DECEMBER 3, 2015
Peet’s Eyes a Super-Premium Future as Cold Brew Becomes the Beachhead With the
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SHOTS: SMALL FORMAT & BIG OPPORTUNITY
YEAR IN REVIEW: WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW
WHY HARD SODA MAKES CIDER MAKERS WARY
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Contents • Volume 13 • No. 8
55
COLUMNS
FEATURES
SPECIAL SECTION
4 First Drop Kombucha’s Great Gas Cloud
28 Not So Sweet Hard Sodas Make Cider Makers Wary with Brand News
55 2015 New Beverage Guide
6 Publisher’s Toast Taking it to the Streets – Once Again 26 Gerry’s Insights Four for 2015
DEPARTMENTS 8 BevScape Brew Deals Abounding 14 New Products Meet MetaMatcha 22 Channel Check Extended Extras 80 Promo Parade Birdsong: Owl’s Brew and the Famous Grouse
34 Worth a Shot Brands Still See Big Opportunity in Small Format Offerings with Brand News 46 Year in Review What the Numbers – and the Shadows Reveal with Extended Channel Check
ON THE COVER 40 Tidal-Wave Coffee Peet’s Eyes a SuperPremium Future as Cold Brew Becomes the Beachhead with Brand News
DECEMBER 3, 2015
TRADE SHOWS 50 NACS Review Going Natural 52 NBWA Review Mixed Views on MegaBrew
Peet’s Eyes a Super-Premium Future as Cold Brew Becomes the Beachhead With the
2015
SHOTS: SMALL FORMAT & BIG OPPORTUNITY
YEAR IN REVIEW: WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW
WHY HARD SODA MAKES CIDER MAKERS WARY
cover.indd 1
11/18/15 1:52 PM
COVER PHOTO: by Stephen Smith www.iamstephensmith.com Courtesty of Chameleon Cold Brew
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The First Drop By Jeffrey Klineman
I had my first sip of Kombucha in 1995, in the parking lot outside of a Grateful Dead show in downtown Seattle. Compared with the obvious plethora of illegal substances for sale around me at that time and place, I find it a bit surprising that, 20 years later, the sour stuff in my Dixie cup has kept up with the rest of its cohort for the bulk of the legal and regulatory attention, especially since it is still the only one that can be sold in a grocery store. Nevertheless, here we are, on the cusp of 2016, and although no one is suing over the potency of the marijuana they bought (yet!), there has been, of late, a near-avalanche of filings flowing through the courts and through government agencies about the relative alcohol and sugar content of what has become a stunningly popular beverage. The kombucha market is now worth about $500 to $600 million in the U.S. Much of the RTD part of that market is held by category originator G.T. Dave, who is now being sued by a veteran classaction/consumer protection lawyer with the M.A.S.H.-evoking name of Benjamin Franklin Pierce Gore. Gore – who bears no relation to Alan Alda but is, in fact, a cousin of former Vice President Al Gore, has re-teamed with a pair of plaintiffs – whose names can be found as heading the class of a number of earlier class-actions he’s filed against other consumer product companies -- to bring what they will undoubtedly classify as accountability and justifiable recompense for their having purchased a fermented product that didn’t indicate on its label that it had trace amounts of alcohol or imprecise sugar measurements. Gore is a tough operator: working in some cases with the firms that brought the tobacco industry to its knees, he has filed dozens of cases against food firms, including Dole, Chobani, Ocean Spray, Frito-Lay and many more. He says he’s working against fraud and for transparency to consumers, but others in the business claim he’s making a career out of nuisance
Kombuchas Great Gas Cloud
suits that force brands to pay him to go away over relative nits that are ginned up in the cloak of consumer protection. Regardless, in the case of Kombucha, one of the issues at the heart of the proceedings – if a case actually goes to trial and isn’t quietly settled – will be the set of tools used to measure the alcohol levels in the product. That’s important because many of the tools currently being used by both kombucha manufacturers, regulators, and, consequently, attorneys looking for a quick payday – are, according to scientists and interested parties, about as accurate
as trying to tell wind speed by putting your finger in the air. The measurement standards – the particular devices, the time and place at which the measurement occurs, even whose responsibility it is to conduct and enforce testing results – are currently being evaluated both in court, by the relevant government agencies – the TTB and the FDA -- and by a growing set of would-be representatives for the kombucha industry. The basic question is whether kombucha has too many different fermented gasses coming off its surface to be easily measured. The notion that an entire industry’s in-store future could be at risk due to mea-
4 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
surements that are likely to result in false positives obviously frightens the players in that industry, but it’s especially distressing to those members of the industry who are facing potentially expensive legal proceedings based on the current standards. One of those companies, Health Ade, is growing fast, but it’s relatively tiny. Even though it’s partially funded by the Coca-Cola Co. through its investment in First Beverage Ventures, Health Ade still could be hamstrung before it really even enters the race. As the biggest target in the category, meanwhile, GT’s has already faced several nuisance suits, and has an even larger lawsuit looming in California, where another lawyer alleges that the company intentionally misled consumers on both its alcohol and antioxidant contents. Meanwhile, the lawyers in all of these cases aren’t letting on the exact testing methods that they’re using as the basis for their claims – so expect a lot of arguments about the relative merits of gas chromatography vs. refractometers, hydrometers, and near infrared technology in the future, to determine if .5 percent alcohol is really .5 percent, or just a gas cloud. None of this is to downplay the potential negative effects on consumers who shouldn’t drink alcohol at all but find themselves ingesting trace amounts of the product due to poor manufacturing practice. Another kombucha maker, Bill Moses, whose KeVita apparently is made in such a way that it doesn’t provide the living bacteria in the product the opportunity to metabolize it into alcohol, has been adamant that companies are taking risks if they don’t do a better job of putting controls in place. For one thing, recovering alcoholics who ingest even a tiny amount of alcohol can suffer a relapse, potentially a deadly one. For another, he notes, the industry’s track record is already a suspect one due to a widely-publicized recall that took place back in 2010. Moses’ bona fides on the relapse front are genuine – he was, at one time, the owner and CEO of the Recovery Television Photo by Simon A. Eugster
Network, a cable channel devoted to those who are fighting their own addictions. And the issue he points out is a genuine one, as well, and reason enough for the industry to redouble its efforts toward precision in testing and labeling. But it’s also important that it get out of the way of regulatory agencies, who, while lumbering in their efforts to err on the side of caution, are nevertheless engaged in efforts to refine their view. Companies need to put their agendas aside and work with those agencies to put together reasonable standards, and they should do so quickly. There are opportunistic reasons for this scrutiny, as well as defensive. Even if it turns out that most kombucha brands would need to go through control channels to make it to market, it shouldn’t be discouraging. That market is exploding, and the simultaneous growth of relatively low-alcohol sour beers and hard ciders should indicate that
there’s a consumer who wants something with a taste profile close to kombucha and a willingness to seek it out even in the midst of a massive craft beer boom.Yes, that kind of change would cause complications with regard to distribution and put those brands in a much wider battle for shelf space, but it would also insulate the product from lawsuits and bring more clarity to the category. And it’s not too far a step, either, particularly for a product that requires the maintenance of cold temperatures as part of its route to market. One of the biggest distributors of GT’s in the New York market, after all, is Dora’s, a dairy house that several years ago acquired the rights to sell beer as well as non-alcoholic products. The craft nature of kombucha and the increasing drift of many independent distributors to expanded cold-chain capacity will accommodate worthy brands, while also giving those who can’t create products that
meet precision standards the opportunity to either raise their game or try to make it on a different playing field. As for those in the industry who would complain about having to meet another labeling standard or stare down more scrutiny, it would seem to me that a product class whose constituents often market themselves behind non-GMO or organic certification due to social and environmental concerns for generations down the line, or who aggressively note that they are gluten-free because they are supposedly concerned about the potential immediate discomfort they might cause those with gluten allergies might be willing to consider precise measurements of something that can have addictive or lethal properties – especially if they are covering up those properties simply for the purpose of building or maintaining market share. It’s just a shame that it all has to happen when the sharks are circling.
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BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
5
Publisher’s Toast By Barry Nathanson
Taking it to the Streets, Once Again
MAGAZINE www.bevnet.com/magazine Barry J. Nathanson PUBLISHER bnathanson@bevnet.com
Jeffrey Klineman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jklineman@bevnet.com
Ray Latif MANAGING EDITOR rlatif@bevnet.com
Neil Martinez-Belkin STAFF WRITER nmartinezbelkin@bevnet.com
Jon Landis STAFF WRITER jlandis@bevnet.com
Chris Furnari BREWBOUND EDITOR cfurnari@bevnet.com
Carol Ortenberg PROJECT NOSH EDITOR cortenberg@bevnet.com
SALES John McKenna DIRECTOR OF SALES jmckenna@bevnet.com
This past weekend, New York City was in all its glory, and we residents were enjoying it to the fullest. There is nothing like the city in the fall. We had the World Series playing out in Queens. As a Yankee fan, the loss for the Mets wasn’t exacgtly the heartbreak for me that it was for their fans, but hey, it’s a shame. I also felt bad for the Dodgers, for that matter. Still, the foliage was at its peak, and the warm summer prolonged this annual spectacle to November. You have to be in the Northeast to truly see the leaves changing – it’s one of the greatest miracles of Mother Nature. Central Park was breathtaking. We were also treated to the New York City Marathon. This is a transcendent event: 50,000-plus runners, with millions more cheering them on, throughout the five boroughs, is a sight to relish. And the weather contributed to it all, making it ideal for runners and spectators alike. I figured this would be the ideal opportunity to make my now-annual observeand-report mission on the latest beverage trends. Over the years, I’ve camped out in Times Square, stopping people imbibing about their beverage preferences. With the Marathon and the drinking weather at my back, I figured I had the perfect timing and crowd in which to conduct my truly un-scientific focus group. First and foremost, water was the overwhelming choice of the masses – a big change from 10 or 20 years ago, when the colas dominated. We’ve all seen the stats that show the rapid decline of CSD’s. Seeing it first hand is always an eye-opener,
though. Aside from the obvious Poland Spring, which is on every food cart and kiosk in the city, I was struck by how often Fiji, Voss, Volvic and other super premiums were the go-to brands. Core Natural was a surprisingly frequent selection for such a new entry. Their distinct packaging has made an impact in my city. I cannot forget about Smartwater, as the brand associated with the fitness obsession in NYC. Sparkling Ice – and the brands trying to make a move on them – were the choice of many, as alternatives to the pure water brands. La Croix and other sparkling drinks, especially in cans, have made tremendous inroads. Consumers’ tastes for flavor and variety continue to determine where beverages are going. People are looking for enhanced and functional brands much more often, and I saw a lot of coconut waters and protein shakes out in the crowds. Move toward the nicer neighborhoods, and HPP drinks seemed to be the choice of a distinct, higher end demographic. I saw that price point ring often. AriZona and Snapple, the standard bearers of RTD, and New York grown to boot, still dominate here, but I saw Honest Tea and Honest Kids everywhere. Added to the mix were so many of the boutique brands. Bai has also become a major player. Their penetration at retail was evident and I saw it frequently, in-store and out on the street. The reality is that beverages continue to evolve, and what was new and exciting just a few years ago, is mainstream now. That’s a good thing. Hopefully, it’ll open up to a new, exciting generation of brands that are joining the fray.
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6 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Bevscape The latest news on the brands you sell
COCONUT WATER
LEGAL Monster Settles in Dealth of 14-year-old
Coke Settles Vitaminwater Lawsuit
Legal news website LawyersandSettlements.com reports that Monster Energy Corp. has settled several wrongful death lawsuits related to consumption of its energy drinks, including one that resulted in a payout of “substantial dollars,” according to an attorney representing one of the plaintiffs.
The Coca-Cola Company has reached a settlement in a lawsuit that dates back to 2009, when consumer advocacy nonprofit The Center for Science in the Public Interest accused Vitaminwater of deceiving consumers on the true beneficial nature of the products. The Associated Press announced the proposed settlement, with a Coke representative telling the AP the company “was pleased to reach an amicable resolution of these cases. Although we remain confident in our legal position, it simply made no sense to continue this costly legal battle.” As part of the settlement, Vitaminwater will add the phrase “with sweeteners” to two locations on its bottles, one of which will be prominently displayed alongside its name. The brand will also remove the phrase “vitamins + water = all you need,” “vitamins + water = what’s in your hand” and “this combination of zinc and fortifying vitamins can…keep you healthy as a horse,” from its labels. Additionally, Vitaminwater will no longer be permitted to make claims about the product’s efficacy in reducing the risk of eye disease or improving metabolic function. The settlement, which is still pending approval from a federal judge, would require the company to begin changes to be in compliance with the terms of the settlement within three months, and complete them within two years. Coca-Cola will also have to fork up $2.73 million to cover the plaintiff’s attorney fees and expenses.
Zico Goes Back to Natural ZICO is returning to a 100-percent notfrom-concentrate portfolio of coconut water products, five years after adding a coconut water from concentrate line extension. The discontinuation of the concentrate formula comes as part of a greater revamp for the brand, which ZICO’s parent company, Coca-Cola, revealed shortly before the NACS show. Coconut water made from concentrate isn’t the only thing on its way out at ZICO. The brand is also ditching its 14 oz. opaque HDPE bottles in favor of a 16 oz. clear PET bottle. To date, coconut water in such packaging has been seen almost exclusively with high pressure processed (HPP) brands like Harmless Harvest. ZICO adopting a clear plastic bottle for its on-the-go offering makes it the first larger conventional brand to do so. The best-known format for coconut water has been Tetra-Pak, which ZICO still uses for its not-from-concentrate products, particular those selling in the natural channel. Plastic bottles, on the other hand, are seen as having a broader user base, and as such have been aimed at convenience stores and other conventional retailers. The transition from HDPE to PET and concentrate to not-from-concentrate will be complete by March of 2016, when ZICO will begin rolling out its entire lineup of beverages, including ZICO Pineapple, Watermelon Raspberry, Chocolate and its natural original flavor, in the new PET bottles. ZICO will continue to also be available in its 1 L, 11 oz. and 8.4 oz. Tetra Pak sizes as well. These recent changes suggest a potential pivot in strategy for ZICO, which, upon first partnering with the Coca-Cola Company in 2009 placed heavy emphasis on the development and marketing of its from-concentrate HDPE bottles.
Details of the settlements have not been released, however, Bruce Schechter, an attorney with R. Rex Parris Law Firm, told LawyersandSettlements.com that Monster had recently paid the family of a a 14-year-old who in 2011 died of cardiac arrest. The family claims that the teen’s consumption of two cans of Monster Energy was the cause. While the name of the family and amount of money they received was not made public, LawyersandSettlements.com reported that “one high-profile lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial,” and cited the case of Anais Fournier, whose age and year of death matches that of the aforementioned case. Fournier’s family has been represented by R. Rex Parris.
8 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Bevscape KOMBUCHA New Testing Methods Proposed
DISTRIBUTION Coke Redistributes Distribution
While lawsuits swirl and regulatory agencies try to sort through reports of kombuchas with higher-than-allowable alcohol levels, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has gotten involved in the regulation of the kombucha industry. Last month, the trade group announced its support of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, a bill that would reduce excise taxes among other financial and regulatory burdens for kombucha brewers whose products contain more than 0.5 percent alcohol – the legal limit to be considered an alcoholic beverage under the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) regulations.
ferment the alcohol. For that reason you will see an increase in ethanol unless you do something to stop fermentation, but the stopping of fermentation techniques is in opposition to the desires of the makers of kombucha. It’s a little bit of a pickle.” Sam LaBonia, president of Memphisbased Cornerstone Labs, followed NealKababick, further exploring the aforementioned “pickle” as well as other testing challenges unique to kombucha. “Everyone needs to understand that it’s a live product, which means it’s continuing to ferment in the bottle” said LaBonia. “We’ve done numerous shelf life studies and they all end up going above 0.5 per-
Additionally, with backing from probiotic beverage brand KeVita, which in May pledged to contribute up to $100,000 for a Truth-in-Labeling initiative for the kombucha industry, AHPA has launched an educational program for kombucha brewers. AHPA, in a webinar, tackled the oft-complicated case of alcohol analysis with kombucha, an issue that’s been of concern to the category since 2010, when Whole Foods pulled kombucha products off its shelves over concerns regarding the beverage’s fermentation while sitting on shelves. Presenter James Neal-Kababick, who serves as director of Flora Research Laboratories, touched on the issue of on-shelf fermentation while detailing the existing TTB-approved analytical methods for alcohol analysis in kombucha. “With other types of alcoholic beverages there is a means to stop fermentation,” said Neal-Kababick. “Hops in beer, sulfites in wine, liquors are distilled. With kombucha, you still have the mother in the product and as long as you have live yeast and a food source those yeasts will continue to
cent at some point whether it’s one month or two months. It’s a live product, and that’s what people like about it.” Earlier this year, in partnership with industry trade group Kombucha Brewers International, LaBonia developed a sample handling protocol to improve the accuracy and consistency of alcohol test results for kombucha products. LaBonia detailed his lab’s testing method, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, along with the aforementioned sample handling procedures designed to minimize false positive results. Both presenters would acknowledged the financial burden and challenges imposed on small kombucha brewers when trying to remain compliant with TTB guidelines, but stressed the importance of quality control and standardization for the industry. “By industry stakeholders coming together and pooling resources, they can make these more affordable by sharing the load, just like laboratories come together to collaborate and reduce the cost of investigation and analysis,” Neal-Kababick added.
10 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
The Coca-Cola Company has signed letters of intent with three U.S. bottlers as part of the business’ ongoing refranchising efforts, granting new distribution territories across seven states. In a press release, Coca-Cola North America president Sandy Douglas said “We are confident that we are building a model that is modern, agile and consumer and customer focused. The progress announced today continues our efforts to balance national scale and local capability, and will help us increase our leadership and competitive advantage in the U.S. business.” The new bottlers include Tampa-based Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Chicagobased Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution (a subsidiary of beer distribution giant Reyes Holdings), and Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, out of Atlantic, Iowa. Accordingly, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida will now take on territories in north Florida, including Brevard, Daytona, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Orlando. Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution will handle Coke’s distribution for all of Michigan, the bulk of Wisconsin, and select portions of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company has been granted southeastern Iowa, western Illinois and northeastern Missouri. According to the press release, CocaCola-owned bottler Coca-Cola Refreshments has now sold off more than 30 percent of its sales and distribution rights to independent bottlers like the aforementioned ones, a number the company is aiming to bring to the 50 percent mark by 2017. In May, Coca-Cola handed over distribution rights in 10 states to CocaCola Bottling Co. Consolidated.
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Bevscape INVESTMENT Agua Brands Grabs $3 Million
Powell & Mahoney Mixes in Money
Agua Brands has landed a minority investment from Horizons Ventures, the Hong Kong-based private investment arm of Asia’s long-running richest man, Li Ka Shing. The flavored, caffeinated water brand announced the investment in a press release, with Agua president Michael Venuti stating the brand “will have a tremendous platform and international presence working as partners with a global powerhouse whose brand and technology investments have shown internationally acclaimed success.” Company co-founder and former Glaceau COO Carol Dollard echoed Venuti’s sentiment in a call with BevNET, saying Agua’s strategic alliance with Horizons will allow the brand to take advantage of the investment firm’s massive global network spanning the food, beverage, and technology industries. Specifically, the partnership will make way for Agua Brands’ expansion outside the United States, beginning in Asia, where Dollard says Horizons Ventures “sees immediate opportunity for the energy line.” Dollard declined to disclose the size of the investment. A Securities and Exchange Commission record indicates that the company recently completed a raise of $3 million; Christopher Lai, who works at Horizons, is also named as a director of the company on the same record. Previously known as Agua Enerviva, the brand dropped the second half of its name in May as part of a greater brand revamp which also saw new labels and the addition of a “Low Calorie” call-out on towards the bottom of its bottles in an effort to distance itself from other higher calorie beverages in the enhanced water category. The brand furthered its move in that direction in September with the launch of its zero-calorie and caffeine-free “Fruit Essence” line extension.
Craft mixer brand Powell & Mahoney has completed its first round of outside investment, pulling in new capital from three sources, including Fenwick Brands, a middle market investor and operator focused on the consumer packaged goods space. Powell & Mahoney co-founder and CEO Mark Mahoney said in a press release that the company plans to use the proceeds to expand distribution and build brand awareness of its all-natural, handcrafted cocktail mixers. “As we continue the growth trajectory of Powell & Mahoney, we recognized Fenwick as a unique partner who brings deep consumer product knowledge and hands on experience as owner-operators to our team,” Mahoney said. “We are very excited about working with Fenwick to grow our business into the future.” Mahoney told BevNET that the company exceeded its initial funding goal of $1.5 million, having received investment from Fenwick, aseptic beverage manufacturer and co-packer Leahy-IFP (which produces the company’s foodservice line of mixers) and a private investor. Powell & Mahoney had initially planned to secure new funding through CircleUp, an equity crowdfunding platform that enables companies looking for capital to attract potential investors via its online portal. The company eventually funneled its investor group through CircleUp. “As far as facilitating information, [CircleUp] was fantastic and we really liked the platform,” Mahoney said. “After the process began, we started going to some strategic partners. We took on one private investor who wants to remain anonymous. Leahy [also] invested in Powell & Mahoney. And then we had a relationship locally with someone from Fenwick Brands [who] made an introduction to president Melissa [Baker]. We decided that with those three, we were going to exceed our goal of $1.5 million in the raise. We felt fewer people would be better for us, and we didn’t want to have a lot of investors at a lower level.”
