and we create consciously crafted plant powered products inspired by one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet, gram for gram, called moringa olefera, which you may not be familiar with by name but are already likely enjoying its benefits, as moringa is often found in your daily. multivitamin, green smoothie, or premium beauty product. It's been used for centuries around the globe and is fast growing, drought tolerant, 100% viable, a complete plant protein, and has been shown to help regulate blood sugar, making moringa not just a superfood, but a literal miracle tree, its nickname. Even after spending over 20 years as an operator in the startup food and bev space, I had never heard of it before either until 2022. When an unintended career break had me seriously considering leaving the industry. It was during a soul searching trip to Baja where our Airbnb host talked obsessively about the moringa tree growing on their property and how it was prized for not only its nutrient density but drought resiliency that I turned to my husband and joked, this sounds like a founder story, and 2 years later, it is. Created as a solution to some of the most pressing challenges we're facing today in our food system, such as the rise of chronic health conditions and climate change. Our mission is to incorporate this incredible plant into the products we consume in our daily lives, making them more nutritious and climate conscious. The line of products are lightly effervescent beverages that combine the benefits of apple cider vinegar and prebiotic fiber with organic moringa leaves. We also formulate with 0 g of added sugar. We don't use any sugar alternatives like stevia allulose monk fruit. We don't use any sugar, alcohols or natural flavors. At 399, ringa is the perfect on trend without being trendy everyday hydration option, as moringa is both an adaptogen, nootropic, a source of caffeine-free energy. It's a wonderful mindful mixer, and we pair.

Ray Latif [1:06:54] Thank you. You're so quick with that gong. Well done. Mm. All right, uh, Jesse, Ringa, um, you know, this is a really interesting brand that there's a lot going on with this one as well. Um, do you understand what you're getting? Did you understand when you saw this product, what you're gonna get out of it? Yes. um, I think the package is beautiful and the branding is really lovely. Um, I did understand that it was a moringa drink. Um, I would love for it like almost like cava, but cava seems to be taking off. Moringa's been sort of floating in the ether for a really long time and everyone really like loves all the benefits. I'm super excited about it as an ingredient, but. It just has not, like, there's not been one thing that's actually lifted it and people have been really excited about it for a while. So, hopefully, it's something like this, but I, I worry that it may not be enough, um, to stake a whole drink on that one ingredient. Um, I do think it's, again, if people were to look into it and to be more interested, they would find that it does have a lot of benefits and it's a great drink, um. You know, having the apple cider vinegar, that's an interesting counterpoint to it as well. So I think there, there is a bit going on. I will say on the side of the package though, there's a lot of great information and it's very, it makes it very easy to understand and what you're getting. Um, it, it might be a little niche to start, um, but I, you know, I commend them for going for it because the more moringa out there, the better. Um, but, uh, but yeah, there's, it's, you know, it would be a hard sell, I think, commercially, uh, for a lot of people. Mike, what do you think of the positioning as a holistic hydration beverage? I think that's what it is. I mean, I think this is an Erawan brand. It's, it's, you know, it's, it's complex. I thought that was a honeycomb though. I thought there might be honey in the beverage, um, and I'm kind of drawn into it. I'm still right now. I can't stop staring at it. I don't know if you've noticed that, but, um. The, the thing that I will say about the flavor is that apple cider vinegar feels like, I don't know, the wedding guest who also wore white and stood next to the bride. I, I just like, is it supposed to be the hero or it's trying to be? I, I, I don't know. I don't think it's, I think moringa is supposed to be the hero. I, I don't know. I don't know. This is like a, this is an apple cider vinegar. Uh, this is an apple cider vinegar, um, beverage to me, not necessarily a moringa beverage. Like if you asked me what it was after I tried it, I'd be like, Oh, they're, they're ACV, yeah. Uh, again, I think, you know, it's, it's, where do you put this? Where are people going to see this? Where are people going to be most interested to pick it up? Um, but Corey, I wanna, you know, get your thoughts on that. But I, I haven't asked you enough about taste. How do you feel about the taste of this and where it could be in store? If you like apple cider vinegar, this is for you. If you don't, it might not be for you. Um, it, it's very heavy in the apple cider vinegar world. Um, I think that this would be in the kombucha area with the. The people that enjoy that flavor. I, I'm, I'm with you. I, that analogy was something else. I don't know if I'm, I'm there, but, um, I do think that this, this can, this apple cider and the meringue, I, I just think it kind of steals the show a little bit, and I, I wish it wouldn't because I love the packaging. I love the thought behind the brand. Yeah, uh, Eric, you get the last word