BevNET Magazine March/April 2019

MARCH-APRIL 2019

BASICINSTINCT

Why more premium water brands are going alkaline.

HOW POWDERED BEVERAGE BRANDS FUEL GROWTH

2019

FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGE

BREWERS FOCUS ON FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS

GUIDE

WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW IN REVIEW

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Contents / March – April 2019 / Volume 17 / No. 2

FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGE GUIDE • 2019

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48

56

63

COLUMNS

FEATURES

6 First Drop When Juice Blends Turn Sour

40 Basic Instinct Why More Premium Water Brands are Going Alkaline

8 Publisher’s Toast The Sunlight Cowboy 34 Gerry’s Insights Don’t Rush The Bubble

48 Electrolyte Feel Powdered Beverage Brands Fuel Growth with Hydration Platforms

DEPARTMENTS

56 To Attract Health-Conscious Consumers Brewers Focus on Functional Ingredients

10 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Hormel Sells CytoSport, Core Bar Launches, Brewers Association Top 50 22 New Products CBD and Spirits

SHOW COVERAGE 36 Craft Brewers Conference Preview

30 Channel Check Refrigerated Smoothies and Juices 106 Promo Parade Halsey Invests in High Brew Coffee

38 Fancy Food Winter 2019 Review

SPECIAL SECTION 63 Functional Beverage Guide with services & suppliers

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5

THE FIRST DROP

BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

When Juice Blends Turn Sour Coke and Suja, it would seem, are at a crossroads. Not quite four years after the soft drinks giant made a $90 million bet on the HPP juice company’s growth, the once glittering upstart brand is reportedly being shopped around like a Mercedes whose lease is up.

The two partners aren’t happy with each other: Coke hasn’t been able to ignite the rocketship it thought it was helping to build, while the Suja team is understandably sad it’s not going to realize the payday that seemed inevitable with its $300 million valuation at the time of the investment.

It’s a bleak turn of events for what had been a long courtship, but then again, it feels like a story we might have seen coming. Right now there are a bunch of brands that haven’t been able to find their footing within a larger system after being acquired by big companies. Changes at the corporate level can cause big shifts in the character of an entrepreneurial brand, and a hard-working, focused team can quickly become someone else’s budgetary solution. It can fall apart quickly – think Bossa Nova – or, like Suja, it can take a little while: think about the problems Muscle Milk and Bolthouse Farms ultimately had within their companies.

But the unraveling of this particular entrepreneurial relationship is a discouraging development for an ecosystem in which entrepreneurial brands were supposed to pump fresh life into the flagging sales of larger food and beverage companies. For every Annie’s or Glaceau, there seem to be three or four brands that don’t grow into vital organs within the larger host. And in an environment where founders are extracting large valuations from investors eager to flip brands to those larger entities, it could be a warning sign that the equation doesn’t always work out. If the strategics don’t get better at integrating, or even if they just get more selective, the goal might not be worth the investment for the VCs, and that will leave entrepreneurs scraping for money.

Certainly, like all big entities, the strategics hedge their bets: it’s not unlike law firms or NFL teams signing up the best talent while knowing there’s going to be attrition. But it should reveal a real lesson for 6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 2018

those entrepreneurs who get into the business with the intent of luring one of the CPG giants into their cap table: the host sometimes rejects the transplant, and fame and fortune don’t always follow the deal.

Still, it’s not like the founders, even when the graft is rejected, haven’t made out pretty well over the years. Look at Clayton Christopher and David Smith.

Sweet Leaf tea might not have made the grade at Nestle Waters, but the pair made enough money and learned enough from their experience to launch and nurture multiple brands since then. Seth Goldman has stuck with Honest Tea even after leaving his leadership position, helping nurture the brand and maintain its role as the wise son in the Coke family. Elsewhere, General Mills promoted a crusader in Carla Vernon to help lead Annie’s even as John Foraker left to start a new business.

So who is to blame when things go wrong? In the case of Suja and Coke, there are problems evident on both sides. The brand has tacked back and forth across the chilled, healthy beverage set in an effort to find more revenue, pulling together probiotic enhanced waters, natural energy, plant milks, kombucha, and now even hemp shots as a way to grab a larger piece of the

functional beverage set. But its original juice products are part of a declining category. Coke may look at Suja and wonder why it is over-SKU’d, but there’s a strong argument to be made that the investment came because of Suja’s bias toward innovation rather than its potential to develop a spear-tip product or two.

As brands try to go to the next level, personnel often bleeds away as well. At Suja, co-founder Jeff Church has stayed active, and his team is continuing to fight to be heard at a company that can simply keep dumping Simply Orange and its variants into cold channels. But there have been good employees who left along the way, either burned out by the push to get the company off the ground or else interested in taking their career momentum into new enterprises.

The larger issue is that the Suja deal may once again call into question the “two step model” that seems to drive a lot of corporate venture capital, particularly for Coke.

Suja’s deal numbers were bigger than most of the early investments that Coke’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) division steered to its parent company (aside from its outright purchase of dairy brand Fairlife), but the two systems have failed to meet each other’s expectations. It’s mostly sad all around, but not completely.

Regardless of the deal issues surrounding them, the Suja team seemed united and youthful when last I saw them, traveling in a pack and headed to a nightclub, together, happily discussing a venture into the brave new world of full-spectrum hemp shots (i.e. dragging Coke into the age of cannabis). That night, you could feel a spirit that hadn’t been crushed, no matter who was getting shopped around to undo a less-than-perfect union.