12 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
BREW DEALS In Shocker, Dogfish Head Sells a Stake September was a month of big brew deals, but the end of the month provided one of the most controversial: Dogfish Head, the country’s 13th largest craft brewery announced it has sold a 15 percent stake to LNK Partners, a New Yorkbased private equity firm that has previously invested in companies like Niman Ranch, Performance Bicycle, Beachbody and Au Bon Pain, among others. Specific financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. On its website, LNK said it typically invests between $50 — $150 million. Half of those investments are for minority equity positions, according to the firm. LNK will obtain one seat on Dogfish Head’s board of directors, which currently has five voting members, as well as informal advisors. The brewery’s primary goal, Calagione said, is to fuel enough growth that it can eventually repurchase LNK’s 15 percent stake and keep Dogfish Head “family-controlled” for the next decade. “They understand the primary goal is that the family buys them out at the end of their investment,” Calagione said, declining to comment on the specific timeline for the potential buyback. For now, the money is important as it will allow Dogfish to continue growing, especially as the market continues to become more crowded with better-funded competition. The company recently completed a $50 million expansion, financed primarily through bank debt, as well. “We lived through the first great shakeout of the craft era in the late 90s as brewers, beer geeks and mom-and-pop entrepreneurs,” he said. “Now as we go into the next most highly competitive moment in our industry, I see that it is not just home brewers and mom-andpop entrepreneurs navigating this moment next to us.”
A Quieter October?
Increased investment activity in the sector caused Dogfish to reassess its options, Calagione suggested. Indeed, a rash of craft beer deals have taken place in just the past month. “A lot of the people that are coming into the space are coming from outside of craft beer,” Calagione said. “We thought it would be helpful to have some external resources who have way broader experience in helping brands navigate competitive moments in In a statement, LNK managing partner David Landau described Dogfish Head as a “rare combination of a great management team and a great brand.” “The team is incredibly talented and proven successful, and even more importantly they have the utmost integrity and they are just terrific people,” Landau said. “LNK deeply respects that Dogfish will remain a family-controlled business, and we’re very excited to be backing Sam, Mariah [Calagione’s wife] and Nick [Benz, Dogfish’s CEO] as they continue to grow the Dogfish brand while maintaining its authenticity and its premium off-center position. We look forward to helping and supporting the Dogfish team in any way we can.” Calagione has publicly opposed selling to large international brewers like Anheuser-Busch InBev or MillerCoors; a deal with a private equity firm like LNK means Dogfish can continue to call itself a craft brewer under the definition established by the Brewers Association. The announcement was September’s sixth craft transaction: Lagunitas Brewing sold a 50 percent stake to Heineken International; Saint Archer Brewing sold a majority stake to MillerCoors; Golden Road Brewing and Virtue Cider sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev; and Cisco Brewers is currently in talks to sell a minority stake to Craft Brew Alliance.
In October, things calmed down a bit: if you consider ongoing discussion of a proposed Anheuser Busch/InBev merger with Miller-Coors calm. But for craft brew watchers, there were still some financial items of note. Seattle-based Pike Place Brewing announced the sale of a “significant minority” stake to three key employees: Drew Gillespie, Vice President Operations; Patti Baker, Vice President Controller; and Gary Marx, Executive Chef. In a conversation with Brewbound, Pike co-founder Charles Finkel, 72, said the decision to sell stemmed from a desire to “ensure the long-term continuance of the company.” “It is my background to work for companies that have been in business, in several cases, for hundreds of years,” he said. “I don’t plan to do this forever and I don’t plan to live forever. But Rose Ann and I do plan to be around for the foreseeable future. This is an opportunity for us to have our business continue and for us to be involved in it as long as we can be.” Mr. Finkel said the company considered other succession alternatives, including an employee stock ownership plan, but ultimately determined that taking steps to transfer the business to key employees would help ensure Pike’s legacy.
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
13
New Products The newest options for cooler and shelf
CSD Pok Pok Som Soda is formulated with drinking vinegar, cane sugar, sea salt and citric acid for each of its four flavor varieties: Turmeric, Ginger, Grapefruit and Thai Basil. Packaged in 12 oz. glass bottles, the sodas contain 90-100 calories and 21-23 grams of sugar, depending on variety. The drinks have a suggested retail price of $1.99 for a single bottle and $7.99 for a 4-pack and are currently sold exclusively at New Seasons, a chain of upscale grocery stores in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, please call Naam Som LLC at (503) 232-0102. Obi Probiotic Soda is made with live probiotic water kefir, organic juices and organic stevia. Each 12 oz. bottle contains less than 20 calories with two to five grams of natural sugar, depending on variety. The sodas are certified USDA organic, certified non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan. The line comes in four varieties: Organic Root Beer, Tart Cherry Vanilla Bean, Valencia Orange & Grapefruit, and Meyer Lemon & Lime. The products are distributed in specialty and natural grocery stores in California, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. They retail for $2-3 per 12 oz. bottle. For more information, please call Obi at (831) 600-6199.
Tea MetaMatcha is a new beverage made with filtered water, organic matcha, organic apple cider vinegar, organic lemon juice, organic ginger extract, organic ginger and chlorophyll. It contains natural caffeine, antioxidants and amino acids. The product has a suggested retail price of $3.69 for a 16 oz. glass bottle. For more information, please call MetaMatcha at (267) 607-6950.
plastic water bottle, according to the manufacturer. The water is available nationally in Whole Foods Markets and OTG airport locations for a suggested retail price of $0.99. For more information, please call Fenton at (202) 822-5200. 16 Water is sourced from the volcanic island of JeJu, located off the coast of South Korea. Collected in a mineral-rich volcanic layer under Jeju Island, the water then passes through 16 layers of porous volcanic bedrock (some over 400,000 years old), naturally purifying and fortifying it with essential minerals. Packaged in 16.9 oz. plastic bottles, the water retails for $1.29. For more information, please call Illumination PR at (914) 418-5674. Cascade Ice has added four new flavor varieties to its USDA-certified Organic sparkling water collection: Orange Mango, Pomegranate, Black Raspberry and Raspberry Lemonade. The zero-calorie beverages are made with purified water and organic essences from fruit oils and extracts. They are packaged in 17.2 oz. plastic bottles and sold nationally. The waters retail for $1.29. For more information, please call Unique Beverage Co. at (425) 267-0959
Sports Drinks ROAR Beverages has launched the first product in the brand’s Odell Beckham Jr. Series. ROAR OBJXIII is an all-natural coconut water-based sports drink that is strawberry- and watermelon-flavored. The bottle label features the ROAR Performance brand logo interlocked with a one-handed catch by Beckham Jr. and carbon fiber backdrop. The product retails for $1.69 per 20 oz. bottle. For more information, please call ROAR at (631) 683-5565. Ionic Sportwater is a vapor-distilled ultra-purified water naturally enhanced with a proprietary electrolyte blend of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. The product comes in two sizes: a 20 oz. Sport Cap bottle with 200 mg of electrolytes and a 1 L Sport Cap bottle with 330 mg of electrolytes. It is distributed in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Utah. Prices vary by market. For more information, please call Sportwater Beverages at (855) 460-7238.
Water Just Water is a new 100 percent spring water sourced from the Glens Falls, N.Y. watershed in the Adirondack Mountains and packaged in a paper bottle. The package offers a 52 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to an average 14 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Juice Evolution Fresh has added two matcha-infused varieties to its line of cold-pressed, high pressure processed juices. The brand’s Organic Coconut Matcha is a blend of coconut water, juices from pineap-
New Products ple, celery, cucumber, spinach, romaine lettuce and kale, mango puree and organic matcha powder. It contains 70 calories and 13 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving. Evolution Fresh Organic Citrus Matcha is made with coconut water, juice from pineapple, orange, cucumber, spinach, romaine lettuce and kale, ginger, mango puree and matcha powder. The beverage has 70 calories and 16 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving. The products retail for $5.99 per 15.2 oz. bottle and are available in Whole Foods and other natural grocery stores on the West Coast and in select East Coast cities. For more information, please call Evolution Fresh at (909) 478-0895. Love Grace, a producer of cold-pressed, high pressure processed juices, has launched a new line of Organic Herbal Energy blends. The line comes in three varieties: Matcha, Mocha and Mate. The Matcha beverage combines matcha with a chia, hemp, and coconut milk. The Mocha variety blends cold-brewed coffee with raw cacao and medicinal mushrooms, including reishi, chaga, and cordyceps. The Mate formula is made with coldbrewed Yerba Mate tea, pineapple, green apple and sea buckthorn berry. The products are certified organic, Non-GMO Verified, Kosher, vegan and gluten-free. Each retails for $4.99 for a 10 oz. bottle. The line is sold at Whole Foods Markets in the New York metro area and natural food stores in the Northeast. For more information, please call Love Grace at (718) 804-5759. Biotta, a Swiss producer of high-quality, all natural juices, has launched an organic carrot juice to its U.S. product line. Biotta Carrot Juice is made from field-ripened carrots and gently decanted via centrifuge. The never from concentrate juice is packaged in 16.9 oz. bottles. The product is sold in the natural juice section at grocers nationwide and retails for $7.49. For more information, please call CAJ Food Products at (888) 524-6882.
Functional Beverages GoodBelly, a line of probiotic drinks formulated for daily digestive health, has launched a new line of grab-and-go products. The new beverages tout the same well-researched and highly efficacious probiotic strain used in the brand’s existing lineup, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299V), and are packaged in 15.2 oz. bottles. The line comes in three varieties: Mango, Blueberry Acai and Tropical Green. The probiotic drinks are available at Sprouts Farmers Markets has have a suggested retail price of $2.99 per bottle. For more information, please call GoodBelly at (303) 443-3631. 16 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Temple Turmeric has added two new seasonal offerings to its line of turmeric-based beverages. Pure Fire Cider Super Tonic is made with apple cider vinegar, ghost pepper, horseradish, ginger and 1 billion CFU per serving of vegan probiotics. Each 10 oz. bottle contains 10g of the brand’s proprietary Hawaiian Oana Turmeric and retails for $3.99. Temple Turmeric’s Holiday Spiced Lassi Cultured Blend is inspired by a traditional Ayurvedic recipe. The vegan beverage is produced with mango, coconut milk, quinoa, hemp and holiday-inspired ingredients, including tart cranberry, sweet fiber-rich dates and cardamom. The blend has a suggested retail price of $4.99 for a 12 oz. bottle. The products high-pressure processed and Non-GMO Project Verified. Each is available exclusively at Whole Foods Markets nationwide. For more information, please call Temple Turmeric at (714) 287-0300. SmartFruit mixes are all-natural, 100 percent juice, non-GMO, shelf-stable fruit blends that contain no added sugar, preservatives or artificial colorings. Each 48 oz. bottle contains three servings and is formulated to be blended with ice for a smoothie or mixed with water. Available in six varieties -- Blooming Berry, Mellow Mango, Harvest Greens, Sunny Banana, Summer Strawberry and Perfect Peach -- the products are enhanced with a functional additive including antioxidants, vitamins B and C, zinc, selenium, echinacea, spirulina, dark leafy greens, electrolytes, omega 3 and oat fiber. The products retail for $12 per bottle. For more information, please call SmartFruit at (646) 647-0673. GT’s Kombucha has introduced Sharing Gratitude, a limited-edition variety inspired by loyal fans of the brand. Launched on World Gratitude Day, the new beverage is made with GT’s organic raw kombucha, root-based, fresh-pressed vegetable juices, turmeric, carrot and ginger. The company is donating 20 cents from each sale of the new flavor to The Art of Elysium, a Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of artists and in-need populations. The screen-printed, originally-designed bottle features inspirational messages from the brand’s fans. Sharing Gratitude is organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO and available at select retailers for $3.99 per 16 oz. bottle. For more information, please call Millennium Products at (323) 581-7787. SOS has released a mango-flavored variety of its Recovery Hydration formula. The electrolyte-infused powder is sweetened with cane sugar and stevia and contains no artificial additives. It is designed
to help consumers absorb three times more water than water alone, according to the manufacturer. The product comes in 20-packs of 5 gram sachets and retails for $17.99. SOS is distributed nationally. For more information, please call (415) 815-7665.
Dairy Alternative Beverages Blue Diamond Growers has launched Almond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend. The new non-dairy alternative beverage is made with almonds and cashews and is an excellent source of calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin E, according to the manufacturer. It is available in four varieties: Unsweetened Vanilla, Unsweetened Original, Vanilla and Original. Package in halfgallon refrigerated cartons, the products have a suggested retail price of $3.99 and are distributed nationwide. For more information, please call Blue Diamond at (916) 446-8500.
Cordials Belvoir Fruit Farms has a launched a Ginger Cordial. The spicy drink is made with 100 per-
cent natural ingredients, including freshly sliced ginger roots that are cooked with fresh lemon juice. The cordial is gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and contains no added flavors or other additives. It retails for $8.95 for a 500 mL bottle. For more information, please call Brands Within Reach at (914) 315-6234.
Progressive Adult Beverages The F.X. Matt Brewing Co., brewer of Saranac Soft Drinks, has re-introduced its Jed’s brand. The “Jed’s Hard” line will include Root Beer, Orange Cream, and Black Cherry Cream - each flavor being made from and inspired by the “Saranac 1888” soft drink line. Each of the Jed’s Hard flavors is 5.9 percent ABV delivering a traditional soft drink flavor and finishing with notes of cream. Jed’s Hard Root Beer is brewed with vanilla extract, birch oil, and anise, Orange Cream is reminiscent of creamsicles, and Black Cherry Cream combines black cherry and vanilla cream flavors. The beverages are sold in 6-packs of 12 oz. glass bottles and retail for $8.49. For more information, please call F.X. Matt at (315) 624-2400.
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BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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New Products Wine Cupcake Vineyards has launched Cupcake Vineyards Black Forest. The 2013 vintage of Black Forest is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah. The grapes are sourced from a selection of coastal California vineyards. The wine is available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $10.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Cupcake Vineyards at (800) 344-8851. Delicato Family Vineyards has introduced Bota Box Nighthawk Black, a distinct new addition to its portfolio of boxed premium wine varietals. A unique, full-bodied red blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah, Nighthawk Black is available nationally in the flagship 3 L Bota Box format, as well as in the Bota Mini 500 mL Tetra Pak carton, which is available as a seasonal item. The 3 L package is made from unbleached, post-consumer fiber and is 100 percent recyclable. The carton is printed with VOC-free inks, and is constructed with corn starch over synthetic glues. The equivalent of four 750 mL glass bottles, Bota Box Nighthawk Black is now available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $22.99. Bota Mini 500 mL Tetra Pak cartons are available at a suggested retail price of $5.99. For more information, please call Delicato Family Vineyards at (209) 824-3600. Sonoma Valley vintners Don Sebastiani & Sons have released Big Smooth Old Vine Zinfandel. Featuring a velvet purple label with subtle fishnet stocking detail and leg lamp image, fruit used to create the wine is sourced from premier grapegrowing appellations Lodi, Sonoma and Napa. It is distributed in California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Illinois. The suggested retail price is $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Don Sebastiani & Sons at (707) 933-1704. The Chloe Wine Collection has released Chloe Prosecco DOC. The wine is made from 100 percent Glera grapes from roughly 60 acres of vineyards divided among a handful of small growers primarily in the Asolo area of the Prosecco DOC. The clusters of grapes are harvested by hand and immediately taken to the cellar, where they are gently crushed and pressed. Initial fermentation takes place in 100 percent stainless steel at controlled temperatures. Secondary fermentation for this fresh and lively Prosecco takes place in pressure tanks in the traditional Charmat method. The wine has a suggested retail price of $17 and is available nationally. For more information, please call Calhoun Wine at (415) 346-2929. 18 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Gnarly Head has introduced a line of dark red blends. Originally launched as a seasonal offering in 2014, Gnarly Head Authentic Black is now available year-round. Gnarly Head 1924 Double Black is a limited release, Prohibition-style dark red blend that pays homage to the vineyard-owner’s first plantings in 1924. Gnarly Head Authentic Black retails for $11.99 and the 2013 vintage of 1924 Double Black has a suggested retail price of $11.99. Both are available nationally. Guarachi Wine Partners has introduced Evil Eye, a blend of Spanish red varietals from Cariñena, Spain to the U.S.. The wine is created from a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Carignan and is partially aged in oak. It displays dark fruit aromas, soft tannins and hints of vanilla, according to the producer. Evil Eye is crafted by Castillo de Monseran from ancient vines in Cariñena, located in the Aragón region of Spain. The wine retails at $9.99 and is available nationwide. For more information, please call Guarachi at (818) 225-5100. Tiziano, creators of fine Italian artisan wines, has added Tiziano Sparkling Rosato to its portfolio. Crafted from hand-picked Roboso grapes from the Euganei Hills of Italy, the fruit is has a soft, raspberry-pink color. It is 12 percent ABV and features aromas of sweet cherries balanced by a vibrant acidity, according to the producer. The wine retails for $13-16 and is available to U.S. consumers nationwide. For more information, please call Total Beverage Solution at (843) 881-0761.
Rum Koloa ¯ Rum Company has launched Kaua`i Coffee Rum, the result of a licensing agreement between the Kaua`i, Hawaii-based distiller and Kauai Coffee Company. The rum blends locally grown and dark-roasted Kauai Coffee with Koloa ¯ White Rum and pure Hawaiian cane sugar. It has a rich flavor with bold notes of coffee and cocoa, according to the rum company. It retails for $32.95 for a 750 mL bottle and is available in Hawaii and California. For more information, please call (808) 246-8900.
Vodka CÎROC Apple is the sixth flavor in the premium vodka line. The spirit features a juicy green apple flavor with hints of vanilla and citrus that provide for a fresh and crisp finish, according to the producer. It is available in 50 mL, 200 mL, 375 mL,
750 mL, 1 L and 1.75 L sizes. The 70 proof vodka has a suggested retail price of $30.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Diageo at (646) 223-2229. SKYY Infusions Coastal Cranberry is produced using cranberries grown in the heart of “Cranberry Country� in Massachusetts. The fruit is wet harvested at the peak of flavor across 200 fog-filled acres of bogs. The spirit is 70 proof and available at liquor stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $13.99 for 750 mL. For more information, please call Campari America at (415) 315-8000. Luxco has introduced two new flavor varieties to its Pearl Vodka line. Pearl Pumpkin Spice features a mildly sweet and smooth taste of pumpkin. Pearl Chocolate Hazelnut pairs chocolate and hints of nut flavor. Both vodkas are bottled at 70 proof and available for a limited time. The new spirits retail for $12.99 for a 750 mL bottle and are available nationally. For more information, please call Luxco at (314) 772-2626.
Whiskey Virginia Distillery Company has launched Virginia Highland Malt whiskey. Produced using two-row malted barley imported from from Scotland, the grains are split in an authentic roller mill first commissioned in the 1920s. The mash is made with water from a nearby mountain spring. The whiskey will be aged in previously used bourbon casks and finished in local Virginia port-style wine casks. The spirit is distributed in Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. and retails for $54.99. For more information, please call Virginia Distillery Company at (434) 285-2900. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced from a mash of 70 percent corn, 26 percent rye and 4 percent malted barley. It is distilled twice, first through a column still and then through an old-fashioned copper pot still. The bourbon is aged in No. 1 charred American white oak barrels for a minimum of six years. Bottled at 92 proof, the whiskey features a strong vanilla aroma along with fresh cut sweet grass, wet stone and old leather-bound books, according to the distiller. It has a suggested retail price of $69.99 and is distributed at select retailers across the U.S. For more information, please call 35 Maple Street at (707) 996-8463. BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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New Products Speyburn, the emblematic Scotch whisky from Speyside, has launched Arranta Casks. The U.S.only limited release uses only first fill American Oak ex-bourbon casks hand-selected by Speyburn’s Distillery Manager Robert Anderson. The whisky is bottled at 46 percent ABV and is available as a limited release for a suggested retail price of $40. For more information, please call 375 Park Avenue Spirits at (631) 991-3618. Woodford Reserve has released its latest product, the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection 1838 Style White Corn, which is available for purchase in limited quantities. This new bourbon represents a convergence of the brand’s commitment to innovation, and historic roots, paying tribute to the craftsmanship and vision of past distillery industry leaders Oscar Pepper and James Crow and their original use of white corn in their whiskey production process from the late-1830s to the 1850s, according to the distiller. It is available for purchase in select markets within the United States with a suggested retail price of $99.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Brown-Forman at (502) 585-1100. Beach Whiskey is a new premium American whiskey brand. Beach Whiskey. Produced at partner distilleries in the U.S., the corn-based spirit comes in three varieties: Original (40 percent ABV, Bonfire Cinnamon (35 percent ABV) and Island Coconut (26 percent ABV). The package is designed to evoke the spirit of the beach life, according to the company. Beach Whiskey will be initially available in Southern California and Florida and has a suggested retail price of $27.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call PeetCom at (917) 860-6285.
bourbon. The spirit is the marriage of a seven-year rye, a seven-year wheated and a 12-year rye. As part of its production, the 12-year rye bourbon was removed from its barrels and replaced with the seven-year bourbon as a way to enrich the liquid and extract more flavors. This process of reusing the barrels allowed the younger bourbons to pick up the more mature notes, adding a cinnamon and caramel taste as well as some smoky notes, according to the distillery. The whiskey is 105 proof, and only 6,000 bottles were produced. It has a suggested retail price of $105 and is sold at select retailers. For more information, please call Limestone Branch at (270) 699-9004. The Glenlivet has launched its first peated flavor in over one hundred years: The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish. The new expression is matured in casks which have previously held heavily peated Scotch Whisky, designed to bring forth a subtle, aromatic smoky flavor. Each bottle is filled and released in small batches with no chill-filtration to offer the complex, full bodied texture of a whisky that has just been drawn from the cask, according to the distiller. The Glenlivet Nàdurra Peated Whisky Cask Finish is available in 10 U.S. markets at a suggested retail price of $84.99. The Glenlivet has also launched The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve. The spirit is a tribute to George Smith’s original vision to craft the definitive, smooth single malt whisky, according to the company. Selective use of aged oak casks and American first-fill oak casks in the process provide a smooth, creamy sweetness that mingles pleasantly with the subtle flavors and complex fruity tones. The whisky is available at selected retailers for a suggested price of $44.99. For more information, please call Pernod Ricard USA at (212) 372-5400.