on Ringa. I know a lot about this category. I love it. 6 years ago we helped create an African-based moringa brand called hum moringa. So we actually have fields and farms in Africa that we're part of. I absolutely love this ingredient. I feel it's time to have its rightful place in the beverage industry. It's been more on the food side in Africa in particular. It's used as a superfood and put on a lot of things like drinks. So I think that's the hero here. The name's Ringa, and that's a super smart name to talk about moringa. I think that's the hero. I think I would bring down the apple cider vinegar, which is not the hero. The name is ring. moringa. If you go to the website though, it kind of tells that beautiful story. The one thing I would say, you know, in terms of a tweak, a constructive criticism, it's not a hydration drink. There's no magnesium in it. There's a little bit of potassium, a little bit of sodium, so it doesn't deliver on hydration. I think it's just it's confusing. So I'd take hydration completely off, bring the apple cider vinegar down, go full force into moringa. Love the sexy packaging using sacred geometry, which is very eye catching, those circles, beautiful packaging, super sexy. I think this brand has major potential. I'd love to be a part of it. Outstanding. 120 seconds. That's how much time we gave these folks to be up here on stage, talk about their passion, all the work that they've been doing for months and even years. Uh, it's really, really tough, and I think everyone did an outstanding job. Round of applause for all the finalists. All right, before we show the number for audience voting, uh, I just want to do a very quick debrief with the judges. Um, I often ask, you know, if the brands make it to the next round, what is gonna be most important? What do you want to hear about? What do you want to see about? What's gonna help them win the competition, like listening to the CPG Week podcast? 00, yes, OK, that's a good point. Yes, um, also, I think they, you know, they're, they're gonna want to talk about market opportunity, how they plan to address the market. And just, you know, um, what their plan is for, for, uh, you know, just making money. Yeah, it's very important, great point, right? Price point, yeah, I like that too. I like just knowing like who is their consumer, you know, we've had a lot of comments from all of us like who are they, who are they looking for, who are they marketing to, like knowing what that consumer is, and then. Where do you want to be within the, the sets, whether you're in an A one or a pilot or anywhere in between? Like, what do you want to be beside? What do you want to be known for? You got a lot of things going on. Like narrow it down, help us, help us get your vision and put it to life. Great point, Eric. We love backing founders. I really want the founders' passion and big why to come out. What's the real reason for being, what's the core mission of the company? That's what I want to buy into first when I'm, you know, putting my vote somewhere, whether it's financial or it's here on stage to give them a win. I think next, you know, size of the prize. I think they've really got to identify the size of the next 5 years, where this goes, how big it goes, and are they just sourcing volume from other brands on the shelves, or are they bringing new customers into the stores, into the category? I want to hear about that. I want to hear about, more importantly than ever, a path to profitability. I want to see what that looks like. I want them to articulate their quarter in year 3, maybe that they're going to know they're going to break even. I want to see that and I want them to demonstrate they understand that. And lastly, I want them to talk about margins and cost of goods and how those come down over years and not just. Pick numbers, you know, pie in the sky. I want them to actually articulate how they bring their cost of goods down. I think those are the five things we're looking for when we invest in brands now. All right, Jesse, um, like Corey, I want to know who this is for, uh, specifically, like who their customer is, um, and also how are they different from whether it's category or just if it's a whole new category, you know, how is it different and what is it doing that is not available out there in another drink. All right. Love this judging panel. Outstanding job. Round of applause for our judges. OK, a few notes. Number one, we're going to show this slide. That includes all of the brands in the semi-final round. If you want to vote for your favorite brand, just text the code to that number 310-982-4015. So if you're rooting for passion, joy, just text the number 1 to that number, etc. You can vote as many times as you want, um, for as many brands as you want. I believe that's correct. Rock the vote. There you go. Rock the vote. Um, we're gonna come back here. Uh, just around the lunch hour to announce the finalists, but I want to know it's extremely important that you do your audience voting because the 6th and final brand that makes it to the final round will come from the audience. So please, please vote. All right. In the meantime, we're going to break and go to a small networking break. We're going to be back here on the main stage at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time. So if you're here in the audience, please come back into the room. If you're watching on the live stream, we have some amazing interviews with attendees that we'll be showing as part of the Tas Radio studio. All right, see you all soon.