But like many a morning after, no matter how great things looked the night before, you sometimes wonder how you ended up as part of such a mismatched pair. Still, there’s plenty of green juice for breakfast. Or Simply Lemonade, if that’s the way you’re leaning. Can this marriage be saved? I’m all for working it out, but as always, it’s up to the couple. And, most likely, the lawyers.

Photo by Samara Doole on Unsplash

PUBLISHER’S TOAST

BY BARRY NATHANSON

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www.bevnet.com/magazine

The Sunlight Cowboy

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 Erin Cabrey EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ecabrey@bevnet.com

Today was the first day of spring.

With the sun shining and my back not leaving me horizontal, I decided it’s time, once again, to take it to the streets.

Over the years, I’ve spent more than a few hours hanging out in Times Square, the crossroads of the world, to check the pulse of the populace on their beverage selections. I also like to stand in front of the costumed characters and imagine what it would be like to be them. I think it’s been at least three years since I took this sojourn.

While I walk through Times Square almost every day, it’s a great job when standing around can be your work product.

I brought a few copies of BevNET magazine and some business cards with me so if and when people, including the police, questioned my actions, I could explain why I was polling a group of complete strangers. In fact, a pair of officers, with their semi-automatics slung on their shoulders, did ask why I was stopping people. As if I was the freak! We’re talking about Times Square, one of the few places in the world where you can match wits with Tweety Bird, get a massage, and then invite Spider Man for a couple of beers.

Anyway, I guess my explanation was acceptable.

So here are some of my observations.

People are mostly drinking bottled water.

There was one group of six from Ohio that all were holding water. The amazing thing about it, though, was that they had four different brands: Fiji, Poland Spring, Essentia and Core. They all expressed strong preferences, and the price point didn’t really make a difference. Looking at the crowd, I observed a lot of sparking waters.

Most were flavored and colored. La Croix 8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

had the most drinkers but it was sprinkled with Bubly, Sparking Ice and, surprisingly, Waterloo. Between the still, sparkling, enhanced and flavored, water ruled. I must have spoken to 80 people imbibing water, and health and calories were the main motivations for their selections.

I thought about the first time I did this years ago, when the dominant brands were Coke and Pepsi, and I was a blessedly young man without a care in the world, as well as a healthy back. Not the case anymore. While soda came in second, it was a distant second. I also saw the new variations of Coke, in the slim cans, making a strong dent in the count. Their efforts to innovate seem to have been successful. Cold Brews and Kombucha were strongly in the mix. New Yorkers made up the majority of their audience. The ever-present Arizona 99-cent can was the tea of choice. I was surprised at how few Snapples were there.

I cannot forget the sports drink arena.

While Gatorade was still the largest choice, I was impressed with the inroads that Body Armor has made. Powerade was barely seen.

After I went back to the office, I looked over our New Product Guide from a previous issue. There had to be well over 100 brands listed, but I saw very few of them in Times Square. It might be a place that gathers the bizarre, but it offers conventional drink choices, and the new players have a long way to go to garner acceptance and volume. Hopefully, they’ll have the time and resources to make it happen.

While this is just my slice of Americana on a lazy afternoon, you couldn’t beat it as a reporting trip on the face of beverages today.

Photo by Cris Tagupa on Unsplash

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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

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BEVSCAPE

THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS

Revive Launches Sparkling Kombucha in Cans

California-based kombucha maker Revive is testing a new fourSKU shelf-stable sparkling kombucha line in 12 oz. cans, as part of what the brand called a refocusing on its core mission of replacing carbonated soft drinks.

Speaking with BevNET in early March, Revive founder and CEO Sean Lovett said making the jump from 12 oz. refrigerated glass bottles to shelf-stable cans had been one of the company’s long-term goals. He noted the format opens up new possibilities in flavors, route to market, use occasion and audience, all of which position it as a product that can take on soda.

The canned line differs from Revive’s refrigerated product in more than just packaging. The line features less sugar (5 g) and fewer calories (20 g), with Lovett noting the four flavors – Cherry Hibiscus, Citrus Ginger, Mango Orange and Strawberry Lemon – were developed specifically with a lighter, more refreshing drinking experience in mind.

To create the line, the company developed both proprietary equipment and a proprietary production process that could maintain flavor after pasteurization. The product also uses DE111, a probiotic strain that becomes active after digestion, and delivers a similar functionality as the brand’s raw kombucha.

The line is currently in limited distribution in the Bay Area, where it is available via online retailer GoodEggs and at Oliver’s Market locations. Single-serve 12 oz. cans have a suggested retail price of $2.99 and 4-packs are priced at $11.99.

Beyond flavor and use occasion, the canned line gives Revive the chance to take previously unavailable routes to market.

Whereas the brand’s refrigerated line is distributed in California via Cold Craft – the cold-chain system run by its majority stakeholder, Peet’s Coffee – the shelf-stable product could potentially leverage Peet’s relationship with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), which last year partnered with the coffee maker to distribute its ambient RTD espresso line.

10 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Monster vs. VPX: Whose “Reign” Is Supreme?

Monster Energy and rising rival Bang wrote the next entry in their long history of contentious litigation in late March, when the latter filed a lawsuit claiming Monster is infringing on its trademark with the launch of its new “performance energy” line, Reign.