Black Button Distilling has released Four Grain Bourbon. The whiskey made with a base that is 60 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, 9 percent rye, 11 percent barley, all of which is grown in New York State. The spirit is aged in American white oak for 14-26 months. A 750 mL bottle has a suggested retail price of $49.99 and is available at select liquor stores, restaurants and distributors throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan. For more information, please call Black Button at (585) 730-4512.
Batch 206 Old Log Cabin Bourbon is the distillery’s take on an age-old whiskey. Produced using 51 percent Washington corn and a 49 percent Washington malted barley, the bourbon is made in small batches, double distilled and pot stripped. It is aged in new American oak for 19 months. The 86 proof whiskey has a suggested retail price of $49.99 and is distributed in Washington, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California and Texas. For more information, please call Batch 206 at (206) 216-2803.
Limestone Branch Distillery has introduced Yellowstone Limited Edition, an ultra-premium
Barton 1792 Distillery has unveiled a second new expression in its collection of premium 1792
20 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
whiskeys. 1792 Port Finish Bourbon was aged for six years in new American white oak barrels before spending another two years maturing inside used port wine barrels. The rich vanilla characters of American white oak mingle with the delicate fruit notes of port to create a whiskey with rich character and full flavor, according to the distiller. The whiskey is bottled at 88.9 proof and sold at select retailers nationwide. It has a suggested retail price of $39.99. For more information, please call (866) 239-4690. Still Assets, Inc. has released KIN White Whiskey, an un-aged, never-barreled American-made whiskey. The product uses a proprietary blend of corn and rye, and clear spring water and with a distillation and blending process that creates a smooth taste without the nastiness found in many other unaged products. It is 40 percent ABV and has a suggested retail price of $42 per 750 mL bottle. The whiskey is distributed throughout Southern California. For more information, please call Still Assets, Inc. at (818) 257-2088. Clyde May’s Special Reserve is based on original recipes created by brand’s founder. Three distinct higher-proof Alabama-style whiskies were created to characterize the best features of five to six year-old bourbon stock. The bourbon is aged up to six years and finished non-cold filtered with a slight hint of apple, in the Alabama style. The final liquid was bottled at 110 proof, and will be available in different lots, each exhibiting subtle variation and tasting notes. Special Reserve is available nationwide and and retails for $70. For more information, please call HL Group at (646) 460-8922. Johnnie Walker Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish is a Scotch whisky blend that uses whiskies matured for at least ten years in first-fill American Oak casks. The spirit, which uses Cardhu single malt at the heart of the blend, is finished in ex-rye whiskey casks, creating a complex new whisky with rich layers of flavor starting with creamy vanilla notes and transitioning to a spicier finish, according to the distiller. For more information, please call Diageo at (646) 223-2305. Woodinville Flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with a mash of corn, rye and malted barley grown in Quincy, Wash. The spirit is aged in new 53-gallon American oak barrels that were seasoned for two years prior to coopering then toasted and lightly charred.
It is re-barreled into a used bourbon barrel for another year before being bottled. The 90 proof whiskey has a suggested retail price of $54.95 and is sold throughout Washington state. For more information, please call Woodinville Whiskey Co. at (425) 486-1199.
Other Alcoholic Beverages Campari America has introduced Cynar 70 Proof. The new product doubles the intensity and proof of original Cynar, the bittersweet artichoke liqueur, and is crafted from the same secret recipe of 13 infused herbs and plants. The liqueur is created using a two-stage process of infusion and blending with a higher alcohol content to achieve a more pronounced flavor profile than the original Cynar. It is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $34.99 for a 1 L bottle. For more information, please call Campari America at (415) 315-8000. Studebaker is a new line of bottled, Prohibition-inspired cocktails. Made with Canadian Whisky, finished with select premium ingredients, the line comes in two varieties: Old Fashioned and Manhattan. The 60 proof blends retail for $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle and are available at select retailers. For more information, please call Diageo at (646) 223-2314. Bully Boy Distillers has launched The Old Fashioned, a new take on the classic cocktail. Using Bully Boy’s award-winning American Straight Whiskey as the base, the product is handcrafted with muddled raw sugar and Angostura bitters. It is 34.15 percent alcohol by volume with a suggested retail price of $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle. The Old Fashioned is a seasonal offering that is available in retailers throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For more information, please call Bully Boy at (617) 442-6000. Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. has launched Butchertown American Brandy. Named to honor the history of its home neighborhood, just east of downtown Louisville, the new offering from reserve casks is bottled at 124 proof. The spirit is copper pot-distilled, non-chill filtered and created without adulteration by added oak flavor, sugar or caramel color. The brandy retails for $60 per 750 mL bottle and is distributed in 19 U.S. markets. For more information, please call Copper & Kings at (502) 561-0267.
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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Channel Check
Year-End Bonus It’s getting cold out, so it’s time to stay indoors. We’ve created an expanded survey of relevant categories to keep you warm through the New Year.
What’s HOT & what’s NOT in stores now
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15 TEA
ENERGY DRINKS
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
AriZona
$675,836,032
Lipton Pure Leaf
$519,448,256
Lipton Brisk
$347,425,120
2.4%
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Red Bull
$2,971,840,512
8.54%
33.5%
Monster Energy
$1,452,541,056
11.27%
0.32%
Red Bull Sugar Free
$650,051,392
4.84%
Lipton
$320,932,512
16.3%
Monster Energy Zero Ultra
$427,554,688
25.33%
Gold Peak
$226,551,616
46.3%
NOS
$406,445,472
21.83% 0.37%
Snapple
$217,996,816
4.02%
Monster Energy Lo Carb
$317,904,480
AriZona Arnold Palmer
$205,549,728
-4.14%
Monster Rehab
$313,689,216
0.14%
Lipton Diet
$190,808,608
-5.64%
Java Monster
$309,824,384
11.38%
Diet Snapple
$179,793,568
-1.93%
Rockstar
$267,835,552
-1.35%
Peace Tea
$65,066,840
-8.89%
Monster Mega Energy
$252,191,920
3.47%
SELTZER/SPARKLING/MINERAL WATER Brand
CONVENIENCE/PET STILL WATER Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Private Label
$394,118,144
11.03%
Private Label
$2,189,777,408
Sparkling Ice
$352,153,216
16.51%
Dasani
$1,044,229,248
8.28%
Perrier
$190,292,176
9.01%
Aquafina
$1,009,068,224
10.26%
La Croix
$132,284,736
46.75%
Nestle Pure Life
$908,895,872
2.38%
San Pellegrino
$113,248,024
10.31%
Glaceau Smartwater
$759,666,496
19.38%
18.18%
Poland Spring
Polar
$89,884,360
Sparkling Ice Lemonade
$65,617,112
-10.39%
Glaceau Vitaminwater
11.52%
$619,227,904
7.4%
$476,964,032
1.98%
Schweppes
$51,354,864
43.55%
Deer Park
$427,150,048
4.82%
Topo Chico
$47,238,052
23.46%
Ozarka
$361,310,272
6.56%
Glaceau Fruitwater
$38,663,824
-15.48%
Fiji
$293,725,248
16.68%
SPORTS DRINKS
SPORTS DRINK MIXES
Brand
Dollar Sales
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
$3,290,681,344
4.38%
Gatorade Perform
$56,581,212
0.76%
Powerade ION4
$788,594,176
2.48%
Propel Zero
$21,275,928
1.67%
Gatorade Frost
$442,820,320
1.99%
Private Label
$5,166,300
-23.19%
Gatorade Perform
Change vs. year earlier
Gatorade
$380,461,088
81.03%
Gatorade G2 Perform
$3,460,071
-23.36%
Gatorade G2 Perform
$351,555,584
-11.69%
Powerade ION4
$2,800,654
-5.35%
Gatorade Fierce
$282,947,168
78.59%
NUUN
$441,097
65.2%
Powerade
$228,024,928
18.27%
Gatorade G2
$279,713
-6.19%
Powerade Zero ION4
$199,081,344
4.69%
Gatorade
Gatorade G2
$53,032,928
25.51%
Navitas Naturals
Body Armor
$36,905,152
216.34%
$15,712
Super C Sport
-41.71%
$10,740
-54.08%
$9,321
530.02%
TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME Beer
$32,966,094,636
4.5%
Energy Drinks
$11,449,044,992
9.85%
Bottled Juices
$7,019,217,408
2.53%
Tea/Coffee
$5,067,595,776
12.93%
Botled Water
$13,565,680,640
9.29%
Drink Mixes
$903,097,216
-2.16%
22 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
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Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Bud Light
$6,124,497,782
0.9%
Coors Light
$2,390,560,347
0.8%
Budweiser
$2,135,062,748
0.5%
Miller Lite
$1,995,328,140
3.9%
Natural Light
$1,072,711,589
-4.3%
$1,040,057,254
18.4%
Michelob Ultra Light Busch Light
$843,447,091
1.3%
Busch
$635,621,576
-2.6%
Miller High Life
$466,179,386
0.6%
Keystone Light
$448,771,301
-5.0%
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IMPORT BEER Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Corona Extra
$1,486,396,305
11.9%
Modelo Especial
$875,640,393
25.7%
Heineken
$725,789,514
2.5%
Dos Equis XX Lager Especial
$321,999,626
14.1%
Stella Artois Lager
$259,392,599
19.6%
Corona Light
$247,840,105
7.9%
Tecate
$151,168,515
-3.1%
Labatt Blue
$78,174,095
-2.0%
Pacifico
$75,936,514
6.1%
Labatt Blue Light
$73,733,957
1.6%
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
CRAFT BEER Brand Samuel Adams
$367,687,815
-0.8%
Sierra Nevada
$260,616,438
21.4%
New Belgium
$191,349,946
5.6%
Shiner
$137,699,789
8.2%
Lagunitas
$126,580,244
53.0%
Deschutes
$66,328,814
10.5%
Small Town
$59,397,048
N/A
Stone
$55,315,067
30.2%
Goose Island
$49,639,486
22.9%
Sweetwater
$47,088,463
32.4%
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
PROGRESSIVE ADULT BEVERAGES Brand Bud Light Lime
24 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
$427,867,568
-18.4%
Mikes Hard
$245,275,919
1.7%
Smirnoff Ice
$214,954,494
5.7%
Mikes Harder
$198,551,184
12.6%
Twisted
$171,773,037
18.4%
Four Loko
$130,980,650
-4.8%
Bud Light Mixx Tail
$44,590,128
N/A
Smirnoff Premium Mixed Drinks
$39,745,810
-2.6%
Sparks
$17,634,138
-18.2%
Palm Breeze
$16,323,954
N/A
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
REFRIGERATED BLENDED FRUIT JUICES Brand
Dollar Sales
Simply Orange
$110,497,808
Change vs. year earlier -2.55%
Dole
$94,205,696
-8.94%
Tropicana Farmstand
$46,892,536
-16.38%
POM Wonderful
$13,274,523
27.93%
Naked
$12,231,813
-1.83%
Private
$10,720,271
2.01%
Odwalla
$9,799,360
350.92%
POM
$7,886,488
-23.81%
Bolthouse Farms
$7,387,510
-25.96%
Tropicana Pure Premium
$7,272,279
-21.07%
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
REFRIGERATED FRUIT DRINKS Brand SunnyD
$245,431,840
-14.81%
Minute Maid Premium
$206,056,512
-7.55%
Tropicana Trop50
$152,126,128
0.77%
Welchs
$94,321,000
4.2%
Tropicana
$58,264,576
-9.14%
GTs Kombucha Synergy
$41,403,032
58.57%
Bright & Early
$33,710,208
-12.50%
Simply Fruit Punch
$28,173,646
N/A
Simply Tropical
$19,141,950
N/A
Private Label
$16,569,336
-10%
CAFFEINE
REFRIGERATED JUICE AND DRINK SMOOTHIES Brand
Dollar Sales
Naked
$497,561,792
Change vs. year earlier 10.95%
Bolthouse Farms
$200,311,216
10.46%
Naked Protein Zone
$74,686,872
2.28%
Odwalla
$39,586,132
76.84%
SUJA Essential
$16,667,645
575.45%
Naked Superfood
$10,710,642
-6.8%
Bolthouse Farms C Boost
$10,138,438
-10.8%
Odwalla C Monster
$8,313,949
-34.07%
Odwalla B Monster
$3,956,212
252.69%
Evolution Fresh
$3,382,546
67.87%
REFRIGERATED VEGETABLE JUICE/COCKTAIL Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Bolthouse Farms
$57,786,500
1.91%
Naked
$14,972,035
190.32%
Bolthouse Farms Organics
$11,635,319
49.93%
Odwalla
$10,170,813
1.81%
Evolution Fresh
$5,835,867
88.16%
SUJA Essential
$3,038,342
N/A
Evolution Fresh Essential Greens
$2,888,403
2.14%
Forager Project
$2,159,034
75.14%
It Tastes RAAW
$1,828,685
85.79%
Bolthouse Farms 1915
$906,267
N/A
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
Contact Jackson: info@appliedfoods.com Learn more: purcaf.com BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
25
Gerry’s Insights By Gerry Khermouch
As an eventful 2015 winds down, here are a few milestones that I suggest are worth considering as a harbinger of what 2016, and beyond, might bring. Seth Goldman moves on from a day-to-day role at Honest Tea Once an emerging brand gets acquired by a strategic, it’s rare for founders to stay on more than a year or two, certainly not in any kind of meaningful role. Chalk it up to a combination of entrenched corporate cultures that tend to spit out interlopers and the renegade disposition of many entrepreneurs that leaves them little inclined to blend in. Not so Honest Tea cofounder Seth Goldman, who lasted four years as the hands-on steward of the Bethesda, Md., company (and several years before that when Coke was still a minority investor) before disclosing a few weeks ago that he’d be moving on from his day-to-day role. During this time he continued to embody the brand even as his company’s sales and other functions were increasingly consolidated with Coke’s. So what does it say that Goldman was able to break through the PET ceiling? It likely bespeaks a balance and maturity – call it emotional intelligence, maybe – that enabled him to speak the language of his Coke peers, as well as a pragmatic bent that allowed him to figure out which battles were worth fighting. But his extended run also is proof that, at least once in a while, it’s possible for a global giant to buy a special brand, empower its creative force, and keep the brand from becoming not so special a few years out. Not that Goldman is leaving the building; he’ll continue in a more general oversight of the brand, while serving as a brand scout for Coke and also scratching his entrepreneurial itch with a half-time role at a food startup. DPS opens its checkbook, at least a tad, with investments in Bai and Body Armor Dr Pepper Snapple Group had made it something of a credo not to invest in the emerging brands it distributes, which DPS brass felt carried an overly inflated sense of their value. (Since those brands are not at the stage of making any real money yet, in capturing the distribution margin DPS
Four for 2015 is capturing the whole margin anyway.) DPS made a low-ball offer for Vita Coco Coconut Water a few years ago, from what I heard, but CEO Larry Young generally seemed happy to remind DPS shareholders that his reluctance to pay big bucks for intriguing new brands reflected his careful stewardship of their investment. So it was interesting when this last holdout among the Big Three soda makers took the plunge, first with a small investment in Bai (albeit at a very high multiple), then with a more substantial one in Body Armor. Why the change, and what does it mean? My hunch is it offers a good story to put in front of Wall Street skeptics who’ve occasionally wondered why, after all these years of CSD decline, sodas still comprise 80 percent of DPS’ sales. And, as any number of my contacts were quick to point out, it reinforces the notion that, among the bigger companies, “M&A is the new R&D.” For more radical, disruptive forms of innovation, the Big Three seem resigned to looking outside their own campuses. Reyes Group becomes a Coke bottler For those of us who’ve been around big beer for a while, it’s been remarkable to watch the flourishing of the Reyes Group, a tight-knit family outfit that started with a smattering of Miller wholesalerships and parlayed those into an operation that is both the envy of the business in execution, and an object of fear at MillerCoors. Though they’ve dabbled in non-alcoholic brands, they’ve been notoriously unimpressed with non-alcs as an object of serious attention, citing slim margins, undercapitalized suppliers and the flight risk to other systems. But now they’re in in a big way, albeit separately from their beer operation, by becoming Coke’s newly designated franchise in the Greater Chicago area and, more recently, in Michigan and other territories too. Though the Chicago operation has been having predictable teething pains, this move seems certain to bring fresh winds blowing into the soda business. Credit Coca-Cola for thinking outside the box on this one, and Reyes for taking on a new challenge. Though it doesn’t seem to be the plan right now, at some point down the road, could Reyes’ fleet carry beer and
26 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
soft drinks on the same trucks, too? The clan’s bent toward efficient operations would seem to make that inevitable. Peet’s acquires Stumptown, then Intelligentsia We seem to be at a remarkable juncture where the so-called third wave of coffee is starting to garner a broad audience, and that second wave winner, Starbucks, is getting its game together to be a credible third wave player, too. (The first wave is the junk you buy off bagel trucks and the canned supermarket brands.) That third wave has brought us innovative preparation techniques wedded to an emphasis on the terroir and roasting style of the beans. Brands like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Coffee Culture are moving beyond their regional bases and building grocery and foodservice businesses, even as Starbucks expands its Reserve program, bringing microlot coffees to its stores. In that context, the move by Peet’s and its owner, Benckiser, to acquire first Stumptown and then majority control of Intelligentsia serves as a milestone. It seems to herald a looming landgrab of sorts to stake out the third-wave terrain. As of this writing, there are plenty of questions about the strategy: after all, the three brands are as much rivals as complements, and each is headed by strong-willed, independent-thinking coffee proselytizers. So how will their respective expansions be managed? Will the outsize personalities associated with the three companies be able to work in harmony? Will they share roasting facilities? To me the closest analogy is Anheuser-Busch’s accumulation of regional craft brewers, each seemingly at liberty to expand onto its siblings’ turf. And don’t forget that two key figures on the business side, Peet’s ceo Dave Burwick and Stumptown ceo Joth Ricci, who now reports to Burwick, both are savvy veterans of the ready-to-drink scene, auguring an even more aggressive push behind packaged cold-brew and perhaps other coffee styles. It should make for a fascinating chapter for the third wave. Or, who knows, a fourth? Longtime beverage-watcher Gerry Khermouch is executive editor of Beverage Business Insights, a twice-weekly e-newsletter covering the nonalcoholic beverage sector.
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NOT SO SWEET:
Hard Sodas Make Cider Makers Wary By Chris Furnari Hard cider has always faced an uphill battle for attention, one that has required entrepreneurs in the space to convince both consumers and retailers that fermented apples should be on the menu. For years, companies like Vermont Hard Cider have fought for fridge space, tap handles, distributor focus and retailer consideration. In their quest to mainstream hard cider in the United States, companies have gotten used to protecting their retail presence, fending off attacks from [wine] coolers, craft and everything in between. But in recent years, cider companies have finally enjoyed healthy growth. Between 2007 and 2012, sales tripled to more than $600 million, according to market research firm IBISWorld. And in 2014, category-wide volume sales were up 74 percent, according to market research firm IRI. It seemed like the craft boom had empowered the apple.
