BevNET Magazine January/February 2019

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

THE EROSION OF INDULGENCE

So far, sweeter coffee drinks dominate the category.

But cold brew is changing the game.

2019

CANNABIS FOOD & BEVERAGE GUIDE

BEVNET'S BEST OF 2018 WINNERS

2019 BEVERAGE TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS

THE NEW AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS

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Contents / January – February 2019 / Volume 17 / No. 1

CANNABIS FOOD AND BEVERAGE GUIDE • 2019

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COLUMNS

FEATURES

4 First Drop Brands Hold the Key for CBD

28 Best Of 2018 BevNET’s Annual Awards

6 Publisher’s Toast A Joyous Start to 2019

32 2019 Trends This Years Hot Flavors and Ingredients

22 Gerry’s Insights Forgotten Energy

36 Spirits & Mixers Brandy, Gin and Other Spirts are Grabbing More Seats at the Table

DEPARTMENTS

40 Coffee Sweeter Coffee Drinks Dominate the Category, but Cold Brew is Changing the Game

8 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Peet’s Takes Majority Stake in Revive, Sir Kensington’s Spices, Pizza Hut Beer Delivery 14 New Products Oat Milk and Milk Tea

SHOW COVERAGE 24 Natural Products Expo West Preview

18 Channel Check Is Coconut Water Starting to Slip?

46 BevNET Live Winter 2018 Innovation and Regeneration

82 Promo Parade Pepsi’s New Tagline

48 NOSH Live Winter 2018 Growing Food Tribes

SPECIAL SECTION 53 Cannabis Food & Beverage Guide with services & suppliers

50 Brewbound Live Winter 2018 Cannabis, Company Culture, and the Future of Craft

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THE FIRST DROP

BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

Brands Hold the Key for CBD Sure, they were arguing for the success of a new business that they’re all tied to, but the panelists at our Cannabis Forum in December made a great point: the most determinative success factor for proving the legal cannabis/marijuana industry overall will be the development of strong brands.

This struck a chord with me at the time, and as I look back I understand why: the success of most differentiated CPG is brand-dependent. While medical use has created a prescription market for cannabis, which might then create space

around the new category. I fully expect that will happen with cannabis, particularly as the restricted distribution environment puts the focus on small, local brands.

What the big guys do great, however, is build scale when things start to work. So if, say, a CBD brand like a Sprig or a Recess is able to prove out that it can deliver functional psychological or physiological effects, it’s likely that one of the giants will bite the bullet and invest.

That’s not going to happen on the THC side, I think we’re all aware, because of the

rest of the company by the nose. Nestle is all in on gut health these days.

Still, there are a few partners who might make sense. As Monster and Rockstar expand their platforms to new use cases, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them deploy CBD in a SKU or two. Both brands feature so much storytelling in their portfolios that it’s easy enough to see either one trying a special edition on for size (Monster Blunt or Rockstar Rolled, natch!) But they’re not going to do it through acquisition: they have too proud a tradition of

in both over-the-counter medicine and dietary supplements, the true key to the broader consumer realm for both CBD and THC focused cannabis-based beverages will be borne by the kind of trust that brands engender.

And as heartening as it must be for startups to see the large beer companies starting to make investments in various parts of the cannabis infrastructure, it’s going to be hard for the big guys to create a cannabis brand on their own. It’s been repeated to the point of nausea, but they have all proven to be really bad at moving out of their sweet spots when it comes to product innovations in categories in which they don’t have, or buy, a significant interest.

Looking back, new categories, particularly functional ones, have almost entirely moved to the forefront via independent brands, from Gatorade to Red Bull to Muscle Milk to Vita Coco. Even when the Soda Giants have tried to introduce new concepts that eventually caught on, it’s been the outsider brands that have done it better: guarana sodas, coffee sodas, even off the wall plays like Kvass have done better when outsider brands have applied imagination and passion to define the contours

age gate issues. The beer, wine, and spirits companies have reached out already; they have the experience and personnel to meet the THC brands where they need to in terms of distribution and regulation. It’s no secret that they’ve been looking at capitalizing on the end of marijuana prohibition for a long time – the only question is whether they’ll move past beverages, and into the broader world of the vape and flower, or just cede that ground to the likes of Altria and Philip Morris.

But when it comes to CBD, which of the big companies is likeliest to align with a smaller brand? And are there any CBD beverage companies that might attract their interest? For now, it’s going to be slow: Coke has reportedly kicked the tires (although it was more of a factfinding trip) on CBD, but invested in cleanse brand Dirty Lemon only after that company shelved its own CBD-enhanced SKU. Coke could indirectly invest through one of its more progressive partners, like L.A. Libations, but it would be surprising if it takes the lead role in opening up the category. Pepsi is only moderately more likely to go forward into CBD – the Global Nutrition Group would have to drag the

internal innovation. That’s what we’re also seeing at GTs Kombucha, which recently launched its own CBD SKU. But then there’s KDP. The wide range of distribution partners left from the Dr Pepper Snapple legacy make it the one of the likeliest strategic to have some CBD brands in its system, somewhere, but what would really make it worthwhile would be if one of JAB’s broad set of coffee partners looks to add CBD as an ingredient in its range of products. The cannabinoid has already started popping up in a variety of independent regional coffee brands – given the experimental nature of much of the roster, how hard would it be for, say, Intelligentsia to roll out a bespoke CBD offshoot that combines the brand’s reputation for quality and innovation? Or imagine a Peet’s CBD Latte in certain stores? Or, on the still-independent side, what about a group like Bulletproof – as much a bodyhacking platform as a beverage type – or La Colombe?

The possibilities keep growing. As we’ve written before, there’s got to be some steak behind the sizzle in terms of functionality and science. But the chefs are there, and the grills are all heating up.

4 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 2018

Photo by Samara Doole on Unsplash

PUBLISHER’S TOAST

BY BARRY NATHANSON

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www.bevnet.com/magazine

A Joyous Start to 2019

Barry J. Nathanson PUBLISHER bnathanson@bevnet.com Jeffrey Klineman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jklineman@bevnet.com Martín Caballero MANAGING EDITOR mcaballero@bevnet.com Ray Latif CONTRIBUTING EDITOR rlatif@bevnet.com Brad Avery REPORTER bavery@bevnet.com Chris Furnari EDITOR, BREWBOUND cfurnari@bevnet.com Justin Kendall NEWS EDITOR, BREWBOUND jkendall@bevnet.com Carol Ortenberg EDITOR, NOSH cortenberg@bevnet.com

SALES

John McKenna DIRECTOR OF SALES jmckenna@bevnet.com Adam Stern SENIOR ACCOUNT SPECIALIST astern@bevnet.com John Fischer ACCOUNT SPECIALIST jfischer@bevnet.com Jon Landis SENIOR BRAND SPECIALIST jlandis@bevnet.com Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi SALES & MARKETING ADMIN kadugyamfi@bevnet.com

ART & PRODUCTION

Matthew Kennedy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Willette SENIOR DESIGNER

In this column, I’m breaking the news of a most joyous note to my life. My daughter Leigh and her husband Joe have blessed me with my first grandchild, a darling girl, Isabel. As most of you who are parents and grandparents know, there is no better or more profound feeling than bringing a child into this world. It puts into perspective what is really important and meaningful to our existence. I am on cloud nine and don’t expect to come down anytime soon.

I make my living chronicling the beverage arena, so now, I must share thoughts as the year rolls out. Last year was a strong one for the industry. The number of launches was staggering. Innovation soared, and the drive for healthfulness, functionality and efficacy was unabated.

We at BevNET have been introduced to more products than we can sample, too many to review. It’s been a dynamic time.

The marketplace couldn’t be stronger.

I was in awe of the amount of money that channeled into the hundreds or new brands. Between friends, families, angels, private and institutional money, it seemed that so many new brands could tap into the financial pot of gold. This clearly isn’t always the case as I’m often called to try 6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

to connect fledgling entrepreneurs to the money spigots. But for now, it feels more the rule than the exception. It allows these innovators to bring hopefully successful brands to market. Now it gets tough, however – turning the idea into execution.

While all these investments are well and good, the beverage industry runs on a simple premise of garnering distribution and retail penetration. There are just so many brands that can be taken on and so much shelf space devoted to them. The amount of distributors and wholesalers hasn’t miraculously expanded and while retailers grow their footprints, it isn’t enough to accommodate all the new entries. Also, when a new brand is added to the mix, it’s at the expense of existing brands. Yes, I’ve seen many brands go the online Amazon and e-commerce route, but that doesn’t give enough volume to enable the new guys to make permanent inroads.

This is a classic case of too much of a good thing. Brands are easily launched, and financially supported, but can they get the penetration into the market and fight the clutter. For all their sakes, I hope so, but for all their creativity, they need the block and tackling of the industry.

Nathan Brescia PHOTOGRAPHER

BEVNET.COM, INC.

John F. (Jack) Craven CHAIRMAN John Craven CEO & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR jcraven@bevnet.com

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BEVSCAPE

THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS

Coca-Cola Leads $15M Investment in Dirty Lemon Parent Co. Iris Nova

The Coca-Cola Company announced on Dec. 20, the acquisition of a minority stake in Iris Nova, the parent company of functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon, leading a $15 million investment round that also included former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

The world’s largest beverage company is now the largest investor in Dirty Lemon, which, since launching in 2015, has cultivated an enthusiastic audience on social media for its line of premium functional drinks that prominently feature on-trend ingredients such as turmeric and collagen.

Speaking with BevNET, Iris Nova CEO Zak Normandin said aligning with Coke gives the company the resources to be able to execute in a faster, more efficient way as it charts a path towards over $100 million in revenue by 2021.

8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

“When we look at what we are trying to accomplish with Iris Nova, there really isn’t a better partner for us [than Coca-Cola],” said Normandin. “If you look at what Coke has accomplished globally with brands and distribution, it’s really something we are using as the model for Iris Nova and the brands we are launching. The partnership gives us the resources to be able to execute in a faster, more efficient way.”

The investment was made through Coca-Cola North America’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit, which is charged with identifying and supporting the growth of beverage brands with billion-dollar potential through investment or acquisition.

Alongside Rodriguez, former AOL CEO Tim Armstron, and actress/entrepreneur Kate Hudson also participated in the funding round.

Peet’s Coffee Takes Majority Stake in Revive Kombucha

Peet’s Coffee has taken a majority stake in California-based kombucha brand Revive, giving the growing company a single long-term partner with which to build upon its existing growth. Terms of the transaction, announced in December 2018, were not disclosed.

Emeryville, Calif.-based Peet’s first invested in Revive in August 2017, leading a $7.5 million Series B funding round. In buying out the company’s previous investors – Wes Crain of Rodeo Ventures, Arif Fazal of Blueberry Ventures, Seth Rodsky of Strand Equity, Larry Kahn of Beechwood Capital, and Ilya Nykin, co-founder and managing director at Prolog Ventures – Peet’s and Revive co-founders Sean and Rebekah Lovett are now the kombucha maker’s sole remaining shareholders.

“We are really grateful for the financial partners we’ve had along the way, especially over the last three years,” Lovett told BevNET in December. “We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for those people who believe in the brand, the taste of the product, and the people within it. Now more than ever, it’s just exciting to be singularly focused with Peet’s on the purpose of Revive and that’s to get this uniquely awesome tasting product to my Midwest brethren, someday.”

As Revive’s new majority stakeholder, Peet’s consumer division president Eric Lauterbach said the coffee company will continue to integrate kombucha across all channels, including at its cafes, in store coolers and particularly on draft. He noted that schools and offices where the brand currently sells cold brew coffee on draft have begun to order kombucha as well. The two brands may also be featured alongside each other at certain brand building or tasting events.

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THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS

Sir Kensington’s Launches Spice Line, Tests D2C Sales

Condiment company Sir Kensington’s is spicing things up with a new product line and sales channel.

The brand, which was acquired by Unilever in April 2017 for $140 million, in December launched a spice kit that is sold direct-to-consumers via a microsite.

The kit, which retails for $20, contains three sachets of Turkish spices (cured sumac, black Urfa chili, and silk chili) along with two packets of Sir Kensington’s mayonnaise. Sir Kensington’s co-founder and CEO Mark Ramadan and director of special projects Zachary Seely told NOSH that the company plans to release a different spice kit each month.

Seely and Ramadan said that condiments – which are what put Sir Kensington’s on the map – and spices share similarities including being in “ordinary and overlooked categories” dominated by large monopolies and having nebulous supply chains.

“Everyone told us not to make ketchup because it was 70 percent market share by one monopolist,” Ramadan said. “That’s the sort of opportunity we’re attracted to, for better or for worse. It’s in our bones to compete with monopolies rather then just chase a trend.”

Unlike the condiments which started with ketchup, in developing the spice line, the company chose to start with a more exotic offering due to rising consumer interest in global flavors.

Seely and Ramadan also pointed

to chocolate and coffee as categories with far-flung supply chains that have seen a growing emphasis on sustainability, storytelling and differentiation as a result of consumers’ quest for new global products and stories.

“This is a generation that has been raised on Chipotle, not McDonalds,” Seely said. Beyond simply a new category, the spices also represent a new initiative for the company: selling direct to consumers. “[Direct sales] is an interesting channel for us, but food has been particularly challenged,” Seely said. “Things spoil. Things break.

We [couldn’t] open up ketchup. com and sell our ketchup there because Amazon is going to beat us at that game, so we needed a differentiated proposition.”

That’s not to say the spices will never be sold in retail. Seely said the goal is to eventually have a spice line that appeals to all consumers and helps them learn to cook.

It’s this line of more familiar flavors that will eventually go into retail, likely in 2019. Ramadan said Sir Kensington’s plan is to develop the in-store spice line in partnership with one specific retailer. The hope is to have a “curated” release in stores, while still having online only offerings as well.

“Yes we want to keep focusing on the core,” Ramadan said, “but we also want to make sure we are meeting our fans where they are, which is not always in [retailers].”

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Rhythm Looks to Fruit as ‘Kale Boom’ Slows Rhythm Superfoods is hoping a brand redesign and portfolio expansion will bear fruit.

At the Fancy Foods Show the produce snacking company debuted a new line of fruit snacks and, later this year, will reveal refreshed branding, according to CEO Scott Jensen.

The fruit line will consist of resealable pouches retailing for $3.49.

Crunchy mango bites will launch in Whole Foods in March, the crunchy mango and crunchy pineapple in HEB in May and chewy watermelon slices in Kroger in May. The new line is Rhythm’s first foray beyond vegetables – it currently sells snack packs of dehydrated beets, carrots and kale snacks.

Fruit might seem like a natural fit, and perhaps one that the eight-yearold company could have explored sooner. However, Jensen said, the company was reticent to enter the space simply because it could not keep up with the “kale boom.”

“Kale became a hero.

There were four or five years of this company’s life where it was just hold on and meet demand,” Jensen said “For us it was about following up with the demand that continued to grow every year… So when the supply caught up with the demand, we could start thinking about ‘what’s the next steps.’”

Now, however, the kale category has flattened out.

Jensen said Rhythm has continued to see double digit growth behind new categories such as carrots and beets. But fruit was a natural extension.

The company will also launch new vegetable snacks in the second half of the year along with single serve offerings, which will retail for $1.49 to $1.99, depending on the channel.

Those products will also sport a new look. The company, which has raised roughly $9 million from 301 Inc, The CircleUp Growth Fund and Blueberry Ventures, is also undergoing a brand refresh this year. Jensen expects the new look to debut in the second quarter.

Part of the impetus for the redesign is the expansion into fruit, he said, but also Rhythm Superfood’s increasingly millennial audience. An element of the rebranding will be the name of the company itself – Jensen is considering dropping “Superfoods” in favor of the shorter name of simply “Rhythm.”

“The research initially is that ‘Rhythm’ is what they remember and there’s a lot of confusion around the term ‘superfoods,’” Jensen said. “So that tends to guide you.

If it doesn’t mean what you want it to mean to consumers, why do you have it?

BREWSCAPE

For more stories, check out Brewbound.com

THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS

Pizza Hut Expands Beer Delivery to Nearly 300 Stores More than a year after launching beer deliveries throughout Phoenix, Arizona, Pizza Hut has announced plans to expand the service into 1,000 stores by mid-2019.

The national pizza chain, owned by Yum Brands, said it would expand its beer delivery service into five new states – Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina and Ohio – by mid-January. The company also plans to offer beer deliveries from more restaurant locations in Arizona, as well as California, where it launched the service last May. In a press release, Pizza Hut called the expansion of its beer delivery program “a brand priority.”

“We are proud to be pioneers of beer delivery and are well-poised to take on more markets in the coming year,” Pizza Hut chief brand officer Marianne Radley said, via the release.

In an email, a Pizza Hut spokesperson said the company was “committed to improving the modern pizza experience.”

Pizza Hut’s initial slate of brews available for delivery are produced by three major beer companies: Anheuser-Busch InBev (Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch Light, Four Peaks Brewing Kilt Lifter, Michelob Ultra, Shock Top, Stella Artois), MillerCoors (Blue Moon, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Miller High Life) and Constellation Brands (Corona Extra). Prices range from $3 to $5 per 2-pack and $6 to $12 per 6-pack.

“The beers we’ve selected are among the most popular in the United States,” the spokesperson told BevNET Magazine.

“We didn’t want to handcuff our customers to one or two beer selections because we know they like variety – and this list of offerings achieves that.”

The pizza chain does not currently sell any offerings from independently owned craft breweries, however. The spokesperson explained that the first phase of the rollout is focused on popular mainstream offerings, and the company would “evaluate craft beer opportunities in the future.”

12 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

US Beer Sales Top $35 Billion in 2018

Total U.S. beer dollar sales grew to more than $35 billion in 2018, according to retail data provider IRI. The Chicago-based market research firm, which tracks category-wide sales at major off-premise retailers, reported a 1.8 percent increase in beer dollar sales, despite a 0.3 percent decline in volume sales at multioutlet and convenience (MULC) stores (grocery, drug, club, dollar, mass-merchandiser and military) through Dec. 30.

Dollar sales of domestic premium brands (Bud Light, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light, and others), declined 4.2 percent, to more than $12.6 billion last year.

Meanwhile, five segments – imports, craft beer, domestic super premiums, flavored malt beverages and cider – grew dollar sales in 2018. Dollar sales of imported beer, the beer category’s second-largest segment behind domestic premium, increased 7.4 percent, to more than $7 billion.

Dollar sales of craft beer increased 2.5 percent, to more than $4.2 billion, last year. However, sales decelerated from 2017’s increase of 5.6 percent. In fact, 17 of IRI’s top 30 craft brands posted dollar sales declines in 2018.

At the same time, three segments grew dollar sales double-digits in 2018. Sales of domestic super premiums were up 15.2 percent, to $2.9 billion, while sales of flavored malt beverages grew 10.7 percent, to nearly $2.6 billion. Sales of cider also grew 10.1 percent, to more than $433 million. Other segments, like domestic sub-premiums and non-alcoholic beers, were in decline, however.

Texas Lawmakers Propose Companion Bills to Legalize To-Go Sales Craft breweries in Texas are once again pushing for the legalization of beer-togo sales.

A pair of companion bills that would make Texas the final U.S. state to permit to-go sales from licensed breweries were filed in both chambers on Jan. 8, the first day of Texas’ 2019 legislative session.

Introduced by Texas state Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), the bills – Senate Bill 312 and House Bill 672 – would enable manufacturing breweries to sell beer for off-premise consumption.

Currently, Texas beer producers that hold manufacturing licenses are only allowed to sell up to 5,000 barrels of beer for on-premise consumption, while the state’s brewpubs, as well as wineries and distilleries with similar manufacturing permits, are allowed to sell their products for off-premise consumption.

In a press release issued by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, which is advocating for the passage of the bill, Rodriguez said his bill “corrects a glaring disparity in the state’s alcohol laws.”

“The fact is, 49 other states already allow consumers to purchase beer-to-go when they visit a local brewery,” Rodriguez said via the release. “Texas should be a leader when it comes to supporting small businesses, not the last horse to cross the finish line.”

According to the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the proposed changes would not impact how much beer licensed manufacturing breweries are allowed to sell directly to customers, it would just give those companies the opportunity to sell the beer to-go.

The Texas Legislature, which convenes for 140 days, operates under a biennial system. If the Texas breweries are unsuccessful in their attempts to lobby for brewery to-go sales, they won’t be able to revisit the issue until 2021.

NEW PRODUCTS

THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS

Milk Plant-based beverage company Califia Farm has launched a new line of oat milks made with North American gluten free whole grain oats.

The new portfolio includes Oat Barista Blend, launching February 2019, and Unsweetened Oat Milk, launching April 2019. These new oat milks join Califia Farms’ almond, coconut and cashew plant milk offerings, and will be previewed at Natural Products Expo West in March 2019. For more information, please contact Califia Farms at (844) 237-4779.

Horizon introduced Horizon Organic High Protein Milk, a protein-enhanced organic milk. With 12 grams of organic protein per 8 oz. serving, Horizon’s newest milk provides 50 percent more protein per serving than traditional dairy milk offerings. The product is available in three flavors: Reduced Fat Chocolate, Reduced Fat Plain and Vitamin D. Horizon Organic High Protein milk is available nationwide, with an MSRP of $5.99 per 64 oz. multi-serve carton for all three varieties.

For more information, please contact Horizon Organic at (888) 494-3020.

Tea ITO EN North America has launched two new ready-to-drink milk teas in two flavors: Matcha Milk Tea, made with 100 percent Japanese matcha, and Black Milk Tea, made with Sri Lankan black tea leaves. The new products are packaged in BPA-free 11.8 fl. oz. PET bottles with 140 calories (matcha) and 150 (black) calories per bottle and are both sweetened with cane sugar.

The teas are available in specialty and grocery channels for a suggested retail price of $2.49 per bottle. For more information, please contact ITO En North America at (718) 250-4000.

As the first products in its beverage portfolio, MindFull, Inc. has launched two brands, Gaiam and Vibe, both ready-to-drink organic electrolyte tea brands. Both product lines launched nationwide in January in retail stores and online. Gaiam is an organic green tea while Vibe is an organic black tea, and both made with artesian spring water which 14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

includes naturally-occurring electrolytes and minerals. For more information, please contact MindFull at info@mindfull.com.

Water Yönalé Birch Water is certified USDA Organic, non-GMO, low-sugar, paleo-friendly, ketofriendly, and does not contain added water or preservatives. Yonale supports energy, immunity and kidney and thyroid functions and is also a hydrating, natural sports drink. Yönalé contains high levels of manganese, a mineral support blood sugar regulation and bone structure. The product has Tetra Pak packaging, a sustainable and low-carbon packaging option, and is available in Original and Bilberry for an SRP of $3.99. For more information, please contact Yönalé at (651) 414-1740.