Described on its label as “total body fuel,” Reign, announced in January, represents Monster’s foray into the high caffeine, fitness-oriented subset of “performance energy” drinks in which VPX Pharmaceuticals’ Bang line has enjoyed much recent success. In revealing the new line, which launched in 16 oz. cans in March, Monster CEO Rodney Sacks and vice chairman Hilton Schlosberg said Reign will have a dedicated

obtained the exclusive licensing rights for the trademark from DASH on March 12.

In an Instagram video posted to Bang Energy’s verified account on March 28, Owoc announced the launch of its own product called REIGN, which is packaged in an 8 oz. bottle and described as a “pre-workout energy drink.” The product is also referenced in the complaint.

In response to the suit, Monster issued a statement which said the company is “confident that VPX’s lawsuit will ultimately be dismissed.”

“VPX’s lawsuit is nothing more than a frivolous and bad faith attempt to slow the national release of ‘Reign Total Body Fuel,’” the company stated. “The fact is, this meritless lawsuit will

team of senior managers focused exclusively on the brand and that it would receive its “own marketing and positioning” relative to Monster’s other portfolio products.

However, in late March, VPX announced it had filed a lawsuit against Monster accusing the company of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, and unfair competition over its use of “REIGN.” According to a document attached to the complaint, JHO Intellectual Property Holdings, of which VPX CEO Jack Owoc is CEO,

not impede the launch of ‘Reign Total Body Fuel’ in any way. The facts are straightforward.”

Comparing Reign to Bang in January, Sacks noted that Monster’s product would have the same amount of caffeine (300 mg), but five times the amount of branch amino acids (BCAAs) and CoQ10 as its main competitor. The company’s top 200 accounts have committed to picking up the zero sugar, zero calorie line, which is available in SKUs like Peach Fizz, Carnival Candy, Sour Apple and Razzle Berry.

BEVSCAPE Hormel Sells CytoSport to PepsiCo

Hormel Foods Corporation announced a deal to sell CytoSport to PepsiCo for $465 million in February, as the company behind the Muscle Milk brand makes a new start less than five years after its acquisition by Hormel.

CytoSport, founded in 1998, was acquired

by Hormel in a deal valued at $450 million in 2014. The company

markets a variety of protein-focused sports nutrition products under the Muscle Milk brand, including powders, ready-to-drink beverages and bars.

In 2017, it launched a parallel brand platform for plant-based protein products, Evolve.

The acquisition, Pepsi’s first under new CEO Ramon Laguarta, gives the soda and

snack giant another legacy brand that will allow it to further expand its product offerings. Within the Pepsi portfolio, CytoSport products will be featured alongside Gatorade, which in recent years has broadened its offerings to include protein-based powders, RTDs and bars. Pepsi also purchased Health Warrior, which mar-

kets sports nutrition powders and bars, for an undisclosed sum in October 2018.

As one of the bestknown legacy brands in the sports nutrition segment, Muscle Milk has faced increasing competition from direct rivals in RTD, such as The Coca-Cola Co.’s Core Power and fast growing brands like OWYN and Iconic Protein, as well

as beverage products featuring protein as a value-added ingredient.

During an earnings call in November 2018, Snee said CytoSport had a “disappointing year” after declining sales in powders and RTDs. Hormel recorded a non-cash impairment of $17 million in the fourth quarter “associated with the CytoSport business.”

KDP Invests Further in FORTO In March, Dyla Brands, the parent company behind FORTO Coffee and Stur, secured a $20 million raise led by Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and hired former CORE SVP of sales Jon Crecy to build its national DSD infrastructure. Existing shareholders also participated in the raise.

Nestle veteran Alberto Hernandez Lopez was also named Dyla’s new chief marketing officer, joining the company as the FORTO brand is in the process of making the leap from 2 oz. shots to an 11 oz. RTD energy coffee line this spring.

Dyla founder and CEO Neel

Premkumar told BevNET that the impetus for this round of fundraising arrived following the merger, which provided the opening for the brand to enter a nationwide DSD network.

“The opportunity to go DSD opened up this chance for us to not just have checkout distribution via wholesalers but also get secondary display, off-shelf display, to go smaller format with cooler door racks and larger format with floor stands and shippers,” said Premkumar.

To establish its bonafides as a national brand, Dyla has brought in an experienced

12 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

hand in Jon Crecy as the company’s new head of sales.

Crecy, a former VP of sales at CytoSport and sales director at Fuze, was most recently at Core Nutrition through the completion of its sale to KDP in January. He told BevNET he was attracted by the opportunity to join an entrepreneurial brand at a critical growth stage and integrate it into a “world class distribution system.”

“For me [the role] leverages a lot of my past experiences with Core, as well as past relationships,” said Crecy.

“We know the system and we know the executives; they are engaged, passionate, and they want to win.”

On the marketing side, the

addition of Hernandez brings another seasoned veteran to the team. As VP of integrated consumer communications at Gerber, he helped execute a comprehensive overhaul for the baby food brand that shifted focus towards clean ingredients and more sophisticated flavors.

The investment also comes as FORTO’s first non-shot product – an 11 oz.

RTD energy coffee available in three varieties – rolls out at retail this spring. Premkumar said the investment was timed to coincide with the new product, which is currently available at Walmart nationwide, and that the brand’s marketing strategy will be informed by consumer data.