28 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
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I am concerned that when some of the commercial ciders start to decline, that cider, as a category, will look like it’s weakening when it’s really just the large commercial players. It is going to be hard for us to educate retailers and convince them that craft ciders are still doing well. Dan Rowell - CEO of Vermont Hard Cider But now a new competitor, hard soda, has entered the fray, and it’s got some cider makers worried about their ability to maintain their position on the shelf. Driven by the impressive overnight success of Pabst product Not Your Father’s Root Beer (NYFRB) – a boozy, soda-inspired concoction that expanded nationally this summer – hard soda has emerged as a legitimate product potentially deserving of at least some of cider’s space, analysts suggest. “I think that the hard sodas and hard root beers have been weighing on the category,” Vivien Azer, an alcoholic beverage-focused analyst with Cowen and Company, told BevNET Magazine. “Consumers are not necessarily rejecting cider, “per se”, but they are experimenting.” BRAND
DOLLAR SALES
Angry Orchard
CHANGE VS. YEAR EARLIER
$255,255,644
32.6%
Woodchuck
$34,177,377
-13.6%
Smith and Forge
$26,619,220
73.1%
Strongbow
$25,321,235
91.8%
Johnny Cider
$20,689,993
30.3%
Stella Artois Cidre
$11,772,428
1.1%
Crispin
$8,920,278
8.4%
Michelob Cider
$5,670,538
-26.7%
Bold Rock
$5,094,955
129.7%
Citizen Cider
$3,635,517
290.7%
Hornsbys
$3,414,023
-52.0%
Square Mile
$3,064,423
84.1%
Ace
$2,799,799
32.1%
Ciderboys
$2,718,522
31.8%
2 Towns
$2,530,052
102.6%
Wyders
$2,253,645
3.1%
Magners
$2,232,031
-0.6%
Seattle
$2,058,884
237.9%
Samuel Smith Cider
$1,795,019
31.3%
Fox Barrel
$1,723,669
27.7%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
30 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Jeff Liebhardt, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Virginia’s Bold Rock Hard Cider agreed, saying that some would-be cider drinkers are likely choosing hard root beer over cider. “It is an exploratory category,” he said. “Everything you read about cider is that it is slowing nationally. Sure, we’ve seen a slowdown over the last five months and cider is not growing like it was before, but where you have a strong local cider brand, the trends are much better.” Adding to concerns for cider makers: the successful rollout of NYFRB also cleared the way for a flood of new category entrants. After seeing the brand climb up the IRI charts, Boston Beer Company accelerated the national launch of its own hard soda offering, Coney Island Hard Root Beer, rolling it out months ahead of schedule. New York’s F.X. Matt Brewing, meanwhile, quickly jumped on the trend, launching the “Jed’s Hard” lineup with three flavor varieties – root beer, orange cream and black cherry cream. The industry’s biggest players are paying attention too. Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors are both planning to launch brands of their own in 2016. A-B will introduce Best Damn Root Beer and MillerCoors will launch Henry’s Hard Soda, a line extension from its Henry Weinhard brand. Boston Beer and Pabst, for their parts, also plan to roll out additional flavors. As one beer executive recently told BevNET, “There’s a lot of syrupy-sweet clutter coming.” All of that activity is putting pressure on cider makers, particularly craft producers, to reassure retailers that the category will continue to grow, despite overwhelming evidence that consumers are gravitating toward sugary alcopop-like offerings. “I am concerned that when some of the commercial ciders start to decline, that cider, as a category, will look like it’s weakening when it’s really just the large commercial players,” said Dan Rowell, the CEO of Vermont Hard Cider. “It is going to be hard for us to educate retailers and convince them that craft ciders are still doing well.” And while many believe that hard root beer’s current gains have come at the expense of large domestic cider brands, like A-B’s Johnny Appleseed, which is down more than 23 percent, according to market research firm IRI, options like Vermont’s Woodchuck line – which has been trying to identify itself as more of a craft-style offering – are feeling the heat too. Sales of Woodchuck are down about 15 percent, according to Rowell. Meanwhile, volume sales for Vermont’s parent company, C&C group, which owns the Wyder’s and Magners brands, among others, are down more than 18 percent, according to IRI. Rowell believes that his own company’s declines are coming from within the category, at least in part. He claims that sizeable advertising investments – $100 million, he said – from companies like Boston Beer, Heineken, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors, have heavily marketed their own cider products across mainstream media channels and helped boost broader consumer awareness to the expense of Vermont Hard Cider and its stablemates. But that doesn’t explain a downturn for the broader category, which had been growing steadily until recently. Over the last four weeks, category-wide cider volumes declined 7.7 percent, according to Nielsen, a market research firm. And over the last 12
Tapp-BevNet-110815.pdf
weeks, cider volumes were down more than 3 percent. That has cider makers looking at hard sodas as a contributing factor: Not Your Father’s Root Beer has been in the midst of a highly successful launch. Pabst announced the national rollout of NYFRB in June. By the end of July, the brand was already the no. 11 best-selling “craft” product in market research firm IRI Worldwide’s multioutlet and convenience store universe. Fast-forward three months, and NYFRB has surpassed stalwart craft brands like Boston Lager, New Belgium Fat Tire and even Lagunitas IPA, in dollar sales – generating $75 million through November 1. But is there a correlation between cider’s downward trend and hard soda’s rise, or is it just a coincidence? If hard soda is to blame, Amy Gutierrez, the category manager for BevMO!, a top specialty beverage retailer with 157 stores on the west coast, isn’t buying it. “My ciders are still booming,” she said. “Most of my stores still have eight feet of space, just for cider.”
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That space could shrink, however, if the trends continue, she said. “Where would we put it,” she asked. “Am I going to take away four feet of cider and give it to root beer? If the sales for hard root beer keep up, I am going to have to.” Both Liebhardt and Rowell have considered that future, and both are optimistic that local craft options will ultimately win out. “True authentic ciders will continue to prosper and we will get our fair share eventually,” Rowell insists. And that rationale might have legs: after all, craft beer, a category more closely correlated with craft cider, has continued to grow, even as premium domestic beer brands have been in decline for years. Meanwhile, NYFRB and the like are sweeter, closer in taste and composition to “malternatives” like Mike’s Hard Lemonade and other alcopops. That means that smaller, higher quality cider producers might be in the sweet spot. “Retailers are starting to invest behind local brands and their giving us a seat at the table,” said Liebhardt. “I still think cider is an underdeveloped segment. It is under-merchandised and we need to bring more awareness to the category. I think having a good liquid, a good story and being strong on-premise will be key.”
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31
Brand News
Hard Cider
2 Towns Ciderhouse has expanded the
production of Made Marion, its marion blackberry and apple cider, for yearround distribution. Made with freshpressed Northwest apples and no added sugars or artificial ingredients, 2 Towns’ entire range of ciders are now available in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arkansas, Chicago and select areas in Minnesota. Ablemarle Ciderworks’ 1817 blend is
based on a recipe hinted at in William Coxe’s 1817 treatise “A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees and the Management of Orchards and Cider.”The modern interpretation of the recipe brings together contemporary artisanal fermentation methods and historic cider varieties. Ciderboys Hard Ciders has released its
Winter Variety Pack, featuring three bottles each of the Wisconsin-based brand’s First Press, Strawberry Magic, Mad Bark (Apple Cinnamon), and either Cranberry Road or Grand Mimosa (Apple Orange) varieties. Crispin Cider Company recently released
15 Men, the first rum barrel-aged cider within a six-year barrel-aging program. Made from Colfax apple wine aged in dark rum casks and finished with Wildflower Honey and Dark Candied Syrup, the small batch cider has a 6.9 percent ABV and will be available nationally in 22 oz. bottles for a limited time only. Downeast Cider House, a self-described “anarcho-syndicalist commune subverting the global elite via five blends of craft cider” is now available on draft and in 4and 9-packs in over 4,000 locations across New England, New York and New Jersey. In September, the company signed a fiveyear lease for 16,000 square feet in East Boston’s Boston Harbor Shipyard, tripling the size of their existing production space.
Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Texas, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as its home state. McKenzie’s Hard Cider is a small batch
produced hard cider made at a 160 year old cider mill in West Seneca, New York. The company, founded in 2011 by beverage industry veteran Lenny Ciolek, recently brought back its Seasonal Reserve, a specialty flavor of cinnamon nutmeg that is only available for purchase in the Fall and Winter months. Sonoma Cider added two new flavors to its lineup this Fall: The Pulley, featuring the flavor of absinthe combined with crisp, tart apple cider and Dry Fuji, which joins the company’s “Cider Maker Reserve” lineup. Made from hand-selected, certified organic Fuji apples from Washington’s Yakima Valley, the dry hard cider takes on notes of vanilla and smoke from the French oak barrels in which it is aged. Square Mile Cider’s Hopped Cider,
made with Northwest grown apples as a base and citra and galaxy hops, recently won a gold medal in the hopped category of the Pacific Northwest Cider Awards. The medal will join Square Mile’s trophy case that holds five other awards from local cider competitions. Champlain Orchards Cidery has signed
with DeCrescente Distributing Company to provide distribution in upstate New York for the Vermont cider brand’s awardwinning Heirloom Semi-Dry hard cider. Wickson, Foxwhelp, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Michelin, Kingston Black, Dabinett, Chisel Jersey are just a few of the 31 apple varieties grown for the cider, which are available in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and now upstate New York. The Portland Cider Company recently
Finnriver Ciders won a Good Food
Award in 2015 for its Black Currant Cider. The Washington-based brand has also expanded its distribution and is now available in Oregon, California, Northern
32 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
introduced two of their ciders in 12 oz. cans. Their newest, Apple, is a medium dry classic with a juicy crisp apple taste and a tart finish. Hop’Rageous is the same as its on-tap and bottled counterpart, a
dry cider infused with the fragrant citra variety of hops and bitter orange peel. Both varieties are available in 4-packs in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, North Dakota and Norway. Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, based in
Portland, Ore. and with distribution in the Northwest and Southern California, is now offering its flagship Revival Hard Apple Cider in a six-pack at a suggested retail price of $14.99. Carlton Cyderworks has announced the release of its fall seasonal offering, ‘Sugar & Spice, an all natural blend of whole spices the company says “is like a slice of apple pie in a glass.” The brand is currently distributed in the greater Portland area by General Distributors and in Southwest Washington by Big River Distributors.
Angry Orchard opened the doors to a new home for innovation, research and development at a historic 60-acre orchard in the Hudson River Valley of New York. Also this Fall, the company launched Stone Dry, an American interpretation of the traditional English dry cider style and the driest cider in its portfolio. Bold Rock Hard Cider introduces their new hopped cider, IPA (India Pressed Apple). This refreshing new hard cider blends the tart nature of fresh-pressed Granny Smith apples with the slightly sweet notes of passion fruit, grapefruit, and citrus. Dry-hopped with a blend of 5+ hops including Cascade, Centennial, and Citra, IPA has a floral aroma with a fruity smell of elder flower and a crisp green-apple finish.
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33
Despite the category’s challenges, brands still see big opportunity in small format offerings. By Neil Martinez-Belkin SIZE MATTERS. The wizardry of the shot category has always been that it took a billion-dollar category, the energy drink, and created another billion-dollar form factor out of it in a 2 oz. package. By reducing an energy drink to its essential function – and doing so with a well-executed first-mover advantage – 5-Hour Energy has made a billionaire of its owner and created a way for millions of people to have a new option for getting their caffeine. The growth of the brand quickly seeded a pile of copycat brands, none of which have been able to grab any kind of longterm piece of the market, no matter if they were coming from established companies or new ones. But that doesn’t mean that beverage companies aren’t still intrigued by the higher margins and lower shipping costs of the format. No matter how hackneyed a play the copycat energy shot might be, there are plenty of brand owners tinkering with
34 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
the possibility that they can extend their platform into pocket sized bottles. Seeing products go small, however, has different meanings in different categories. As other shot companies have proven, a small package doesn’t necessarily equal a big bite of the market. Companies remain intrigued because the shot signifies the opportunity to spread a brand and its specific function more widely in a much smaller space, but brand owners need to be aware of the limitations as well. One of the latest developments is the migration of the format to newer, higher-margin functional products. Entering store shelves late this year and earlier next are shots based on such high-growth categories as high pressure processed (HPP) juices and cold-brewed coffee. They join other functional products like probiotics and pain relievers as ways to take the package in a new
direction and change the face of the category from the stereotypical trucker grabbing a 5-hour Energy at the register. Brooklyn-based juicery Jus by Julie, for example, is rolling out its line of 1 oz. “Booster Shots” at Whole Foods as part the brand’s plans to expand beyond its three brick and mortar locations and direct-to-consumer online shop. Other juice bar chains like Project Juice and Pressed Juicery are also dabbling in the wellness shots space, but Jus by Julie’s entry marks the first time such a product has been available in the grocery channel. “We’re the first to market with such a product,” says company co-founder Alan Maleh. “We saw people were looking for these functional benefits in a smaller, on-the-go format.” Having Jus by Julie’s larger format juices go head to head with the cold-pressed outfits occupying the Whole Foods cooler would have been daunting enough, but the task at hand, of introducing a new shot type into the natural channel might be even more daunting. That’s because the liquid itself requires a switch from traditional shot merchandising. 5-Hour’s made its moolah as an at-register, impulse purchase – but the required refrigeration of a beverage shot like Jus by Julie’s presents an uphill battle from the get-go. Still, being first to the store could be a big advantage. And while there might not be a defined planogram for refrigerated juice shots, there are other cold entries: upon Jus by Julie’s entry into the grocer, Maleh found that several stores were stocking the booster shots in the dairy aisle, next to the likes of probiotic beverage brand Goodbelly’s range of shots. Maleh’s first choice might not be the dairy aisle, but Goodbelly - similarly packaged in 4-packs - is an example of brand that’s been able to thrive in the space, despite some of the aforementioned issues. Powered by consumers’ continued interest in probi-
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otics, Goodbelly’s also been able to make the leap from the natural channel to more conventional grocery outlets in recent years. “After a little bit of confusion of whether it was a yogurt product or something else, people started to understand it,” says Goodbelly’s CEO Allan Murray. “People are looking to get their probiotics in different formats.” The number one selling shot in the natural channel belongs to yerba mate beverage brand Guayaki, which introduced the first all-organic beverage shot in 2009 at Whole Foods. Positioned as the 5-Hour equivalent for the health conscious customer, Guayaki’s shot line extension has had a nice long run at Whole Foods since, having a leg up on new entrants by being a line extension of an existing successful beverage brand. “For us, our brand was already growing and popular and so the shot rode that wave of people that already liked our products, and now they had another option for different usage occasions,” says Guayaki co-founder David Karr. ENERGY SHOTS Brand
Dollar Sales
5 Hour Energy Extra Strength
$552,731,904
12.91%
$512,118,976
-9.72%
Stacker 2 Xtra
$17,166,644
-0.23%
Private Label
$13,233,940
3.98%
Tweaker
$11,533,421
23.01%
Stacker 2
$10,165,913
10.75%
Street King
$8,923,850
8.90%
Stacker 2 6 Hour Power
$6,915,378
-29.66%
Rhino Rush
$5,737,938
98.99%
Stacker 2 Extreme
$4,984,222
0.42%
5 Hour Energy
Change vs. year earlier
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
Other shots are still finding their footing in the channel. Daniel Sullivan, the founder and CEO of Temple Turmeric, says the shots space is an ever-evolving category. Recently his brand’s 3 oz. Pure Prana Energy Shots migrated out of Whole Foods’ grocery department into its Whole Body section, which Sullivan says has its pros and cons. “Most people that shop for turmeric are going into that section of the store, so now I have an opportunity to direct those consumers to a drinkable solution instead of pills,” he says. “But we’ve also had to decentralize our product line.” Food and beverage industry consultant Eric Schnell is familiar with the challenges of the segment. As the co-founder of green tea-based beverage brand Steaz, Schnell saw his company’s energy shot line extension come and go. Today he continues to fight in the space with I AM, a shot brand that markets a four SKU line of liquid supplements boasting a range of functionalities, from focus, to mood enhancement, to energy to sleep aid. But he’s cognizant of the potential limitations of the space. “If you’re an entrepreneur entering the natural beverage shot category you need to be introducing a product that’s very unique and very disruptive,” says Schnell. “It needs to be something that hasn’t been done before.”
Brand News
Shots
First aid Shot Therapy (F.A.S.T.) announced the expansion of its single dose liquid medicine range to include improved formulations of Pain & Heartburn products, along with new line extensions of Cold Relief & Handover Relief shots. F.A.S.T’s range is now available in over 5,000 outlets in select test markets, including Safeway, HEB, Circle K and Tedeschi’s. The brand also closed a Series C round of funding for $25 million in 2015 and drug chains including CVS and Rite-Aid are now embarking on tests in the fourth quarter of the year. SQZ Shot Flavors are the first ‘on-
the-go’ liquid shot mixers designed to enhance liquor with a quick squirt. The brand is now available through select distributors in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Brand News Sponsored by:
Hangover Recovery and Git-R-DoneEnergy shots. Project Juice added a line a certified organic, non-GMO verified, cold-pressed Wellness Shots to its online marketplace this Summer. Available in five varieties - Liver Flush, Turmeric Tonic, Tummy Tonic, Flu Shot and Mineral Surge the 2 oz. shots are priced at $5 each on ProjectJuice.com Forto has launched a 2 oz. shot that packs the punch of two cups of coffee, containing 175 mg of caffeine. Made with organic and Fair-Trade cold-brewed coffee, the product’s got the look of a full-cup cup of Joe that’s been miniaturized. Available in two flavors - Espresso and French Vanilla - Forto will be available for purchase in stores and online beginning in January 2016.
NOHO has entered into an exclusive
distribution agreement with TDG Brands for distribution of its 2 oz. “The Hangover Defense” shots. The five year agreement guarantees the Scottsdale, Arizonabased brand $2.5 million in the first year of the deal. NOHO also recently expanded its international presence, adding placements at over 500 7-Eleven stores throughout Hong Kong. Vita-V Energy Co. debuted its new
organic energy shot at this year’s Natural Products Expo East trade show in Baltimore. Made with baobab pumped from Africa’s “tree of life” and five other organic superfruits, the new product also adds caffeine to the 2.5 oz. shot. 5-Hour Energy has added Extra Strength
Peach Mango as its newest flavor, joining strawberry watermelon, sour apple, grape and berry to become the fifth extra strength variety of the Living Essentialsowned brand. The new product began hitting stores at the top of November. Hangover Joe’s has announced a
partnership with Specialty Marketing Systems for the distribution of its
38 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Jus by Julie’s 10-SKU line of 1 oz. Booster Shots are entering Whole Foods as the brand expands beyond its brick and mortar locations into other retail channels. As part of that, the brand’s begun high pressure processing its product to extend its shelf life to 20-35 days. FBEC Worldwide is launching WolfShot
Hemp Energy, a blend of hemp juice, fruit extracts, probiotics, amino acids, minerals, essential B vitamins and caffeine. Available in berry and pomegranate flavors, the shot will be sold as a dietary supplement and look to penetrate dispensaries, smoke shops and c-stores upon its official launch. Inspired Brands introduced Tube Shot Energy at the NACS trade show in Las Vegas. Sold in 3-packs at a suggested retail price of $5.95, each tube contains 200mg of natural caffeine via coffee beans and 100 percent of the daily value of vitamins B3, B6, B9 and B12. The brand will launch in six flavors - Raspberry Lemonade, Grapefruit Infusion, Cinnamon Fireball, Orange Tangerine, Arctic Mint and Grape Glacier.
�dal-Wave Coffee Peet’s Eyes a Super-Premium Future as Cold Brew Becomes the Beachhead By Ray Latif As pioneers of the super-premium set increasigly referred to as “third-wave coffee,” Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Intelligentsia Coffee have long stood for high-quality, robust java. Revered by a growing consumer base of millennial and affluent consumers, Stumptown and Intelligentsia, each of which operate both retail cafe and packaged coffee businesses, both took a consciously measured approach to expansion, cognizant of their niche appeal, premium image and pricing. Despite the recent acquisition of Stumptown and the purchase of a majority stake in Intelligentsia by larger premium coffee roaster and retailer Peet’s Coffee & Tea, that strategy won’t change, according to Peet’s president Dave Burwick. Instead, the deals, both announced in October, represent an effort by Peet’s “to capture more than [its] fair share” of a booming market for small-batch and high quality coffee by offering “differentiated craft coffee brands with unique propositions and appeal,” Burwick said in a statement. “The growth of the super-premium coffee market continues to explode in the U.S.” he continued. “It’s driven by 18-34 yearolds who are more affluent, purchase premium brands from other categories like craft beer and pressed juice, and seek variety and new experiences.” For Peet’s, that means relying on the current management teams at Stumptown and Intelligentsia, who are brimming with expertise in roasting, consumer engagement and, in the case of Stumptown, cold-brew coffee production, to stay the course. “Our plan is really ‘no change,’” said Stumptown president Joth Ricci. “We will really have the opportunity to learn from each other or utilize different advantages that each of us bring along the way. But we’ll run as two very separate companies. For our team, it’s kind of business as usual.” And while Peet’s, which operates over 250 retail cafes and sells packaged coffee beans at grocers across the U.S., will offer Stumptown and Intelligentsia access to its operational expertise, its sourcing capabilities, and its broad distribution network, the growth strategies for the brands depend on Peet’s ability to scale their boutique feel.