CSDs In March 2019, DRY Soda Company will launch Ruby Citrus as the newest flavor in its DRY Zero Sugar soda line. Ruby Citrus will join Cola, Peach Tea, Mountain Berry and Island Fruit in the DRY Zero Sugar lineup and will be the first organic, zero-sugar, citrus flavored soda, according to the company. The product will be available in six-packs of 12 oz. cans at a suggested retail price of $5.99-$6.99.

For more information, please contact DRY Soda Company at (888) 379-7632

CBD Right On Brands, Inc. has announced the addition of four sparkling water SKUs to its ENDO Water product line. ENDO Sparkling Water is available in Watermelon, Lemon Lime, Cucumber and Pure Club Soda Water.

The products are available in 16 oz. bottles and contain 10 mg of Endo hemp oil. For more information, please contact Right On Brands, Inc. at (424) 259-3521.

Cold-pressed lemonade producer Honeydrop has launched a line of CBD-infused lemonades

NEW PRODUCTS in collaboration with Evo Hemp. The products are made with 20 mg of premium U.S.-grown CBD sourced by Evo Hemp and one teaspoon of raw U.S. honey. The line is available in three flavors -- REVIVE (Matcha), RELAX (Lemon) and REHAB (Turmeric) -- that contain 4 g of sugar per bottle. The products will initially be available in Southern California and the New York tristate area for a suggested retail price of $5.99. For more information, please contact Honeydrop at (832) 649-8663.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water has launched Flow Glow CBD-Infused Alkaline Spring Water made with botanical extracts and antioxidants in a concentrated 330 ml format. The product is sold in select countries and states where CBD products are available. For more information, please contact Flow Alkaline Spring Water at (844) 356-9426.

Sports Drinks GacLife, a direct-to-consumer gac superfruitinfused beverage brand, announced the launch of Gac Sport. The new drink contains antioxidant carotenoids and electrolytes, no added sugar, no preservatives and has 10 calories per can. Gac Sport is available in lemon + electrolyte flavor and comes in a 6-pack of 12 oz. recyclable aluminum cans. Gac Sport is available online for $24.00 per 6-pack including shipping for one-time purchase, or $19.20 per six-pack for monthly subscription including shipping.

For more information, please contact GacLife at (310) 905-7886.

Protein Plant-based protein drink brand Koia announced the launch of Koia Keto, available in three flavors: Chocolate Brownie, Cake Batter and Caramel Creme. Koia Keto contains 12 grams of protein, no added sugar, and like all Koia products is vegan, Non-GMO Project verified and free of dairy, soy and gluten.

The line is now available exclusively at Whole Foods Market and at DrinkKoia.com for $4.99. For more information, please contact Koia at info@drinkkoia.com.

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Coffee PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans has launched PJ’s Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, the company’s first ready-to-drink offering. P.J.’s Nitro Cold Brew infuses nitrogen gas into its classic cold brew Viennese blend to create a creamy, stout-like effect. The product contains zero calories and is available in two flavors: Original and Southern Pecan. PJ’s Nitro Cold Brew Coffee is available at all U.S. PJ’s locations for $3.50. For more information, please contact PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans at (985) 792-5899.

Juice Ceres Juice has announced the launch of Fruit Smoothie to Go, a sippable snack made from 100 percent pure fruit in an on-the-go pouch.

The smoothies are free of dairy, refined sugars, gluten and artificial ingredients and are available in three flavors: Mango, Tropical and Apple Berry. The products are sold at select Costco stores in Northern California and Los Angeles regions as well as online at OrganicCeresJuices. com or at Amazon.com. For more information, please contact Ceres at (800) 778-6498.

Spirits Coconut Cartel has expanded into the liquor industry with the launch of its first premium rum, a blend of Central American dark rum infused with coconut water. Coconut Cartel is 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) (80 proof) and is available in 750 ml bottles for a suggested retail price of $36.99. It is currently available in New York, Florida and California and available to ship to 42 states online through the website.

For more information, please contact Coconut Cartel at (305) 859-1695.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Catoctin Creek Distillery is releasing two limitededition Bottle in Bond Spirits, Rabble Rouser Rye Whisky and 1757 Virginia XO Brandy, both 100 proof with 50 percent ABV. Both are launching on Feb. 16. The 1757 Virginia XO Brandy has been aging since 2010 in

53-gallon Bordeaux red-wine casks, making it both Catoctin Creek’s oldest release to date, and has rich hints of grape, raisin, date, fig, bread pudding, cherry and stone fruit. The Rabble Rouser Rye Whisky has a flavor profile of clover honey, uncured bacon, deep earthy spice, sandalwood, white peaches, nectarines, peanuts and a hint of mesquite. The Rabble Rouser Rye Whisky will be available for $95.99/750 mL and the 1757 Virginia XO Brandy for $89.99 / 750mL at the distillery and through a limited number of select fine retailers across the Catoctin Creek distribution footprint. For more information, please contact Catoctin Creek at (540) 751-8404.

Craft Distillery Copper Fox has launched SASSY Single Malt Rye distilled with 100 percent Virginia Rye. Its tasting notes include light mahogany in appearance with aromas of anise, cinnamon, and root beer/cola. It coats the tongue with a smoky spiciness that lingers on the palate, but eventually mellows into notes of dried cranberries and black licorice. 90 proof.

It is available at an SRP of $56.99 for 750 mL.

Copper Fox Distillery products are available in 22 states, Washington, D.C. and The Netherlands. For more information, please contact Copper Fox Distillery at (540) 987-8554.

Atelier Vie announces three new releases: Riz, an aged rice whiskey, a special “El Jefe” edition of Orphan Street Brandy, and new brand Calio Rum. Calio Rum, made from Louisiana molasses, is bottled in 750ml at 90 proof and available for $35. Calio Rum is also in stock for wholesale purchase from Louisiana distributor International Wine and Spirits. The Original Louisiana Rice Whiskey is bottled in 750ml at 90 proof, with a retail price of $65. Orphan Street Brandy “El Jefe” Edition comes in a 750ml bottle at 100 proof and has been aged two years. It is limited to 18 handnumbered bottles and is $100 plus sales taxes.

For more information, please contact Atelier Vie at (504) 534-8590.

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Subscribe to the iTi Innovation blog for recipes, infographics, and more.

ititropicals.com/blog 17

CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY ASEPTIC JUICES

Is coconut water starting to slip? A look at Aseptic Juices, the largest beverage category in which the core brands are represented, would seem to indicate some softening in the drupe extract business. Each of the original “big three” – Vita Coco, Zico, and ONE – has lost sales volume and only a couple of smaller brands are showing any kind of progress. In refrigerated, it’s a different story, with Harmless Harvest, Vita Coco and Zico cold-channel offerings up a bit but that’s in a much smaller category group. Expect some retrenching and innovation as the summer takes hold.

ASEPTIC JUICE DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Vita Coco

BRAND

$191,534,673

-5.0%

Juicy Juice

$55,445,248

-7.0%

Apple & Eve

$47,828,263

-1.6%

Minute Maid

$33,599,898

-6.6%

Capri Sun

$30,821,164

2.9%

Private Label

$22,101,312

4.3%

Zico

$17,722,744

-16.2%

Motts

$12,883,399

16.7%

ONE

$12,558,501

-31.1%

Goya

$6,571,830

16.1%

C2O

$5,328,681

26.7%

Apple & Eve Organics

$5,271,738

32.6%

Naked

$5,172,012

-27.6%

Apple & Eve Sesame Street Organics

$4,233,778

31.1%

Tree Top

$3,970,791

4.9%

Apple & Eve Sesame Street

$3,379,541

-42.8%

Foco

$3,116,039

4.9%

Zola

$2,717,114

-17.7%

Juicy Juice Organics

$2,329,295

35.1%

Motts Sensibles

$2,104,748

N/A

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME $35,260,429,343

1.8%

Energy Drinks

$12,281,153,383

7.9%

Bottled Juices

$7,074,899,066

-0.5%

Tea/Coffee

$6,701,070,865

3.7%

Bottled Water

$16,742,536,893

7.2%

Liquid Drink Enhancers

$329,131,355

6.7%

Beer

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 12/30/18

18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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CHANNEL CHECK RTD TEA BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Lipton Pure Leaf

$712,400,910

1.7%

AriZona

$567,050,969

-2.3%

Gold Peak

$399,566,154

3.6%

Lipton Brisk

$369,092,647

2.4%

Monster Rehab

$298,746,642

-0.8%

Lipton

$284,470,877

-2.7%

Snapple

$243,973,001

7.2%

Lipton Diet

$171,787,234

-5.5%

Diet Snapple

$126,628,286

-18.2%

AriZona Arnold Palmer

$126,505,487

0.4%

ENERGY DRINKS

INFUSED Passion

BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Red Bull

$2,920,039,782

2.1%

Monster Energy

$1,732,168,805

9.1%

Red Bull Sugar Free

$776,803,228

8.6% 13.9%

Monster Energy Zero Ultra

$678,587,720

NOS

$452,703,028

7.6%

Monster Energy Lo Carb

$286,125,608

-2.3%

Monster Mega Energy

$236,510,357

-2.0%

Red Bull The Blue Edition

$222,476,092

13.0%

Rockstar

$208,092,395

-7.7%

Red Bull The Yellow Edition

$203,173,996

17.7%

SPORTS DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Gatorade Perform

BRAND

$1,876,416,036

-14.9%

Gatorade

$962,168,679

46.9%

Gatorade Frost

$899,391,867

15.9%

Powerade ION4

$757,946,715

-0.5%

Gatorade G2 Perform

$261,769,100

-3.3%

Powerade Zero ION4

$258,434,631

18.8%

BODYARMOR Superdrink

$240,644,494

133.4%

Gatorade Fierce

$230,576,286

-11.9%

Gatorade Flow

$229,607,469

13.7%

$188,918,119

8.7%

Powerade

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DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus

$47,790,734

0.4%

Odwalla

$29,142,283

7.7%

Shamrock Farms Rockin’ Refuel

$15,117,395

-42.4%

Shamrock Farms Rockin’ Protein

$12,247,904

N/A

Private Label

$5,557,154

2.9%

Bolthouse Farms Strong

$4,526,373

N/A

REBBL

$378,397

195.0%

Koia

$48,560

N/A

Karuna

$27,313

-7.4%

Columbia Gorge

$26,936

-54.7%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 12/30/18

BOTTLED WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$2,888,304,643

10.4%

Dasani

$1,069,915,167

-1.4%

Aquafina

$1,055,871,980

-2.1%

Glaceau Smart Water

$831,303,004

2.8%

Nestle Pure Life

$825,093,508

-6.8%

Poland Spring

$703,727,134

3.3%

Glaceau Vitamin Water

$492,609,675

0.9%

Fiji

$445,902,180

-1.0%

Deer Park

$425,327,872

5.3%

Ozarka

$397,720,031

7.4%

SPARKLING WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$547,727,965

9.4%

La Croix

$458,418,216

25.0%

Sparkling Ice

$426,209,452

9.7%

Perrier

$280,166,932

6.0% 15.6%

Polar

$170,041,513

San Pellegrino

$144,263,249

8.4%

Topo Chico

$113,278,791

38.4%

Bubly

$108,993,877

N/A

La Croix Curate

$60,968,652

10.4%

Schweppes

$60,355,186

-6.6%

CRAFT BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Blue Moon

$334,297,713

-1.9%

Samuel Adams

$256,654,585

-7.2%

Sierra Nevada

$252,064,642

3.2%

New Belgium

$201,593,640

-3.3%

Lagunitas

$182,753,832

0.7%

Leinenkugel Specialty

$151,680,816

-16.0%

Shiner

$132,941,774

-2.6%

Founders

$108,183,412

32.4%

Shock Top

$92,058,148

-17.2%

Stone

$79,823,404

6.9%

FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Smirnoff

$341,279,205

14.8%

Twisted

$323,631,885

21.8%

Mike’s Harder

$303,274,280

11.0%

Mike’s Hard

$265,205,086

-3.1%

Bug Light Lime

$252,532,954

-15.2%

Redd’s

$230,745,912

-18.7%

White Claw Hard Seltzer

$194,505,683

241.7%

Four Loko

$145,348,604

-5.4%

Truly Spiked & Sparkling

$131,439,528

178.8%

Steel Reserve

$70,708,453

18.2%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 12/30/18

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appliedfoods.com/caffeine 21

GERRY’S INSIGHTS

BY GERRY KHERMOUCH

Forgotten Energy These days it’s easy to get excited about emerging categories with breakthrough potential like kombucha, coldbrewed coffee and plant-based protein shakes. No question, they warrant the attention, but they’ve made it easy to take for granted another marvel of continuous innovation and growth, energy drinks. But this category is undergoing a wave of disruption that suggests that complacency is a long way from settling in.

I’m writing this column on the heels of Monster Beverage’s grand reveal of its new Reign brand, its effort to play in the subcategory of performance energy drinks that’s seen VPX Sports’ Bang Energy and a flock of other brands commanding increasing shelf space and consumer interest. Relatively new, Bang has taken the beverage business by storm, racking up massive growth with its candy-colored cans containing “super creatine,” branch-chain amino acids and a massive dose of caffeine. By now it commands a 4 share nationally, even with no meaningful distribution yet in key metros like New York.

In some West Coast markets it’s approaching a 10 share. And it’s just begun to extend into coffee and other adjacencies. For some wholesalers, it’s become their biggest profit pool, more so than familiar beer and nonalcoholic brands. (And never underestimate the grudge factor: for Bud wholesalers still smarting from the desertion of Monster for the Coke system, it’s become a handy tool with which to try to inflict retribution.)

But it’s not only Bang. There are other entries worth a gander. The purportedly calorie-burning Celsius has been active for 15 years now but there are signs it is starting to break out, and its Celsius Heat entry also targets gym rats and other active users. Cellucor’s C4 brand also is showing great promise out west; it’s just beginning to assemble a cohesive DSD network. A heartland brand called 3D that’s tied to the body-building icon Christian Guzman (but sports a conventional energy blend and keeps the caffeine to 200 mg) has been building up a head of steam, too.

Of course, this activity is occurring at a time that there are no overt signs of struggle in the conventional energy category, at least not among the leaders Red Bull and Monster, which continue to grow 22 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

with only occasional bouts of promotional craziness. Still, disruptors like Bang can roil the category dynamics enough to create an opening for others who’ve struggled for a relevant position. Keurig Dr Pepper, reliant on the minuscule sales of its Venom brand, may well try to play here (though its arsenal of coffee brands indirectly gives it another play in energy). PepsiCo, enduring plunging sales of its Amp and Kickstart brands even as its distribution ally Rockstar struggles to get back to growth, could shoot for a do-over. (For starters it’s taken Rockstar’s restaged XDurance brand as a way to play in the performance space.)

There are other currents here: Plantbased energy entries finally may be ready to pick up steam, with brands like Guayaki, Runa and Hiball making sustained pushes, the latter in the hands of the AnheuserBusch InBev marketing and distribution machine. They finally seem to be making inroads into that prime channel for conventional energy drinks, convenience stores, suggesting that the core c-store shopper may no longer perceive himself as invulnerable to predations of high sugar content and artificial ingredients. Another imponderable is what effect the advent of cold-brewed coffee is having on energy.

After all, these items are plant-based, contain no artificial ingredients and often no sugar, and there’s no question they carry great intrigue among younger consumers. If they’re taking a bite out of sales so far, it’s hard to see from Monster and Red Bull’s continued growth, but with their prices only lately descending toward those of energy brands, it’s still early days.

I can detect a few worrisome signs, both for Bang and for the performance segment as a whole. While Bang marketer VPX is a seasoned player in the energy game via its Redline and other brands, it has a checkered reputation in its dealings with DSD wholesalers in the past, frequently pursuing a scorched-earth policy as it’s retreated to a self-distribution model. So even as they’re enjoying the ripe rewards of carrying Bang, many of its wholesalers are wary of what the endgame may be. Further, Bang may be facing some jeopardy on legal grounds: a patent it won for its creatine blend was voided a year ago after it came to light that

it involved similar IP to one already held by a Russian group; that group’s U.S. licensee, ThermoLife, has sued VPX while licensing the IP to rival brand C4. Monster Beverage has also sued VPX, claiming many of its claims are bogus. There are even rumblings that VPX has heard from the marketers of the Beats headphones over the similarity of its “B” icon. You can be sure Bang’s rivals are reminding prospective wholesalers and retailers of these risks as they try to make space for themselves.

I see another area of concern. It was only a few years ago that energy drink executives were up on Capitol Hill defending their products against allegations that they were injuring and killing American youth.

The marketers stepped up with concessions on their youth marketing, and when the FDA could find no scientific evidence that these brands posed a problem, the furor died down. One can’t help but wonder whether new brands containing 300 mg or more of caffeine could renew the controversy, considering that the FDA suggests 400 mg as a general daily limit. (of note as most of these entries are packed in non-resealable 16-ounce cans, it’s hard for their marketers to try to argue that those products represent multiple servings, even if their nutrition panel may pretend otherwise.) So the category could be asking for renewed government scrutiny, and of course the class action bar will pounce as soon as it detects a vulnerability.

Those risk factors aside, it’s an exciting time in energy drinks. Encouragingly to me, one thing that hasn’t changed is that all of the key players remain independent, keeping their innovation and marketing vibrant, and maintaining a modicum of decorum in their promotional pricing strategies. Essentially still operating as entrepreneurs, they continue to show a bias for pushing the envelope, in the process keeping the segment pulsating and unpredictable. Hopefully, they won’t prove to have pushed the envelope too far with some of these newer entries.

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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SHOW PREVIEW

BY BEVNET STAFF

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

Natural Products

Anaheim, Calif.

Education and Events:

More than 330 different

Expo West 2019

Anaheim Convention Center

March 6 – 9, 2019

beverage brands

Anaheim Hilton

Trade Show:

and approximately

March 6 – 9, 2019

80,000 attendees

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Thursday, March 7: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Erin Brockovich –

Friday, March 8: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Ryan Devlin –

President, Brockovich Research & Consulting

Co-Founder, This Bar Saves Lives ALPHABETICAL EXHIBITOR LIST

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

3 Water

N537

Bluestone Lane

4pure, Inc.

8704

Blume Honey Water Llc

8th Wonder Tea

H828

Bold Brew Coffee

A2 Milk

N628

Acai Roots

1978

Alo Drinks By Spi West Port, Inc.

449

Aloha

111

Booth 7410

Exhibitor

Booth

Chameleon Cold Brew

5161

Cheribundi

5557

8512

Clear Cut Phocus

H939

Bonafide Provisions

N924

Clearly Kombucha

N240

Bos Brands Inc.

N1939

Cocktail Crate

Boxed Water Is Better Llc

5554

Coco Luxe/Company Source 2 Shelf

H1208

N1549

7814

Brainjuice

N339

Coco5

N222

Argo Tea

4909

Brands Of Britain

N730

Coconut Beach

N518

Avitae Caffeine + Water

5737

Brands Within Reach Llc

1566

Core

5178

Ax Water

7008

Brew Dr. Kombucha

N1816

Coromega

4000

B-tea Beverage, Llc

N243

Britebevco, Inc.

8422

Counter Culture Llc

H1214

H327

Crystal Geyser Water Company

H602

Bai Brands, Llc

351

Bru Broth Llc

Bcga Concept Corp

216

Buddha Brands Co.

5275

Cusa Tea

N2014

Berri Pro

5200

Buddha Brands Co.

N710

Dahlicious, Llc

5269

Berri Pro

N1901

Buddha Teas

N928

Danone North America

1315

Better Booch

8318

Bulletproof

4963

Dark Dog Organic Energy Drink

4973

Beyond Watermelon Water

N644

Bulletproof

4966

Detox Water

N1016

Bhakti

5067

C2o Pure Coconut Water, Llc

4957

Dream Water

Bhoomi Cane Water

H1205

Califia Farms

5192

Drinkmaple

N1626

Big Watt, Inc

7505

Califia Farms

5294

Dry Soda Co.

N1008

Biosteel Sports Nutrition Inc.

H903

Castellon Coffee

H503

Dunn's River Brands

5175

Bitter Love

N549

Cave Shake

N1036

Elmhurst Milked

5550

Blackmp Living Water

N149

Cawston Press

N2111

Epicurean Food & Beverages

N1429

Blk Beverages

N709

Celsius

N833

Essentia Water, Inc.

1486

Blossom Water

200

Ceres Fruit Juice

1662

Evy Tea

N1541

Chai Diaries

N936

Farmhouse Culture

5057

Blue Bottle Coffee

N1508

BevNET, NOSH and Taste Radio will be interviewing, broadcasting and filming throughout the event. If you’re attending or exhibiting, let’s connect! Reach out at news@bevnet.com, news@nosh.com, or ask@tasteradio.com 24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

4915

SHOW PREVIEW Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Fentimans North America, Inc.

H1124

Fire Cider

2430

Five Star Foodies

Booth

Honeydrop Beverages

5252

Mati Energy

H1012

Hoplark Hoptea

H1112

Me & The Bees Lemonade

N1307

5375

Hubert’s Lemonade

1445

Metta Beverage Inc.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water

N1413

Humm Kombucha

N1422

Flowater

3551

Ice Age Beverages

110

Forager Project

5072

Icelandic Glacial

Formula Four Beverages (usa) Inc.

1882

Milkadamia

N428

Minute Mixology

H1207

5346

Misfit Juicery

N2049

N1523

Icelandic Glacial

5347

Mooala

N230

Forto Coffee / Stur Drinks

5181

Icelandic Glacial

5350

Mr. Mak's Ginbao

N1248

Four Sigmatic

N314

Iconic Protein

N1204

N.o. Brew Iced Coffee

H929

Fulfill Food & Beverages (Karuna)

N2108

Igzu Llc

N1303

Naked

Gaclife Llc

H626

Immordl, Inc.

8620

Napa Hills Llc

Get Bizzy Inc

N1333

Ingenuity Beverages

4534

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Co.

Ginger People, The

217

Inko's Tea

238

National Honey Board

Ginger Shots, Llc

N642

Iq Juice

5436

Nestle Waters North America

417

Ginseng Up Corp

N1931

Ito En (north America), Inc.

650

New Age Beverages

301

Glossop's Syrup

8421

Just Water

N235

New Attitude Beverage Corp.