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NOSHSCAPE

For more stories, check out nosh.com

THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS

BFG Closes Fund II to Back Emerging CPG Brands

In late February, Boulder Food Group (BFG) announced the close of its second fund, valued at approximately $100 million. BFG’s previous fund closed in 2015 at $54 million. Founder and managing partner Tom Spier told NOSH that Fund II was largely comprised of investors from the group’s previous fund.

BFG typically backs organic or non-gmo brands with $1 million to $10 million in annual revenue, although Spier said that the fund can

flex to invest in larger companies as well as brands with only $10,000 in revenue a month. The second fund, although larger in size, will maintain this investment thesis.

“We’re not necessarily an impact investing group, but I hope when we look back we feel like we’ve made an impact,” Spier said.

“In some cases [the social benefit] is pretty clear and in some cases the company has to work a bit harder to emphasize that.”

Fund I is not yet fully deployed,

14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

but BFG is no longer investing in new portfolio companies from it. That fund saw the group invest in roughly a dozen fast-growing, emerging brands including Caulipower, Barnana, Malk and Chameleon Cold Brew – the latter of which sold to Nestle in 2017, two years after BFG invested.

The first investment from Fund II is in OLIPOP, a digestive health beverage, which closed a $2.5 million round earlier this year.

RX Brings in New Leadership, Launches ‘Contrarian’ New Brand On March 1, Chicago Bar Company, makers of RXBAR, announced its plan to rebrand as Insurgent Brands, expand its product mix under the RX brand and launch a new “contrarian” sub brand. All of which will move forward under new leadership.

The move comes roughly 18 months after the company was sold to The Kellogg Company for $600 million. As the brand moves forward, Peter Rahal and Sam McBride will not continue in their respective roles as CEO and COO. Former CFO Jim Murray has assumed the role of President.

Co-founder Rahal will step down from his position, but will remain with the company focusing on product develop-

then alternatives on the market and answered a pain point from their consumers.

“What we found was that people are frustrated by breakfast,” Rahal said. “So we took our brand and our principles and our ingredient philosophy and looked at how we could apply it to breakfast.”

The company will also add three new flavors to the RXBAR lineup. And in opposition to RXBAR, Insurgent will launch a new brand, TIG Snacks, that Murray calls “the rebellious child of the organization.” While RX is about performance and can come off to consumers as “earnest and serious,” TIG will be more playful. The line of lentil, chickpea and rice bars will launch in

ment, while McBride will move to the role of advisor.

The company is also changing its overarching brand identity and will rename itself from Chicago Bar Company to Insurgent Brands, a transition the company said will better reflect its broadened portfolio.

The company will also expand into RX Oats – a line of high protein oatmeal. With 12 grams of protein per cup, the oats will launch in maple, chocolate and apple cinnamon flavors and can be eaten hot or as overnight oats. Rahal told NOSH the oats are less sweet

indulgent flavors such as pizza, buffalo, BBQ and chili lime.

TIG will launch direct to consumer in March and may or may not eventually wind up on store shelves. Murray said Kellogg was hands off, although supportive, in designing the line. He expects future product development to maintain a similar path.

“Our approach is really to focus on what we’re seeing from a consumer lense and place a lot of smaller bets,” Murray.

“Use our direct connection with consumers to get feedback and adjust and go from there.”

NOSHSCAPE Beverage Vet Lance Collins Launches CORE Foods Beverage veteran and BodyArmor, Fuze and CORE Nutrition founder Lance Collins announced in March the launch of his newest CPG venture, Core Foods. The new brand introduced its first product, the refrigerated Core Bar, at Natural Products Expo West 2019.

Collins told NOSH that CORE had tried to launch a bar in 2014, but was stopped by Corey Rennell, CORE Food’s then owner, for trademark

infringement. After Collins sold CORE Nutrition to Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) for $525 million last year, Rennell reached out and offered to sell the trademark. And with the brand in hand and KDP agreeing to a co-existence agreement, Collins couldn’t resist giving the concept another shot.

Those who are familiar with the older CORE Bar will find the product drastically changed, with new branding, flavors and formulation. The resulting product is an chilled, overnight-oats inspired bar enhanced with probiotics.

Each bar will retail for $2.99 and has five to eight grams of

protein with no added sugar.

Whole Foods Market, Amazon and CIBO Markets nationwide have picked up the line, which has six flavor options to start.

Collins told NOSH the desire to start the brand came from an appreciation of the potential of the category and seeing how his former BodyArmor business partner, Mike Repole, was able to convert his skills to the snack set with brands such as Pirate’s Booty.

“I love the bar business but I looked around and didn’t see anything that I really loved in the marketplace,” Collins said. “And I thought, ‘we can do better.’”

Supporting Collins, who has the title of chief visionary officer, are CEO Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, the former chief merchandising officer of 7-11; CMO Brett Hartmann, the former VP of marketing for snacks at Hain Celestial; and SVP of sales John Davidowitz, the former director of sales for PUR Gum & Mints. Delgado-Jenkins will pull double duty, remaining on as the CEO of Collins’ other business, Outlaw Energy.

16 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Siete Closes $90M from Stripes Group to Scale ‘Audacious’ Platform

Mexican-American family-owned food brand Siete Family Foods announced in February the close of a $90 million minority investment from Stripes Group in order to help fulfill the company’s growth plan, according to cofounder and CEO Miguel Garza.

Siete had previously closed a smaller round of angel investment roughly three years ago, but Stripes will be the brand’s first institutional investor. As part of the deal, Stripes partner Karen Kenworthy will join Siete’s board

as a director and Stripes partner Chris Carey will join the board as an observer.