Photo by GoToVan: www.flickr.com/photos/gotovan
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“That’s where a lot of the value of Stumptown lies,” said Michael Schaefer, Head of Beverages & Foodservice at market research firm Euromonitor International. “If you look at Stumptown or Blue Bottle or Intelligentsia, their stock in trade, the whole brand message, is ‘This isn’t just a cup of coffee. We’re trying to find the best cup of coffee you could possibly have whether it’s iced, whether it’s drip coffee, whatever.’ And that’s so fundamental to what they’re doing and why people like the product that I think it’s very risky to have any kind of strategy that involves building 500, 600, 800 Stumptown stores.” Burwick concurs. He describes Peet’s as “a national, mainstream, premium brand with scale,” noting that a 12 oz. bag of its coffee beans sells on average for $9.99. Stumptown, on the other hand, is “more of a super-premium niche brand” that retails for an average of $14.99 per bag. “It’s never going to be as big as Peet’s,” Burwick said. “We’d kill the brand if we made it as big as Peet’s. We want it to be special and very targeted in how we market it.” Along the same lines, Doug Zell, founder of Intelligentsia Coffee, notes that his company “is built on the vision of creating a remarkable coffee experience,” where “each step of the process is considered and is as important as the step that preceded it.” Zell, who began his coffee career at Peet’s, lauded the company as one that “respects our vision and shares our same values.” Burwick is adamant that there will be no overlap between properties: Stumptown and Intelligentsia products will not be sold at Peet’s stores and vice versa. He noted the importance of having “each brand maintain its uniqueness and its specialness and not be co-mingled or confused with others.” “A consumer should never walk into a Peet’s store and see Stumptown Cold-Brew; it confuses what the two brands stand for,” he said. “They’re very different brands. They’re both very successful brands. Peet’s is growing 20 percent year-to-date. It’s got a lot of life. It’s doing very well. But it’s a different proposition. The consumers overlap, but then they don’t.” One product that Burwick believes ties those consumers together is cold brew coffee. Prepared by steeping coarse-ground beans in temperate or cold water for 12 to 24 hours, cold brew has exploded in demand: long a staple in independent cafes, it was launched nationally as an in-store offering at both Starbucks and Peet’s in the last year. Burwick estimates that on-premise sales of cold brew coffee sold at restaurants and cafes is already a “$400-500 million” business and is in the midst of a remarkable trajectory. “Cold brew is to ready-to-drink coffee as craft beer is to mainstream domestic beer,” he said. “It’s higher quality, more flavorful, more relevant to consumers who really care about quality. I’m very confident it will continue to grow dramatically.” How dramatically? Burwick sees cold brew as evolving into a $1 billion business within four to five years. And while on-premise sales represent the primary driver of current sales for cold brew coffee, demand for packaged offerings is surging. That was another one of the reasons the company bought Stumptown, which already
has a leading RTD brand. (And in keeping with the craft brew analogy, also sometimes sells limited-edition, high-priced cold brews that look the part of a craft beer holiday release). “We saw it with energy drinks, we saw it with pod coffee, we see it with iced coffee now through coffee shops, a willingness to spend that kind of money every day on coffee, on caffeine, on your daily jolt,” said Schaefer, of Euromonitor. “I think it’s important when looking at cold brew in particular that it’s as much a functional product as much as it is a refreshing, indulgent product. And there’s definitely been a willingness by Americans in recent years to pay for that.” It’s a big part reason why Peet’s, leaning on Stumptown’s proficiency in production and distribution, is gearing up for a branded product of its own. Burwick sees the category for packaged cold brew as “big enough and growing fast enough that we easily can play with more than one brand – and we will.”
When and if it releases its own brand, however, alongside the Stumptown ramp-up, it enters an increasingly diverse and fastgrowing set of cold-brew offerings. Chris Campbell, CEO of Chameleon Cold-Brew, which markets bottled cold brewed coffee concentrates and ready-to-drink formulations, said he sees tremendous sales potential for the beverage, despite an education gap for many consumers on the differences between cold brew and regular iced coffee. “It’s still a battle that we’re fighting,” Campbell said. “The good news is it’s getting easier, we’re getting more customers at the sampling table. Many are grasping the concept behind its formulation. That is encouraging for us, because that’s the really super key point of differentiation.” Like Burwick, Campbell draws comparisons between cold brew and craft beer, noting that for both categories, as consumer
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
41
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Starbucks Frappuccino
$966,462,848
17.15%
Starbucks Doubleshot
$491,226,272
25.7%
Starbucks
$68,425,392
-10.29%
Java Monster
$43,456,792
50.27%
Starbucks Frappuccino Light
$26,442,584
2.1%
Starbucks Doubleshot Light
$14,127,417
21.19%
Illy Issimo
$11,984,928
71.79%
Nestle Skinny Cow
$8,906,366
N/A
Rockstar Roasted
$8,477,539
532.09%
Coco Cafe
$5,950,487
-15.43%
Brand
Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
International Delight
$63,965,840
-16.32%
Starbucks
$30,906,294
319.74%
Starbucks Iced Espresso Classics
$29,978,866
N/A
Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Portein
$21,030,528
-2.45%
Starbucks Discoveries
$9,374,828
-70.2%
Califia Farms
$7,473,135
161.55%
REFRIGERATED RTD COFFEE
Private Label
$6,375,550
20.22%
Bolthouse Farms
$6,088,266
-27.12%
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
$2,254,062
247.2%
Prairie Farms
$1,742,489
8.91%
REFRIGERATED COFFEE CONCENTRATE Dollar Sales
Change vs. year earlier
Cool Brew
Brand
$2,142,526
-6.13%
Chameleon Cold Brew
$1,587,903
N/A
Chameleon
$965,509
246.81%
Muddy Waters Cold Brew
$151,281
312.44%
French Truck Coffee
$133,628
-0.63%
Secret Squirrel
$78,940
N/A
Califia Farms
$77,901
N/A
Old Orchard
$52,350
-45.46%
Gradys Cold Brew
$48,319
207.45%
Seaworth
$11,287
-82.45%
SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 10/4/15
42 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
education and awareness grows, so does the opportunity for many brands to be successful. “Once somebody understands what a craft-brewed IPA is – the foundation – there’s still a ton of variety within that style, and there’s room for multiple players to play well and win,” Campbell said. “It’s this combination of everyone taking a slightly different approach to the category. Then you’ve got retail storefront awareness building and driving consumption. And from our perspective, it also yields a product that, once consumers try it in whatever form, there is some sort of typically better tasting or better-for-you angle to what everybody’s doing. And everybody’s delivering a product that’s decent.” Rife with a variety of formulations and flavors, cold brew is thriving at natural channel grocers like Whole Foods, whose cooler set includes RTD and concentrate products from Chameleon, Stumptown, Califia Farms, Hiball and High Brew Coffee, all of which are distributed nationally at the retailer. Similar to its coldpressed juice offerings, Whole Foods sells its own in-store prepared bottles of cold brew, and also carries a range of brands on a regional level, including Grady’s Cold Brew and Kohana Coffee. Campbell is bullish for continued expansion of the cold brew coffee set, particularly in the mass and conventional channels, where a number of brands are gaining steam at retailers like Target and Kroger. “I think it’s kind of a perfect storm of rising consumer awareness, a variety of good quality offerings at a variety of price points, and at this point available in thousands of doors,” Campbell said. “If you take everybody’s distribution and combine it together, it’s pretty easy to find a cold brew coffee of some sort.” Chameleon is just one of a series of brands who also have investors placing bets on their behalf. Boulder Food Group (BFG) an investment firm focused on early stage food and beverage consumer product companies, earlier this year injected $4 million into Chameleon. Campbell, who praised BFG’s involvement and “proven track record” with brands including Bear Naked and evol Foods, said that the funding will be used for staffing in all aspects of the business. Meanwhile, Califia received a huge injection of cash this fall, with Stripes Capital backing the company to the tune of $50 million, while High Brew also recently finished a funding round. Angling to maintain a leadership position in the RTD cold brew category, however, might be a moot point if Starbucks gets into the mix. While the company continues to expand its Frappuccino, Doubleshot and iced coffee lines, Starbucks has yet to wade into packaged cold brew. Nevertheless, Campbell is less concerned with the likelihood of a competing product from Starbucks than he is of a poorly formulated offering, one that would cast a shadow over the entire category. “From our perspective, there’s still a ton of upside,” he said. “We see Starbucks’ entry as something we’re definitely going to pay attention to. I think the biggest risk to the category is that they come in with something that tastes bad. As long as they don’t come in with something that tastes bad and it’s not going to turn new customers off from ever going down a cold brew path with another brand, then it’s probably good for us.”
Photo by Stephen Smith www.iamstephensmith.com Courtesty of Chameleon Cold Brew
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Brand News
Coffee
Grady’s Cold Brew bean bags are now
Sunniva Caffe’s new line of protein-in-
available in a decaf blend for iced coffee lovers who want the flavor of Grady’s without the extra kick. Currently available for purchase on the company’s website, the company is planning a full retail rollout for the start of 2016. Additionally, Grady’s Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate has expanded beyond the Northeast and is now available nationwide.
fused “super coffees” are launching at five Whole Foods Markets in the Washington DC area. Available in three flavors - Cinnamon, Mocha and Vanilla - the product uses a proprietary blend of healthy fats from coconut oils and organic superfoods and contains only 90 calories per 11 oz. bottle.
Califia Farms added a Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew Coffee to its lineup of seasonal items this year, combining the tastes of rich chocolate, sweet mint and cold brew with almond milk. Joining Califia’s returning Holiday Nog and Pumpkin Spice Latte, the new offering will be available exclusively at Whole Foods through the holiday season. Black Medicine, a ready-to-drink bottled
iced coffee company, recently finished a build-out of its new production facility in East Oakland, California. The distribution of their iced coffee, iced latte and iced mochas now spans the West Coast in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, and the company plans to launch in Southern California by the end of 2015. Marley Beverage Company has rede-
signed the packaging of its One Drop line of premium Jamaican coffees. They’ve also added two new dessert-inspired flavors to the line, Swirl and Banana Split, who join existing varieties Mocha and Vanilla. Starbucks has added a White Chocolate Mocha Latte variety to its VIA line, pairing creamy white chocolate flavors with Starbucks’ VIA Instant coffee. The company also launched Hot Cocoa KCups in Hot Cocoa and Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa flavors. Rebel Kitchen’s organic, dairy-free coffee mylks are made with four simple ingredients - filtered water, organic coconut milk, organic date nectar and organic fair trade coffee beans. The UK-based brand also recently started bringing its Chai Mylk to U.S. consumers, where it can be found at grocery stores throughout the state of California.
44 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Slingshot Coffee Co. continues to expand its line of coffees with a growing distributor partnership network, and will be launching into new regions of Whole Foods, Central Markets and more by the end of 2015. The company’s new keg program is available to offices, brick-andmortars, and retailers in the Midwest, South and entire East Coast. Venice Cold Brew’s Black Coffee and
Coffee + Almondmilk offerings are made from direct-trade beans, steeped in spring water for 12 hours, and then triple filtered, making for a clean, smooth, refreshing cold-press coffee. The brand’s 12 oz. glass bottles are currently being sold at a handful of locations in the Los Angeles area, including Erewhon, Deus Ex Machina and Dudley Market. Chameleon Cold-Brew has expanded distribution into over 300 Safeway locations across the West and East Coast and entered 700 more Target stores nationally (making for a total of 1050 Target locations nationwide). Earlier this year the brand added three new flavors to its lineup: Espresso, Chicory and Mexican. Harmless Harvest introduced a coffee-
flavored line extension this year, launching its 100% Raw Coconut Water with Fair Trade Coffee nationally at Whole Foods in March. The product contains 25 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. serving (50 mg per 16 oz. bottle) and can be purchased at a retail price of $2.79 and $5.29 a bottle respectively. Kill Cliff launched a line of cold brew coffees in a can this year. Made with Fair Trade Certified organic 100 percent arabica coffee beans, the line extension is available in three flavors: Epic Mojo,
a robust yet smooth unsweetened black coffee, Sweet Mojo, a rich black coffee with a touch of sweetness, and Mojo Rising, a creamy blend of black cold brew coffee and coconut cream. Secret Squirrel Cold Brew has three
new dairy-based cold brew coffee drinks: Caffe Latte, Vietnamese Latte and Dark Chocolate Mocha. Made with California family-farmed milk through a partnership with Dairy Goddess, the brand’s currently being distributed through UNFI, Dairy Delivery and Kehe/Nature’s Best. Hatch Beverage Company recently
started production on a cold-brew coffee line, with flavours by the terroir and origin of the coffee, one of which is being developed in partnership with a farming cooperative in Asia. Hatch has an in-house roastery, cold brew at an exact ratio, and has a significant investment in process equipment - chillers, custom filling line, and a cold treatment system. Stumptown Coffee has released its first
ever Grand Cru Cold Brew, featuring an exclusive lot of Honduras Finca El Puente Gesha. The limited production is available at all nine Stumptown cafes at a price of $28 per 750mL bottle. ULIVjava, the ready-to-drink iced coffee line inspired by Martha Stewart, is now being sold in approximately 264 Safeway and Vons stores in southern California and Phoenix, Arizona, making the brand’s distribution footprint bi-coastal. Launched in 2014, ULIVjava is formulated with Fair Trade coffee extract, non-fat milk, cream, dried cane syrup, erythritol, yerba mate and astragalus, a root said to have immunity-boosting effects. Skinny Cow, a Nestle USA brand,
entered the beverage space at the top of 2015 with three ready-to-drink iced coffee flavors: Vanilla Latte, Mocha Latte and Creamy Cappuccino. With 120 calories per bottle, the product’s being sold in individual bottles and 4-packs at a suggested price of $1.99 and $5.99, respectively.
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
45
What the Numbers – and the Shadows – Reveal • By Jeffrey Klineman •
Look all this data. And then look behind it. We did. And although it reflects a 52-week period that ended about ¾ of the way through the year – so on Sept. 15 – in this, our last issue of 2015, we’re going to tell you what we found as we dug around. We took a look at some of the most important entrepreneurial brands out there – whether independent, owned by a strategic, or publicly traded – to get a reading on how they were performing and, since so many of these brands are in the middle of crossing over into mainstream retailers, how they are doing in growing new or existing categories. As is often the case with scanned data, the larger and more established the brand, the more dialed in the numbers seem to be: companies like Harmless Harvest or Suja, which have strong
46 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
presence in natural and specialty stores, for example, are underrepresented in the findings due to the concentration and regionality of their revenue base. But the simple fact that they make the rankings is also indicative of momentum: Suja, in particular, is an interesting case because its conventionally-focused “Essentials” line had garnered more than $17.5 million of its $19 million in revenue in less than 12 months. Harmless Harvest doubled to $2.7 million in the same period. Each month from here on in, it’s likely that the picture will get bigger for both of those high pressure processed brands, as more of their sales become visible to the retailers who feed data to IRI. So let’s take a look at some of the more talked-about brands for the year and try to find out where the heat is emanating from in a category and brand sense.
In the coconut water space, while Harmless Harvest’s revenue is based heavily in Natural/Specialty, rivals Vita Coco and Zico are largely rooted in conventional channels – and they continue to show steady, solid growth: Zico’s overall product suite is at $42 million in revenue in IRI, while Vita Coco’s products are at $186 million. Both have shown double-digit growth and largely outpace the multiple categories that IRI has them tracked into. Both will tell you they’re much bigger – foodservice! vending! coastal clientele! – they’ll cry, but it’s not a bad showing regardless.
Like stablemate Zico, Cokeowned Honest is also subject to the vagaries of multi-category classification due to its varied juice drinks, teas, even CSDs. Still, it had a good year, with its aseptic kids’ juices up 20 percent against a category that registered flat, while its core tea line was up 16 percent compared to the rest of the tea category, which nevertheless continued to be the fastest-growing ambient set at nearly 12 percent.
Speaking of tea, longtime power player AriZona actually lagged the category, with its more than $1 billion in tea sales pretty much flat (even Arnold Palmer, that $220 million salute to Arnie’s Army, lost share overall) as PepsiCo’s rebranded Lipton and Coke’s increasingly influential Gold Peak brands grew it overall.
In the sparkling water category, two brands that have been on a tear continued to shred new space in the aisles: Sparkling Ice zoomed past $400 million in the sparkling segment, with growth of 12 percent roughly keeping pace with the overall category increase of 14 percent; meanwhile La Croix, the unsweetened cousin to Sparkling Ice’s line, continued its torrid growth, showing a 44 percent increase to more than $134 million.
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
47
In the still category, Coke has unleashed Smartwater everywhere, to the tune of 21 percent growth (at $741 million, there’s also a lot more untracked out in the world), more than doubling the category. Meanwhile, a revitalized Fiji grew 13 percent, to $284 million.
Probiotics and other functional brands also continued to invade conventional channels; across tea and juice categories, GTs continued to show an expanding foothold, growing in the 55 to 65 percent range across all categories to reach a total of $105 million (and obviously leaving a lot of independent sales uncounted). Mamma Chia similarly grew to $16 million, while Kevita checked in at $14.9.
Functional beverages of all kinds showed strong growth: Gatorade rebounded and was up 9 percent in revenue, ahead of the category; meanwhile Mark Repole’s current cause, Body Armor, doubled to $33 million.
Across even more channels, Califia showed itself to be a $40 million platform in IRI; that’s rolling in $24 million in refrigerated almond milk sales along with juice, coffee, lemonade and more.
The 200 percent growth shown by Body Armor was matched by fast-growing functional juice platform Bai; its non-carb style hit $77 million in revenue, while even Bai Bubbles was at $8 million in more limited distribution. Both seem to justify the investment DPS put into the company. 48 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
It’s growth that seems small and fragmented, like it does for most of the entrepreneurial brands. But being able to get counted is an influential position. The shadows of these brands are much longer than their stature when they present themselves for roll call.
Conference Overview: NACS 2015
Going Natural By Ray Latif
As with most retail-focused conventions, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show enables exhibitors to showcase innovation and new products that target consumers who shop within a specific channel. For beverages, that has long meant new varieties of high volume products in C-stores, such as soda and energy drinks. However, many beverage exhibitors at the 2015 NACS show, which concluded last month, indicated that convenience store operators are — like their counterparts in grocery and club — increasingly looking to add natural and better-for-you beverages to their shelves and coolers. It’s a trend that, for C-stores, has been bubbling at the surface for years, but appears to have achieved significant traction over the past 12 months.
Yes, attendees still swarmed colossal booths erected by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple, (and ogled bikiniclad representatives working the counters at the Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar booths). However, it was clear that major soda manufacturers sought to highlight their naturally-formulated brands and products as much as any within their portfolios. For Coke, that meant showcasing Zico, Suja and Fairlife. PepsiCo unveiled a new craft soda called 1893 that is made with “real kola nut extract” and Fair Trade Certified sugar, an ingredient that the company is also using as a sweetener for its revamped Aquafina Sparkling drinks. Meanwhile, Muscle Milk doubled down on its organic formulated products with two new protein shakes.
And offering competition to those larger companies were booths operated by those marketing premium and natural beverages like Ito En, Mamma Chia, Organic Valley, Aquahydrate and Hiball. Mamma Chia, a leading producer of organic, chia-based foods and beverages, made its second appearance at the show. At the event, Matt Buckley, Mamma Chia’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, discussed the company’s foray into convenience stores, noting that the retailing channel may offer access to millennial consumers. “The millennial continues to be more and more important for the players in these channels, being convenience, and what we found is to be here is going to give us this opportunity to break into the convenience channel that we really haven’t played much to date in,” Buckley said. Buckley noted that because “the millennial shops everywhere” — and not just traditional grocery — Mamma Chia sees huge opportunity for growth in convenience stores, as well as specialty and drug retailers. The challenge for the company, he said, is choosing a product mix that it can effectively market in those stores and the best ways to educate consumers about their benefits. “If you think about it, the traditional way people shop is gone,” Buckley said. “So they look for things like a drug store where they might not have traditionally shopped. They’re starting to use that more.”
NAC S 2 0 1 5 SH OW COV E RAG E S PO N S O RE D BY
50 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Conference Overview: NBWA 2015
Mixed Views on MegaBrew By Chris Furnari
During the 78th annual National Beer Wholesalers Convention, held in October at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas a panel of industry leaders discussed, among other topics, the pending tie-up of the world’s two largest beer companies – an agreement for which was reached shortly before we went to press. Five prominent brewery executives (listed below) joined the panel, which was moderated by Mike Gretz, president of Gretz Beer Company, a wholesaler in Hatfield, Penn: Sierra Nevada Brewing founder Ken Grossman, Constellation Brands beer division president Bill Hackett, Anheuser-Busch InBev North America zone president João Castro Neves,
Heineken USA chief Ronald Den Elzen, and MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley. The group wasted little time addressing the elephant in the room – news that A-B InBev and SABMiller had reached a tentative merger agreement worth nearly $106 billion. Castro Neves toed the company line, saying that both A-B InBev and SABMiller “together will be better than they are independently,” adding that a merger would be “great for consumers and shareholders.” Newly appointed MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley, who previously served as the CFO of Molson Coors, said he doesn’t envision the company’s strategy changing, even if A-B InBev is required to divest its stake in the American-based
52 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
SABMiller/Molson Coors joint venture. Heineken’s Den Elzen said news of an agreement was not “a surprise,” suggesting that A-B would begin to look for ways to quickly repay its debt, a move that could include the implementation of drastic cost-cutting tactics. “That’s what I expect and it is something to look for,” he said. “We have to make sure that a level playing field does exist in the U.S.” Grossman also highlighted his concerns about restricted access to market as a result of the merger while Hackett, for his part, suggested that Constellation was simply staying focused on the continued growth of its core Mexican import business.