5319

Gojai Beverages, Llc

H708

Karma Wellness Water

5783

New Barn

Goldthread Llc

N1115

Kevita Sparkling Probiotic

2421

Nimble Nectar

Good Idea Inc

7300

Kidsluv

7204

Numi Organic Tea

2444

Good Karma

5376

Kiito, Inc.

H922

Nutpods

N1804

Goodbelly By Nextfoods

5082

Kohana Coffee

N906

Nuun Active Hydration

5413

Koia

N2007

Oatly

5389

Green Energy

342

605 H1031

2498A

N1547

5023 N2246

Green-go Cactus Water

7200

Kokomio

N1543

Obi Soda, Llc

H1006

Groundwork Coffee

N1812

Kona Deep

N639

Obrigado

N828

Guru Beverage

2335

Kor Shots

N2033

Ocean Spray Ingredients

H-factor

N2019

L.a. Libations

4945

Oceans Halo

5600

H2coco Pty Ltd

H901

L.a. Libations

4948

Oceans Halo

N1744

H2ops Sparkling Hop Water

H110

La Colombe

1575

Odwalla, Inc.

1645

H2rose, Llc

372

Lacroix Sparkling Water

521

Only What You Need

5065

Hain Celestial Group, The

630

Lakewood Organic Juice Company

1736

Oral I.v. Hydration

8515

8404

Orgain, Inc.

2404

149

Halo Sport

H525

Lemon Perfect.

Happy Moose Juice

9300

Lemoncocco

312

Organic Valley

1737

Harmless Harvest Inc.

5140

Lifeaid Beverage Co

5761

Owl's Brew

5352

Harney & Sons Tea Co

1050

Lifeway Foods, Inc.

755

Pacific Foods

1751

Hawaii Volcanic Beverages

N111

Lifeway Foods, Inc.

N529

Peet’s Beverage Division

5078

Hawaiian Ola

N633

Lily Of The Desert

4357

Pervida Inc

8016

Hawaiian Springs, Llc

N140

Limitless

5024

Phenoh Inc.

8322

Health-ade Kombucha

5793

Lion Tea

H1121

Pickle Juice Company, The

2590

Health-ade Kombucha

5794

Live Soda

5605

Picnik

5102

Healthverve Food Manufacturing Usa

1487

Lorina Inc. - Maison Geyer

5665

Pocas International Corp.

Hella Cocktail Co.

H424

Love Beets

5547

Polar Beverages Inc

N2237

Hellowater

8309

Madrinas Coffee

N246

Pop And Bottle Inc

N337

Hemp2o

2087

Malk Organics

N342

Positive Beverage, Llc.

H517

Heyday Beverage Company, Llc

N1909

Mamma Chia

2475

Powell & Mahoney Ltd

N1548

5011

Hiball / Alta Palla

339

Mansi, Inc.

8913

Premier Protein

5320

High Brew Coffee

5565

Maple Guild, The

N1119

Pressery

N1208

Hint, Inc

5219

Maple Hill Creamery, Llc

5722

Protein2o Inc.

N2010

Hint, Inc

2727

Marquis Beverages

5345

Proud Source Water

H225

Holy Kombucha, Inc

N647

Matchabar

4994

Pure Steeps Beverage, Llc

1461

Honest Tea

1545

Matchabar

N445

Q Drinks

4911

26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Exhibitor

Booth

Exhibitor

Booth

Qii

N1752

Szent Bev Co

7406

Qure Water

5502

Talking Rain Beverage Co.

5135

Qure Water

N2252

Taste Nirvana Int'l Inc.

5040

Rau Chocolate

N1230

Tea Crush

8208

Rebbl

5385

Tea Drops

H1102

Rebbl

5386

Teaonic

8505

Recov Beverages Dba Thirty Drink

H321

Teariot

N1952

Red Ace

4377

Teatulia Organic Teas

N929

Reed's Inc.

477

Teatulia Organic Teas

N931

Remedy Organics

N1937

Teeccino

Rethink Water

N2107

Temple Beverages Llc

N2041

2120

Revive Kombucha

5393

Tiesta Tea

N324

Riff Cold Brewed

H1039

Tigernuts

H1125

Ripple Foods Pbc

N646

Tio Gazpacho

N400

Rise Brewing Co.

N1934

Topo Chico

1752

Rise Kombucha

8119

Treo Brands

5683

Roar Beverages

8518

True Fresh Hpp

N2116

Runa Clean Energy

5314

True Nopal Cactus Water

1782

Rushmore Superfoods

2003

Truvibe Organics

2200

Sana Hemp Juice

N1706

Turveda

N221

Sanavi

N1305

Uncle Matt's Organic, Inc.

N2317

Seasons Sparkling

7303

Unique Beverage Company Llc

N813

Shadetree Organic Lemonade

2494

Uptime Energy

5483

Shaka Tea

N1428

Vara Food & Drink Co Ltd

213

Siggi's Dairy

5214

Veggemo

N519

Simply Juices & Drinks

1645

Vermont Village

5489

Sipp Sparkling Organics

1970

Verve Coffee Roasters

8319

Sir Owlverick's

7800

Vink & Beri Llc

1791

Skratch Labs Slingshot Foods

196

Vita Coco

830

N634

Vive Organic

N1747

Smari Organics

5653

Volant Coffee Co.

H210

Snoooze

H704

Voss Artesian Water From Norway

5461

So Good Brand Inc.

N1329

Vpx/redline

H526

So Natural Juices

8110

Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water

N318

Som Sleep

5297

Wandering Bear Coffee

H306

Sound Sparkling Tea

N820

Wanu Water

207

Spindrift Beverage Co. Inc.

5531

Waterloo Sparkling

N131

Spinning Wheel Brands

H831

Wave Soda

N1406

Splash Mixers

H905

Wild Tonic

N1726

Sportwater Beverages, Llc

8718

Wize Monkey

N349

Stay Cool

9200

Wonder Fuel

8221

Steaz

2025

Wtrmln Wtr

5366

Stirrings Craft Cocktail Mixers

N1753

Zen Basil

N1236

1613

Zest Tea

5645

Suja Juice

2209

Zevia Zero Calorie Beverages

977

Sunniva Super Coffee

H603

Zico Coconut Water

1651

Sunup Green Coffee

N108

Zola

1682

Superior Switchel Company

N1340

ZÜpa Noma

5390

Suva Organic Tea

7206

ZÜpa Noma

N704

Sway Water

H1127

ZÜpa Noma

N900

Stonyfield Organic

27

In a year where big company deals stole the thunder from small investments, there were still plenty of small brands making huge moves. From rising stars to incredible new products, BevNET’s Best of 2018 is here to show you who really moved us last year, and who will continue to impress in the years to come. So many of the drinks we saw were innovative, marketable, well-packaged and just plain tasty – we wish the best of luck and congratulations to the winners!

Person of the Year Bob Gamgort

Brand of the Year BodyArmor

Bob Gamgort didn’t want to be our Person of the Year. He almost turned it down, in fact.

Not because he wasn’t honored, but because he didn’t want to accept it if it didn’t recognize the teams at both Keurig and DPS that came together to make Keurig Dr Pepper. Consider them recognized: in fact, it’s the willingness to pull these teams together that made this award happen. In combining the coffee company with the manufacturing and distribution titan, KDP has thoroughly shaken up the distribution and investment game board, resetting the ranks of entrepreneurial brands, watching some leave and some return. It’s this electrification of the industry that has come from the combination of entities that has made our choice so clear. That someone who sits at the head of the enterprise was so conscious about sharing the laurels makes it even more worthwhile.

BodyArmor’s arc is different from that of many entrepreneurial brands in that it has always worked on a different scale. From fundraising firepower to distribution range to grand overall ambition, the brand, with co-founders like Mike Repole and Lance Collins, and a team that has included top notch athletes as investors, has worked its kinks out on a national scale, improving flavors, packaging, and portfolio while keeping retailers and distributors on board and encouraged by their growing success. Did money get spent? Sure.

Were expectations high? Absolutely. But that just meant that Repole, Kobe and co. had to bring things home via a deal with a strategic in order to truly be regarded as a triumph. For delivering on those grand ambitions – to investors, consumers, distributors, and for themselves, the BodyArmor team has built the brand of the year.

28 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Best Packaging Design Revive

Best New Products Califia Non-Dairy Yogurt Drinks Non-dairy drinkable yogurts are still a relatively niche space, but Califia’s entry into the space represents a big step forward for this young category. All three flavors deliver a taste experience that matches that of real dairy yogurt, with no compromise on consistency or flavor. Add that to the 10 billion CFUs of probiotics in each 8 oz. serving, and you have a delicious non-dairy beverage that truly delivers.

Health-Ade Jalapeño Kiwi Cucumber Don’t be fooled by the jalapeño; there’s more to this flavor that just a spicy kick.

The addition of kiwi gives it a touch of sweetness, while cucumber provides a notes of cool refreshment. The harmonious combination of these flavors results in a drink that’s complex, balanced, and definitely addictive.

al benefits in a winning package that is very much on-trend.

Evolution Fresh Kombucha Having established itself as a leader in the cold-pressed juice space, Evolution Fresh carried that identity with it in upon entering the kombucha category this year. The six-SKU line uses 7 to 12 percent juice per bottle, with bright fruit flavors from across the taste spectrum, from sweet to spicy. The result is a clean, approachable and appealing product that should find a broad audience.

MatchaBar Lemonade Matcha

Koia Fruit Infusions Koia’s three-SKU Fruit Infusions line aims to reimagine some of the protein drink category’s traditional fruit flavors in a plant-based smoothie, and we think they hit the bullseye.

Mango Creme, Chocolate Banana and Strawberry Creme marry great taste and nutrition-

Dirty Lemon +CBD Dirty Lemon +CBD was one of many beverages we saw this year featuring CBD, one of the hottest trends in the industry right now. But +CBD stood out from the crowd thanks to a light, refreshing flavor, an appealing package, and only 15 calories and 1 gram of sugar.

Dirty Lemon subsequently decided to halt sales of +CBD due to legal concerns just months after its launch, but that should not detract from the quality of the product itself.

RISE Brewing Co. Nitro Oat Milk Lattes

Spindrift Half & Half Spindrift has built its brand around disrupting the traditional sparkling water category, and this year it pushed further ahead with Half & Half, a innovative take on the classic Arnold Palmer and its first SKU to include tea. Striking a perfect balance of simplicity and flavor without any sugar, this marks another strong step forward for Spindrift.

packaging and formulations put it at the front of the pack.

This simple change really impacts the consumption experience: drinking from a wide mouth opening on a can makes for a more crushable product across all four of the approachable and clean flavors.

A potential game-changer.

MatchaBar had a busy year, launching its first energy drink and bringing on a crew of high-profile celebrity investors and brand ambassadors.

Yet its best move may have been launching this new flavor, which blends smooth and uplifting ceremonial grade matcha with the sweet and tart notes of classic lemonade. The result is a simple but deeply satisfying combination.

Brew Dr. Kombucha Cans Brew Dr. may not be the first kombucha brand to move from the category’s traditional glass bottle format into 12 oz. cans, but the company’s excellent

Though we’re big fans of RISE’s flagship nitro cold brew coffee, upon tasting the company’s new lattes, we think they may be even better. The line — in particular the two oat milk-based SKUs — deliver a rich and satisfying latte experience that we think are some of the best tasting RTD coffee products that we’ve had all year.

Ugly Drinks In the increasingly crowded sparkling water market, Ugly has created the kind of a bright, engaging brand that can capture the imagination and palettes of young consumers searching for the next generation of zero calorie bubbly refreshment.

Revive Kombucha’s playful visual style and iconography may have helped the California-based brand build a brand identity early on, but it also came at a price. In choosing a new aesthetic direction for its packaging, the brand chose a bold look that stayed true to its roots while taking the opportunity to clearly put its ingredients front and center. The updated flavor names — like Hibiscus Refresher, Cucumber Lemon Mint, and Mocha Java Coffee— reflect that change.

The text is now pushed to the lower body of the bottle, while the wrap-around paper labels have been dropped in favor of a clear plastic that features a new logo in hand-drawn cursive lettering splashed across the front, with two different color stripes running horizontally directly below. In marrying classic and modern design elements, Revive has an engaging new look that captures the brand’s ethos.

29

Best Marketing Campaign The Drug Store (Dirty Lemon)

Rising Stars FORTO

While Millennials seem to live on their phones, even they still exist in the physical realm.

When functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon launched in 2015, it differentiated itself and gathered considerable media coverage by targeting digitally-engulfed consumers with a business model that only offered sales via SMS text messaging. But to grow awareness, the brand has now gone IRL and opened its first brick-andmortar location in New York City. The Dirty Lemon store comes fully stocked with the brand’s portfolio of lemonbased flavors – including their eye-catching, minimalist pack designs tailor-made for Instagram. But following its established model, consumers must still sign up with the company online and make purchases from the store via their phones. CNBC reported that Dirty Lemon is planning to open more stores in the next year, shifting all digital marketing spending to retail in 2019. If the concept takes off, it could mean big gains for Dirty Lemon, and perhaps a glimpse of how the digital age is remaking the shopping experience.

When FORTO Coffee Shots debuted in 2015, the energy shot space was still a onebrand show where hundreds of competitors had come and gone. But in a few short years, FORTO has expanded from niche startup with fun packaging into a national brand with more than 50,000 points of sale and counting. The company has found a home in Keurig Dr Pepper’s revamped Allied Brands portfolio, partnered with household names like Hershey’s, and is now looking to build beyond shots with a full-size RTD energy coffee. With support from stakeholder JAB Holdings Company, FORTO appears poised to continue its rapid growth in 2019 as it establishes new brand partnerships with Green Mountain and Krispy Kreme and stakes out a larger share of grocery coffee aisles across the country.

Soylent

Only a year ago Soylent was taking its first step beyond its online consumer base of computer programmers and gamers by making an expansion into retail, launching a pilot in select 7-Eleven stores last winter. Today, the brand is taking its $50 million series B

30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

and establishing a brick-andmortar presence across the country in c-stores, drug, independents, Walmart, and college campuses. What started with a Silicon Valley-style vision of disrupting the ritual of eating has pivoted toward the mainstream, offering a grab-and-go solution to modern consumers’ hectic lives that has them skipping meals. Whether micro-targeting students who need their calories while pulling all-nighters or signing with Big Geyser to go deep in New York City, Soylent is leading the growth in the meal replacement category. Its latest bottle redesigns and flavor innovations like Chai and Vanilla further point to the company’s dedication to bringing in new customers, including and especially those not in on the wry science fiction references.

Ripple Foods After riding a wave of positive early buzz upon launching in 2014, expectations were running high for pea-based protein brand platform Ripple Foods to reinforce its leadership role in building space for dairy free alt-milks at conventional retailers. In January, co-founder and co-CEO Adam Lowry, after securing $65 million in new investment for the company, said his goal was for Ripple to be “the number one master brand across the whole nondairy regiment,” and the brand backed up those claims with new initiatives — such as the Nutrition line of protein shakes and powders — while growing its reach across all channels. As plant-based products continue to proliferate across retail channels, Ripple is poised to be at the forefront of that expansion.

Oatly

Oats have emerged as a relatively late comer to the plant-based alt-milk landscape, but Sweden-based brand Oatly has seized the opportunity to become a leader in this emerging sub-category. Why? Besides callouts for sustainability and dairy free, Oatly has positioned itself to win by delivering a drinking experience that can match – or ideally, replace – dairy milk in a variety of use occasions, from a post-workout nutritional boost to a rich and luxurious non-dairy coffee creamer, as evidenced by Oatly’s success as a tool for baristas working behind the espresso bar.

What’s more, the brand has embraced a quirky, engaging personality that can reach a broad range of consumers and build the customer base for the plant-based category as a whole. If further indication of its momentum was needed, late this year Oatly invested in a new 19,000 sq. ft. production facility that will help it meet increasing demand and explore new innovations. We may have been skeptical a few years ago, but thanks to Oatly, we are expecting big things from oats in the future.

W NAEVORS! FL

W NAEVORS! FL

2019 FLAVOR & INGREDIENT TRENDS

By Martin Caballero

Making predictions about the future of the beverage industry is a dangerous game. Trust us on this one; we do it every year for our January/February issue, and we’re about to put ourselves on the line again right now. As they have been for years, beverage consumers appear to be getting more careful and conscious about what they drink and why they are drinking it, which is bad news for some ingredients (see: sugar) and encouraging for others, particularly of the natural variety. For CBD, one of the most buzzed about ingredients of the past 12 Natural Functionality In today’s beverage market, consumers are looking at ingredients lists and increasingly asking themselves the same question: what have you done for me lately?

To be fair, people have looked to “functional” ingredients in beverages since man first discovered how to brew roasted coffee beans. But beyond basic energy, a new wave of ingredients promising a range of different, specific health and wellness benefits – from better sleep and relaxation to mental acuity and beauty – will likely play a leading role in the development of the greater functional beverage category over the next 12 months.

Of those ingredients, none has captured the industry’s imagination like cannabidiol (CBD), the hemp-derived compound that was legalized on a federal level in December 2018. The non-psychoactive ingredient is now being positioned as the all-purpose functional ingredient of the future, with cannabis market analysts at The Brightfield Group projecting the U.S. CBD market to reach $591 million this year and $22 billion by 2022. That same year, the market for CBD-infused beverages alone will reach $260 million, according to Canaccord Genuity.

Holly McHugh, marketing associate at beverage incubator Imbibe, noted that CBD’s appeal benefits from its position at the intersection of two distinct rising trends: the movement towards natural health-based ingredients and changing public perceptions about cannabis. CBD’s broad range of suggested applications – including treating pain, nausea, anxiety, inflammation, in32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

months, it means the stage is set for it to develop into a major beverage category in the years ahead. For dairy milk, however, it might mean more steady declines as customers seek plantbased alternatives, and within that market, more sustainable products. Flavor preferences are changing too, with exotic citrus and bitters rising in popularity.

BevNET reached out to a group of suppliers, brands and industry experts to get their insights as to where the market for ingredients and flavors in beverage will be going in 2019.

somnia and general stress relief – allow it to play in multiple categories simultaneously, and aligns CBD beverages with consumer interest in health and wellness products, according to Tom Gibson, director and flavor architect at Flavorman.

While CBD promises a range of benefits, there is still room for functional ingredients aimed at serving a single purpose for consumers. In its 2019 Trend Predictions report, market research group SPINS cited sleep as a growing trend in beverage, with new product launches from Stay Cool and SOM Sleep reflecting category innovation based around natural ingredients like L-theanine, GABA and kava. Along those same lines, expect brands to further explore relaxation and anti-anxiety drinks based around herbs like lion’s mane, holy

basil and ashwagandha as an elixir for overstressed millennials.

As kombucha continues to go mainstream, drinks with herbs and botanicals that support gut health and digestion are likely to follow in greater numbers; according to the Specialty Food Association (SFA)’s 2019 Trendspotter Panel, chaga mushroom (linked to lowering cholesterol) and cordyceps (diabetes and heart health) will be two ingredients to watch. The growing demand for better-for-you functionality is driving interest in these ingredients, and consumers’ willingness to give even the more exotic ones a chance is an encouraging sign of the market’s potential.

“Ingredients like apple cider vinegar, turmeric, molasses and probiotics will continue to make their way into the beverage category and create opportunities for innovative ready-to-drink beverage concepts that deliver more than just flavor,” said Devin Fochler, senior beverage technologist at Synergy Flavors.

Florals, Spices and Botanicals Building on the momentum they have generated for the last several years, spices and floral and botanical ingredients are expected to go from strength to strength in 2019.

Prized for their versatility in both flavor and function, many of these ingredients – like lavender, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon – are already well-known in beverage.

Ginger in particular has continued to be one of the strongest performers in this segment, buoyed by traction with ginger beer mixers as well as health-focused RTD products like

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ginger shots. The root was notably the only non-fruit ingredient to be listed as a “Key” ingredient in Kerry Flavors’ 2019 Taste Charts for water and cold beverages.

“There is greater acceptance for floral and herbal profiles in new beverage applications,” said Witt, citing elderflower, rosemary, basil, rose and sumac as examples. “This aligns well into the functional space where a lot of these herbs have therapeutic qualities that interest an increasing health conscious consumer base who want more than just a beverage.”

Looking ahead, expect consumers to broaden their collective palette as they become more familiar with ethnic flavors and ingredients. Spicy flavors from Latin America and Asia – such as Chinese Five

lennial consumer in coffee as well as its overall nutrition and taste acceptance globally,” said Shiran Witt, director of marketing at Blue Pacific Flavors, in an email to BevNET. “Oat has a sustainable energy as well as a better environmental narrative than almond milk and can offer the nutritional benefits of whole grains, beta glucan and fiber.”

Beyond flavor or dietary needs, analysts believe a strong sustainability story is one of the reasons why plant-based beverages are resonating with consumers, with oat milk being just one example. According to the SFA Trendspotter Panel, “The [plantbased] movement will become situated in the larger context of sustainability: intertwined with upcycled products, as more

the rising trend of botanicals, and that the growth of the shrub and “authentic tonic” categories is evidence of bitters finding a place outside of alcoholic drinks.

“Many people today are looking for adult beverages that don’t contain alcohol, so we’ll see non-alcoholic beverages taking flavor inspiration from the mixology world,” said Susan Zaripheh, group director of transformational innovation at Coca-Cola North America. The soda giant recently began testing Bar None, a cocktail-inspired non-alcoholic drink, in select liquor stores, bottle shops, restaurants and specialty markets in the Atlanta area and online. Flavors include Sparkling Sangria, Spiced Ginger Mule, Dry Aged Cider and Bellini Spritz.

Spice, habanero, cayenne and cardamom – will become popular additions to more indulgent drinks, according to McHugh.

And as beverage makers seek any and all ways to reduce sugar content, herbal ingredients provide a platform for creating flavor combinations that add sweetness and complexity in the absence of sugar.

companies turn to root-to-stem ingredients to combat food waste.”

Devin Fochler of Synergy Flavors noted that the importance young consumers place on sourcing and transparency will make sustainability a strong consideration when brands consider new beverage innovations, while CCNA’s Susan Zaripheh told BevNET she anticipates an increased focus on using “imperfect” fruits and vegetables or other “waste” products in plant-based beverages. To that end, Blue Pacific Flavors is developing a sustainable food waste initiative through its Farm-toFlavor platform that uses fruits that are traditionally not used for making juice.

Exotic Citrus Lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit are perennially popular citrus flavors in beverage. Yet as consumers for options beyond those staple choices, analysts told BevNET they expect drink makers to meet that demand by embracing exotic fruits from around the world, including yuzu, dragon fruit, açaí, dalandan, jackfruit and Madagascar lime.