Siete began discussions with Stripes roughly two years ago, but at that time the family had not decided if they wanted to take significant outside capital. Garza told NOSH that it was only recently that he, and his family, came to understand just how much Stripes supported their vision.

“The brand that we’re trying to build, it’s an audacious goal that we have,” Garza told NOSH. “I was really excited that

they were willing to jump in… and amplify our efforts to build an iconic, billion dollar brand.”

The money, Garza said, will likely be the last round of outside funding the business needs to take in, adding that he and his family are “risk averse” and prioritize profitability. Rather than filling an urgent need, the hope is that this round will simply allow the company to move faster and grow in a shorter window.

To do so, the family plans to concentrate on supporting innovation and marketing, along with increasing staff.

CAFFEINE

BREWSCAPE

For more stories, check out Brewbound.com

THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS

Brewers Association Ranks Top US Brewing Companies

Anheuser-Busch to Acquire Fast-Growing Cutwater Spirits In February, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced the purchase of fast-growing Cutwater Spirits, a craft distilling venture that was originally born inside of Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits.

Specific financial terms of the deal – A-B InBev’s first in the spirits space – were not disclosed. The transaction, which is for 100 percent of the Cutwater business, is expected to close in Q1.

Founded by former Ballast Point Brewing executives Yuseff Cherney (then-COO), Earl Kight (then-CCO) and Jim Buechler (then-CEO), along with investment from Ballast point founder Jack White, Cutwater operates a sprawling 50,000 sq. ft. distillery, tasting room and kitchen in San Diego’s Miramar neighborhood, which is home to numerous craft breweries, including Ballast Point.

In March, The Brewers Association released its annual rankings of the top U.S. beer companies based on projected 2018 sales volume.

Amongst BAdefined small and independent craft brewing companies – those businesses that make fewer than 6 million barrels of beer annually and are less than 25 percent owned by a non-craft brewer – Pennsylvania’s D.G. Yuengling & Son once again secured the top spot as the largest producer of craft beer in the U.S. Boston Beer Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing ranked second and third, respectively, and the top seven-ranked

breweries remained unchanged versus last year.

Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist made the biggest leap forward last year, moving up 11 places (from 39th to 28th) from its 2017 ranking, according to statistics published in the May/June issue of the BA’s New Brewer magazine.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s Modern Times Beer cracked the top 50 list for the first time, moving up 11 places, from 56th in 2017 to 45th in 2018.

Among the top 50 producers, 15 companies lost ground, with Oregon’s Full Sail Brewing falling the farthest, from 29th in 2017 to 44th in 2018. Elsewhere, California’s Bear

18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Republic Brewing also dropped seven places, while Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing and Utah’s Uinta each dropped six spots.

It’s worth noting that the BA’s top 50 “U.S. craft brewing companies” list does not include some notable brewing ventures that many would consider producers of “craft beer.”

Michigan’s Founders Brewing, which sold a 30 percent stake to Mahou San Miguel in 2014, was excluded from the “craft brewing” list because of its ownership structure. It did, however, rank as the 14th largest overall beer company in the U.S. in 2018, according to the BA.

The company manufactures 14 different ready-to-drink canned cocktails, which carry a suggested retail price of as much as $16.99 per 4-pack, and distributes to 34 states. It also makes 16 types of spirits.

Brendan Whitworth, A-B’s vice president of sales in North America, said the acquisition of a spirits company would help the beer giant better compete in non-beer categories.

“We are first and foremost a beer company,” he said. “That being said, we want to be sure we are present where all consumers are. That includes adjacencies within beer, and different segments that are emerging.”

According to off-premise retail data from Nielsen, dollar sales of Cutwater’s spirits products grew 203 percent during the 52-week period ending Jan. 26. Meanwhile, dollar sales of the company’s RTD cocktails grew 356 percent and far outpaced the single-serve spirit-based cocktails segment (+66.2 percent) during the same period.

BREWSCAPE Harpoon to Partner with Polar on Forthcoming Hard Seltzer Line

Heineken USA Cuts 15 Percent of Workforce

Boston’s Harpoon Brewery is the latest craft brewery jumping into the hard seltzer space.

The new product line, a collaborative effort with Worcester, Mass.-based beverage producer and distributor Polar Beverages, is called Arctic Summer.

Starting in late April, Harpoon will begin shipping four flavors – Ruby Red Grapefruit, Pineapple Pomelo, Raspberry Lime, and Black Cherry – to its Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic markets, according to brewery co-founder and CEO Dan Kenary.

Kenary said the new venture marks the first time a beer company has teamed up with a non-alcoholic seltzer brand for the creation of spiked offerings.

a $520 million hard seltzer segment, which grew 175 percent during the 52-week period ending Jan. 26, according to Nielsen. These include brands such as Oskar Blues (Wild Basin Boozy Sparkling Water), Braxton Brewing (Vive Hard Seltzer), Perrin Brewing (Clear Coast Fresh Hard Seltzer) NoDa Brewing (Brizo Hard Seltzer), Perrin Brewing (Clear Coast Hard Seltzer) and Platform Beer Company.

Category leader Mark Anthony Brands sold nearly $195 million worth of its White Claw Hard Seltzer offerings at offpremise retailers last year, as the company grew its portfolio-wide depletions 29

Heineken USA (HUSA) announced in February it would slash 15 percent of its overall workforce.

significant cuts to their respective workforces.