Photo Credit: National Beer Wholesalers Association
“The reality is that you can’t control what people are doing,” he said. “But we can control how we react to it.” And despite a claim that A-B was in the business of “making friends,” Castro Neves drew the ire of Den Elzen, who sounded off
“There is hardly any space for small, new brands,” he said. “When you are a very big brewer, you want to control the whole value chain. It will limit new entrants to the marketplace.” Castro Neves defended A-B’s strategy
brewers like Grossman are beginning to express their market access fears. A-B’s distributor purchases, he said, “should be of concern when choosing wholesale partners,” adding that there needs to be a viable alternative in any
KEN GROSSMAN
BILL HACKETT
~ JOAO CASTRO NEVES
DEN ELZEN
GAVIN HATTERSLEY
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING
CONSTELLATION BRANDS
AB INBEV NORTH AMERICA ZONE
HEINEKEN USA
MILLERCOORS
on A-B’s continued attempts to challenge 3-tier dynamics via wholesaler acquisitions. “I am not happy with where that is going,” he said, contrasting the U.S. distribution structure to a European system where major suppliers are allowed to own local distributors.
by saying that only 10 percent of company-wide volumes are sold through whollyowned A-B branches and that all of their 2015 distributor acquisitions haven’t “changed that number.” But as A-B continues to invest in both craft breweries and wholesalers, craft
market where A-B invests. But it was Den Elzen who drew the biggest reaction from a crowd of about 2,000 beer wholesalers in attendance. “I am not a big fan of what’s happening. Absolutely not,” he added, to a round of cheers and applause.
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
53
Does What Water Doesn’t
7G PROTEIN
28 0
Boosts Metabolism Curbs Appetite Increases Energy & Endurance Helps Maintain Muscle The protein beverage category is growing rapidly. Great tasting trimino Protein Infused Water can help you take full advantage of this exciting and profitable new market segment. Make us a part of your 2016 retail success story. Connect with trimino at (203) 453-0090 for all the details.
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PUBLISHED BY:
3
Amy & Brian Coconut Water with Grape a division of EuroVita Corp. PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PET Caffeinated water with electrolytes and a high pH.
ARYA CURCUMIN H20 (ARMOR)
Amy & Brian Naturals
JUST C
PACKAGING: 17.5 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
Family owned and operated. Great for kids.
Boost immunity and enhance mood with ARYA ARMOR.
Aloe Gloe
ARYA CURCUMIN H20 (C+C)
L.A. Libations PACKAGING: 15.2 oz. PET
Aloha "Pulp Free" Aloe
Arriba Horchata
North American Beverage Co. PACKAGING: 10 oz. Glass Our new 10 oz glass bottle has a resealable cap
BEAVER BUZZ Energy
JUST C
BEAVERBUZZ.COM
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
Intense energy and focus w revitalizing ARYA C+C.
Beaver Buzz, 10 years of proven longevity!
ARYA Curcumin H20 (RADIANCE)
Our organic Aloe Vera is delicately harvested to protect the bio-active components of the Aloe Vera plant’s inner leaf. Aloe Vera contains more than 200 biologically active amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes, and minerals. With only 18 calories per serving and zero preservatives, Aloe Gloe Organic Aloe Water comes in 4 flavors; Crisp Aloe, White Grape, Coconut, and Lemonade.
Barritt's Ginger Beer - 10 oz bottle
Boxed Water 250 ml
JUST C
Boxed Water
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 250 mL Elopak
Intensify youthful vitality with ARYA RADIANCE.
The 250ml is perfect for hospitality, kids & more
ARYA CURCUMIN H20 (WARRIOR)
Bruce Cost Ginger Beer
Aloha by Salutti
L.A. Libations
JUST C
BCGA Concept Corp
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 11 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 8.4 oz. Can
5 Naturally Sweetened flavors w/ No Sugar Alcohols
Original, Energy, Coffee, & Chocolate
Peak performance and recovery with ARYA WARRIOR.
It's spicy & unfiltered, perfect for cocktails!
56 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Brew Dr. Kombucha – Citrus Hops
CideRoad Organic Switchel
BREW DR. KOMBUCHA
CideRoad, LLC
PACKAGING: 14 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 14 oz. Glass
This is Brew Dr. Kombucha’s ninth permanent SKU and a deliciously unique addition to the product line. Featuring organic Chinook and Crystal hops grown in Oregon, CITRUS HOPS combines the bright and floral aroma of these varietals with whole-leaf white tea, oranges and coriander. The result is a pleasing balance of citrus and floral that plays well with the slightly sweet, slightly sour flavor of kombucha. Brew Dr. Kombucha is part of Townshend’s Tea Company. It has been making craft brewed kombucha since 2008, utilizing the same high-quality organic teas the company serves to guests at its six NW teahouses. Brew Dr. controls every aspect of production from the sourcing of teas and botanicals to final packaging. Everything is done in-house, from leaf to bottle. Its products are available from the west coast through the Midwest, as well as in much of Canada. The company is adding 50,000 square feet of production space to allow for distribution through to the east coast in early 2016.
CideRoad Organic Switchel is a uniquely refreshing beverage that dates back to the very first days of our country. In fact, we refer to it as America’s Original Thirst Quencher! It’s core ingredients, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger and pure maple syrup not only taste great but satisfy consumer’s growing demand for health-conscious beverages. A perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors along with a kick of ginger create a unique taste that leaves you wanting more. We discovered switchel while cruising down a side road in New England, hence our name, Cide>>Road. An unforgettable inaugural swig led us to create our own versions of Original-Maple Ginger, Cherry and Blueberry.
Capt'n Eli's Cola
CORE® Hydration
Chia\Vie Infusions Capt'n Eli's Soda
L.A. Libations
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET
Savor our classic, old-fashioned style Cola!
Pear Mint, Grapefruit Ginger, and Cranberry Lime
Cawston Press Rhubarb Soda
Ciara's Kombucha
Cawston Press
Ciara's Kombucha
PACKAGING: 330 mL Can
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass
Fresh Pressed Juice Sodas. Not from Concentrate.
Premium, Live, Artisan Batch Produced-10 Flavors
CORE Nutrition, LLC PACKAGING: 20 oz. PET, 24 oz. PET, 30 oz. PET CORE Nutrition, LLC. is a health and wellness company founded on innovative technology and science by leaders in the beverage and music industry. Through a unique process, CORE® Hydration Premium Water is ultrapurified and then balanced with the perfect blend of electrolytes and minerals that complement the levels that naturally occur in the human body, resulting in a clean and crisp tasting water with the “Perfect pH” of 7.4. Kosher certified, CORE is available in 30 ounce and 20 ounce wide mouth closure PET and a 24 ounce sports-cap PET. CORE’s revolutionary bottle is 100% recyclable and BPA free. Be True to Your Core
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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Clearly Kombucha Ginger Mint Lemonade
EntireTea Matcha Green Tea Packets
FOCO Coconut Milk Drink
Clearly Kombucha
EntireTea
FOCO
PACKAGING: 14 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: .14 oz. Sticks/Sleeves
PACKAGING: 11.2 oz. Tetra Pak
Our newest booch, featuring organic ginger juice
All matcha, no hassle. Meet your new favorite tea.
A tasty dairy free alternative, lightly sweetened
Core Power ELITE
FIJI Water 700mL
fairlife, LLC
FIJI Water
PACKAGING: 14 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 700 mL PET
Core Power High Protein Milk Shake is proud to announce the launch of
Designed for the active lifestyle, FIJI Water’s 700mL size fits effortlessly everywhere, from fitness equipment
Core Power Elite. These new line extensions from the rapidly growing Core Power brand pack a whopping 42g of lean-muscle building protein in each 14 ounce bottle. They will be available regionally in January 2016 and will roll out nationally by mid-year. Core Power Elite will launch with two flavors – Chocolate and Vanilla.
and gym bags to car cup holders and beyond. The new bottle retains the iconic square shape, soft taste and unique mineral profile that consumers have come to know and love and the slimmer shape makes it the perfect choice for a vigorous spinning class, personal training session, daily commute or summer road trip. FIJI Water is bottled at the source in Fiji at an ancient artesian aquifer deep within the earth, where it is protected from external impurities. As tropical rain slowly filters through volcanic rock, it gathers the electrolytes and minerals that give FIJI Water its signature soft, smooth taste.
“People asked for a higher protein, lower carb version and so we’re excited to be giving it to them,” says JJ Betts, Core Power Brand Manager. “And with that same great taste people have come to expect from us in our Core and Light versions of the product.”
GO FAST! Zero Energy Drink GO FAST! Sports and Beverage Company PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can Naturally Sweetened with Zero Calories
Like all Core Power products, Elite is made from high quality ultra-filtered milk that comes directly from the progressive dairy farms of fairlife. Our delicious protein drinks never use added protein powders and are always lactose-free.
Diabolo Mint Lemonade All Natural French Soda Diabolo Beverages, LLC PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can Now with a Spearmint zing unlike any other!
FuelGood Protein
FitPro Go! FitPro USA PACKAGING: 14 oz. PET Real milk protein. Always a liquid never a powder.
58 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
GoodBelly Protein FuelGood Protein, LLC PACKAGING: 8 oz. PET An athleisure RTD protein for millennials
GoodBelly PACKAGING: 15.2 oz. PET Probiotics + 15g of plant-based protein; 3 flavors
GFUEL
H2r0se
Gamma Labs
H2r0se, LLC
PACKAGING: 9.8 oz. Powders, .02 oz. Sticks/Sleeves
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Beverage made with Rose Water & Saffron
G FUEL is a powdered All-Natural Energy Drink Formula. Whilst providing the user with a healthier alternative to sugary, carbonated energy drinks, G FUEL delivers an immediate increase in energy, focus, and endurance. G FUEL continues to push the envelop on what is possible in the realm of all forms of “traditional” sports, e-sports, and active lifestyles. Whatever your level of skill may be, our products are designed to provide the user with the ultimate competitive edge. Currently, G FUEL is available in 12 different flavors, with more on the way. Green Sheep Water
HABARITA Habanero Margarita Mix
Green Sheep, Inc.
Fiery Fusions, LLC
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass
Bottled water, but waaaaay better.
Natural Habanero Craft Margarita Mix w/ real juice
H2rOse is a specialty beverage uniquely made of rose water, saffron and other natural ingredients. The scent of rose water is beautiful and offers a number of proven therapeutic benefits. Just as rose water is commonly used to cleanse the skin as a topical skin toner that tightens pores, drinking rose water also purifies the body thanks to the flavonoids, tannins and other essential vitamins it contains (e.g. A, C, D, E and B3). Rose water also helps reduce temporary mild depression and enhances the mood; it aids with the relief of occasional nervous tensions and soothes the mind. Thanks to its de-stressing qualities, rose water is also known to help with a better quality sleep. Saffron which also dates back to ancient times is another natural remedy that supports the ease of digestion, soothes irritated stomachs, helps mild and temporary depression symptoms, occasional anxiety and compulsive desires to eat. Enjoy the benefits of Beauty and Health with H2rOse ---,---’--{@
Hatch Cold Brew
Hatch Beverage Company PACKAGING: 330 mL PET 4 Steps To Creating A Good Craft Cold Brew The Hatch Way Step 1: We ethically source only the best quality organic beans and meticulously roast them on-site on a low-emission roaster. Step 2: Our coffee is steeped for 20 hours at a cool, controlled temperature in 8 brewing tanks and carefully filtered twice.
GURU Energy Water
HARDCELL Herbal Performance Energy Shots
GURU Beverage
HARDCELL
PACKAGING: 355 mL Can
PACKAGING: 2 oz. PET
GURU Organic Energy Water
THE highest energy blend on the market.
Step 3: Each batch is cold treated using new state-of-the-art technology (first in North America) to seal in that fresh, smooth and naturally sweet taste. Step 4: Product is bottled on a custom ESL filling line, with a daily capacity of 50,000 bottles; and then stored on-site in a 22’ high refrigerated room. Every process is performed in-house, except for growing the coffee! (Not yet at least). We have a rotating menu of single origins, blends, and custom collaboration blends. Give us a call. We’re friendly people, passionate about sharing quality coffee. www.hatchcrafted.com BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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Health-Ade Holiday Cheers Kombucha
High Brew Dairy Free Black & Bold
Health-Ade Kombucha PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass
Health-Ade Kombucha
Hopwater Grapefruit
High Brew Coffee
Proper Soda
48th Parallel
PACKAGING: 8 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 8.4 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Slightly floral with hints of grapefruit
Refreshing all-natural sodas & mixers, only 48 cal
20 Calories 1g Sugar 150mg Natural Caffeine
Ginger, Cloves, Chocolate, and so much more!
Health-Ade Maca Berry, Super-Tea
Hop Soda
Hopwater Lime
Hint Kick
Hint, Inc.
48th Parallel
PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass
Refreshing all-natural sodas & mixers, only 48 cal
Maca root, Aronia Berry, and Black Currant.
Health-Ade Power Greens, Super-Tea
Hopwater Original
Health-Ade Kombucha
48th Parallel PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass Wheatgrass, Spirulina, and Camu Camu.
Health-Ade Sweet Thorn, Super-Tea Health-Ade Kombucha PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass Hawthorn Berry, Mangosteen, Rose
Sugar and diet sweeteners are on their way out, but consumers still love caffeine. Hint Kick速 is a refreshing unsweetened pick-me-up from Hint, the fastest growing flavored water company in America. Crafted with all natural Hint速 fruit essences and caffeine from green coffee beans, Hint Kick generated highly incremental sales in our launch markets and performed as well as some of our strongest Hint SKUs. Available in three tantalizing flavors, Lemon Cayenne, Black Raspberry, and Apple Pear, Hint Kick will grow your enhanced water category. Hint Kick. Caffeine, without the crap. Contact your local hint sales rep or contact sales@drinkhint.com or 415-513-4050 for more information. Honest Original Lemonade
Hopwater Ginger
Refreshing all-natural sodas & mixers, only 48 cal
Humanitea Low-Calorie Black Tea Mango + Melon
Honest Tea
48th Parallel
THE HUMANITEA CO.
PACKAGING: 32 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PET
Made with organic and Fair Trade Certified sugar
Refreshing all-natural sodas & mixers, only 48 cal
Meet our slimmer half! Simply delicious...
60 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Humm Kombucha Mango Passionfruit
Karma Probiotics
Humm Kombucha
Karma Culture
PACKAGING: 14 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 18 oz. PET
The taste is smooth & sweet as an island breeze!
A shelf-stable RTD probiotic beverage!
Ionic Sportwater
PACKAGING: 1 L PET Sodium Free SUPER Electrolyte Hydration
The Monarch Beverage Company, Inc.
Kona Deep PACKAGING: 1 L PET, 500 mL PET
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Natural electrolytes & purity from the deep ocean
Piña colada flavored craft soda, with real sugar
Kevita Turmeric Ginger, Sparkling Probiotic Tonic Sportwater Beverages, LLC
Kona Deep - Deep Ocean Drinking Water
Kickapoo Maliblu
KOH Coconut 100% Organic Pink Baby Coconut Water
KeVita
OUTERNATIONAL BRANDS, INC.
PACKAGING: 15.2 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 500 mL PET
USDA Certified Organic, Project Verified Non-GMO
15mo/ambient/ also VIVALOE aloe beverage/ NOYU TEAS
LaCroix Cúrate LaCroix Sparkling Water, Inc., a subsidiary of National Beverage Corp. PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can Discover 3 new Cúrate SKUs by LaCroix
Jay Street Coffee Extra Rich ITO EN(North America) INC. PACKAGING: 9.4 oz. PET Fresh brewed 100% Arabica Coffee Beans. rBST Free
JUST water
Kickapoo Fruit Shine The Monarch Beverage Company, Inc. PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass Sangria flavored craft soda, made with real sugar
Kickapoo Fuzzy Navel JUST Goods, Inc. PACKAGING: 500 mL Tetra Pak 100% spring water in a paper-based bottle
The Monarch Beverage Company, Inc. PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass Peach flavored craft soda, made with real sugar
Life Support
Life Support PACKAGING: 3.4 oz. PET Life Support is a “functional beverage” designed to relieve hangovers. Life Support’s active ingredient, Japanese raisin tree fruit extract, combined with its proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals, is designed to metabolize alcohol and protect the brain and liver from the damages associated with alcohol consumption. It is most effective when consumed after the last drink of the evening. Life Support is only 3.4 oz. and one bottle is the recommended dosage; no need to take multiple bottles, or remember to drink it before, during, and after. Life Support is also caffeine-free. Life Support is also the perfect product for concert and festival go-ers, holiday celebrations, and sports fans, whether they’re at the stadium tailgating, or just watching the game from the comforts of home. Make the Best Call at Last Call today with Life Support! Visit Lifesupport.com for more information!
62 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
PARTNERS IN THE PROCESS PROCESSING PACKAGING PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS PROCUREMENT WAREHOUSING TRANSPORTATION
Providing industry expertise and full turn-key contract manufacturing for ready-to-drink
CONTACT US
1-800-875-7870 1-612-252-3526 coman@scoular.com
Lifeway Protein Kefir
Matcha LOVE® Organic
minoTOR
Lifeway Foods
G3 Labs, Inc.
Upgrade your recovery with protein and probiotics.
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PET
ITO EN (North America) INC. PACKAGING: 16.9 fl oz. PET
Premium Sports Beverage
Mamma Chia Organic Chia & Greens Beverages
Mamma Chia PACKAGING: 10 oz. Glass Introducing Mamma Chia Organic Chia & Greens that combines the nutritional powerhouse of Chia with healthy greens, veggies, and fruit to provide a delicious, refreshing, on-the-go beverage. These nutritious Chia & Greens Beverages are available in four tasty flavors including Love Greens (Beet & Ginger), Soulful Greens (Cayenne & Lemon), Joyful Greens (Ginger & Lemongrass) and Grateful Greens (Kale & Mint). With one of the lowest calorie counts from sugar in the category, each bottle is packed with 2500mg of Omega-3s, 7g of fiber, 4g of complete protein, 25% RDA of Vitamin A, and 95mg of calcium.
Matcha LOVE® Organic (Unsweetened) gives the energizing taste, full vitality and health benefits of consuming the entire tea leaf. Brewed with organic whole green tea leaves and pure Japanese Matcha, each bottle contains 350 mg of Catechin tea antioxidants with zero calories. The high content of the amino acid- L-Theanine in Matcha gives a rich and delicious “umami” flavor. Conveniently packaged in recyclable BPA-Free PETE bottles, the new Matcha LOVE® Organic offers an authentic tea experience like no other in three(3) flavors- Traditional, Ginger and Vanilla. Mellow Mood
Marley Beverage Co. PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
Mamma Chia is a Certified B Corporation, a member of 1% for the Planet and a founding member of Slow Money. Mamma Chia donates one percent of sales to support farmers, community groups and organizations that build healthy local food systems. PRODUCTS: Grateful Greens, Joyful Greens, Love Greens and Soulful Greens.
Matcha LOVE®
Natural Raw C Dairy Free Protein Coconut Water ITO EN(North America) INC.
Natural Raw C Coconut Water
PACKAGING: 6.4 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 330 mL Tetra Pak
Convenient on-the-go Matcha drink-100% Matcha!
Natural Raw C coconut water dairy free protein
A natural and uniquely refreshing way to relax, Mellow Mood, created by The Marley Beverage Co., helps give you the inner calm and clarity of mind to help you be fully present in the moment. Created with our signature herbal relaxation blend, Mellow Mood now comes in a natural line of Zero flavors made up of decaffeinated teas and refreshing Sparkling Waters. Mellow Mood Relaxation Tea flavors include Peach Raspberry Black Tea, Raspberry Tea Lemonade, Peach Raspberry Black Tea, Honey Green Tea, and introducing our newest flavor, Bartlett Pear Black Tea Zero. Our line of Relaxation Zero Sparkling Waters includes: Mixed Berry, Lemon Citrus and Mango.
64 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Moonshine Sweet Tea
Mucho Gazpacho
Moonshine Sweet Tea
Bodega Barcelona LLC
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 8 oz. Glass
Moonshine Sweet Tea got started in 1946 out in the Texas Hill Country, near the ranching community of Mason, Texas. First developed as a concentrate by the Leo Cobb Porter family, their unique version of sweet tea was always brewed in the late evenings - and much sweeter and more robust than other teas. It didn’t take long for this secret family recipe to earn the title of an ‘outlaw brew’… and the name “Moonshine” was born.
Mucho Gazpacho is a delicious, refreshing and nourishing beverage made of crushed raw vegetables and tasty ingredients. All ingredients are supplied and bottled by local farmers in Southeast Spain.
Based on our 70-year-old recipe, Moonshine Sweat Tea’s six delicious ready-to-drink flavors are still brewed in the same honest fashion - one kettle at a time - with the same bold standards that have governed the State of Texas for decades. Crafted with the perfect combination of organic black tea leaves, clean filtered water and 100% pure cane sugar— Moonshine is the original Texas Sweet Tea. Headquartered in Austin—we are Texas born, Texas brewed, and Texas sweet.