“As cultural influences and interest in diverse flavors increase, we will begin to see these exotic flavors travel to new product categories, such as spiked and sparkling beverages, and paired with familiar fruits,” said Devin Fochler, senior beverage technologist at Synergy Flavors.

The versatility of these flavors leaves room for beverage makers to innovate within them. Al Murphy, vice president of Mother Murphy’s Flavors, told BevNET his company is building flavors around less familiar varietals like Cara cara navel oranges and dekopen, better known as Sumo Citrus.

Along with citrus, other notable exotic fruit flavors of the moment include passionfruit, pomegranate and black currant, according to Greg May, business development manager at Welch’s Global Ingredients Group.

Sustainable Plant-Based Ingredients The rapid growth of the plant-based milk alternative market – often at the expense of traditional dairy – has been one of the major ingredient stories of the last half-decade; according to Packaged Facts, non-dairy milk will represent 40 percent of the dairy and non-dairy alternative category by 2021.

Fueled by its popularity with baristas as a tool for creating non-dairy coffee drinks, oat milk has emerged as one of the stars of the plant-based milk category. Swedish brand Oatly has helped open the U.S. market, while brands like Califia Farms, Quaker, Mooala and Elmhurst have all launched oat milk products in the past year. Ingredient producer Kerry Flavors ranked oat milk near the top of its list of ingredients used as healthy alternatives in its 2019 Taste Charts.

“We see a strong disruptor in oat milk in this category, given its appeal to mil34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Bitters and Cocktail Inspired Flavors As consumers seek out new flavor innovations in non-alcoholic drinks, industry analysts are predicting that many of those will be taking their cues from the world of cocktails and mixology.

Over the last several years, bitter herbal flavors have taken a more prominent role in non-alcoholic beverage formulations, and several analysts told BevNET they expect the trend to continue in 2019. Tom Gibson, flavor director at Flavorman, noted that the focus on bitters is a natural outcome of

Whiskey still gets most of the attention, but brandy, gin and other spirits are grabbing more seats at the table. By Jeff Cioletti Anytime someone mentions the American spirits market, it’s more than likely that the first thing that comes to mind is whiskey. And that, for the most part is justified. However, other categories have been aggressively inserting themselves into the conversation and whiskey, increasingly, has been ceding some of the spotlight.

The Whiskey Wave The most consistent growth story has been whiskey and there are no signs that that’s going to change any time soon. Total whiskey revenue in most off-premise channels grew more than 7 percent, while volume grew 5 percent in 2018, according to market research company IRI. Technically, whiskey isn’t a “growth story” per se, but a collection of stories. American whiskey—particularly bourbon and Tennessee whiskey—has been a juggernaut unto itself, to the point where major international spirits marketers are reopening long-defunct distilleries, as well as building new ones. And bourbon is what got so many of the new wave of craft spirits producers to get into the business in the first place.

“With bourbon, [it seems] anything that goes out on the shelf will sell,” says whiskey expert Lew Bryson, author of “Tasting Whiskey” and senior drinks writer at The Daily Beast. “I’m not really seeing any changes there.”

The success of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey paved the way for the rye whiskey renaissance, which, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, has grown close to 1,000 percent over the past decade (but from a very small base. Ten years ago total rye volume was shy of 100,000 9-liter cases and now it’s hovering around 1 million cases).

Two decades ago, Bryson notes, “rye wasn’t even a thing, it was something you saw in movies—it was the whiskey people drank in cowboy movies.”

But now, the spirit is no longer an oddity.

But it’s not just American-produced whisk(e)y that’s performing well. Irish and Japanese imports have been on fire and Ca36 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

nadian whisky has been enjoying a resurgence. “Blended Scotch is still in the doldrums, but Irish is going strong,” Bryson notes.

“No one can stop Irish.”

There has been a downside to the worldwide whiskey boom: Supply can’t keep up with demand. “The big story, the story that isn’t being talked about is that [suppliers] are still scrambling to keep up with demand,” Bryson says. “Most places just don’t have whiskey to sell.”

A Spirited Mix The distilled spirits excitement isn’t exclusive to whiskey, as there a number of other categories having their moment. Agavebased spirits, for instance, have attracted quite a few fans. Mezcal has built quite a cult following, but the category is so small, it usually gets lumped in under the tequila umbrella. IRI reports that tequila revenue and volume were up a respective 11.5 percent and 9.8 percent last year.

Premixed cocktails also have been experiencing impressive growth, especially as craft spirits producers and craft mixologists have been getting into that game, enhancing the cachet of RTD cocktails. High-end Moscow mules, premium gin and tonics and even Old Fashioneds have been finding their way into bottles and cans. Volume and revenue for the segment were both up about 21 percent last year.

Though it’s easy to point to significant percent increases as proof of a category’s health, sometimes the numbers can be misleading. Take gin and brandy, for instance. Revenue for brandy/Cognac was up about 3.5 percent, but volume was down 0.3 percent last year, according to IRI. Though you can credit higher-priced, super-premium Cognac imports with keeping the category financially in the black as it’s volumetrically in the red, the American brandy renaissance also is playing a role.

“Brandy is gathering momentum,” says Joe Heron, co-founder of Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings, one of the distilleries leading the charge in the American brandy revival.

“We’re fortunate enough to be a part of that. It’s about riding the wave—the wave has crested and we’re on the board and it’s now about staying on the board and enjoying the ride.”

The super-premium brandy segment, of which Copper & Kings and other craft brands are a part, has been growing well into the double digits, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.

Gin-aissance Gin has been enjoying a similar phenomenon. The overall category has been pretty much flat—with off-premise revenue up about 1 percent and volume down nearly as much, according to IRI. But the super-premium segment, though small, has been up in the teens, according to recent Distilled Spirits Council data.

The question is when is the gin boom that’s been conquering the U.K. and continental Europe going to arrive stateside. “The global gin revolution will crest on American shores this year,” predicts Heron, whose distillery also makes gin. “I think the move in gin is coming through craft innovation, which is inspiring bigger brands to become much more innovative.”

He’s speaking of the likes of Diageo, William Grant and Beam Suntory. Diageo last year launched Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla, an line extension from the iconic gin brand made with oranges from Seville, Spain. Meanwhile, William Grant & Sons recently unveiled Hendrick’s Orbium, which adds a bit of quinine, wormwood and blue lotus blossom to the mix.

And two years ago Beam Suntory acquired the popular British craft producer Sipsmith, the London distillery that’s largely credited with leading the U.K. gin revival.

Over on these shores, the craft spirits segment is enjoying the kind of surge that craft beer experienced a decade ago. The number of active craft spirits producers in the U.S. jumped to 1,835, as of August 2018, from 1,589 at the same point in 2017, according to the Craft Spirits Data Project (CDSP), a collaboration among the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), Park Street and the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR). That’s a 15 percent increase over the prior year. For some perspective, there were only 204 craft distillers in 2010. The ACSA defines a craft distiller as a licensed producer with no more than 750,000 proof gallons (394,317 9-liter cases) removed from bond annually. Additionally, the company must be independent, with more than a 75 percent ownership stake in the spirits-making operation—similar to the Brewers Association’s rule defining a craft brewer.

The craft spirits segment produced a total of 7.2 million 9-liter cases in 2017, up 23.7 percent from the previous year and more than double the 3.1 million cases craft distillers made in 2013.

Craft spirits still have a distance to travel to reach the same kind of market share that craft beer has. Craft beer accounts for more than 12 percent of total U.S. beer volume, according to the Brewers Association, while craft spirits share of the total U.S. spirits universe, CSDP reports, is about 3.2 percent—up from 2.6 percent the prior year. On the revenue side, craft accounts for 4.6 percent of total spirits dollar, up from 3.8 percent the previous year.

Through the rest of 2019, we can expect a lot more of craft distillers’ whiskey to come of age and give some of the larger, iconic brands a run for their money. And we’ll also see many more make a name for themselves redefining unsung categories like gin, brandy and rum. And they’re going to have to. As the number of U.S. distilleries 2,000—which it’s expected to do this year—differentiation will be key.

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37

BRAND NEWS MIXERS

Top Note Tonics has released Grapefruit Soda, made with 15 percent juice, and Classic Tonic Water with quinine bitters, in 25 oz. bottles. It has also updated the packaging of its original lineup in 250 ml bottle 4-packs, which are now available at Binny’s Liquor, Fresh Thyme Markets and Whole Foods.

Wine-a-Rita has launched a variety pack, Mix It Up, containing five flavor packs which each make a 36 oz. blended drink. The variety pack includes Peach Bellini, Cosmorita, Senorita, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Mango.

Crafted Cocktails has added two new flavors, Mai Tai and Strawberry Daiquiri, to its portfolio and, according to the brand, expanded its customer base and retail store distribution by 150 percent in 2018. In 2019, the brand will be launching in Walmart.

Fruitations Craft Soda & Cocktail Mixers recently launched its fifth all-natural syrup flavor, Ginger.

Pok Pok Som Drinking Vinegar has rebranded as Som Cane Vinegar Cordial. The product line is crafted by James Beard Award-winning chef Andy Ricker and is now distributed by Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits in select markets. The brand is promoting “Som & Soda” as a premium non-alcoholic cocktail for on-premise service.

Mixwell. Los Angeles-based Mixwell, a premium soda for mixing, announced that it is now made with organic ingredients and no preservatives.

Top Hat Provisions has bottled its Bloody Mary Mix in 12x1 liter cases for on- and off-premise distribution. Top Hat also has a new Craft Lemonade Concentrate in 12x1 liter cases, and its Craft Ginger Beer in three gallon bag-in-box is on tap at 34 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations.

Mingle Mocktails. Online sales of Mingle Mocktail were up 500 percent while distribution sales were up 250 percent in the months of November and December, according to the company. The brand is now available at ShopRite and Bed Bath & Beyond, and recently expanded distribution in the Midwest with FunBEV Distributors in Columbus, Ohio.

Llanllyr SOURCE is launching new premium labels for its line of cocktail mixers. The retail 4-pack carriers also include recipes to enable consumers to mix high quality cocktails at home.

The brand will soon be producing its product in recyclable aluminum cans.

Owl’s Brew has updated the labels on its cocktail mixers to have a clearer message for consumers and a more grocery-friendly pack38 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

age. They will be expanding their distribution in 2019 to Fred Meyer, Meijer, Regional Albertsons and additional Walmart locations.

GuS Sparkling Cocktail Mixers has added Lipari Foods, Chef’s Warehouse and Euro USA as distributors and is now available at Whole Foods Market, King’s/Balducci’s, Nugget Markets, Wine Library and hundreds of smaller liquor and specialty stores.

Kitl launched Syrob Black currant syrup, which is made from 100 percent fruit content and is suitable for preparing hot and cold beverages and cocktails.

TÖST added UNFI as a distribution partner in Q1 2019 to continue its expansion out of the Northeast. The brand will launch two line extensions this summer.

Navy Hill. After building its presence throughout independent retailers on the East Coast, Navy Hill products are now available at 160 Fresh Market locations, 56 Whole Foods markets and nine Central Market stores.

Cocktail Crate’s products will be expanding into five divisions of Kroger, as well as Meijer, Safeway Southwest, Tops Markets and several others retailers. These distribution gains add to the company’s current presence in stores such as Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Hannaford, BevMo! and Total Wine.

Mocktail Club. Mumtails launched Mocktail Club, a non-alcoholic cocktail brand, in November. The brand’s four flavors, Manhattan Berry, Havana Twist, Capri Sour and Bombay Fire, are now available for purchase online.

Hella Cocktail Co. has rolled out the Founders Collection, which includes Apple Blossom, Eucalyptus and Mexican Chocolate bitters, and new mixer line extensions include Rosemary Collins and Old Fashioned, an aromatic syrup applied as a single ingredient for crafting Old Fashioned cocktails.

Element Shrub & Club 4-packs are now available at Fresh Market, Giant (Landover) and Wegmans.

Q Mixers is planning 45 stops in its 2019 “HIGHBALL’R” tour at trendsetting bars in key cities, as well as major activations around Arizona Cocktail Weekend, Thirst Boston, Bar Convent Brooklyn, Tales of the Cocktail, Portland Cocktail Week and more. Q has also signed on as the official mixer partner of Arizona Cocktail Weekend, to be held Feb. 16-18

The Erosion of Indulgence So far, sweeter coffee drinks dominate the category. But cold brew is changing the game.

By Brad Avery Over the past several years, the cold brew coffee wave has excited investors, intrigued consumers, and breathed new life into a once peripheral beverage category.

But beyond the buzz that has made cold brew the fastest growing sector of the ready-to-drink coffee category, it’s worth remembering that Starbucks still controls 78.3 percent of the dollar market share, and that a lot of that is from the decidedly NOT cold brewed Frappuccino line.

Through its distribution deal with PepsiCo, the Seattle cafe chain’s products brought in $1.89 billion in RTD retail sales in 2018, out of a total $2.44 billion for the entire category, according to Wells Fargo Securities. Although the North American Coffee Partnership remains the biggest maker of RTD coffee, in recent years Starbucks has had to compete with a flood of new brands coming for its share, among them a bulk of the largest beverage strategics in the industry.

In 2016, The Coca-Cola Company upped its RTD coffee game via a partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts; in 2017 it added the McDonald’s branded McCafe line – both emphasizing indulgence with sugary, milk-heavy coffees (and which combined netted Coke $170 million in sales last year). Last year, of course, it purchased a large cafe company in England, with the $5.1 billion purchase of Costa. The blockbuster merger of Keurig Dr Pepper, under its parent JAB Holdings Company, brought all three soda giants into the coffee game – and JAB has gained additional RTD traction 40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

with FORTO Coffee Shots, Peet’s, High Brew, and Stumptown. Danone North America’s RTD portfolio includes the fast rising SToK brand which finds much of its velocity via grocery, Nestlé’s portfolio includes Chameleon Cold-Brew, Blue Bottle, and Nescafe, and most recently AB InBev announced a coffee line through the HiBall brand.

The point is that despite being at the forefront of innovation, independent cold brew makers are still just a sliver of the overall marketplace – and they’re facing increased competition from household name brands with powerful distribution and marketing networks. But, as the strategics stake their ground(s) in coffee, independent cold brew remains a vibrant space that the leading companies have yet to fully explore. Industry analysts say independent brands are just getting started – and the entrance of the strategics is in the long run a major boost for them that could set the stage for high profile acquisitions down the line.

Euromonitor last year predicted RTD coffee will reach $3.1 billion by 2022 with 7.5 percent CAGR. Speaking to BevNET, Euromonitor senior beverages analyst Matthew Barry said while indulgence still drives sales, the market is primed for cold brew and functional coffee to continue growing as consumers continue their ongoing migration away from soda and other unhealthy soft drinks.

“There’s a couple sub-trends going on…. A lot of converging trends are happening at the same time – opportuni-

ties from [consumers fleeing] other soft drinks, strong cold coffee trends in [on premise] coffee shops, and the strong support from the big players,” Barry said.

“All three major players in American beverages now – Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper – are aligned with one or more coffee brands and all together they are creating a real tremendous growth.”

Barry said he divides the modern RTD coffee category into four key segments – Indulgent products with high sugar content such as Dunkin’ lattes and Starbucks’ Frappuccino; “Energy Hybrids” like Java Monster and Starbucks’ Double Shot; Cold Brew; and “Emerging Functionalities” with innovative products that include trending ingredients such as CBD, MCT oil, or probiotics.

While indulgent iced coffees still lead the market, Barry said, cold brew is experiencing the fastest growth – in large part due to ability to cross over into the other segments. It can, for example, provide consumers with good-tasting sugar-free energy. But he takes a cautious approach to the segment, citing past stagnation in other categories.

“It’s a very small segment of the market but roughly doubling in size every year in the RTD sense,” Barry said.

“That can only go on for so long.”

Consider coconut water, which was growing over 100 percent every year until recently, he added. “Then you just hit a wall and it goes massively down. I don’t think cold brew will do that, but it provides a cautionary tale.”

1

#

INDEPENDENT

COLD BREW

INVESTORS STILL INTERESTED IN INDEPENDENTS In the investment space, there’s few signs of cold brew slowing down. Although last year saw only a handful of coffee independents announcing significant funding rounds – Califia Farms’ $50 million raise in July being the largest – the category is still drawing interest. Several brands reached by BevNET said they were exploring capital raises, while Whipstitch Capital co-founder and managing director Mike Burgmaier said he was aware that multiple large strategics not yet involved in the space were shopping for acquisitions.

“I think there’s immense opportunity in coffee from the startups, the emerging brands, and multiple potential buyers in the investment community are still incredibly interested, and rightfully so, in coffee,” Burgmaier said. “You don’t need to have just Coke and Pepsi out there and think you’re done. JAB, through KDP and their other entities, they understand that

was acquired in 2017 by Nestlé. Campbell told BevNET those innovations, largely coming out of emerging coffee brands, are likely to be significant as major companies evolve their coffee strategies. While Nestlé’s coffee business is relatively small in the U.S. compared to its massive global reach, he said the conglomerate is “laser focused” on developing its coffee portfolio over the next two years.

Campbell called the marketplace for Chameleon and smaller coffee brands a “day-in, day-out dogfight” and that in order to scale and grow they will eventually need to begin eating market share from the larger players – namely Starbucks.

“As our volumes get bigger, runs get bigger, commitments grow larger, that stuff becomes more and more difficult,” Campbell said. “I think at the end of the day for us it’s about innovation, it’s about sticking to a channel strategy that makes sense for the brand, we don’t need to be everywhere. We don’t need 80 percent

FUNCTION GOES FORWARD Barry, of Euromonitor, was quick to note that the “Emerging Functionalities” sector of RTD coffee is still just “a drop in the bucket” of the overall coffee market, but that emerging trends like CBD, collagen, and MCT oil have big potential to shake up the space. If consumers are to move away from indulgent coffee, he said, then different functionalities beyond natural energy could be a driver.

“If you start with the indulgent stuff you can’t do much with the functionality because you have the high sugar,” he said. “It really screws up any sort of health positioning you might have. Whereas with cold brew you have a low sugar, high functionality option you can use as a base.

We’re still trying to figure it out.”

Jim DeCicco, co-founder and CEO of Kitu Life (formerly Sunniva Super Coffee), told BevNET he has seen sales of his coffee with added MCT oil grow thanks to the popularity of the ketogenic diet.

the demand for coffee is seemingly unlimited and the category is growing. You can always take share from Starbucks too, so there’s a ton of opportunity.”

Consumers moving further away from sugar over the long term will determine where companies like Coke go with coffee, he said. While brands like Dunkin’ or McCafe have immense brand recognition, at a certain point health trends are likely to win out and the indulgent brands will hit a ceiling.

“You can get large, you can make a product that has a lot of margin, but then you’re doing nothing but playing a share game with other people, so you’re not going to grow and eventually you’re going to decline,” he said. “So essentially you’re creating a legacy brand that will fail at some point in time, so it’s just taking some interim share.”

Eventually, innovation will win out, notes Chris Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Chameleon Cold-Brew – which

ACV right now, that would be wrong for the brand and Nestlé’s supportive of that.”

Grant Gyesky, co-founder and CEO of RISE Brewing Co., which enjoyed a $2.3 million raise last summer, said his company is currently exploring further investment and that interest from venture capital in cold brew is strong. He compares coffee to craft beer, believing that the current prominence of brands like Starbucks and Dunkin’ is equivalent to the failure of major brewers to recognize the growing power of the craft beer trend two decades ago. Calling cold brew coffee’s evolution unpredictable, he said many brands like RISE are taking a careful path ahead before being locked into the rigidity of a larger company’s system.

“I see a lot of brands at our stage purposely trying to stay away from capital that limits what lanes they can move forward in, which is those larger players,” Gyesky said. “I think it limits where they can go, where they can take the brand.”

But beyond its functionality, the product also resonates with non-dieting consumers as a zero sugar coffee option but with similar taste profile to a Frappuccino or similar sugary latte. Having that differentiation has helped the brand to expand distribution and attract investors, he said.

Comparing the brand’s go-to-market strategy to Vitaminwater and CORE Water, DeCicco believes that emerging coffee brands can still go toe-to-toe with the strategics with a headstrong sales team and a weighty marketing budget.

“It’s not really a finite game cause nobody really wins the beverage industry,” he said.

“We’re all just sort of playing and succeeding.

The big brands like the Starbucks and the Dunkin Donuts of the world, especially once they team up with Pepsi and Coke, we don’t view them as competitors we view them as rivals. Which means to us, their strength is that they show us where our weaknesses are and where we need to improve. Inversely they also highlight our strengths.”

42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

BRAND NEWS COFFEE/COLD BREW

Bulletproof Coffee is launching Caramel as the seventh flavor in its line of zero-sugar, ready-to-drink cold brew products.

Peloton Cascara Tea is now available at Giant Carlisle and will be on shelf at 296 Walmart locations by March 2019.

Alpine Start will be introducing a sustainably packaged 30-serving bulk jar in February. Its products have also been Non-GMO certified.

RISE Brewing Co. launched its three-SKU line of Nitro Cold Brew Oat Milk Lattes in Fall 2018; it was recognized by BevNET as a Best New Product of 2018.

Cafe Agave Spiked Cold Brew can now be found in the cooler case of your favorite stores, and the team is looking to launch nationally in February of 2019.

MOJO Cold Brewed Coffee. In addition to updating its packaging, MOJO Cold Brewed Coffee has added three varieties to its line of grab-and-go products: Decaf Original, Decaf Black and a 1 L size for Black Magic.

Sail Away Coffee Co. After launching their RTD line of Nitro Cold Brew in March 2018, Sail Away more than doubled its sales from the year prior, according to the company. The brand plans to launch a new SKU this year, as well as expand distribution throughout New York and the Tri State Area.

Califia Farms is set to launch an Oat Milk Barista Blend in February, to be followed by Unsweetened Oat Milk in April. Beginning ™ in March 2019, Califia will relaunch its Nitro Cold Brew Coffees with a new, easy-open, resealable ROPP cap.

Wandering Bear is adding new nationwide distribution across multiple retailers and can now be found at Target, Fred Meyer and Safeway west divisions, with further distribution expansion at Kroger banners and Whole Foods Market set to follow this spring.

Lucky Jack Coffee has launched its signature nitro cold brew as well as a 32 oz. organic concentrate across the U.S. at Kroger and will launch at Publix later this year. Lucky Jack has also added three additional flavors – Vanilla, Caramel and Mocha – and increased production capabilities at its certified organic facility.

Uncommon Coffee Roasters. Cultivo Cold Brew Coffee, available in 100 percent recyclable cartons, recently started distributing in the greater New York area and in Florida.