A number of well-known craft beer companies,

Made with 100 percent cane sugar, the four flavors – which will be sold in 6-packs and variety 12-packs – will check in at 5 percent ABV. Flavored with “the same essences that Polar uses in its non-alcoholic products,” they will contain 110 calories and just 1 gram of sugar, Kenary said.

Harpoon is jumping into an already crowded hard seltzer space at a time when numerous craft breweries have recently rolled out products aimed at competing with dominate brands made by major players.

In recent months, a variety of companies have sought to grab a piece of

percent. Boston Beer Company’s recently rebranded Truly Hard Seltzer (originally called Truly Spiked & Sparkling) is the next largest brand in the segment, with sales of its variety pack offering alone eclipsing $59 million in 2018.

Other top brands include Bon & Viv spiked seltzer (Anheuser-Busch), Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water (MillerCoors), Svedka Spiked Premium Seltzer (Constellation Brands) and Smirnoff Hard Sparkling (Diageo). Meanwhile, nearly a dozen other companies are currently making or have announced plans to introduce hard seltzer and other “spiked” products.

In a statement, HUSA spokesman Bjorn Trowery said the restructuring would enable the company to operate more efficiently.

“This will help Heineken USA be more cost effective, and allow us to reinvest behind our brands and business in the U.S. While change that impacts our people is always difficult, we believe these changes will better position Heineken USA for the future,” he wrote.

At the time, Trowery said that the company was “actively” seeking “new opportunities” for the affected workers.

HUSA is the latest major U.S. beer company to announce layoffs. Last year, AnheuserBusch, MillerCoors, Constellation Brands and Pabst Brewing all made

including Heineken International-owned Lagunitas, which cut 12 percent of its workforce last October, have also scaled back in recent months.

Last December, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery laid off dozens of employees, citing missed growth projections. Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing also cut its workforce by about 4 percent around this time last year.

The reductions come at a time when categorywide beer sales are relatively sluggish. Though off-premise sales at major chain retailers increased about 1.8 percent in 2018, according to market research firm IRI, shipments of beer made domestically declined by about 2 percent, according to the Beer Institute.

20 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

21

NEW PRODUCTS

THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS

Tea Iced tea brand BOS introduced Unsweetened Sparkling Iced Teas, made with sparkling water infused with organic rooibos. The teas, available in three flavors – Blueberry & Jasmine, White Peach & Elderflower and Pineapple & Coconut – an have an SRP of $1.99 per 12 oz. can. For more information, please contact BOS Brands at (877) 4-BOSTEA. Pure Leaf announced the launch of Pure Leaf Herbal Iced Teas, a new line of premium caffeine-free iced teas made with no artificial sweeteners and brewed with real hibiscus flowers. The line is available in stores and online at $1.99 for an 18.5 oz. single-serve bottle, in three flavors: Mango Hibiscus, Peach Hibiscus and Cherry Hibiscus. For more information, please contact Pure Leaf at (866) 612-2076.

Milk Plant-based beverage company Califia Farms launched Übermilk in three varieties– Unsweetened, Unsweetened Vanilla and Chocolate – combining 8 g of plant-protein from peas, oats and sunflower seeds with all eight essential amino acids. Übermilk will be available at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide with additional distribution throughout the year. For more information, please contact Califia Farms at (844) 237-4779.

Dairy-free beverage brand Mooala announced the launch of its newest innovation: Organic Coconut Oatmilk, made with toasted oats blended with coconut cream and cinnamon.

The product has no added sugar and 50 calories per serving, with a suggested retail price of $5.99. For information, please contact Mooala at (214) 206-1902.

CSDs Fanta has added Wild Cherry flavor to its lineup. The new flavor has less than 11 g of sugar per 100 ml, resulting in less sugar overall than other current Fanta recipes. Wild Cherry 22 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

is available in 12 oz. aluminum cans, 20 oz. bottles and 2-liter bottles. For more information, please contact Fanta at (800) 520-2653.

Smoothies Chia-based beverage brand Mamma Chia announced Chia Protein Smoothies, containing 1200 mg of Omega-3, 13 g of plant-based protein, 2100 mg of MCT and only 9 g of sugar.

Chia Protein Smoothies are available in three 12 oz. flavors: Tropical Mango, Mixed Berry and Strawberry Banana. For more information, please contact (855) 588-2442.

Juice brand Simply entered into a new product category with the launch of its ready-to-drink fruit smoothies in Strawberry Banana, Mango Pineapple and Orchard Berry flavors. The line is available nationwide in multi-serve 32 fl. oz carafes and single-serve 11.5 fl. oz bottles. For more information, please contact Simply at (800) 871-2653.

Energy Drinks Craft-brewed organic energy drink brand MATI has introduced three new zero-calorie flavors: Raspberry Mint, Lemon Ginger and Grapefruit. MATI’s new products are available online now via Amazon and on MATI’s website and at Southeast retailers, including Whole Foods and Fresh Market. For more information, please contact (866) 924-8005.

Red Bull added two new flavors to its “Edition” series: Red Bull Peach Edition and Red Bull Pear Edition Sugarfree, available nationwide in 12 oz. cans. For more information, please contact Red Bull at (310) 393-4647.