This new generation of cold soups in a drinkable format offer the convenience of juice, without the sugar, plus a lot more fiber while maintaining sodium levels to the minimum for a savory experience. RTD Mucho Gazpacho is a new Gourmet appetizer or satiating snack for healthy-minded people. ATTRIBUTES: Gluten-free, vegan, no added water, not from concentrate, no preservatives, non GMO, self-stable.
From our family to yours, y’all enjoy!
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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NatureWise Energy
Organic Herbal Energy
NatureWise
Love Grace
PACKAGING: 8.4 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 10 oz. PET
NEW NatureWise Energy delivers natural energy with clinically proven appetite & stress support. All in a zero calorie, zero sugar effervescent drink that tastes so good no one will ever believe it’s good for you.
This September Love Grace announced availability of its new Organic Herbal Energy line, starting in all North East Whole Foods Markets. This line contains 3 distinct flavors: Matcha, Mocha, and Mate all formulated to be Nutritional Energy beverages for the high performer on the go.
Natural Energy: Antioxidant-rich organic matcha is blended with guarana for a powerful energy drink — without the use of synthetic caffeine stimulants. Appetite Control: Helps suppress stress-induced cravings with EssentraTrim® Ashwagandha. Includes Super CitriMax® Garcinia Cambogia, which is shown to help support a healthy weight. Stress Support: Clinically proven to help counter the body’s negative response to stress. EssentraTrim® promotes a balanced mood by inhibiting fatigue and tension caused by everyday stressors. NatureWise Energy is Non-GMO Project Verified and made with the highest quality natural ingredients, like organic matcha, organic citrus juices, and organic whole food C & B vitamins. And the flavor? It speaks for itself. Better ingredients. Better you. Noah's Spring Water 24oz CapCan Noah's Spring Water / Varni Brothers
Each of the three formulas contain trending sources of energy combined with legendary superfoods to create first to market products. The Matcha formula combines Matcha (powdered green tea leaves) with a rich and creamy chia, hemp, and coconut milk for a satisfying pick me up in only 90 calories. The Mocha formula blends cold-brewed coffee with raw cacao and medicinal mushrooms like reishi, chaga, and cordyceps to boost immune function and support anti-aging. And the Mate formula unites cold-brewed Yerba Mate tea with pineapple, green apple, and sea buckthorn berry, a unique superfood that contains the rare Omega 7. Retailing at $4.99, they are certified Organic, NonGMO, Gluten Free, Vegan, and Kosher.
One Drop
Marley Beverage Co. PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 24 oz. Can
Obi Probiotic Soda
PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass
Peach Tea Lemonade
L.A. Libations
USDA Organic Probiotic Soda
Fiery Fusions, LLC
Natural Peach Habanero Craft Margarita Mix
Natural 8.4 pH in an eco-friendly COOL Container
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Peach HABARITA Habanero Margarita Mix
Dust Cutter Beverage Co.
The Marley Beverage Cos One Drop ready-to-drink premium coffees combine our bold, Jamaican coffee blend with pure cane sugar, rBGH hormone-free milk and decadent flavors including our two new flavors inspired by timeless desserts, Swirl and Banana Split — reminiscent of child-hood indulgences at the local ice cream parlor. Inspired by Bob’s spirit to live life to the fullest, One Drop coffees treat you to life’s sweetest moments. One Drop’s flavors include Mocha, Vanilla, Swirl and Banana Split. Marley Beverage Co. has rebranded by designing all new 12 oz. slim cans to reflect the premium, natural coffee inside the can.
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PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can Peach flavored Iced Tea Lemonade
pHenOH 7.4
Positive Energy
Phenoh
Positive Energy Beverages LLC
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. Tetra Pak
PACKAGING: 10 oz. PET
Organic Plant Based Alkaline Hydration Phenoh is proud to introduce a refreshed package design and a three flavor line of all-natural alkaline hydration beverages: Active Mixed Berry, Invigorating Green Melon, and Energizing Tropical Fruit. pHenOH 7.4’s revolutionary alkaline hydration system is infused with premium essential
POSITIVE ENERGY increases your energy & mental alertness via an infusion of organic caffeine and natural fruit juices. Our Juice with a Boost! contains 125mg of organic green coffee bean caffeine and comes in seven refreshing flavors including: Orange, Cranberry, Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Peach Mango Lemonade, Lemonade Tea and Pomegranate Blueberry.
electrolytes and plant-based organic nutrients intelligently formulated to help balance your pH at 7.4 for improved health and optimal body function. Combining the benefits of fast growing plant-based hydration, electrolyte replenishment, and alkaline water categories, Phenoh has created a brand new, better-for-you and more effective hydration and nutrient delivery system. Our patented buffering formula promotes enhanced body functionality, cardiovascular wellness and dental health, while delivering rapid electrolyte replenishment and improved VO2 Max for peak performance no matter what life throws your way. All Phenoh products are low sugar, non-GMO, certified organic, gluten free and paleo friendly.
PlantFusion Complete Plant Protein PlantFusion PACKAGING: 11 oz. Tetra Pak 19g of plant-based protein and just 150 calories
Powell & Mahoney Ginger Beer
Powell & Mahoney Spiced Grapefruit Tonic Powell & Mahoney, Ltd. PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass Tangy grapefruit, warm spices, & natural quinine.
All flavors are Certified USDA Organic, Non GMO Verified, Certified Gluten Free and Certified Vegan. There is no sugar added, no artificial flavors and no preservatives. POSITIVE ENERGY appeals to everyone looking for a natural and healthy way to boost their energy. Start your morning off with a breakfast boost – drink it alone or mix it with a smoothie. Pair the lemonades with your lunch for a mid-day boost or give your afternoon the pick-me-up it needs. POSITIVE ENERGY is designed for active, demanding and healthy lifestyles.
250 FREE CUSTOM LABELS Labels & Stickers for Beverages 250 minimums available with 2 day production time on most products
Powell & Mahoney Tonic
Powell & Mahoney, Ltd.
Powell & Mahoney, Ltd.
PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass
PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass
Fresh ginger root and subtle notes of orange peel.
Complex bitterness balanced by subtle sweetness.
Questions? 866-774-7900 www.stickergiant.com/bevnet
BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
67
PowerBar® Ready-to-Drink Protein Shake Premier Nutrition Corp. PACKAGING: 14 oz. PET Available Dec 2015
Rau Chocolate Semi-Sweet Rau Chocolate PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET Dairy-free, organic, indulgent chocolate drinks
Purps Fuel and Purps Hydro
Purple Life Laboratories, LLC PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can, 20 oz. PET Purps is Kelly Slater’s nutrition brand with a line up of functional beverages formulated with nature and science to enhance your daily routine and enrich your sport. Purps is about creating better choices to grab on the go, and inspiring healthy lifestyle that naturally embraces sport, style and creative expression. #PurpsLife—>
Organic Energy Supplement
Funktional Beverages, Inc.
Formulated with Purps Natural Organic Energy (yerba mate, green tea, guarana, panax ginseng), the Purps Proprietary Purple Life FormulaTM (mangosteen, maqui berry, blueberry, grape, blackberry, açai berry), antioxdants and essential vitamins.
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
70 calories per can
Purple Stuff Classic Grape Relax
The Relaxation Category was launched in 2007 by a soda brand called Purple Stuff.
Organic Hydration Drink
8 years later the category managers have discovered it was a Brand launch and not a Category launch that had consumers going to stores. Purple Stuff is now available in numerous chain Grocery and Convenience stores. If you tried the category but left this Brand out, then you have never tried the sales and margin opportunity available to your retail outlet. Purple Stuff comes in many soda flavors, but all pour Purple.
Formulated with 20% organic coconut water, electrolytes, the Purps Proprietary Purple Life TM Formula and essential vitamins. 50 calories per bottle
RC Cola Neo
This is the Brand of premium sodas millennials have chosen as their own authentic American gourmet soda.
RC Cola International
Buyers typically do not buy any energy drink on the market, but choose the leading brands.
PACKAGING: 330 mL Glass
Buyers now Choose Purple Stuff.
From one of America’s leading cola brands comes RC Cola Neo, a direct answer to two converging trends – while simultaneously embracing desires for uncompromised flavor experiences, health-conscious consumers are choosing products with only natural ingredients. Made with natural flavors, natural sweeteners and natural caffeine, RC Cola Neo provides the calorie-reducing advantages of stevia with the classic sweetness of cane sugar. Traditionally, stevia presents a challenge for beverage makers. Stevia’s mouth feel and highly specific flavoring can be difficult to integrate into a cohesive product aimed for mass consumption. While harnessing over a century of beverage innovation experience, the development team behind RC Cola Neo worked for the better part of
We invented and Are The Relaxation Category in non-alcohol beverages! Brands create categories. Purple Stuff Grape, Berry and Cherry~Cola are the profitable and high drop density play!
Ramblin' Root Beer The Monarch Beverage Company, Inc. PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
REBBL Super Herb Elixirs REBBL PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET Coconut-Milk Elixirs Powered by Plants
Classic, smooth craft root beer, with real sugar
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three years to craft the unique flavor profile in order to ensure success in the highly competitive cola market. The result is the award-winning, full-flavor cola taste of RC Cola Neo with only half the calories of a regular cola.
Red Bull Editions Expansion
Red Jacket Black-N-Blue Stomp
Red Bull Energy Drink
Red Jacket
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET, 32 oz. PET
Red Bull introduces NEW Red Bull Orange Edition February 15, 2016, offering the taste of tangerine with the Wings of Red Bull. The new product combines great taste with eyecatching packaging, a winning combination to drive trial and repeat purchase.
For over 50 years, Red Jacket has set the standard in cold pressed juice. With continued focus on responsible farming and sustainability, Red Jacket operates a LEED certified pressing facility, powered by 100% GREEN energy, right on the orchard. Red Jacket showcases the very best of New York State farming with its premium line of STOMPS; small batch, artisanal nectars made with estate grown and native fruits of the Finger Lakes Region. This year Red Jacket is giving their classics, “Apricot” and “Tart Cherry”, a whole new look along with the introduction of the “Black-N-Blue Stomp.” Blackcurrants and blueberries give this cold pressed nectar its luxurious deep blue hue. And as you’ve come to expect, our stomps are unfiltered to maintain a nutrient punch of soluble fiber, and contain 100% fruit juice - we never add water, sugar or preservatives of any kind.
And just in time for the key summer season, the NEW LIMITED EDITION Red Bull Summer Edition in Kiwi Twist will launch nationally May 2, 2016. This light, approachable offering will help consumers to make the most of their summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
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REVd PINEAPPLE & MANGO
Silk Road Soda Cucumber with Mint
Hydro One Premium Beverages PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET US Patent, Diabetic Friendly, Sugar & Gluten Free
Rooibee Red Tea Watermelon Mint
Sound Sparkling Tea
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Cucumber with mint, and apple cider vinegar
Clean, refreshing, unsweetened sparkling teas!
Sparkling G Raspberry Sorbet Sparkling Water Socko Beverages Inc.
PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 17 oz. PET Packed with real fruit flavor, launched early 2016
SPARKLING ICE Special Edition Kevin Durant Orange Mango
Sparkling G Raspberry Sorbet Sparkling Water
Talking Rain Beverage Company PACKAGING: 17 oz. PET Proceeds go to KDFC "BUILD IT AND THEY WILL BALL"
SPARKLING ICE 12-Count Variety Packs
100% All Natural, Inc.
Socko Beverages Inc.
PACKAGING: 17 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
5 Organic Fruit Flavored Sparkling Spring Waters
Our 10 calorie, crisp and refreshing energy drink
Sanavi Spring Water
Talking Rain Beverage Company
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
Socko is a light, crisp, refreshing energy drink.
Socko Energy Slim
SPARKLING ICE Black Cherry
Sparkling G, Inc.
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
Delicious, organic, caffeine-free red tea.
Sanavi Organic Flavored Sparkling Spring Waters
Silk Road Soda
Socko Energy
Rooibee Red Tea
Sound Sparkling White Tea - Peach & Ginger
Talking Rain Beverage Company PACKAGING: 17 oz. PET
SOS Recovery Hydration
New variety pack featuring customer favorites 100% All Natural, Inc. PACKAGING: 17 oz. PET Spring Water with Natural Electrolyte Minerals
SOS Hydration Inc PACKAGING: 8 oz. Sticks/Sleeves Recovery hydration as effective as an IV drip.
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SPARKLING ICE, The Bold Side of Water, is launching a new 12 count variety pack. The new pack will feature Black Raspberry, Orange Mango, Cherry Limeade, and Kiwi Strawberry. SPARKLING ICE consumers enjoy the bold flavor combinations and varieties of Sparkling Ice and the new pack will provide them with a more convenient way to shop for their favorites. Sparkling ICE Co-Branded Seattle Seahawks 12-Count: As a way to honor loyal Seahawks fans, also known as “The 12s”, SPARKLING ICE will launch a custom variety 12-pack, which will feature Seattle Seahawks branding on the packaging.
Spider Energy - MIMIC - Classic Energy Flavor
TEAS’ TEA Organic
SPIDER ENERGY DRINK
ITO EN (North America) INC.
PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PETE 1
New from Spider Energy Drink - MIMIC with its Classic Energy Flavor has fast become our #1 selling item, and a great addition to our expanding product line of 8 great flavors!
TEAS’ TEA Organic is an award-winning line of premium brewed teas made with whole organic tea leaves and a proprietary brewing process that yields the distinct clarity and natural taste of the tea leaf. Each bottle contains natural tea antioxidants and Vitamin C, with absolutely no artificial flavors or additives. Offering unsweetened flavors and lightly sweetened with natural cane sugar, TEAS’ TEA is the perfect beverage for the discerning palate and health conscious consumer.
MIMIC was made for the hardcore energy drink consumer that desires the classic energy drink flavor of traditonal energy drinks. The major difference is that we actually made normal taste better. Loaded with tons of energy driving ingredients, MIMIC is not your ordinary energy drink, but an extraordinary alternatve to the standard me too, wanna be brands! Who are we to say, try MIMIC for yourself, and see why ordinary is now extraordinary!
TEAS’ TEA was created from the Japanese expression “Ocha no naka no Ocha”, which simply means “The Tea of ALL Teas!” Each bottle captures the thoughtful sourcing and meticulous brewing methods that ensures a refreshing experience of “ONLY THE PUREST TEA™”. Conveniently packaged in recyclable BPA Free PETE 1 bottles, TEAS’ TEA is the perfect refreshing beverage for today’s active and healthy lifestyle.
MIMIC - BIGGER BITE, BIGGER BUZZ! For more information, please look us up on the web at www.spiderenergy.com or email us at info@spiderenergy.com
Station Cold Brew Stubby
The delicious and clean finish of TEAS’ TEA Organic is a tea experience like no other.
Syfo Naturally-Flavored Peach-Pear Sparkling Water
Station Cold Brew Coffee Co.
Universal Beverages Inc.
PACKAGING: 12.6 oz. Glass
R/O Purified unsweetened fruit flavors PG/BVO free
Canada's original premium cold brew coffee #fuelup
SUJA Organic 1 Day Renewal Suja Juice PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET Daybreak Probiotic, Noon Greens, Twilight Protein
PACKAGING: 1 L PET
Introducing Syfo Peach-Pear Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water. Peach-Pear is the newest addition to Syfo Beverages’ line of exceptionally pure, healthy sparkling water products which include Lemon-Lime, Wild Cherry, Tangerine-Orange and our Original Seltzer. The clean, crisp taste and long lasting effervescence can be attributed to our unique, multi-step water purification process which includes reverse osmosis. Only the finest quality, all-natural fruit oil flavorings are used to make Syfo products. Our flavorings are free of propylene glycol and brominated vegetable oil. Syfo is truly the best zero-calorie, natural thirst quencher containing no sodium, sugar, artificial sweeteners, ingredients or preservatives. Syfo is certified kosher and made in our gluten-free facility under exacting standards. Delicious alone or blended with other beverages, the bubbly purity of Syfo is enjoyed for health, hydration, and ultimate refreshment. For more information, visit www.syfobeverages.com.
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Teaonic: I Love My Liver: For Detox Teaonic PACKAGING: 8 oz. Glass Functional readyto-drink herbal wellness tea
Tg Green Tea with ginseng Ideas 2 Launch Ltd PACKAGING: 11 oz. PET, 330 mL PET RTD green teas British designed Chinese wellness
Tu Me Turmeric Water
Titan Tea Titan Tea PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET Organic. Electrolyte Infused. Lightly Sweetened.
trimino protein infused water
Ultima Replenisher Variety Pack
Tu Me Beverage Company
Ultima Health Products, Inc.
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. PET
PACKAGING: .15 oz. Sticks/Sleeves
Low Calories, Low Sugar, three flavor varieties
All natural, no sugar, nothing artificial.
Ultima Replenisher Kids Formula Stick Packs
Miami Bay Beverage Company
Ultima Health Products, Inc.
PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET
PACKAGING: .011 oz. Sticks/Sleeves
trimino protein infused water, 4 delicious flavors
All natural, no sugar, nothing artificial.
Uncle Matt's Orange Turmeric Uncle Matt's Organic PACKAGING: 59 oz. PET Organic orange turmeric with living probiotics
Uncle Matt's Reduced Calorie Orange Coconut Uncle Matt's Organic PACKAGING: 59 oz. PET Orange Coconut with Living Probiotics
V8 +Energy - Orange Pineapple Campbell Soup Company PACKAGING: 12 oz. Can Delicious taste with Natural Energy from Green Tea
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V8 Infused Water Black Cherry Pomegranate
Vuka Natural Energy Drinks
Campbell Soup Company
Vuka, LLC PACKAGING: 16 oz. Can
PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET
Vuka Natural Energy Drinks, now in a can!
1 Serving of Veggies with Delicious Taste
V8 Veggie Blends
Wholly Oats
Wholly Oats PACKAGING: 10 oz. PET Discover the velvety smooth goodness of our fruit blends with cinnamon (spices) and oats. Please visit our website at www.whollyoats.com
Wai Koko Coconut Water Kona Mocha Campbell Soup Company
Wai Koko Beverage Co
PACKAGING: 12 oz. PET
PACKAGING: 17.5 oz. Can, 8.5 oz. Can
Vegetable Juice Blends with a Hint of Fruit
Coconut water with dark chocolate & coffee
Venice Cold Brew Black Coffee
Wild Tonic Jun Kombucha
WANU
Venice Cold Brew
WANU Water
PACKAGING: 12 oz. Glass
PACKAGING: 16 oz. PET
Bright, clean and refreshing ready-todrink coffee
Delicious nutrientinfused flavored water.
Vertical Maple Water
Watermelon HABARITA Habanero Margarita Mix
Feronia Water
Fiery Fusions, LLC
PACKAGING: 16.9 oz. Tetra Pak
PACKAGING: 750 mL Glass
Water straight from maple trees. Nothing added.
Natural Watermelon Habanero Craft Margarita Mix
Sedona Kombucha LLC PACKAGING: 16 oz. Glass Wild Tonic Jun is a light, effervescent fermented brew made with organic tea and sustainably sourced honey. It is abundant with naturally occurring raw live cultures, organic acids, electrolytes and probiotics. We use the finest, organic teas, herbs, spices and botanicals in our Jun! Our alchemist and brewmaster has honed distinctive flavors that partner with the characteristics of the honey to refresh and energize the body with every sip. Many who shy away from regular kombucha products love Wild Tonic Jun for its softer mouth feel and lighter taste that fermenting with honey provides. It is our team’s inspired intention to lead the way in introducing Jun into the functional beverage marketplace with our excellent, unique and distinctively branded product. Our Flavors: Raspberry Goji Rose, Tropical Turmeric, Rosemary Lemon, Blueberry Basil, Spiced Pear, Lavender Love, Cilantro Ginger Lime, Grapefruit Tarragon Attributes: Organic Certified; NonGMO Project Verified; Gluten Free Bee Wild. Drink Wild.
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Wyler’s Light Drink Mixes
The Jel Sert Company
XL Energy Drink XL Energy Drink Corp PACKAGING: 8.4 oz. Can, 16.9 oz. Can excellent taste providing the perfect energy boost
Zola Organic Acai Juice with Mango and Chia Zola Fruits of the World
Wyler’s Light is a top brand in the low calorie drink mix category and has announced the elimination of aspartame from the entire line. For aspartame adverse consumers and those looking for a great-tasting, low calorie, sugar free beverage, Wyler’s Light will have a distinct, new look that will feature the “No Aspartame” claim. Wyler’s Light low calorie powdered drink mixes will continue to have only 5 calories per serving and also provide a good source of Vitamin C. The newest flavor in the line-up will include Wyler’s Light Blueberry Lemonade available in the Singles to go! format. Wyler’s Light has a wide variety of flavors to choose from and has both single serve and multi-serve options available.
BEVERAGE SCHOOL
STARTING A BEVERAGE COMPANY?
PACKAGING: 32 oz. PET The goodness of acai with mango and ground chia
• Expand Your Industry Knowledge
YUP!
fairlife, LLC PACKAGING: 14 oz. PET
• Learn From Experts In Various Fields • Video-based On Demand Learning
fairlife is proud to introduce YUP!, a tantalizing blend of high quality ultra-filtered milk and rich premium flavors that are bursting with mouth-happy deliciousness for an awesome chocolate and flavored milk experience like no other! YUP! not only tastes amazing, but is a good source of protein and calcium and has 25% less sugar than ordinary 1% flavored milks, too! A satisfying reward for kids, teens, and young adults, YUP! is made with milk from the fairlife family-owned farms of Select Milk Producers, where the cows are pampered and care for the environmental is an important focus.