B Sweet Coffee and Tea Co. will be launching its cold brew coffee concentrate in a multiserve, resealable aluminum can. Nicknamed the “6-Pack In A Can,” each 19.2 oz. can will yield six 12 oz. servings. The brand is also actively developing new innovations, including an oat milk latte and CBD-infused products.

Grady’s Cold Brew. The Grady’s Cold Brew line of coffee concentrates is now available at Target stores in the Tri-State area and at all Meijer Supermarket locations in the Midwest.

Koffee Reinvented, a cold brew coffee made with alkaline water, has updated its packaging and will be launching on Costco.com in early 2019.

44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Dunkin’ has launched Shot in the Dark, made with Dunkin’s coffee and a touch of cream and sugar and then blended with espresso. Shot in the Dark is available in 8.1 oz. slim cans in three flavors – Caramel, Vanilla and Mocha – at grocery, drug, mass and convenience retailers.

Big Watt Coffee. Cold press coffee brewer Big Watt Coffee has expanded distribution to over 1,000 stores in 18 states, including Central Market, Harmons, Safeway and Fresh Thyme.

Sir Owlverick’s latest launch is a ready-todrink Vietnamese coffee called Ca Phe Sua Da, which the brand will be presenting at Expo West 2019.

High Brew Coffee. Austin, Texas-based High Brew Coffee recently launched its newest ready-to-drink cold-brew innovation, Sparkling Cold Brew, which is now available on Amazon.

Verve Coffee recently launched Nitro Flash Brew Coffee in 9.5 oz. cans, which is brewed hot, flash chilled in an oxygen free environment, and infused with nitrogen to remove remaining oxygen.

FORTO is launching an 11 oz. high-energy organic cold brew called FORTO Energy Coffee in three flavors – Coffee Latte, Chocolate Latte and Vanilla Latte, all with 200 mg of caffeine. These launches coincide with a national distribution agreement with Keurig Dr Pepper.

Split Decision is launching new packaging for its cold pressed coffee blends in February and converted to high-pressure processing (HPP) in preparation for its regional roll out across California, Colorado and Texas later this year.

Bizzy Coffee launched roasted ground coffee and a 32 oz. cold brew concentrate in retail and has expanded distribution.

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45

SHOW REVIEW

BY MARTÍN CABALLERO

Innovation & Regeneration: BevNET Live Winter 2018 in Review Entrepreneurship is a journey, and one with a map that is constantly being redrawn and reconfigured. The speakers on stage at BevNET Live Winter 2018 shared their personal stories of traversing the wilds of the beverage industry, as industry leaders from emerging and established companies charted different paths towards the same goal of building a thriving modern beverage business.

Dyla Brands founder and CEO Neel Premkumar opened the first day’s program. Best known today for coffee shot brand FORTO, Premkumar spoke about how he recognized the use occasion for a coffee energy shot and leveraged the

see yourself in them,” Dave said. “So God forbid you go off track. We all need to treat it sacredly.”

Next, Walmart divisional merchandise manager of chilled packaged goods Sarah Alderson discussed how the nation’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer can serve as a launchpad for smaller brands.

According to Alderson, about 800 of the company’s 4,500 stores function as “high emerging brand stores” that emphasize entrepreneurial companies and offer small brands shelf space to grow.

Jumping from small brands to large, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Randy Ornstein took the stage to discuss the company’s

quickly it can be like asking employees to do a different job every single year.

The opening speaking session closed with Elizabeth Stephenson, president of the Fiji Water Group at The Wonderful Company. She discussed the challenges, as well as the freedoms, that come with managing a major category leader, acknowledging that there were changes afoot as the brand moved from DSD to warehouse distribution.

“Winning for us is first and foremost extraordinary product delivered into the market with premium service and inspired branding,” Stephenson said. “When you get that part right, everything else comes.”

brand in entering strategic partnerships with industry giants like JAB Holdings Company and Keurig Dr Pepper.

Following Premkumar, GT’s Living Foods founder GT Dave took the stage to talk about building a brand with passion and mission, while he also announced the launch of Dream Catcher, a new line of sparkling wellness waters infused with cannabidiol (CBD).

“The way I run my company is very much like an overprotective parent and being an overprotective parent you see your products as your children and you

increased focus on non-alcoholic drinks.

Ornstein, the VP of sales for the company’s Beyond Beer Portfolio – which includes brands like Teavana and HiBall – went deep into the details of AB InBev’s segment strategy.

Following Ornstein, Spindrift founder and CEO Bill Creelman sat down to discuss premiumization within the sparkling water category and managing fast growth. He named team management and communication as one of the major challenges in scaling, as the environment changes and workload increases so

The second day of talks explored shifts in the modern beverage landscape by taking a deep dive into raw data, sharing personal insights from investors and entrepreneurs, and drawing lessons from case studies.

Andrew Henkel, senior Vice President of brand growth solutions at market research firm SPINS, began the day’s program with a look into data and analytics. He highlighted how natural positioned beverages, such as GT’s Kombucha and La Croix, have grown 9.6 percent over the past year to reach $12 billion in sales.

46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Hop To It: Hop Tea Wins New Beverage Showdown Following Henkel, Guayaki co-founder David Karr spoke about how the yerba mate brand has integrated a “regenerative mentality” across the company’s entire business. Karr and compatriot Pato – FKA Patrick Lee – detailed how the company’s self-distribution platform, the Yerba Mate Co., has evolved over the last 24 months. In that time, changes include moving to exclusively electric delivery vehicles and the commitment to creating what they called a “legion of the system affected” by setting the goal of hiring 10,000 formerly incarcerated people over the next decade.

Following a discussion that began at BevNET Live Summer 2018, the next panel examined the past and current beverage landscape from a female perspective in search of solutions to affect gradual change on entrenched, systemic problems. REBBL CEO Sheryl O’Laughlin emphasized the importance of not simply recruiting more women and minorities into the industry but actually changing the status quo by making women more comfortable to share their voice. Vanessa Walker, founder of Millennial Brands, echoed that sentiment and noted the importance of expanding the types of roles that women can play.

Next, Alicia LeBeouf, senior Vice President of marketing and communications for The Compass Group, the largest food service provider in the world, gave a virtual guided tour of the modern office break room. She noted that brands with a strong on-trend health and wellness appeal were enjoying strong traction, and encouraged brands to not be afraid to pitch the company by sending them product samples.

Marking a decade in business this year, L.A. Libations’ three co-founders – Pat Bolden, Danny Stepper and Dino Sarti – shared some of the lessons they’ve learned over the last ten years, as Bolden and Stepper noted that while capital is an important piece of the puzzle, the most critical component of a successful brand is the commitment required to stay true to its vision even as challenges arise.

Hoplark HopTea claimed victory in New Beverage Showdown 16 at BevNET Live Winter 2018, as the non-alcoholic hop-infused tea earned bragging rights and a $10,000 prize package.

HopTea emerged as the winner from a field of candidates that included sparkling cold pressed juice Hubble, cannabidiol (CBD) beverage Joybird Wellness, matcha-based latte Mother Matcha, Riff Cold Brewed Coffee, and ready-to-drink energy tea Zest Tea. The five finalists moved on from a semifinal round that also included Eslena, Hope & Sesame, JoeFroyo, Kids Luv, Split Decision, and Truronia.

“I woke up at about 4:30 this morning and spent five hours walking the

“I thought HopTea was the most innovative thing that we saw,” Sadowsky told BevNET after the competition.

“There are six criteria that the judges are supposed to judge by, and I think the market readiness of that one was definitely high. And I thought that using the whole six criteria evenly weighted they just had the best chance.”

On stage, Sadowsky said he didn’t believe any of the six finalists were “completely ready for prime time,” but noted most of the issues were easily solvable each brand had significant strengths.

Speaking to BevNET, he said he believed HopTea should use consumer feedback to get a better grasp of product identity and whether the brand wants to be a

beach learning my pitch,” HopTea cofounder Dean Eberhardt told BevNET after his victory. “We’ve learned so much and we saw it as an opportunity really to position ourselves with great feedback from the industry.”

According to Eberhardt, though the product was created to fill a white space for beer alternatives, the company does not see the brand as a non-alcoholic beer but rather “a cool new kind of tea.” The brand launched in 16 oz. cans in Whole Foods Market stores in the Rocky Mountain region earlier this year.

Judges for the final round of the showdown included BevNET founder and CEO John Craven, VP of marketing and innovation for Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit Kellam Mattie, Verlinvest senior beverage advisor Ken Sadowsky, and Millennial Brands founder Vanessa Walker.

part of the tea aisle in retail or if it better belongs with non-alcoholic beers.

Mattie told BevNET she believed HopTea had a unique brand proposition and that the flavor was “refreshing.”

“It’s a new opportunity and it came out of a need, the founder really had his own need and that’s what created the product,” Mattie said. “We think that the packaging can continue to be enhanced, and he really needs to get clear on where he wants to be in the store. But it’s something interesting and that was surprising to us.”

According to Eberhardt, the next steps for the brand will include refining the packaging, as well as opening a tap room in Boulder, Colo.

HopTea joins a group of past New Beverage Showdown champions, that includes Simply Soupreme, HealthAde Kombucha, MALK, RISE Brewing Co., and Tio Gazpacho.

47

SHOW REVIEW

BY CAROL ORTENBERG

NOSH Live: Grwoing Food Tribes While building a dedicated and loyal audience is essential for any successful CPG food brand, it shouldn’t have to come at the expense of another group. The question of how to bring consumers into new categories and products rather than freezing them out – to grow the tribe, in other words – was posed by NOSH.com editor Carol Ortenberg at the start of the first day of NOSH Live Winter 2018. Over the course of the morning’s main stage presentations, experts from across the industry weighed in on how food companies both large and small can tackle this critical challenge.

In the day’s opening presentation, Angie Bastian shared her story of how she went from a nurse practitioner to the founder of bagged popcorn maker Boom Chicka Pop. She chronicled the evolution of the brand’s products, including the critical decision she made to expand beyond the company’s initial product, kettle corn, and embrace a new, more expansive brand identity.

Bastian noted that the brand did lose some consumers in the changeover, but that it also opened doors with new customers and ultimately proved to be the right decision. Bastian’s urged food startups to “own and celebrate whatever your product is” because consumers will eventually recognize and value that authenticity. She also encouraged attendees to be active in the food community and “take positivity from any direction.” Those principles helped guide the brand to its eventual $250 million sale to Conagra in 2015.

Next, Brandon Ng and Jay Novak of investment bank Houlihan Lokey – coincidentally, the bank that helped to sell Angie’s – next shared their insights on how to build brands and when to sell them. Novak began the presentation by laying out the current retail environment: in short, “Big Food” knows it needs to change and look towards smaller, slow growth brands that have the potential to scale. “Large companies realize they can accelerate growth in health and wellness brands faster and make them relevant sooner,” he said.

As brands that emphasize simple ingredients, nutritional value, convenience and health benefits continue to resonate with 48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

consumers, larger companies are looking to those brands to gain relevance with those consumers and acquire new talent for modernizing brand building.

Ng noted the importance of effectively leveraging ecommerce to make audiences feel valued before they actually become consumers. With regards to margin profile, he advised young companies to be disciplined and focused, citing the example of Skinny Pop, and not to compromise longterm goals to achieve near-term growth.

Miguel Garza, co-founder and CEO of Siete Family Foods, took the stage next

while the latter is looking for better-foryou versions of existing items they already buy. However, Bousson, category manager at Kroger, explained that price is equally critical for both groups.

Trott and Bousson were followed on stage by Kara Roell, co-founder and managing director of VMG Partners, who gave an insider look at how the group evaluates potential investment targets in the food space. Roell emphasized the role strong, confident and visionary entrepreneurs play in helping brands get over initial hurdles, and how that kind of

to discuss how he and his family built a company that brings Mexican culinary traditions to a mainstream American audience. He recalled how a blunt response from a buyer changed his perspective on the brand’s identity and to embrace Siete’s position of “living in the hyphen” as a Mexican-American company. Working under the principle of “family first, family second, business third,” Garza explained that Siete takes a heritage-inspired approach to innovation; “If we can’t solve a problem for the consumer, we don’t think we should be getting into that space,” he said.

After a networking break, Alex Trott and Katherine Bousson took the stage to discuss how grocery retailer Kroger works with natural and emerging brands.

Trott, who is the merchandising client lead for natural foods for Kroger-owned 84.51, explained that the store’s natural product consumers fall into two categories: “Naturally Essential“ and “Naturally Mainstream,” each with different preferences and spending habits. The former, she explained, prizes innovative products,

leadership gives a brand “soul.” Roell also warned of the danger of brands aligning with the corporate venture capital arm of large corporations because it can eliminate optionality. “Regardless of whether it was no-strings-attached or not,” she said.

“The perception is you had a chance to buy this brand and you didn’t – so what does this say about that company?”

While the theme of day one of NOSH Live Winter 2018 was how to “grow the tribe” by bringing new consumers into the natural food space, the conference’s second day further explored the question by examining how brands can define themselves to stand out and thrive when the tribe is reaching record numbers by the cycle. Throughout the day’s presentations, entrepreneurs, investors, analysts, and executives all gave their perspective on how to innovate, differentiate, and navigate in a rapidly changing industry.

In the first presentation of the day, SPINS EVP of retailer services Kathryn Peters and IRI principal Brian Reed took a look at the “conveyor belt” like growth

of the natural and organic food sector, which has grown from a $68 billion space in 2010 to more than $133 billion today.

Household penetration for organic foods is at 84 percent, while penetration for natural products has reached a whopping 99 percent, the pair said (equivalent to the penetration for toilet paper). As the natural food spaces continue to speed up I Love Lucy style, the challenge ahead lies in the broadening umbrella for natural and clean label products – encompassing everything from plant-based to paleo to vegan to allergy free and beyond.

Furthermore, changing consumer attitudes have created an environment where shoppers are actively avoiding mass market brands and seeking instead to identify with items that embrace artisanal and craft production.

“We need to see and understand where heritage and where small batch and artisanal-feel needs to [be part of] your brand,” Peters said. “It’s not cool to be mass market anymore. There’s a real question – it’s hard for a mass market brand to create a craft approach.”

Following Peters and Reed’s market analysis, Simple Mills founder and CEO Katlin Smith took the stage to discuss how to build a brand with an artisanal feel and how to create an internal company culture that will help it to succeed. Smith spoke about the importance of motivating team members to deliver their best performance by creating an environment that recognizes the value of their work.

“Usually when people try to alter the outcome they try to alter the individual,” she said, adding that rather than attempting to critique a person into changing, it is more effective to change the organizational structure around them.

Next, Real Good Foods CEO Bryan Freeman spoke to the changing face of the food space, and how major CPG companies are taking their cues from small, natural brands– not the other way around.

“If you’re a marketing brand manager of some large CPG company you’re being pushed down, because natural is coming in and redefining ‘best,’” he said. But beyond product development and branding, natural products, he added, are winning in the online space where they’re attracting larger

social media followings and creating strong digital-first business models. Freeman’s advice for new brands just entering the space was to start with an online direct-toconsumer model and worry about retailers after establishing demand for the product.

After a networking break, Late July Snacks founder Nicole Bernard Dawes discussed her journey as an entrepreneur and the tough decisions founders need to make in order to survive. Founded as a cracker brand and later adding cookies, Late July’s first seven years saw the company grow to about $8 million in annual sales. But after the sudden death of her business partner – her father – the company needed to make radical changes

like energy drinks a free sample of betterfor-you alternatives on the promise that they’ll come back and make purchases later. By pushing consumers towards new and healthier natural products, Krupa said she hopes to one day grow The Goods Mart as large as 7-Eleven.

But it’s not just small companies changing the game. Leslie Miller, director of ice cream for North America at Unilever, delivered insight into how the evolving food industry is leading major players to innovate and adjust. Legacy brands, such as Breyer’s, can help lift new innovations like non-dairy ice cream by launching new ontrend products when appropriate, she said.

But brands shouldn’t try to do everything,

to survive. In 2010 Late July discontinued its cookie line and released a line of tortilla chips. The decision paid off and sales skyrocketed from $8 million to more than $130 million in 2018. While one key takeaway wass knowing when to kill your darlings, Dawes emphasized the significance of creating trust with the consumer and with your employees by cultivating a strong internal culture.

After Late July, the conversation turned from disruptive brands to disruptive retailers with The Goods Mart’s founder Rachel Krupa and chief merchant Alexander Duong. Krupa discussed creating a unique convenience store that was smaller in square footage, only stocked natural products, and featured livelier branding and design than mainstream competitors. As natural products take aim at mass market CPG companies, Krupa said she believes retailers need to be the ones sowing change in consumer behavior. One tactic the company has taken is to offer consumers seeking mainstream (and less healthy products)

she warned, noting that it’s important for companies to establish a “North Star” that grounds their goals and values.

“Change is okay,” Miller said. “But stay true to your north star, adapt with consumers in a way that is okay.”

The day ended with a conversation on new models of investment with Samantha Brands Group founder and managing director Michael Silverman and Bias & Blindspots founder Doug Raggio on how investors can take new and long term approaches to working with early stage brands, in contrast to the high pressure of traditional venture capital funding.

“Our investors aren’t looking for the $100 million exit in a year, they have plenty of money,” Raggio said. “They’re looking for long term moderate gains over time. So think of it like a film. Tom Cruise, like him or don’t, he’ll take a smaller fee up front for a larger end of the box office. That’s the proposition I’m asking founders is give us a little risk investment front and you can have a larger end of the box office.”

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SHOW REVIEW

BY BEVNET MAGAZINE STAFF

Brewbound Live 2018 Examines Cannabis, Company Culture and the Future of Craft Hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives from across the beer industry gathered at the 2018 Brewbound Live business conference, held in Santa Monica, California, to discuss category health, cannabis and future product innovations.

Craft Brew Alliance CEO Andy Thomas set the tone for the two-day event by asking attendees a simple question on day one: Who is really your competitor?

“If we don’t know who our competitor is, we don’t know how to compete,” he argued. “Do we really know by whom we’re getting squeezed?”

During his keynote address, Thomas told the audience that the prospect of

to make people love beer more, we’re just competing for that occasion,” he said.

Thomas believes that beer companies should avoid “petty battles” or debates over labels as growing threats from outside of the beer category loom, particularly growing consumer interest in cannabis.

“When one out of four of your consumers is starting to do something that’s becoming more available and more legal – either because of the impact on their discretionary income, either because of the impact on their socialization pattern or the impact on where they socialize – I would submit to you all that there is going to be a pretty big impact as that number grows,” he said.

beer sales in California – the nation’s top state for beer sales – by 2020. She also noted that sales of cannabis beverages are estimated to hit $50 million in Washington and Colorado by 2021, saying that now is the time to launch a cannabis beverage brand as there are fewer than 100 beverage brands currently available.

Although many brewers are looking to produce cannabis-infused beers, California’s Firestone Walker isn’t one of them.

Co-founder David Walker is “not chasing psychoactive potions.”

“We set out to make great beer,” he said, adding the company would release a rosé beer and New England-style IPA in 2019.

competing against “big pharma” and “big beverage,” as they potentially enter the cannabis space, or begin making nonalcoholic seltzers, worries him more than the idea of competing against other beer companies – or even wine or spirits.

“Meanwhile, we’re off arguing with ourselves over ‘are you a brewer, are you independent, are you whatnot,’” he said.

Thomas added that as the internal strife among beer companies and industry organizations continue, cannabis is increasingly becoming a part of people’s daily lives.

“Whereas we basically demonize and we point a finger at beer becoming more a part of people’s lives because we forget that we’re not competing with each other

Over the course of the two-day event, that emerging cannabis sector was routinely discussed as a potential threat to alcohol producers.

Jocelyn Sheltraw, the director of regional strategy for Headset, a cannabis data intelligence company, shared retail insights from states where recreational use of marijuana has been legalized.

According to Sheltraw, the average annual spend on cannabis is $375 in states where it’s legal. Compare that to average American household’s total beverage alcohol spend of $435, and cannabis is quickly gaining ground.

Additionally, Sheltraw shared projections that sales of cannabis will surpass

Meanwhile, Rhinegeist co-founder Bryant Goulding acknowledged that while the industry is currently focused on the potential impacts of cannabis, future challenges could be the result of a consumer shift away from on-premise retail, or even advancements in artificial intelligence.

“I don’t think behaviorally people are going to get less healthy,” he said.

“Right now, it’s yoga and kombucha. I would say, know what you stand for and stick to your guns on that but not to the extent that you can’t accommodate what the market is telling you and what your people are telling you.”

Indeed, brewers large and small are also increasingly watching the health and

50 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Superbrew Fields Super Pitch Although its products don’t contain “negative calories,” Willie’s Superbrew – which uses ingredients like ginger, lemon, pomegranate and acai to make bubbly, gluten-free alcoholic beverages with fewer than 120 calories – emerged as the winner of Brewbound’s 2018 Pitch Slam competition.

The company’s founder and CEO Nico Enriquez beat out seven other emerging craft beverage entrepreneurs who participated in the business pitch competition that was sponsored by Craft Brew Alliance.

Enriquez impressed a panel of judges that included CBA director of innovation Karmen Olson, innovation brewmaster Tom Bleigh, Interact Boulder creative director Fred Hart, Wormtown Brewery managing partner Dave Fields, and OMAC Beverage Advisors managing director Ryan Lake.

According to Olson, Willie’s Superbrew’s brand story, healthy ingredients, and strong packaging design propelled the brand to victory.

In the final round, Enriquez – who rebranded his product from Farmer Willie’s last May – competed against a diverse group of beverage companies, including founders and key executives from electrolyte-infused beer maker Sufferfest Beer Company; hard kombucha maker New Motion Beverages; non-alcoholic craft brewer Athletic Brewing Company; and Minneapolis-based craft brewery Indeed Brewing.

On stage, the judges complimented Willie’s flavor and market positioning. Hart told Enriquez he believed the company was helping boost the need for transparency in the craft beer space.

wellness space. Brooklyn Brewery CEO Eric Ottaway discussed his company’s new non-alcoholic beer, which launched in Sweden earlier this year.

With the launch of its dealcoholized brew, Brooklyn joins an expanding group of major beer companies to enter the nonalcoholic beer space, including Heineken and Pabst Brewing Company.

According to Ottaway, the company is looking to tap into increasing consumer demand for more alcohol-free brews and it is exploring ways to expand beyond beer in the U.S., including through the introduction of more functional beverages.

“We’re opening our minds as to what we can be going forward,” he said.