Juice Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company launched of a new line of cold-pressed juices, formulated with functional botanicals, traditional spices and superfood ingredients and available in three varieties: Purify, Relax and Resilient. The juices are on sale at Publix,

NOW AVAILABLE NATIONALLY IN YOUR E NE R GY DO O R

NEW PRODUCTS Fresh Thyme in the Midwest and Fairway in the Northeast. For more information, please contact Natalie’s at (772) 465-1122.

Cheribundi Inc. introduced Cheribundi Hydrate, combining the benefits of Cheribundi’s smooth tart cherry juice with coconut water and B Vitamins. Cheribundi Hydrate is available in 12 and 24 oz. sizes at 90 calories per serving. For more information, please contact Cheribundi at (800) 699-0460.

Geevani introduced Sugarcane Juice, made with under three natural ingredients and no added sugar or preservatives. It is available in four varieties: Power (lime), Hydrate (kumquat), Revive (ginger and lime) and Renew (turmeric root and cayenne). Geevani’s sugarcane juice is available in all 187 Jewel Osco locations in the Chicagoland area, as well as online. For more information, please contact Geevani at (888) 311-2157

CBD Pervida launched Pervida Calm, containing 12 mg of full spectrum CBD per 12 oz. can. Pervida Calm is available through the company’s website in Blackberry Papaya flavor. For more information, please contact Pervida at (540) 808-0800.

Coffee Plant-based latte company Pop & Bottle announced a new line of oat milk lattes with added functional ingredients such as collagen, adaptogens, nootropics and antioxidants. The coffee is cold brewed and blended with oat milk, with no dairy or refined sugars. The new line will be available in May, both in-store and online via the company’s website and Amazon at a retail price of $3.99. For more information, please contact Pop & Bottle at (415) 617-9880.

High Brew launched its first plant-based products with Nut Milk Lattes made with coconut and cashew milk. These dairy-free options contain 9 g of sugar and come in three flavors: Bourbon Vanilla, Toasted Coconut and Smoked Butterscotch at a suggested retail price of $2.99. For more information, please contact High Brew Coffee at (512) 853-9696.

24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Kitu Life announced the launch of Super Espresso in 6 oz. cans. The product contains 180 mg of caffeine from three shots of organic espresso, 5 g of protein, healthy fats from MCT oil, 40 calories and no sugar. Super Espresso comes in Original, Caramel and Vanilla flavors for a suggested retail price of $2.00, and is available on Amazon and at retailers including Rite Aid, Duane Reade and Wegmans. For more information, please contact Kitu Life at (845) 853-5688.

Sparkling Water Spindrift announced the launch of its 10th sparkling water flavor, Lime, available in 12 oz. cans. The new flavor contains only carbonated water and squeezed fruit juice, and is now available on Amazon and The Spindrift Market as well as in select retailers, including Target and Kroger. For more information, please contact Spindrift at (617) 391-0356.

Coconut Water New coconut water brand TAJA announced the launch of its non-GMO and sugar-free bottled coconut water, extracted using a patented coldfiltered process extracts which keeps nutrients intact without adding harmful heat, air or additives. Pricing on individual bottles varies from $3.49 to $3.99. For more information, please contact TAJA at (678) 540-3244.

Kids Beverages Apple & Eve launched Cool Waters, a new line of vitamin enhanced waters in Strawberry, Cherry and Tropical Punch flavors. Cool Waters are sweetened with only organic fruit juice and enhanced with 100 percent Vitamin C, and are available in an 8-count multipack with 6.75 oz. juice boxes. For more information, please contact Apple & Eve at (800) 969-8018.

Kombucha Wonder Drink Kombucha added a new line of functional drinks to its prebiotic kombucha port-

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Functional Beverages GacLife announced the launch of five new daily health beverages that aid in sleep, skin health, energy, relaxation and detoxification. Gac comes in a 6-pack of 12 oz. recyclable aluminum cans in five functional varieties: Cleanse, Sleep, Energy, Beauty and Relax. Gac is available in retail stores in California and can be purchased online at Amazon.com or GacLife’s website for $24.00 per 6-pack, or $19.20 per 6-pack for a monthly subscription. For more information, please contact GacLife at (310) 905-7886.

Altru Brands LLC launched Altru, an innovative functional water beverage that is a fusion of exotic flavors and a proprietary blend of electrolytes, natural caffeine and antioxidants, including glutathione. Altru is available in four SKUS: Peach Mangosteen, Tangerine Prickly Pear, Mango Cherimoya and Coconut Jackfruit.

Each 16 oz. bottle of Altru contains 10 calories, less than one gram of sugar, a proprietary natural sweetener blend and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For more information, please contact Altru Brands at (609) 954-9499 Vital Proteins expanded its collagen product portfolio with Collagen Water, containing 10 grams of bovine-sourced collagen peptides, real fruit juice and reverse osmosis water to promote skin, hair, nail and joint health. The Collagen Water comes 12 oz. bottles in five unique varieties: Original (a citrus twist on a neutral taste), Strawberry Lemon, Blackberry Hibiscus, Lemon Ginger and Blueberry Mint at a suggested retail price of $4.50. For more information, contact Vital Proteins at (224) 544-9110.

Dirty Lemon announced the launch of +valerian, a natural sleep remedy featuring a 400 mcg dose of Valerian Root, often referred to as “nature’s Valium,” in each 16 oz. bottle. The +valerian formula combines calming botanicals and magnesium known to promote drowsiness and mental relaxation while also supporting

26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

cellular rejuvenation, and features flavor notes of chamomile and hydrating rose water. For more information, please contact Dirty Lemon at (917) 588-0640.