SUBSCRIBE NOW! www.bevnet.com/education
YUP! comes in Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry varieties and launches in select east coast markets in 2015. It is expected to roll out nationally by the end of 2016. BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
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COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP CODE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
Deb Lott
202 Front Street
Schenectady
NY
12305
518-346-6343
drinksanavi.com
48th Parallel
Brandon Dawson
4800 Ridge Road
Cincinnati
OH
45209
513-800-1829
drinkhopwater.net
A division of EuroVita Corp.
Cataryna Ubertini
12 Wall St
Huntington
NY
11743
8778342739
drink3water.com
Aileen
90 South Street
Newark
NJ
07114
862-240-1813
aloha-drinks.com
Kate Flores
6905 Aragon Circle
Buena Park
CA
90620
714-562-0848
amyandbriannaturals.com
Kevin Li
465 Johnson Ave
Brooklyn
NY
11237
212-488-0661
brucecostgingerale.com
Beaver Buzz
Andrew Drayson
7704 Birch Bay Drive
Blaine
WA
98230
604.999.3050
beaverbuzz.com
Bodega Barcelona LLC
Miriam Cloquell
1674 Meridian Avenue, Suite 500
Miami Beach
FL
33139
(305) 674 3222
muchogazpacho.com
201 Monroe Ave
Grand Rapids
MI
49503
6167101560
100% All Natural, Inc.
Aloha by Salutti Amy & Brian Naturals BCGA Concept Corp
Boxed Water
boxedwater.com
Brew Dr. Kombucha
Griffin Johnson
PO Box 42291
Portland
OR
97242
(503)235-3656
brewdrkombucha.com
Campbell Soup Company
Terence Martin
1 Campbell Place
Camden
NJ
08103
(856) 3423767
campbellsoup.com
Ed Crockett
86 Newbury Street
Portland
ME
04101
207-939-4303
captneli.com
Randy
10 Yorkshire Road
Marblehead
MA
01945
202-421-3785
cawstonpress.com
Ciara's Kombucha
Ruth Patras
3 Golf View Dr.
Little Egg Harbor Twp
NJ
08087
7327786550
ciaraskombucha.com
CideRoad, LLC
Kevin Duffy
PO BOX 520
Mendham
NJ
07945
973 543 9003
cideroad.com
Rachel Zarrow
1766 18th Street
San Francisco
CA
94107
9186064816
clearlykombucha.com
1222 E. Grand Ave.
El Segundo
CA
90245
310-640-0500
corenatural.com
Jon Pevehouse
39164 Silktree Dr.
Murrieta
CA
92563
714-702-4967
drinkdiabolo.com
Eric Green
PO Box 4008
Jackson
WY
83001
800-296-1942
dustcutter.com
Sean Bonatz
7968 Arjons Drive
San Diego
CA
92126
844-368-4738
entiretea.com
Clay Gruenstein
1001 W Adams St
Chicago
IL
60607
3126249444
yupmilk.com
Valentina Cugnasca
400 Madison Avenue
New York
NY
10017
1-800 510 7130
verticalwater.com
Fiery Fusions, LLC
Peter Ciotto
66 Morningside Drive
Palmer
PA
18045
908-601-2903
habarita.com
FIJI Water
Sofia Virani
11444 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles
CA
90064
3109668334
fijiwater.com
FitPro USA
Eric Brucia
2333 Courage Dr.
Fairfield
CA
94533
877.645.5776
fitproprotein.com
Valaya Dipongam
1247 Grand Street
Brooklyn
NY
11211
(917) 442-4814
Honor McGee
50 W 67th St
NY
NY
10023
7728280532
fuelgoodprotein.com
Heather Duchesneau
17413 FM 2920
Tomball
TX
77377
281-224-1865
mypurplestuff.com
G3 Labs, Inc.
Brian Grabowski
PO Box 1137
Phoenix
AZ
85001
623-776-5785
drinkminotor.com
Gamma Labs
Alisha Morgan
134 Bell St
West Babylon
NY
11704
(631) 755-1080
gfuel.com
Jill Hanna
2600 W. 8th Avenue
Denver
CO
80204
303-717-5957
gofastsports.com
Todd Beckman
PO Box 17460
Boulder
CO
80308
303-443-3631
goodbelly.com
Jess Page
3520 S Morgan Street
Chicago
IL
60609
305-771-1357
greensheepwater.com
GURU Beverage
Matt Ruyssers
4200 St Laurent Bvld. #550
Montreal
Qc
H2W2R2
514-845-4878
guruenergy.com
H2rOse, LLC
Navigator Sales
8271 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles
CA
90046
(469) 337-9541
drinkh2rose.com
HARDCELL
Sandy Brown
46575 Magellan Drive
Novi
MI
48377
734-674-6885
drinkhardcell.com
Hatch Beverage Company
Alfonso Tupaz
802B Cochrane Drive
Markham
ON
L3R8C9
9054743555
hatchcrafted.com
Health-Ade Kombucha
Vanessa Dew
3347 Motor Ave.
Los Angeles
CA
90034
1-844-FERMENT
health-ade.com
High Brew Coffee
Beka Nicholas
3601 S Congress Ave D100
Austin
TX
78704
5128539696107
highbrewcoffee.com
Hint, Inc.
Corinne Mele
2124 Union St
San Francisco
CA
94123
516.458.6019
drinkhint.com
Honest Tea
Wendy Derbak
4827 Bethesda Ave
Bethesda
MD
20814
301.652.3556
honesttea.com
Humm Kombucha
Jamie Danek
1125 NE 2nd Street
Bend
OR
97701
541-306-6329
hummkombucha.com
Capt'n Eli's Soda Cawston Press
Clearly Kombucha CORE Nutrition, LLC. Diabolo Beverages, LLC Dust Cutter Beverage Co. EntireTea fairlife, LLC Feronia Water
FOCO FuelGood Protein, LLC Funktional Beverages, Inc.
GO FAST! Sports & Beverage Co. GoodBelly Green Sheep, Inc.
76 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
focopure.com
COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP CODE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
Sammy Nasrollahi
314 Main Street
Greenwood
SC
29646
864-227-0663
hydroonebeverages.com
Ideas 2 Launch Ltd
Sophia Nadur
294 Bromyard House
London
ENG
W3 7BS
+447767618559
ITO EN(North America) INC.
Adam Hertel
20 Jay Street, Suite 530
Brooklyn
NY
11201
619-433-4240
George Uy
7700 Irvine Center Drive Suite 800
Irvine
CA
92618
9496480705
aryaforlife.com
Sales Inquiry
JUST Goods, Inc., 5225 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800
Los Angeles
CA
90036
844-838-5898
justbetter.com
Shanna Baccari
30-A Grove Street
Pittsford
NY
14534
5852180022
Michelle Dolge Grieco
2220 Celsius Ave
Oxnard
CA
93030
805-256-3053
kevita.com
Pat Turpin
1334 Parkview Ave
Manhattan Beach
CA
90266
310-546-8142
konadeep.com
L.A. Libations
Elaine Cotecson
80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Sierra Madre
CA
91024
(925) 326-8373
lalbev.com
LaCroix Sparkling Water, Inc.
Gabriela Alemar
8100 SW 10th Street
Fort Lauderdale
FL
33324
9545810922
lacroixwater.com
Life Support
Brad McKean
777-R Dearborn Park Lane
Columbus
OH
43085
614-551-1688
lifesupport.com
Lifeway Foods
Derek Miller
6431 W. Oakton St.
Morton Grove
IL
60053
877-281-3874
lifewaykefir.com
Jake Mabanta
23-23 Borden Ave.
long island city
NY
11101
6313354262
lovegracefoods.com
Brenna Stillwell
5205 Avenida Encinas
Carlsbad
CA
92008
6178510046
mammachia.com
Marley Beverage Co.
Mindy Spire
27777 Franklin Rd.
Southfield
MI
48034
917 622 0244
drinkmarley.com
Miami Bay Beverage Company
Casey Hoban
320 Vineyard Point Rd
Guilford
CT
06437
2039018756
drinktrimino.com
Moonshine Sweet Tea
Kevin Conrad
6500 River Place Blvd.
Austin
TX
78730
480-980-5440
Natural Raw C Coconut Water
Scott Mendelsohn
Level 1, suite 2, 20A Danks Street
Sydney
NSW
2028
0404400216
NatureWise
DavidPaul Doyle
249 E. Barnett Rd., Suites 118
Medford
OR
97501
541-239-1851
naturewise.com
Noah's Spring Water/Varni Brothers
Tony J. Varni
400 Hosmer Avenue
Modesto
CA
95351
2095211777
noahswater.com
North American Beverage Co.
Paul Imbesi
901 Ocean Ave
Ocean City
NJ
08226
609-399-1490
bermudasgingerbeer.com
Outernational Brands, Inc.
Dan Machanik
PO BOX 182
Albertson
NY
11507
1 800 920 1901
outernationalbrands.com
Phenoh
Alex Schmotter
1121 San Antonio Rd.
Palo Alto
CA
94303
415.302.0532
phenoh.com
Chris Young
3775 Park Ave
Edison
NJ
08820
732-537-1220
plantfusion.net
Mike Cancelleri
101 Academy Dr
Irvine
CA
92617
949-706-6725
drinkpositiveenergy.com
Powell & Mahoney, Ltd.
Brian Powell
39 Norman Street
Salem
MA
01970
978-745-4332
powellandmahoney.com
Premier Nutrition Corp.
Lee Partin
5905 Christie Avenue
Emeryville
CA
94114
804-640-3210
powerbar.com
Stephen Curtis
P.O. Box 2725
Grand Rapids
MI
49501
616-426-9326
propersoda.com
Chris Schaumburg
864 Production Place
Newport Beach
CA
92663
949.280.8936
purps.com
Rau Chocolate
Brian Watrous
4695 Mission Blvd
San Diego
CA
92109
508-963-0632
drinkrau.com
RC Cola International
Media Younce
1001 Tenth Avenue
Columbus
GA
31901
706-494-7544
rccolainternational.com
REBBL
Palo Hawken
1250 Addison Street #213
Berkeley
CA
94702
213-422-1881
rebbltonic.com
Red Bull North America
1740 Stewart St
Santa Monica
CA
90404
310 393 4647
redbull.com/products
Red Jacket
Kelli Foster
957 Rtes 5&20
Geneva
NY
14456
315-787-0117
redjacketorchards.com
Rooibee Red Tea
Bryon Evans
821 York Street
Newport
KY
41073
248-755-9282
rooibeeredtea.com
Sedona Kombucha LLC
Stacey Cavin
P.O. Box
Cottonwood
AZ
86326
928-632-5434
wildtonic.com
Payam Fardanesh
206 diamond oaks rd
Roseville
CA
95678
916-429-5716
silkroadsoda.com
Sam Eid
15720 N. Greenway Hayden Loop
Scottsdale
AZ
85260
480.758.4291
drinksocko.com
SOS Hydration Inc
James Mayo
369 Pine Street
San Francisco
CA
94104
4158157665
sosrehydrate.com
Sound Sparkling Tea
Salim Najjar
P.O. Box 8187
White Plains
NY
10602
845-518-0378
soundtea.com
Q.Moore
41 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn
NY
11201
929-200-2443
sparklingg.com
Pete Algarin
111 Willow Street
Redwood City
CA
94063
951-310-6066
spiderenergy.com
Hydro One Premium Beverages
JUST C JUST Goods, Inc. Karma Culture KeVita Kona Deep
Love Grace Mamma Chia
PlantFusion Positive Energy Beverages LLC
Proper Soda Purple Life Laboratories, LLC
Red Bull Energy Drink
Silk Road Soda Socko Beverages Inc.
Sparkling G, Inc. Spider Energy Drink
78 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
drinktg.com itoen.com
drinkkarma.com
moonshinesweettea.com rawc.com.au
COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY
CONTACT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP CODE
PHONE NUMBER
WEB SITE
Marty Jay Zirofsky
78 Harvard Avenue
Stamford
CT
06902
203-588-0412
sportwaterbev.com
Station Cold Brew Coffee Co.
Stephen Ballantyne
300 Campbell Ave
Toronto
ON
M6P3V6
6474023236
stationcoldbrew.com
Suja Juice
Russell Radebaugh
8380 Camino Santa Fe
San Diego
CA
92121
2152790694
sujajuice.com
Chris Hall
PO Box 549
Preston
WA
98050
4252224900
sparklingice.com
Alex Chesler
15911 Arminta Street
Van Nuys
CA
91406
818-528-5080
teaonic.com
7240 17th Court NE
St. Petersburg
FL
33702
915-850-5786
drinkhumanitea.com
Sportwater Beverages, LLC
Talking Rain Beverage Company Teaonic THE HUMANITEA CO. The Jel Sert Company
Bob Clements
501 Conde Street
West Chicago
IL
60185
630-876-4883
jelsert.com
The Monarch Beverage Co., Inc.
Tommy Little
3630 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta
GA
30326
404-262-4015
monarchbeverages.com
Seane Marie Edwards
1 Little West 12th St
New York
NY
10014
1800-TEA-0525
titantea.com
Tu Me Beverage Company
Shaina Zaidi
3607 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank
CA
91505
818-237-5105
drinktume.com
Ultima Health Products, Inc.
Bryan Bootka
5292 Warren Road
Cortland
OH
44410
713-865-1908
ultimareplenisher.com
Uncle Matt's Organic
Glen Garrity
PO Box 120187
Clermont
FL
34712
352 394 8737
unclematts.com
Universal Beverages Inc.
Cathy Crossan
PO Box 448
Ponte Vedra Beach
FL
32004
904-280-7795
syfobeverages.com
Venice Cold Brew
Chris Mueller
242 N Ave 25
Los Angeles
CA
90031
310-592-6079
venicecoldbrew.com
Vuka, LLC
Gavin Linde
990 Highland Drive
Solana Beach
CA
92075
8583695804
Wai Koko Beverage Co
Rohn Boyd
PO Box 820
Kilauea
HI
96754
808-652-0530
drinkwaikoko.com
WANU Water
Dr. Todd O'Gara
12424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles
CA
90025
212-925-2084
wanuwater.com
Wholly Oats
George Perez
Fountain Hills
Fountain Hills
AZ
85268
4808376097
whollyoats.com
Maja Sponring
521 Fifth Avenue, FL 32
New York
NY
10175
212-594-3080
xl-energy.com
Faryn Schatz
1501 Vermont St.
San Francisco
CA
94107
4157756355
livezola.com
Titan Tea
XL Energy Drink Corp Zola Fruits of the World
vuka.com
®
Beyond Alkalinity...alkaline water infused with negative (-) ions. Infused with antioxidant electrons. Helps remove acidic toxins. Experience increased cellular hydration. pH Balance Chart
5
6
most bottled water
6.5
NEUTRAL pH
7
NORMAL
8
9+ ®
www.DrinkRealWater.com
™
No nutritional claims made. BEVNET MAGAZINE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
79
Promo Parade Promotions, events & specials for the industry
Rock Legend Sammy Hagar Gets Icy With KOH Coconut Water Former Van Halen lead singer Sammy Hagar has found an innovative way to blend KOH Coconut Water with his Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum: he freezes the coconut water into ice cubes for use with the cane sugar-based spirit, according to the company. The rock
legend is a devotee of KOH coconut water and invited company executives backstage at his Memorial Day weekend concert in Lake Tahoe. Preparing himself for the show, Hagar chugged a 1L package of the electrolyte-packed liquid before his performance.
Hard Cider Gets its Own Glass: The Boston Beer Company Introduces the Orchard Glass The Boston Beer Company, maker of Angry Orchard ciders, has developed a new glass designed just for hard cider: the Orchard Glass. There are many glasses designed to enhance the flavor of wine and beer, however, Boston Beer couldn’t find a glass it felt did the same for craft cider. With cider having a renaissance in the U.S., the company wanted to give those discovering the drink the best cider drinking experience possible. Boston Beer enlisted the help of several cider and sensory experts to create a new
80 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
glass from scratch, specifically designed for the unique, fresh apple flavor profile of Angry Orchard’s most popular cider, Crisp Apple, made with culinary apples from Italy and traditional bittersweet cider apples from France. The end result of the project, the Orchard Glass, named for the cider maker’s new innovation orchard and cidery opening in the Hudson Valley of New York State later in 2015, enhances the cider’s crisp, fruit forward, fresh apple taste and aroma.
BAWLS Partners with Paramount Pictures to Promote “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” BAWLS Acquisition, parent company of BAWLS Guarana, partnered with Paramount Pictures to support the theatrical release of the film Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. In the new comedy, three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes.
When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead. The nationwide BAWLS campaign brought the fun of the film to the shelves of partnering retailers through creative, co-branded point-of-sales elements.
BAWLS Guarana also hosted a sweepstakes offering one grand prize winner a year’s supply of BAWLS Guarana, tickets to see the film, and BAWLS swag. Additionally, BAWLS created social and digital media content to drive awareness of the partnership via the brand’s various social channels and its website.
E-hydrate Teams With Veteran NASCAR Driver Derrike Cope Derrike Cope Racing #70 and E-hydrate teamed up for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race as the primary sponsor at Texas Motor Speedway in November. Professional NASCAR drivers see temperatures inside the car of over 130 degrees, according to Cope, who is the owner of Derrike Cope Racing #70. It’s common for drivers to be treated
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for dehydration, and a big reason why he partnered with E-hydrate’s premium Protein On-the-Go with electrolytes. All of E-hydrate’s natural products contain electrolytes. The brand’s premium Protein On-the-Go with electrolytes offers optimum nutritional performance for Cope, especially when he’s racing.
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Promo Parade The Famous Grouse and Owl's Brew Team Up to Develop Custom Tea Blends for Cocktail Lovers Scotch whisky brand The Famous Grouse and The Owl's Brew, a producer of teabased cocktail mixers, announced that they have joined forces to create two new tea blends: The Famous Mint Tea, a freshbrewed peppermint tea with a hint of lemon, and The Smoky Earl. This collaboration, the first official spirits partnership for The Owl's Brew, is designed to provide whisky drinkers and bartenders with quality and convenient products to create signature cocktails inspired by the classics at home and in the bar. The Famous Mint Tea is a freshbrewed peppermint tea with a hint of
lemon that nicely balances the citrus fruit notes and clean finish of The Famous Grouse. The Smoky Earl is a freshbrewed smoky Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong tea, with notes of honey and lemon, that complements the spice and dried fruit flavors of The Black Grouse. To create the customized teas, The Famous Grouse and Owl's Brew teams worked with a small group of some of the country's finest bartenders to develop blends that would complement and accentuate each of the whisky's distinct taste profiles, while also bringing classic British flavors to life as a nod to The Famous Grouse's heritage.
New Belgium Brewing Partners with Ben & Jerry’s to Highlight Climate Activism
Collectively committed to making a better impact in their global communities, Ben & Jerry’s and New Belgium Brewing have collaborated on the new Ben & Jerry’s Salted Caramel Brown-ie Ale ice cream, which will be featured in ice cream brand’s Scoop Shops as well as in pints across the country as a Limited Batch flavor. The concoction consists of New Belgium Brown Ale Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Swirls and Fudge Brownies. The ice cream, arriving on shelves this month, was unveiled Wednesday evening at a Washington D.C. launch “Brew-Ha-Ha” in the confines of the historic Howard Theatre. The launch event was heralded as “a night of music, climate activism, beer, and ice
cream.” Musicians Galactic and Dr. Dog performed at the unveiling of Ben & Jerry’s newest ice cream flavor to highlight climate activism. New Belgium Brewing and Ben & Jerry’s jointly pursued a partnership with Protect Our Winters, an organization founded by pro-snowboarder Jeremy Jones, to bridge the gap between the winter sports community and the necessary action to address climate change. A portion of the proceeds from the ice cream and the beer will benefit Protect Our Winters. Attendees at the launch event were encouraged to request action via governors in their home states to embrace Protect Our Winters and the Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions.
82 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 BEVNET MAGAZINE
Lipton Breaks Guinness World Records Title For Largest Iced Tea Lipton announced it broke the Guinness World Records title for the largest iced tea as part of the iconic tea brand's 125th anniversary celebration. Patrons at the Be More Tea Festival in North Charleston, S.C., enjoyed glasses of tea served from the 12.5 ft. pitcher used to break the record. It took 25 hours and eight 2 x 3 ft. bags of Lipton black tea leaves to brew the 2,204 gallons of iced tea for the title. Setting a new iced tea record is just one way Lipton capped off its 125th anniversary celebration. Thousands of fans attended the Be More Tea Festival at Riverfront Park at Naval Yard, with live performances from bands including Passion Pit, The Roots, Walk the Moon, St. Lucia, BØRNS, denitia and sene and Outasight. In addition to live music, festival attendees enjoyed unique, Lipton tea-infused food and drinks, and play a number of giant-scaled games, such as tea pong and a custom Lipton ball pit.