Ottaway sees a lot of opportunity in the market for non-alc beer, which he believes could eventually capture about 10 percent of the U.S. beer market.

And the timing for non-alcoholic offerings may be right. According to Thomas, 84 percent of global consum-

“I liked that they had the courage to take a risk and rebrand – I think that shows some real commitment to addressing a new category,” Olson told Brewbound after the Pitch Slam. “I also really liked that the need state they’re addressing with this specific product, [which] has a lot to do with permissibility and consumers’ need to feel OK about drinking alcohol.”

With its victory, Willie’s Superbrew won a $10,000 industry awareness package from Brewbound, as well as a trip to Portland, Oregon, for an education and strategy lesson with CBA executives and brewers.

ers are actively trying to reduce or moderate their alcohol intake.

In addition to plenty of conversations about more functional alcoholic beverage offerings, the 2018 Brewbound Live event also featured discussion around healthy workplaces.

Goulding – who has helped build Rhinegeist Brewing into a 100,000 barrel brewery in just five years, admitted that “growth can be really hazardous to culture.” He said the company actively works to maintain the culture and do-it-yourself spirit of the organization by attempting to strike a healthy work-life balance for its 300 employees, most of whom are in their early thirties.

In service of that goal, Goulding said Rhinegeist hires people who are passionate about beer and share the company’s values. Nevertheless, the company also values differing perspectives because “other perspectives sharpen your own.”

Building and maintaining company culture was among the topics addressed

by three fast-growing beer companies – Kentucky’s Braxton Brewing, Vermont’s Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Georgia’s New Realm Brewing – during a panel discussion on the factors that have led to their early success.

Lawson’s Finest Liquors founder Sean Lawson said his company went from three full-time employees to 40 when it opened its a new production facility, taproom and retail store in late 2018.

Lawson believes the brewery has essentially entered a new “startup phase,” and it is now focused “meeting demand” without “going overboard.”

Meanwhile, Braxton Brewing co-founder Jake Rouse said even though his company is now one of the largest craft breweries in the Cincinnati area, the competition in the region has intensified to the point that he wonders when the “local” phenomenon will shift from a metro area to a specific city.

“Our brand is playing less well across the river than it was 3½ years ago,” he said.

51

CANNABIS FOOD AND BEVERAGE GUIDE • 2019 53

A thriving U.S. market for legal cannabis food and beverage products is no longer just a theory: it has officially arrived.

What that marketplace looks like and how entrepreneurs should navigate it, however, is still anything but clear. Mapping this new landscape and charting a path forward for the nascent industry was the focus of discussion at the first-ever Cannabis Forum for Food & Beverage, presented

by BevNET and NOSH, on Dec. 1 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Working with either THC or CBD-infused products presents unique challenges across multiple levels including regulation, marketing, investment, supply chain and distribution, to name a few. These hurdles can be intimidating, but the advice and insight provided by the Forum’s presenters was aimed at helping ambitious entrepreneurs take their first steps into the brave new world of cannabis CPG. After opening remarks from BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Klineman, the Forum kicked off by presenting a panel of four speakers — Adam Miron, co-founder and chief brand officer of HEXO; Hesaam Moallem, president and CEO of Charlotte’s Web; Errol Schweizer, co-founder of and partner in mood33; and Evan Eneman, founder of Sands Lane Capital — to examine how cannabis is developing into a cooperative industry even at an early stage.

Individually and as a group, they emphasized the need for greater education — aimed at both consumers and the government agencies charged with regulating production and sales — around cannabis and the

non-psychoactive benefits of cannabinoid CBD. Schweizer, calling the level of scrutiny on hemp-derived CBD “irrational,” advocated for a loosening of rules that would allow for universities and other research institutions to more closely collaborate with cannabis companies on testing and R&D. Meanwhile, Moallem voiced his optimism that the process of de-stigmatizing marijuana to mainstream consumers was progressing at a steady rate.

“Five years from now, we will be talking about how certain terpenes affect functionality,” he said.

Next, Jessica Lukas, VP of consumer insights at market research firm BDS Analytics, provided the data and context to back up some of the early market momentum in cannabis CPG. Attitudes towards marijuana are changing, she said. Whether or not they are consumers themselves, 80 percent of adults in the U.S. and Canada support some form of legal marijuana usage.

According to Lukas, 23 percent of adults in states where marijuana is legal (either recreational or medical or both) have used cannabis in the last six months, while a further 38 percent are considered cannabis “acceptors.” As food and beverage makers improve formulation and dosage for their products, that group is expected to grow. In the beverage space, high-dose THC and CBD drinks are giving way to new products that offer more of an incremental functional proposition to consumers. Allchannel sales for CBD-infused products are expected to reach $28 billion by 2022.

54 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Following Lukas, Ari Sherman and Jourdan Samel, cofounders of vertically integrated hemp-based food maker Evo Hemp, took the stage to offer a case study in building a successful cannabis CPG brand. The pair discussed how they’ve taken a proactive approach to investing in both science — by launching a hemp genome mapping initiative to better dial in on certain terpenes — and marketing, by creating communications house Evo Hemp Media as a way to educate consumers.

One of the primary concerns for any budding cannabis entrepreneur is the regulatory framework for both THC and CBD-infused products. Cassie Furman, attorney at Vicente Sederberg LLC, broke down the progress being made on loosening federal and state rules around cannabis, noting that a “national change in perspective on cannabis is gathering momentum” as states like Arizona, New Mexico and New York are expected to approve adult marijuana use by 2020.

The following speaker, J. Smoke Wallin, president of cannabis cultivator Vertical, spoke with Klineman about translating his experience as a brand builder in the spirits industry to the cannabis space. He noted that establishing trust is critical, and as they take the next step in their development, companies will need to recruit talented employees with strong backgrounds in branding and CPG to help prepare for the forthcoming industry “tipping point.”

As the CEO of CBD-infused sparkling water maker Sprig, Michael Lewis shared lessons and learnings from his career

in cannabis. By creating a secondary THC-based line, the company was able to position its products to work in a variety of use occasions and become integrated into their daily lives.

As the beverage market gets more crowded, Lewis noted, only brands with a strong footing in supply chain, marketing and distribution will have a chance to rise above.

As the Forum’s penultimate speaker, Will Kleidon, founder and CEO of Ojai Energetics, provided the scientific foundation for understanding cannabis on a biochemical level.

With proper dosing of CBD being a frequent question from both consumers and retailers, Kleidon noted that, according to research, a 250 to 500 mg dose of CBD is required for users to feel maximum benefits, far higher than the amount found in most infused food and beverage currently on the market.

Closing out the day, Angelica Xavier, founder of nutrient-dense snack brand GOODBITES, talked about making the transition from working as a business consultant to embracing a raw, vegan lifestyle in launching her company. She explored how GOODBITES is helping to change some of the stigma around edible cannabis products by breaking down dosage into simple terms (one cookie, one dose) and the unique marketing opportunities available for brands in California.

The Cannabis Forum for Food and Beverage, presented

by BevNET and NOSH, was sponsored by Green Taste, mood33, Growpacker, Ojai Energetics and Lebermuth.

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Chef-Created Products, Foodie-Approved Flavors Azuca helps chefs, restaurateurs, retailers, and beverage makers deliver the ultimate guest experience! Invented by Ron Silver, the chef behind Bubby’s—NYC’s favorite brunch spots— Azuca products are artisan-crafted for a premium experience, from flavor to packaging to precise predictability. Unlike oil-based hemp infusions, you can mix Azuca sugars and syrups directly into any drink or recipe without any oily mouthfeel or hemp taste and smell.

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56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Flow expands their product line into functional wellness beverages with Flow Glow, a 330ml daily wellness water infused with CBD (in select markets), powerful botanical and antioxidant ingredients, and Flow 100% naturally alkaline spring water.

Innovative wellness company

Drink 420

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Drink 420 is the UK's first range of soft drinks infused with 15mg of full spectrum CBD from Hemp. Available in 2 SKUs, elderflower lime and wild berries, Drink 420 contains no added sugar and only 33 calories per can.

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A Better Way to Enjoy Hemp-Infused Products Azuca blends the best ideas from scientific and culinary sources, to produce hemp infusions without an oil-based carrier. With three patents pending, oil-free Azuca Technology helps your body absorb exact doses of hemp extracts faster. While this is great news for everyone, it’s a major breakthrough for an exploding industry whose leading innovators are still tied to old technology.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water

We are a full service CBD/Hemp Beverage Co. Brands: HempH20 5MG & 10MG Hemp Water, Coco Hemp 5MG & 10MG Coconut Hemp Infused Water and Terra Water10MG Hemp Water in 100% Biodegradeable & Compostable Plant Based Bottle, Cap, Label. Private Label.

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BRAND LISTINGS California Blazed CBD Full line of Products

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57

BRAND LISTINGS Two Roots Brewing Co.

Water for Living

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CBD Living

CBD Living is one of the fastest-growing global cannabidiol (CBD) manufacturers and distributors, with more than 64 products in 2500 stores and shipping to consumers worldwide. CBD Living’s prestigious in-house scientists use ultrasound waves to break down CBD particles into nanoparticles 1/1000 the size of a red blood cell, allowing the CBD to pass through the blood membrane for enhanced absorption. This proprietary technique leads to up to 90 percent bioavailability, compared to 10-15 percent bioavailability when consumed in a traditional CBD product. From the original CBD Living Water product to CBD gummies, chocolates, freezes, tinctures, vapes, bath bombs and more, CBD Living is constantly innovating to bring the future of CBD to consumers today. For more information, please visit www.cbdliving.com.

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58 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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The Dixie Elixir, a THC-infused soda, has been crafted for great taste and optimal effect with a decade of R&D poured into every drop. Our famous Dixie Elixir blends easily into the tea, juice, or beverage of your choice. Each Elixir is made with pure cane sugar and has no artificial coloring, flavoring, or emulsifiers and includes a custom dosing cap that allows for the perfect pour to enjoy just the right amount. Available in five flavors.

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To find out more about Dixie’s innovative products, or about how Dixie is building the future of cannabis, visit www.dixiebrands.com.

Contact: Andrew Floor, VP of Marketing – afloor@dixiebrands.com 59

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GT’s Living Foods Introduces DREAM CATCHER

High Style - Pale Haze Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer - 10mg THC

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High Style Brewing Company

Born and raised in San Diego during the emergence of the American craft beer scene, the founders of High Style Brewing Company have always had a love and passion for quality beer.

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60 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

High Style’s cannabis infused, non-alcoholic Pale Haze craft brew is the culmination of these passions and lifestyles. Countless hours and many months of formulation, testing, and refinement were conducted by our seasoned Brewmaster to ensure an exceptional craft beer experience. Brewed using Cascade and Amarillo hops, each crisp, refreshing 12-oz Pale Haze gives the drinker notes of citrus and tropical fruit. 10mg of high-quality THC is infused in each bottle and provides an elevating and energizing high, while avoiding the dehydration and hangover that can occur from the consumption of alcohol!

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Karma CBD Infused Water contains 15mg of antioxidant-rich CBD, plus added vitamins. The powerful nutrients are protected in the patented Karma Push Cap, thus assuring optimal potency that is free of preservatives. Push for better with Karma CBD!

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O2 Living introduces new Hemp Extract line

King Karl King Karl introduces the worlds finest CBD chocolate, based on years of experience of Swedish award-winning chocolate making, infused with organic broad spectrum CBD Available in Milk Chocolate (45%) and Dark Chocolate (70%)

62 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Living Health and Wellness O2 Living, makers of Living Juice, introduce Living Health and Wellness - a new line of organic hemp extract products.

Living Hemp Extract Oils, in 250 and 1000mg, taken after drinking Living Juice, allow for maximum benefits and health effects.

CBD Fruit Chews

Quantum PCR H2O NatureBox Our CBD Chews are made with whole fruits and broad spectrum hemp extract. There’s no added sugar & each serving contains 25mg of CBD and 1 serving of fruit.

They’re chewy, not too sweet, and come in 4 flavors. Vegan.

No sugar added. Non GMO. Zero THC

Quantum Dynamics, Inc. Hemp infused water beverage with CBD and additional cannabinoids. Our proprietary PCR (phytocannabinoid rich) formula provides a broad spectrum of hemp derived cannabinoids with ZERO THC. Experience the “Entourage Effect” with Quantum PCR H2O!

BRAND LISTINGS mood33 Cannabis Infused Sparkling Tonics

Oh Hi Beverages to Launch New Line of THC Infused Sparkling Seltzers

mood33

Oh Hi Beverages Inc.

AKESO Functional Fitness Water

RE Botanicals™ USDA Certified-Organic Full-Spectrum Hemp CBD Tinctures

NXT Water LLC

Akeso is the world’s first Functional Fitness Water™, uniquely formulated for optimal hydration and recovery.

We’ve sourced the finest organically grown (whole plant) hemp oil which is loaded with vitamins and minerals and supplemented with oxygenated electrolytes. Through our proprietary homogenization/infusion process we’ve created a pure and fresh tasting water with no odor, or color while delivering an effective amount of hemp oil. As the first-ever “fully traceable” beverage, consumers can scan a prominently placed QR code found on each bottle of Akeso which provides on-demand access to the test results detailing the authenticity, purity and integrity of Akeso’s core ingredients; 100% verified via the blockchain.

Water just stepped up its game! www.akesowater.com

Schpoon Edibles - Butterscotch Pudding

RE Botanicals

Schpoon Edibles

Crafted from USDA certified-organic US-grown hemp.

Alcohol extracted then blended w/ MCT coconut oil.

3rd party tested for purity & efficacy.

Led by John Roulac, Nutiva founder & 20-year hemp industry veteran. 1% of sales donated to regenerative ag.

Schpoon Edibles is a Canadian company making comfort foods more comfortable with THC and CBD. We've started with Chocolate and Butterscotch pudding, and have a pipeline of other products in development. We're shelf stable and individually dosed.

HEMPd CBD Infused Flavored Waters Rocky Mountain High Brands Rocky Mountain High Brands creates "good for you" CBD infused beverages and edibles under our brand HEMPd. HEMPd Infused flavored waters are lightly carbonated and are packed with 20mg of CBD to keep you healthy and on the go.

Fresh Fruit & Veggie Hemp-Derived CBD Juices & Elixirs | PLANT MAGIC SHF Jugo, Inc. Plant Magic believes adding more plants to your diet is transformative. Our juices and elixirs are bursting with wholesome nutrients from organic ingredients. Coldpress juice meets hemp-derived CBD ~ the perfect pairing.

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BRAND LISTINGS New CBD+ Tea Line

Sweet Reason: CBD Sparkling Water, no sugar or sweeteners

CBD Infused Vegan Bites

Sweet Reason Bev Co. Sol-ti

The Feels

CBD+ Tea contains 18mg organic Hemp CBD with 0% THC, non-psychoactive.

Retail velocity is 20 cases per month per store, increase your sales revenue $720 per month per store.

Email us for an intro to an authorized distributor near you.

The Feels CBD Bites are tasty vegan bites infused with 15 grams of CBD isolate, so you get all the feels without getting faded. Like milk chocolate, but not, our bites are made with Sweet Aussie Carob that's free from dairy, caffeine, and gluten.

Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Extact Innovation

UbU® Organic Hemp CBD Sparkling Functional Beverage

Tera's

UbU Health LLC

We create high quality, great tasting products for your vibrant lifestyle!.

UbU® is a premium, refreshing beverage with no sugar, sweeteners or caffeine, that provides 25mg FullSpectrum CBD, with the added benefits of antioxidants, prebiotics and electrolytes. Available in 2 flavors: Yuzu & Lotus Flower and Citrus & Ginger.

The delicious, refreshing, CBD-infused soda

The Gateway to CBD

Sprig

VBC Brands

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BRAND LISTINGS VitaminEnergy® Super-Infused with Pure Hemp Derived CBD Cannabidiol Vitamin Energy, LLC VitaminEnergy® is proud to announce the expansion of its "Energy, with benefits™ line with the super-infused pure hemp derived CBD Cannabidiol VitaminEnergy® shot.

Gain up to 7 HOURS of ENERGY with the added benefit of recovery & pain relief.

CBD Sparkling Water - Zero Calories Weller Weller CBD Sparkling Water contains 25mg of active CBD from full-spectrum Hemp Extract. Available in Tangerine, Watermelon, and Black Cherry. Crafted in Colorado with clean, CO2 extracted, organically grown Hemp. Lab tested for potency.

Phytocannabinoid Rich (PCR)

THC Free - Non-Intoxicating

Our American sourced hemp provides the highest quality PCR formula which includes CBD and additional cannabinoids. Our proprietary water soluble technology transforms active compounds into nano-sized particles for immediate bioavailability and fast absorption into the cells.

Our engineers are able to gently remove 100% of the THC rendering QUANTUM PCR H2O completely non-intoxicating without the use of dangerous chemical solvents. You can finally realize the benefits of cannabis without the high!

Water Quality

Broad Spectrum

QUANTUM PCR H2O uses a broad spectrum, hemp derived formula to provide CBD along with additional active cannabinoids and terpenoids providing maximum efficacy with a unique and familiar flavor profile.

Farm Bill Compliant

The American farmers we work with raise the most highly sought after strains of organic hemp in full compliance with the U.S. Farm Bill.

Chemical Solvent Free

No harmful chemical solvents are used

by Quantum PCR H2O in any phase of our processing.

PCR H2O HEMP DERIVED PHYTOCANNABINOID RICH pH BALANCED WATER BEVERAGE 10 MG+/-

Quantum PCR H2O uses a state of the art purification process combined with the perfect amount of electrolytes and minerals to achieve a balanced pH for maximum absorption.

Organically Derived Nutrients

We require that our famers only grow organically derived hemp free from pesticides, chemical solvents, and heavy metals. We never cut corners!

BPA Free

All of our bottles are 100% Bisphenol-A free to insure the product is clean and clear of toxic plastics.

16.9 FL. OZ. / 500 ML

EXPERIENCE THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT

FEEL THE POWER

QUANTUMPCR.com

Disclaimer: FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Tea, Coffee & Specialty items A. Holliday & Company Inc.

For over 44 years, we've traveled the world to connect people with the finest products. At A. Holliday & Company, we source, test, and ship every product we carry. We supply bulk tea variety’s (extracts & leaf), coffees (extracts), antioxidants, herbal & superfruit extracts, natural caffeine, polyphenols, EGCG, Rooibos, coconut water powder, and our newest product, oil soluble tea polyphenols.

Bookkeeping & Accounting Accountfully

Carrier Oil For CBD Products!

Beneficial Blends

Organic Functional Ingredients Applied Food Sciences

Applied Food Sciences - INNOVATIVE, FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS. Applied Food Sciences (AFS) is the leader in innovation for functional, organic ingredients in the natural products industry. Quality is transparent from seed to label through organic farming, ethical sourcing, and sustainability. AFS cares about every stakeholder from rural farmers to the largest companies in the world.

• Organic Caffeine - PurCaf® is a clean organic caffeine sourced from green coffee beans. PurCaf is USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. Also available as PurTea sourced from organic green tea.

Beneficial Blends is a direct importer of the highest quality carrier oils for Cannabidiol (CBD) oils. We specialize in MCT Oil/Fractionated Coconut Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil and Olive Oil. We offer oils for your CBD oils and creams. We have Fair Trade, Organic and Conventional oils to meet your requirements. Please call with questions.

CREATIVE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS Berlin Packaging

• Organic Guayusa - AMATEA™ is a patented ingredient that provides a balanced and euphoric energy. With higher levels of antioxidants, it helps regulate the nervous adrenal response.

• Cascara Extract - SOMETHING NEW FROM COFFEE - CoffeeNectar™ Cascara coffee fruit extract provides a delicately sweet fruit flavor worth featuring in any beverage.

At Accountfully, we do more than the day-today work of professional accountants and bookkeepers. We also serve as a long-term strategic partner for entrepreneurs with cannabis-related food and beverage products to help navigate complex financial challenges and opportunities. We’re a fully outsourced accounting team, which means we’re your bookkeepers, accountants, controllers, CFOs & CPAs.

• Organic Ginger - PurGinger® is pure organic ginger that is highly water soluble and is perfect for beverage formulations.

• Organic Turmeric - PurTurmeric™ provides this on-trend earthy flavor that is watersoluble for beverages.

• Organic Vitamin C - PurC® is organic vitamin C sourced from Amla. It is ideal for flavor and ph balance in beverages.

• Patented Cold Brew Technology - HealthyRoast® provides 200% more antioxidants than other roasted coffee.

CBD Regulatory Consulting AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.

AIBMR is a scientific & regulatory consulting firm – an industry leader in CBD, hemp, and cannabinoid research. AIBMR offers key services, including toxicology studies, GRAS Independent Conclusions, FDA GRAS Notifications, NDI Notifications, label reviews, claims substantiation, FDA & FTC compliance, and manuscript preparation & publication.

In 2018, AIBMR and laboratory partner, Toxi-Coop Zrt., performed a landmark set of comprehensive toxicological safety assessments on hemp CBD oil, marking the first time in 38 years that this had been done. The results of this research were published in the Journal of Toxicology, in a paper entitled “An Assessment of the Genotoxicity and Subchronic Toxicity of a Supercritical Fluid Extract of the Aerial Parts of Hemp.” AIBMR then completed the first GRAS Independent Conclusion for the subject of the studies, providing proper regulatory compliance in this fast-growing industry. AIBMR continues to monitor hemp regulations and the US marketplace, in general.

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Berlin Packaging supplies glass, plastic, and metal containers, closures, and dispensing systems. We offer standard and custom packaging for cannabis-oriented companies (and every other market, too) along with design, financing, and warehousing services. From simple jars and CRC closures to custom dosing systems, we provide cost-effective, compliant packaging solutions for companies of all sizes.

Highest Throughput HPP Machine Avure HPP Technologies - JBT

Turnkey Beverage Services Big Brands, LLC

With more than 60 years of experience and expertise in HPP science and manufacturing, AVURE specializes in HPP systems for food and beverage processing with the fastest and most reliable systems in the industry.

AVURE helps producers implement HPP from recipe development and process validations to installation, regulatory affairs, and postinstallation support.

We can turnkey develop and manufacture all types of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, and flexible packaging. If you are looking for a one stop shop to take your beverage concept and create a finished product, delivered to your warehouse, look no further! We can supply all ingredients, materials, manufacturing, and delivery.

Cannabis, Marijuana Labels Bay Tech Label

Non-THC Hemp Phytocannabinoids Bioriginal Food & Science Corp

Cannabis Food and Beverage Labels custom printed by Bay Tech Label. Custom labels to fit your specific needs. Simple 1 color, to complex multi color labels printed on papers, films, tamper evident materials, specialty materials, counterfeit foils with sequential numbering and much more. Small runs, long runs and never ending runs. Give us a call today to discuss your products labeling.

Bioriginal formulates and packages bulk and turnkey non-THC European-sourced full spectrum phytocannabinoids for pet and human applications. Other nutritional products include plant and marine-based oils, plant proteins, seeds and nutraceuticals. With our company-owned facilities, we provide innovative ingredients and solutions for finished liquids, powders and softgels.

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Beverage Industry Navigators BevSource

Having trouble developing your CBD, Hemp, or THC beverage? Partner with BevSource. We are an integrated provider of beverage development, production, sourcing, and logistics solutions to new and established beverage visionaries.

Bringing your beverage idea to life requires hundreds of interconnected data points and decisions. The right formula with the right manufacturer in the right package with the right paperwork. BevSource helps you see the big picture – from your initial vision to the finished product, and every single operational step in between. While we manage the daily details of your beverage operations, you’ll have more time to build your brand, business, & customer base.

We’re not just advisors that point you in the right direction and hope for the best. We are beverage industry navigators who collaborate with you and our partner network to build a custom operational strategy for your cannabinoid beverage.

Visit www.bevsource.com today to find out more or call to discuss how we can start turning your beverage idea into a reality together.

GET IN TOUCH: info@bevsource.com 866-956-4608

Food Ingredient Specialists BMT Weiser LLC

Non-GMO Coconut and Olive Oils Catania Oils

Whether you need a new supplier, local inventory or to arrange a 12-month shipping schedule from a domestic or overseas producer, we will provide solutions. We specialize in conventional and organic fruit and vegetable Juice concentrates, purees, powders, NFC Unpasteurized & Pasteurized Juices. We’re here to solve problems, find solutions and sources for new product developments. We are READY!

Catania Oils is a leading wholesale provider of Non-GMO Project verified and USDA organic cooking oils to manufacturers. We offer Coconut, Olive, Avocado and many others!

True. Flavor.

Callisons

Add more to your CBD Story Chemi Nutra

Since 1903, Callisons has created authentic flavors by using the highest quality, natural extracts directly from nature. Known as a global leader in mint and emerging creative flavor force, we also produce extracts, essences and scents for a variety of tastes and products. As tastes change and markets expand, we evolve and innovate to always remain on the forefront of the next flavor revolution.

Let Chemi Nutra build on your CBD story with their synergistic functional ingredients to make claim supported, standout CBD finished products. Here are some concepts: CBD+ Energy; CBD+ Memory; CBD+ Muscle; CBD+ Mood; CBD+ Sports.

Functional Branded Ingredients

CBD Product Dev & Mfg

Bioenergy Life Science, Inc.

CalNutri (www.calnutri.com)

Creating innovative ingredients for healthier living is the mission of Bioenergy Life Science (BLS). We develop scientifically proven, branded, all natural, and pure ingredients that help people feel, perform, and look better. Our core technology lies in the development of the multi-functional molecule D-Ribose, making us best known for the only patented and FDA GRAS-certified Ribose on the market, Bioenergy Ribose®. We use that core technology and experience to develop other clinically tested ingredients that support healthy aging, weight management, sustainable energy, anti-aging, heart health, and many other healthenhancing benefits. We sell in bulk to businesses who manufacture or formulate functional foods and beverages, dietary supplements, sports nutrition products, and cosmeceuticals.

Visit our website to request a free sample. (www.bioenergylifescience.com)

CalNutri is a provider of product development, supply chain, contract manufacturing, and outsourcing management services to the CBD, hemp, natural products, nutrition, food, and beverage industries. Please visit our website at www.calnutri.com to learn more about our company and services, as well as view the different types of packaging that we offer.

From ideation to commercialization, our diverse and experienced team specializes in helping CPG start-ups and young Brands get new products developed and manufactured in an efficient and timely manner, all while focussing on quality and professionalism. Please send all inquiries to info@calnutri.com. Thank you for your interest in our company.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS

NT.pdf

Closure Systems Solutions Closure Systems International

CBD eCommerce & Marketing Pros Digitawise

Selling Tools for Field Reps eBest Mobile

Clean-label Ingredients Farbest Brands

CSI is recognized as a global leader in closure design, manufacturing, and high-speed application systems. In addition to quality closures and capping equipment, CSI provides unparalleled customer and technical services.

CSI's closure systems solutions help customers 1 4/14/2015 11:00:51 PM maximize profits by increasing the marketability of their brands and optimizing their cost of operations.

Digitawise is a top CBD eCommerce, website design and digital marketing agency. We connect brands with people and we have the tools to make every interaction count.

Automate and mobilize your field sales operations with eBest Mobile, a software suite specifically designed for CPG sales and merchandising reps.

Improve deal sizes with retailers, grow revenue, and hit goals more consistently. eBest Mobile empowers sales reps, supervisors, drivers, and merchandisers to maximize every store visit and selling opportunity.

Farbest Brands brings the highest quality food, beverage and nutrition ingredients to you from the world’s most trusted suppliers. We can help you meet the demand for clean-label, NON-GMO Project Verified Ingredients with a full range of high-quality dairy and plant proteins, gums, vitamins, lecithin, sweeteners and natural colors, as well as organic ingredients.

Color Harvested from Nature DDW, The Color House

Label & Packaging Specialists DWS PRINTING

Trade Finance and Logistics Express Trade Capital

Accurate Inspection Solutions FILTEC

Develop products that look as good as they make you feel! Complement your flavor, match an existing color, or replace synthetics. No matter the goal, our natural colors keep your label clean and your product vibrant. Not sure where to start? Pick a color from our handbook of standard blends for a quick project or partner with one of our certified food scientists to develop something truly unique!

Established in 1865, DWS is a 5th generation, family-owned & operated label printing, cansleeving and packaging design company. We are the last step in the visions of a lot of passionate people. We take an anonymous container and provide its story. Let us help tell your story through Cut&Stack, Pressure Sensitive, Shrink Sleeve, Roll Fed, Digital Printing, Pre-Sleeved Can Packaging and Design.

At Express, we ensure that our clients never turn down a purchase order due to lack of capital.

We offer production funding to purchase raw materials & fulfill orders. We also offer back-end support from logistics to collections to credit insurance, all without sacrificing equity. Through our dedicated eco-financing department, we specialize in assisting companies in the health & wellness space.

FILTEC is a leading provider of in-line inspection solutions for the cannabis, beverage, food, and pharmaceutical industries and have served some of the world’s most iconic brands on a global scale for over half a century. With a team of innovative global engineers, we guarantee container integrity. Our machines are engineered to increase productivity, quality, and protect your customers. Call us

Cannabis Brand Marketing & PR

Organic Hemp Extracts Bulk Divine Organics Superfoods OUTLINED HEMP 16 OZ FRONT.pdf

1 4/14/2015 11:00:51 PM

Growers and Processors of the Finest Oregon, Sun-Grown, Organic Hemp Extract, Seed and Flower

C

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CM

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• Water Soluble, Full-Spectrum Powder & Liquid for The Food & Beverage Industry.

• Premium Hemp Seeds, Flower, Crude Oil, Distillate, THC Free Liquid, Oils and Powder.

• Certified Organic Superfood Ingredients.

• Seed to Shelf Services and Consulting.

Email: orders@divineorganics.com • www.divineorganics.com Phone: (415) 884-4477 • (541) 951-6432 68 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

FIG Brand Strategy Firm

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS CBD Beverage Development Flavorman

Cannabis Recruiting Firm ForceBrands â&#x20AC;&#x201D; HerbForce

CBD beverages should be delicious! Make your CBD beverage as flavorful, functional, and profitable by having Flavorman create it for you.

Flavorman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Setting trends and changing what the world is drinking for 27 years and counting.

ForceBrands is the leading specialized recruiting firm for the consumer products industry offering executive search services, board of director assembly, and a digital job board. Our industryspecific division HerbForce is made up of experts who understand the complexities of the market.

We tap into our established network to connect you with the most qualified talent to grow your business.

Flavor and Taste Solutions FONA International

Coconut Ingredient Products Franklin Baker, Inc.

FONA creates taste solutions for beverage companies throughout the world. Taking a high-tech, high-touch approach, we help our customers grow through both cutting-edge technology and personal customer service. FONA offers taste modification and flavor solutions for cannabis beverages from our headquarters in Geneva, Illinois and our Irvine, California R&D and Innovation Studio.

Franklin Baker, Inc. is the premier supplier of coconut ingredients to the global beverage and food market for over 125 years. We offer an extensive portfolio of products including: Coconut Water Single Strength/Concentrate, Coconut Milk & Cream.

Flavor Designers Foodarom

We personalize flavors to meet your needs and create flavor profiles that help your products to stand out above the rest.

Our experienced team knows the science behind CBD and understands the impact your active ingredients have on taste. Our flavor development capabilities will help you stay ahead of the competition. We understand the complex issues manufacturers are facing and we offer support and coaching in formulation development.

OUR JOB IS TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT TASTE LIKE HEAVEN!

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Organic Food & Bev. Co-Packer Freedom Foods

CBD Branding & Advertising GKV

Natural Color Solutions GNT USA Inc.

All-Natural Sweetening Systems Icon Foods

North East based all-natural, organic, kosher and gluten free certified Co-Packer. Third Party, GMP, Certified. FDA registered and inspected.

Experienced processing Cannabinoids and allergen aware. Hot and cold liquid fill, sauces and condiments. Glass and PET containers. Dry mix, auger, and extrusion filling. Granola, bars and baked goods. V and H flow-wrap and pouch filling. Product Development.

Product development is a trial and error journey.

You fail until you succeed. It’s okay, no one was watching. But you only get one chance to build a brand and it happens in front of everyone. Your look, your story, your promise, it all must mean something. EMPATHY, HOPE, POSSIBILITIES, INTELLIGENCE AND TRUST, ALL AT ONCE. Your product is your logic. But your brand is your magic. GKV can help.

The GNT Group is the world leader in clean-label coloring solutions made exclusively from fruits, vegetables, and plants. Our brand of EXBERRY® colors brings vibrancy and stability to a range of cannabis based applications — from gummies, chocolate, and hard boiled candies to teas and sports drinks. EXBERRY can be declared on ingredient labels as "Fruit and Vegetable Juice (for color)."

Established in 1999, Icon Foods is a global ingredient supplier with a focus on allnatural, high-intensity sweetening blends for manufacturers. Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit, stevia and more are available in conventional and organic, in bulk or pre-blended for added cost savings. Icon Foods is your Clean Label Sugar Reduction partner, offering reformulation and R&D assistance.

Legal Services Garvey Schubert Barer, P.C.

Certified Organic Ingredients Global Organics, Ltd.

Innovative Packaging Solutions

GSB helps early stage and established ventures and the investors supporting them navigate the commercial, regulatory and intellectual property issues presented by the intersection of the food and beverage industry with cannabis and hemp.

We offer the knowledge, experience and costeffective services of a boutique law firm with the depth and resources of a mid-sized firm.

Global Organics has been providing high quality organic ingredients to food manufacturers and wholesalers since 1992. For your organic, glutenfree edibles we have organic granulated and liquid cane sugar, chocolate couvertures, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chunks, desiccated and toasted coconut, fruit purees and dried fruit, caramel liquid and powder. Many items are fair trade certified.

Global Essence Inc. Global Essence Inc.

Graham Packaging Company – GrahamPackaging.com

Ready to rethink everything you believe a plastic container can be?

Our global team does it every day. All hand in hand with designers, customers, and our manufacturing partners. It’s a chain of collaboration that changes games and produces products that elevate form and function affordably.

Graham Packaging, established in 1960, is a global supplier of value-added plastic packaging solutions including rigid plastic blow molded containers and machinery for a variety of markets. We offer creative package design services, as well as sustainable packaging solutions. Graham has best in class manufacturing and engineering paired with awardwinning design and development solutions.

Our history speaks for itself. Graham Packaging converted the metal oil can to plastic.

Ensure your products’ success with the innovative touch of Global Essence A leading supplier of premium-quality ingredients to the flavor, fragrance, consumer products, food, beverage, nutraceutical, health & wellness, functional beverage and allied industries. Convenient staff and warehouse facilities located in the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Singapore. The Global Essence team represents over 150 years of solid experience in the global Flavor and Fragrance industry. We specialize in essential oils, aroma chemicals, citrus products, absolutes, natural custom blends, NOP Organics, and other flavor and fragrance compounds.

We, at Global Essence, are devoted to the cultivation and continuous care of a superior customer/supplier partnership. While forging a long-term partnership, we offer a trusted source of supply, integrity and ethical business practices, which gives you, the customer, a competitive advantage in the marketplace now and into the increasingly competitive future.

That made it safer, cleaner and lighter for sellers and consumers. And more cost-effective, sustainable and attractive for Gulf Oil. It’s just one example of thousands that helped industry titans gain an even greater advantage, and give smaller companies a much bigger presence.

Have a packaging need? Our award-winning team is ready to get to work for you. To learn more contact Garret Gracey at 717-916-4236 or Garret.Gracey@GrahamPackaging.com.

Food and Beverage Consulting Hightide Beverages LLc

Specialty Hydrocolloids Ingredients Solutions, Inc.

All-natural and organic beverage and foods development and production consulting.

Experienced with "Big box", craft and specialty retail account creation and management and supply chain management. Carbonated beverage development and production. Craft foods and beverage brand creation, sensory development and production scaling. Co-packer selection and ingredient and packaging selection.

With over 200 years combined experience in hydrocolloids, ISI looks forward to helping you with your Agar, Carrageenan, Gellan, Konjac, Locust Bean, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Pectin, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Sodium Alginate, Tara and Xanthan Gum needs! Our R&D is equipped to assist in product development. The ISI staff is dedicatted to providing quality products and exceptional service.

Global Essence is proud to be a Certified Woman Owned Business with a AA BRC food handler rating.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS We Create Human Connections Inspira Marketing Group

INGREDIENT SUPPLIER KAVANA PARTNERS

Inspira helps brands build relationships through experiential & integrated marketing strategies.

Our data-driven approach allows us to develop immersive experiences that emotionally connect consumers to your brand, resulting in lasting relationships and an effective use of investments. Learn more about our awardwinning work and get started now by visiting us online at Inspira Marketing.

Kavana Partners is the #1 Producer of THC free CBD Isolate, Full Spectrum PhytoCannabinoid Rich Powder and Distillatein the U.S. Kavana was established to fill the massive void created by the ever increasing demand in CBD infused consumer products. Our super extraction refinery offers the highest quality certified CBD products in the market.

CBD - Ingredient Supplier KLERSUN

THE beverage Industry Resource ISBT

The ISBT is the premier international technical society for the beverage industry.

Our mission is to enhance the promotion, development and dissemination of knowledge relating to the art and science of beverage technology for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Focus areas of activity include, but are not limited to, beverage formulation, production, packaging, equipment and distribution. We do this by: Providing forums for scholarly discussion Stimulating the application of science in the industry

Mask cannabis off-flavors

Publishing “voluntary” technical guidelines and best practices

Mafco Worldwide LLC

Encouraging and fostering research Membership is open to any person engaged in the science, technology or production of soft drinks or beverages, including those suppliers to the beverage industry whose principle occupation is substantially technical in nature. This includes individuals employed by bottlers, franchise companies, packaging, flavor, ingredient and equipment suppliers who are engaged in scientific or technical positions.

Cold-Brew Master Extractors Javo Beverage Company

Whole-Spectrum CBD Extract Kingdom Harvest - Organic CBD

Founded in 2001, Javo is an extraction company that uses a proprietary cold-brew method to produce fresh, clean-labeled coffee, tea and botanical extracts for the food and beverage industry. Our cold-brew process delivers a clean non-acidic authentic concentrate for your targeted application, whether a cold brew, nitro coffee, dairy, sauce or bakery item.

From our Fields to Your Well-Being: At Kingdom Harvest, our fully organic hemp plants are hand raised in natural sunlight, free from artificial chemicals and pesticides, in the Kingdom of the Happy Land—an agricultural oasis in the Appalachian Mountains. We produce the highest quality CBD sublingual oils and concentrates ready to be added to beverage or food products, all are independently tested.

Magnasweet® is an effective flavor enhancer and masking agent, used extensively by food, beverage, and pharmaceutical and oral care companies to improve the flavor profile of their products. It can be a powerful formulating tool to improve the flavor of cannabis edibles such as gummies, baked goods, beverages, chocolates, and tinctures. Magnasweet is a series of products based upon glycyrrhizic acid, which is found naturally in licorice root and is widely used to mask off-flavors in plant protein based foods and beverages, mask the bitter aftertaste of stevia, and enhance desirable flavors. It is also used successfully to mask off-flavors of vitamins and bitterness of pharmaceutical active compounds. The primary Magnasweet benefits for food and beverage applications include eliminating undesirable aftertastes, intensifying and extending the sweetness profile, enhancing flavors, and improving mouthfeel. Most Magnasweet products are considered natural, non-GMO, and, depending upon the application, can be labeled as “natural flavors.” They are considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the US FDA for food and beverage applications. Magnasweet is easily incorporated into formulations and comes in powdered and liquid formats for ease of use. Magnasweet is supported by a team of experienced food scientists that can guide formulators in food and beverage applications.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Teas, Botanicals and Extracts Martin Bauer Inc.

Food & Beverage R&D Support MNfuse LLC

The Martin Bauer Group is one of the largest suppliers of botanical products for the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries.

Our products are based on sustainably sourced, high-quality botanical raw material. With a portfolio of over 200 plants and more than 80 years of experience, we provide off-the-shelf and tailor-made botanical solutions to meet your application needs.

MNfuse LLC is a food science product development consulting firm specializing in infused foods and beverages. Taking your product concept and making it come to life is what we do. Our past development experience includes: beverages, snacks, confections, and many other products. We have built extensive relationships with ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers, and other key resources.

CBD & Hemp Drink Production MBA Beverage Group, Inc.

Screen Printed Labels Monvera Glass Décor

MBA Beverage has been developing and manufacturing beverages for 15 years along with CBD & Hemp products for the last 3 years.

We provide full service solutions, including label design, custom & stock formulas, supply chain & co-packer management. Capabilities: Cold-fill, Hot-Fill, Tunnel Pasteurized. Containers: Cans, PET Bottles, Glass Bottles. Contact us today for more details.

Your label has a powerful influence on buying behavior. Monvera provides unique bottle decoration options. We specialize in screen printed labels on glass, with both ceramic and uv ink options available. Whether you want to refresh a current brand or launch a new one, screen printed labels will make your bottle stand out. It's your alternative to paper labels.

Branding & Packaging Design McLean Design

Juice Solution Specialists Northwest Naturals

We Build Powerful Brands — Brands are built on consumer engagement, meaning that a successful brand has captivated the consumer and enriched their life in some unexpected and enduring way. At McLean we use every tool at our disposal to reveal the core meaning of a brand and enhance the consumer's experience beyond the utility of a product or service. Realize the full value of your brand at McLean.

Your go-to team for formulation and processing of turnkey fruit bases for the cannabis and alcohol industries. We've long been recognized as a leader in the production of specialty blended, all natural, fruit juice concentrates, WONF concentrates and frozen dairy-style bases, essences, and other value-added fruit products.

Let us help you turn your next product from ordinary into extraordinary.

Turn-Key Product Development MetaBrand

Co-packing Norwich Beverage Company

MetaBrand is a world class team of experts which helps you create, launch, or grow your food, beverage, supplement, or personal care brand. We provide strategic planning, market analysis, branding/design, product formulation and development, internal and outsourced operations and manufacturing, and sales and marketing execution. In house MICRO-PACKING for short runs and vendor samples.

Norwich Beverage Company, formerly CT Currant has moved into a larger plant with additional blending, pasteurization, bottling lines and cold storage. We bottle Flash Pasteurized refrigerated juices, smoothies, enhanced waters and other functional beverages . We are located in Connecticut centrally located for easy access to the whole North East. Please call us to discuss your beverage projects.

72 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Keep it Clear || Hawaiian CBD Nalu Botanicals

Nalu Botanicals is a Hawaii based cannabinoid company, currently focusing on Cannabidiol (CBD) derived from the raw hemp flower, which has been sustainably grown and cultivated in the rich, fertile soil of Hawaii. Our flagship product, Hydro-diol, is a clean, clear and immediately water-soluble formulation of CBD. Hydro-diol provides the optimal formulation for infusing our non-psychoactive CBD into water-based beverages, foods, and supplements. Always legally compliant, our products offer peace of mind to the end consumer, guaranteeing 0% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with all the benefits of CBD. Our distinctive process allows for a minimum 12-month shelf life once infused into your product line. Currently we are offering Hydro-diol in an aqueous suspension, or liquid sugar solution, depending on your product needs. Additionally, we offer high purity powdered CBD isolate, naturally extracted without harsh solvents unlike many isolates on the market. We follow strict food grade processing procedures for safe addition to your food grade products. Contact us today for more information on our products and for questions on pricing and bulk options. Email: contact@nalukauai.com Contract Manufacturing Leader NVE Pharmaceuticals

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Cannabis Packaging O. Berk Kols Containers

In Store (Retail) Support OTHRSource

Cannabis Flavors & Maskers Prinova Flavors

Kols Containers provides a broad range of medical marijuana packaging solutions for the cannabis industry. We offer a large collection of versatile bottles, jars, tins, cartridges and bags for cannabis oil, flowers, edibles, topicals and more. Choose from a wide selection of tamper evident and child resistant closures/ containers to meet the various state guidelines and regulations.

Prinova offers variety of natural oil-soluble & water-soluble liquid & powder cannabis flavors & cannabinoid maskers for legal food, drink, alcoholic beverage & dietary supplement markets. Hemp & marijuana flavors. Sweet & Decadent flavors. CBD & THC maskers.

Formulation support. Mobile applications lab.

This is how you win.

Leading Packaging Supplier Outlook Group

Brand Mgt./Sales/Distribution SAS Sales and Marketing

Outlook Group is a full-solution consumer packaging provider with over 40 years of experience printing pressure sensitive labels, flexible packaging, and paperboard cartons. We save time and resources for our customers by leveraging our unique combination of packaging capabilities and expertise to reduce complexity for brand owners through innovative, high quality packaging products and services.

SAS Sales and Marketing provides executive level management and sales expertise to emerging brands in the most cost efficient fashion.

Including KICKSTART FLORIDA: Dedicated sales team for all chain and key account calls.

Initial DSD service, merchandising, invoicing & collections. Inventory control, monthly recaps.

Demo team. East-West coast warehouses. Full visibility/reporting on REPSLY.

73

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Pyure Ingredients Pyure Brands LLC

Natural Masking & Enhancers Signature Flavors, LLC

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Stiebs

Signature Flavors specializes in Natural Masking Agents, Sweetness Enhancers and Flavors for the challenges involved in developing Cannabis products. Our unique technology & expertise will create a unique beverage, baked good, chew and many other applications. Our line of unique products also includes Coffee, Fruit and Tea Enhancers. Signature Flavors is "Your Solution to Being Unique".

Stiebs, formed in 2005, is devoted to sourcing, processing & delivering the world's finest plantbased products. We offer a full line of fruit & vegetable based ingredients as single strength juice, juice concentrate, purees, extracts & powders. From the beginning stages of product development to delivering an on-going supply of premium natural products, our team is here to help you succeed.

Packaging Line Automation Ska Fabricating

Non-GMO Reb M and Reb D Sweegen

Ska Fabricating automates and customizes packaging lines for craft businesses specializing in affordable, small footprint depalletizing, repalletizing, conveyance, rinsing, drying, fill detection and date coding equipment.

With over 500 installations worldwide, Ska Fab's products and experience help take businesses from concept to can to consumer.

Sweegen brings you Non-GMO Project Verified stevia leaf sweeteners BESTEVIAÂŽ Reb M and Reb D for optimal sugar reduction in your food applications. Our products offer clean, sugarlike taste and can be used as flavors and as sweeteners. Our application experts support you to find the ideal use level for your products! Visit our website for more information.

Shanghai Freemen Raw CBD

Creative Design Agency

Shanghai Freemen

Smith Design

74 BEVNET MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Future of Cannabis Consumption

Switch/Cannabis

SoRSE™ Technology

Switch

WATER-SOLUBLE CBD, THC, OR HEMP SEED EMULSIONS

EASE OF ADOPTION AND SEAMLESS INTEGRATION ZERO CANNABIS TASTE & SMELL NEAR-PERFECT DOSING HOMOGENEOUS STABILITY BIO-AVAILABILITY PROVEN IN MARKET CLEAN LABEL APPROACH

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR PRODUCTS CAN BE POWERED BY

.

SORSELABS.COM | INFO@SORSELABS.COM | @SORSELABS | 206-279-1171

Soluble CBD for food+beverage Stillwater Ingredients

Stillwater Ingredients develops, manufactures, and distributes RIPPLE SC (Soluble Cannabinoids), a proprietary suite of standardized, clean-label, shelf-stable formulations of water-soluble hemp-derived cannabinoids, including isolated and full-spectrum CBD*. RIPPLE SC is designed for rapid go-to-market and scalable manufacturing, mixing easily into wet or dry food systems while remaining robust to standard commercial food manufacturing processes.

RIPPLE SC allows fast-acting, water-soluble cannabinoids to be easily introduced into any food environment using standard commercial kitchen or food production equipment and with no noticeable impact to flavor, consistency, texture, or appearance — no specialized knowledge or processing required. *Derived from Colorado-sourced industrial hemp 75

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Synergy - Inspiring Taste Synergy Flavors

Water-Soluble Hemp CBD Powder UnCanny Wellness

American-Grown Hemp Foods Victory Hemp Foods

Synergy Flavors is a global manufacturer and supplier of flavorings, extracts, and essences for the food, beverage and nutrition industries.

With more than 130 years of expertise, Synergy combines a heritage of flavor development with proprietary extraction technology to deliver high quality taste solutions that captivate the senses and inspire innovation.

UnCanny Wellness is the premier supplier of hemp-derived, water-soluble CBD powders for inclusion in drinks, foods, and more. Our unique microencapsulated CBD powder has significantly improved bioavailability (actual absorption) compared to traditional oil extracts and is far easier to incorporate into product formulations.

We supply bulk material and create wholesale & retail products for coffee.

American farms supply 100% of the hemp seed in Victory Foods’ highly functional ingredients.

Our protein concentrates, oils & seeds build delicious, easily digested beverages with transparent sourcing. Hemp is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, nutritionally dense and lacks the functional & sensory drawbacks of other plant proteins. Learn how Victory hemp can boost your brand on our website.

Branding & Packaging Design The GRO Agency

BEST SELECTION OF GLASS BOTTLE United Bottles & Packaging

PACKAGING: BOTTLES & CANS

We create unshakable connections between brands and consumers by linking iconic packaging design with indelible brand stories and surround sound brand experiences. At GRO we believe that every great product deserves to be discovered. For over 30 years (previously as Gammon Ragonesi Associates) we've specialized in innovation, brand strategy, packaging design and brand amplification. NY + LA

United Bottles & Packaging is specialized in the importation and distribution of high-quality bottles for diverse types of craft industries. Our expertise and access to a large variety of models allows us to provide your product with the best packaging solution.

Brand Strategy & Design Trinity Brand Group

ZUCKERMAN HONICKMAN, INC.

Zuckerman Honickman is a full service packaging company specializing in supplying glass and plastic bottles and aluminum beverage cans. With more than 100 years of experience our fourth generation family owned company prides itself in being experts in the supply side of the beverage industry. Our strengths are in our ability to provide beverage brand owners with many unparalleled advantages, such as volume buying, preferred production scheduling, custom packaging design, supply side networking, logistical planning, and much more. Our market expertise lies within our ability to supply a full spectrum of glass, plastic and metal containers to companies of all sizes. Our knowledge base gives us the unique opportunity to enable beverage brand owners to take their ideas from inception to reality to success. With hundreds of manufacturer supplier partners Zuckerman Honickman prides itself in being able to supply custom packaging, hard to find packaging, as well as stock packaging...all at a competitive price. Our National footprint enables us to supply packaging to all corners of the US and beyond. Zuckerman Honickman provides bottles and cans to all beverage verticals, including sports drinks, sparkling beverages, craft beer, craft soda, bottled water, tea, coffee, enhanced beverages, wine, spirits, and many more! Reach out to us and let’s see how Zuckerman Honickman can help!

Contact Michael Zuckerman at 610-962-8449

76 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

COMPANY 10th Avenue Tea A. Holliday & Company Inc. Accountfully AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Ann Foley

La Grange

IL

(630) 660-6168

10thAvenueTea.com

Christine Renken

Toronto

ON

(416) 225-2217

teacoff.com

Brad Ebenhoeh

Charleston

SC

(843) 501-2774

accountfully.com

Dr. John R. Endres

Seattle

WA

(253) 286-2888

aibmr.com

Applied Food Sciences (AFS)

Jackson Zapp

Austin

TX

(512) 732-8300

appliedfoods.com

Avure HPP Technologies - JBT

Lisa Wessels (Pitzer)

Middletown

OH

(859) 534-1545

avure-hpp-foods.com

Azuca

Barney Stacher

New York

NY

(917) 476-7977

azuca.co

Bay Tech Label

Marilyn Sullivan

Saint Petersburg

FL

(800) 229-8321

baytechlabel.com

Beneficial Blends

Troy Hall

Tampa

FL

(616) 206-6225

beneficialblends.com

Berlin Packaging

Monika Puzelyte

Chicago

IL

–

BerlinPackaging.com

Dan Macri

St Paul

MN

(866) 956-4608

Zach Mosesian

Las Vegas

NV

(702) 476-1021

usbeveragemanufacturing.com

Mindy Spire

New York

NY

(917) 622-0244

DrinkBimble.com

Penny Portner

Ham Lake

MN

(763) 746-3926

bioenergylifescience.com

BevSource Big Brands, LLC Bimble Beverages Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. Bioriginal Food & Science Corp

bevsource.com

–

Saskatoon

SK

(306) 975-1166

bioriginal.com

BMT Weiser LLC

Ned Weiser

New York

NY

(212) 326-9864

bmtweiser.com

California Blazed

Tom Weiss

Ladera Ranch

CA

(949) 633-0084

–

Santa Barbara

CA

–

California Juice Co.

californiablazed.com caljuiceco.com

Callisons

Elizabeth Watson

Lacey

WA

(360) 412-3340

callisons.com

CalNutri (www.calnutri.com)

David Ackerman

Colfax

CA

–

calnutri.com

Kevin Love

San Diego

CA

(201) 206-4779

Paul Estevez

Miami

FL

(917) 498-8144

cannabinoidwater.com

Stephen Basile

Ayer

MA

(978) 808-0960

cataniaoils.com

Cannabiniers Cannabinoid Water Catania Oils CBD Living

–

–

CA

(800) 940-3660

CERIA Inc.

Doug Christoph

Arvada

CO

–

Chemi Nutra

cannabiniers.com

CBDLiving.com ceriabrewing.com

Chase Hagerman

Austin

TX

(866) 907-0400

cheminutra.com

Closure Systems International

Clint Rush

Indianapolis

IN

(317) 390-5067

csiclosures.com

Colorado's Best Drinks

Drew Fulton

Denver

CO

(970) 279-1784

SparklingCBD.com

Roy Corr

Simi Valley

CA

(818) 280-6327

uniquebev.com

CURE

Cubed Beverage LLC

JB Woodworth

Huntington

NY

(631) 300-8740

thecurebrand.com

DDW, The Color House

Nick Hudgins

Louisville

KY

(502) 568-5045

ddwcolor.com

Digitawise

David Flagg

Seattle

WA

(425) 770-3329

digitawise.com/cbd

Divine Organics Superfoods

Benjamin Boussina

San Francisco

CA

(415) 246-8622

divineorganics.com

Dixie Brands

Dixie Brands

Denver

CO

(970) 231-1479

dixiebrands.com

DRAM

Brady Becker

Salida

CO

(303) 956-4923

DramDose.com

Alex Lai

London

GB

+447598269949

drink420.co.uk

Andy Staib

Deer Park

NY

(631) 667-6666

dwsprinting.com

Drink 420 DWS PRINTING EB Beverage LLC eBest Mobile Essence pH10 Express Trade Capital Farbest Brands FIG Brand Strategy Firm FILTEC

Markus

Las Vegas

NV

(310) 652-3548

Kevin Fiely

Philadelphia

PA

–

hemph20.co ebestglobal.com

Joel Gabriel

Garden Grove

CA

(855) 738-7426

essenceph10.com/

Ashley Orlando

New York

NY

(212) 997-0155

expresstradecapital.com

information@farbest.com

Park Ridge

NJ

(201) 573-4900

farbest.com

TaChelle Lawson

Las Vegas

NV

–

figfirm.com

Nadine Cotran

Torrance

CA

(937) 621-4924

FILTEC.com

78 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

Flavorman

Phil Icsman

Louisville

KY

(502) 301-8132

flavorman.com

–

–

–

–

flowglow.com

Flow Alkaline Spring Water FONA International Foodarom ForceBrands — HerbForce Franklin Baker, Inc.

WEB SITE

–

Geneva

IL

(630) 578-8600

fona.com

Phillip Kraemer

Salt Lake City

UT

(801) 975-2604

foodarom.com

Sean Conner

New York

NY

(917) 596-3229

forcebrands.com/herbforce

John Slade

Memphis

TN

(901) 881-6681

franklinbaker.com

Freedom Foods

Scott Hayward

Randolph

VT

(978) 835-9436

freedom-foods.com

GABY

Stuart Bennett

Santa Rosa

CA

–

gabyinc.com

Garvey Schubert Barer, P.C.

Hillary Hughes

New York

NY

(212) 965-4527

gsblaw.com

GKV

–

Baltimore

MD

(410) 539-5400

gkvcbd.com

Global Essence Inc.

–

Hamilton

NJ

(732) 677-1100

globalessence.com

Global Organics, Ltd.

Ravi Arora

Cambridge

MA

(781) 648-8844

global-organics.com

Jeannette O'Brien

Tarrytown

NY

(914) 524-0600

EXBERRY.com

Garret Gracey

Lancaster

PA

(717) 916-4236

grahampackaging.com

GNT USA Inc. Graham Packaging Company GreenMountainOrganicCreamery

Veronica DeVos

Hinesburg

VT

(802) 482-6455

kimballbrookfarm.com

Sergio Valderrama

Vernon

CA

(323) 919-7038

gtslivingfoods.com

Hemp2o

Bruce Trent

San Leandro

CA

(310) 384-6776

hemp2o.com

HempBucha LLC

Jeff Empric

Buffalo

NY

(716) 768-8302

hempbuchalife.com

–

San Diego

CA

–

Scott Hayward

salem

MA

(978) 835-9436

hightidebeverage.com

Thom King

Portland

OR

(310) 455-9876

iconfoods.com

GT's Living Foods

High Style Brewing Company Hightide Beverages LLc Icon Foods

HighStyleCA.com

Ingredients Solutions, Inc.

Scott Rangus

Waldo

ME

(207) 722-4172

isi.us.com

Inspira Marketing Group

Dan Sullivan

Norwalk

CT

(203) 939-1300

inspiramarketing.com

ISBT

Larry Hobbs

Dallas

TX

(972) 233-9107

bevtech.org

Javo Beverage Company

Candice Peck

Vista

CA

(760) 560-5286

javobeverage.com

Kalvara

Karin Gerlach

Tempe

AZ

(859) 462-1820

kalvara.com

KARMA CULTURE KAVANA PARTNERS

Shanna Baccari

Pittsford

NY

(585) 218-0022

Bob Groux

Newport Beach

CA

–

–

Los Angeles

CA

(310) 779-5220

thekingkarl.com

Ashley & Seamus

Asheville

NC

(818) 521-0912

kingdomharvest.com

King Karl Kingdom Harvest - Organic CBD KLERSUN

DrinkKarma.com kavanapartners.com

Reed Doyle

Portland

OR

(877) 767-4367

klersun.com

Chris Selinger

Melbourne

FL

(844) 714-2224

konagoldhemp.com

LIQS Cocktail Shots

Michael Glickman

New York

NY

(917) 664-0479

liqsshot.com

Living Health and Wellness

Rosemary Devlin

New York

NY

(914) 763-6320

o2livinghemp.com

Mark Hines

Camden

NJ

(856) 986-4024

magnasweet.com

KONA GOLD LLC

Mafco Worldwide LLC Martin Bauer Inc. MBA Beverage Group, Inc. McLean Design MetaBrand

–

Secaucus

NJ

(201) 659-3100

martin-bauer-group.us

Randall Roddy

Phoenix

AZ

(877) 544-9244

mbabeverage.com

Ian McLean

Walnut Creek

CA

(925) 944-9500

mclean-design.com

Nick Andlinger

Edison

NJ

(732) 983-5915

metabrandcorp.com

METACAN, INC. MNfuse LLC

–

Roswell

GA

(877) 669-4367

hempfusion.com

Ilan Weiss

Saint Louis Park

MN

(612) 513-5714

mnfuse.com

–

Richmond

CA

(510) 444-9463

monvera.com

Michael Christopher

Santa Monica

CA

(800) 336-9630

Michelle Perry

Lihue

HI

–

Monvera Glass Décor mood33 Nalu Botanicals

80 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

mood33.com nalubotanicals.com

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

NatureBox

Kathryn Flouton

Redwood City

CA

(617) 388-3007

naturebox.com

Northwest Naturals

Mike Marquand

Bothell

WA

(425) 285-2612

nwnaturals.com

Norwich Beverage Company

Allyn Brown

Norwich

CT

(860) 886-8080

norwichbeverage.com

NVE Pharmaceuticals

Walter Orcutt

Andover

NJ

(973) 601-8484

nveusa.com

Todd Waks

Las Vegas

NV

(310) 995-2949

akesowater.com

Claire Schilling

Baltimore

MD

(410) 646-2300

oberk.com

–

Durango

CO

(970) 426-4660

ohhibev.com

Kristen Oates

Atlanta

GA

(347) 287-5634

othrsource.com

Jim Woller

Neenah

WI

(920) 727-7952

outlookgroup.com

NXT Water O. Berk Kols Containers Oh Hi Beverages Inc. OTHRSource Outlook Group Pervida

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

–

Blacksburg

VA

(540) 808-0800

pervida.com

Prinova Flavors

Gregory Drew

Carol Stream

IL

(630) 251-1073

prinovausa.com

Pyure Brands LLC

Philip Coggins

NAPLES

FL

(239) 384-5977

pyureingredients.com

Sales Department

Zephyr Cove

NV

(310) 362-6915

QuantumPCR.com

Barry Hirsch

Boulder

CO

(303) 214-2118

rebotanicals.com

Michelle Krebsbach

Dallas

TX

(214) 868-5663

hempd.com

Andy Stallone

Boca Raton

FL

(561) 350-6397

SASsalesandmarketing.com

Quantum Dynamics, Inc. RE Botanicals Rocky Mountain High Brands SAS Sales and Marketing Schpoon Edibles

Andrew Kinnear

Toronto

ON

–

Christine Balediata

Edison

NJ

(732) 981-1288

shanghaifreemen.com

SHF Jugo, Inc.

Teresa Piro

San Francisco

CA

(415) 439-0035

getplantmagic.com

Signature Flavors, LLC

John Creech

Freehold

NJ

(732) 415-8138

signatureflavors.com

–

Durango

CO

(970) 403-8562

skafabricating.com

Jenna Smith

Morristown

NJ

(973) 429-2177

smithdesign.com

Steven Cosgrove

San Diego

CA

(949) 412-3661

solti.com

Shanghai Freemen

Ska Fabricating Smith Design Sol-ti

schpoon.com

SoRSE Technology

Howard Lee

Seattle

WA

(206) 279-1171

sorselabs.com

Sprig

Lisi Willner

Newport Beach

CA

(888) 690-7775

drinksprig.com

Stiebs

Brian Nova

Madera

CA

(559) 661-0031

stiebs.com

Stillwater Ingredients Sweegen Sweet Reason Bev Co. Switch Synergy Flavors Tera's The Feels The GRO Agency

Ashley Grace

Commerce City

CO

(303) 808-5050

stillwateringredients.life

Katharina Pueller

Rancho Santa Margarita

CA

(949) 709-0583

sweegen.com

Hilary McCain

New York

NY

–

Susie Sapp

St Louis

MO

(314) 206-4596

drinksweetreason.com switch.us

Joe Boehrer

Wauconda

IL

(847) 487-1011

synergytaste.com

Michael Sirinides

Closter

NJ

(201) 261-5517

simplyteras.com

Brett Vegas

Boulder

CO

(310) 429-1875

thefeelsfood.com

Kelly Criswell

New York & Los Angeles

CA

(917) 498-8912

thegroagency.com

Matthew Youngblood

Berkeley

CA

(510) 982-7177

trinitybrandgroup.com

UbU Health LLC

Marc Hebert

Santa Monica

CA

(424) 645-7952

DrinkUbU.com

UnCanny Wellness

Alex Corren

Boulder

CO

(833) 229-0899

UnCannyWellness.com

Trinity Brand Group

Arek Froundjian

Laval

QC

(450) 622-1600

unitedbottles.com

VBC Brands

United Bottles & Packaging

Brad Robb

Scottsdale

AR

(480) 765-3358

vbcbrands.com

Victory Hemp Foods

Chad Rosen

Carrollton

KY

(502) 230-3221

victoryhempfoods.com

Vitamin Energy, LLC

Phil Gates

New York

NY

(646) 395-7551

VitaminEnergy.com

Weller

Ryan Mack

Boulder

CO

(303) 818-5764

welleryou.com

Jon Zuckerman

King Of Prussia

PA

(610) 962-0100

zh-inc.com

ZUCKERMAN HONICKMAN, INC.

81

PROMO PARADE

INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS

Rebbl Launches Rebbl Rejuvenation: 7 Days of Super Herbs with Holistic Health Coach Koya Webb REBBL, crafter of organic super herb elixirs, announced “REBBL Rejuvenation: 7 Days of Super Herbs,” created to inspire wellness in the new year, in partnership with holistic health coach and yoga instructor, Koya Webb.

A highly regarded expert in holistic wellness, Webb has worked diligently alongside the brand to develop a 7-recipe introduction to super herbs, which features a daily super herb-powered recipe to demonstrate how simple it can be to integrate more of these powerful plants into one’s diet.

Just in time for the new year, REBBL Rejuvenation will focus on inspiring long-term change through nourishing and equally delicious plantbased recipes featuring super herbs, but will also touch on Webb’s top tips for mindful-

ness and the physical aspects of wellness.

REBBL Rejuvenation will provide participants with a downloadable recipe guide containing plant-based recipes and wellness tips as well as educational content regarding adaptogens and su-

per herbs like ashwaghanda, turmeric and maca. Participants are encouraged to share their own recipes using the hashtag #REBBLRejuvenation, with those sharing recipes on Instagram entered in a drawing to win a month’s worth of REBBL elixirs and a

one-on-one wellness consultation with Koya Webb.

“As a brand that is committed to sharing the wisdom and transformative power of plants, developing this unique quick-guide with Koya Webb’s inspiring perspective on holistic wellness means we can help people kick off the new year with a 360 approach to wellness,” says Rusti Porter, VP of marketing for REBBL. “We wanted to give consumers an easy guide to show them how simple and delicious it can be to elevate their wellness with food; not only with super herbs and adaptogens, but also by incorporating more plantbased foods into their diet.”

While the program kicked off on Jan. 7, consumers can opt-in at any time and will receive the quick-guide upon signing up.

Pepsi Unveils International Tagline Across Its Trademark In January, PepsiCo unveiled a new marketing platform and tagline across its Pepsi trademark: “FOR THE LOVE OF IT.” Throughout the year, more than 100 countries around the world will unleash a collection of distinctive “FOR THE LOVE OF IT” content that champions the cola of today’s generation.

“We are confidently celebrating who we are – an iconic brand rooted in entertainment with a refreshing and delicious beverage people around the world love – as well as who our fellow cola lovers are,” said Roberto Rios, senior vice president of marketing for the Global Beverage at PepsiCo,

in a press release. “FOR THE LOVE OF IT is our rallying cry, proudly saying to go all in for the things you love – from passions and interests like football and music, to unabashedly enjoying one of life’s favorite treats – Pepsi.”

In 2019, Pepsi is once again joining forces with music industry legend Simon Fuller on his latest ground breaking venture: pop group Now United. From China to Brazil and Russia to India, Now United is a new pop concept with 14 singers and dancers from as many countries with millions of followers across social media. The rising stars of Now United will record a

82 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

refreshed Pepsi jingle and the brand’s new musical mnemonic that will act as the heartbeat of “FOR THE LOVE OF IT” across the trademark.

Throughout 2019, the new “FOR THE LOVE OF IT” visual identity and jingle will

be brought to life through expressive design-led packaging, disruptive out-of-home artwork and powerful commercials and digital content distinct to each of the brand’s offerings, celebrating the pop and fizz of the cola like never before.