Spirits The Ko’olau Distillery launched Old Pali Road Whiskey, a smooth, hand-blended, oak-barrelmatured craft whiskey available in selected bars and retail outlets throughout Hawaii. The batch is limited to 1,800 bottles. For more information, please contact Ko’olau Distillery at (808) 225-3457.

Seville, Spain-based Puerto de Indias announced the US debut of its Strawberry Gin, made from blending delicate citrus and juniper Gin with fresh distilled strawberries. Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin is available in New York, Florida and Illinois in 750ml bottles, at a suggested retail price of $26.99. For more information, please contact Puerto De Indias at (954) 191-366.

SakéOne announced the release of its Oregonbrewed canned saké, Yomi and Momokawa.

Available for purchase in Oregon, Washington and California in 250ml slim cans, both Yomi and Momokawa are Junmai Ginjo, or super premium level saké made with no distilled alcohol added. Yomi is fruity, refreshing and subtly sweet with 13 percent ABV, while Momokawa is a medium-dry saké with a balance of soft water notes and flavors of apple and pear and an ABV of 14 percent. For more information, please contact SakéOne at (503) 357-7056 DeLeón Tequila launched its latest variant, DeLeón Añejo, a full-bodied tequila with notes of rich vanilla, caramel, sweet oak and subtle dried fruit. DeLeón Añejo is now available nationwide. For more information, please contact DeLeón Tequila via Fingerprint Communications at (310) 276-7500.

Iron Smoke Distillery announced the release of CASKet Strength Bourbon. The whiskey features notes of butterscotch, vanilla and caramel and is available in a limited quantity of 750ml bottles at 60 percent ABV. For more information, please contact Iron Smoke Distillery at (585) 388-7584.

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CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY

RFG JUICE AND DRINK SMOOTHIES & RFG VEGETABLE JUICE/COCKTAIL Remember HPP? Looks like consumers are starting to forget, at least in conventional grocery, where once-hot brands like Suja, 1915, and Evolution Fresh continue to backslide in these representative categories. That’s not to say it’s a complete pulse-reading -- especially given the constant innovation at Suja, for example, there’s always something new going in and the numbers can be slippery. But the question is, what is going to reignite green juice?

Even in the days of Keto, it’s viable as a no-sugar, nutrition packed snack. Maybe if they blended in the fats? Meanwhile it seems to be still working with drinks like coconut water and watermelon juice (not included here) – those products continue to grow.

RFG JUICE AND DRINK SMOOTHIES BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Naked

$527,117,492

-2.8%

Bolthouse Farms

$157,003,416

-12.4%

Odwalla

$31,663,000

-9.4%

Dannon Danimals Smoothie

$19,675,930

11.5%

Naked Protein Zone

$18,461,455

-11.3%

Suja Essentials

$11,459,563

-24.6%

Bolthouse Farms C-Boost

$6,323,726

-15.8%

Bolthouse Farms Balanced

$5,839,863

N/A

Odwalla C Monster

$4,368,826

-10.7%

Evolution Fresh

$4,107,542

3.2%

RFG VEGETABLE JUICE/COCKTAIL BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Bolthouse Farms

$41,907,958

-6.1%

Bolthouse Farms Organics

$22,868,655

44.6%

Naked

$13,576,201

-21.9%

Suja

$10,256,427

45.3%

Suja Essentials

$8,438,147

-14.1%

Private Label

$7,495,810

338.7%

Evolution Fresh

$4,161,691

-17.4% -34.5%

1915 Bolthouse Farms

$3,019,731

Tropicana Essentials

$2,974,591

N/A

Arden’s Garden

$1,631,572

80.0%

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME Beer

$35,441,751,761

2.2%

Energy Drinks

$12,477,414,938

9.0%

Bottled Juices

$7,055,092,892

-0.9%

Tea/Coffee

$6,741,447,784

3.8%

Bottled Water

$16,878,124,232

7.2%

Liquid Drink Enhancers

$334,470,296

8.2%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 2/24/19

30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

CHANNEL CHECK RTD TEA BRAND

ICED COFFEE / CAPPUCCINO

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

Lipton Pure Leaf

$713,853,881

0.8%

Starbucks Frappuccino

$1,084,550,352

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER 0.3%

AriZona

$567,695,462

-1.5%

Starbucks Doubleshot

$629,818,017

-3.4% 22.0%

Gold Peak

$402,099,301

3.3%

Java Monster

$472,261,310

Lipton Brisk

$368,650,929

0.9%

Coca Cola Dunkin’ Donuts

$155,622,466

-1.7%

Monster Rehab

$297,663,023

-0.5%

Starbucks

$86,021,420

39.8% 36.8%

Lipton

$283,869,783

-1.7%

Private Label

$55,922,575

Snapple

$215,437,395

-3.6%

Monster Caffé

$52,538,138

N/A

Lipton Diet

$171,251,052

-4.8%

Starbucks Cold Brew

$42,107,759

35.3%

Diet Snapple

$154,119,489

-2.8%

McCafé

$34,524,126

N/A

AriZona Arnold Palmer

$127,106,359

1.3%

Starbucks Doubleshot Light

$31,856,611

7.4%

ENERGY DRINKS

WEIGHT CONTROL / NUTRITIONALS

BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Red Bull

$2,925,736,842

2.4%

Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus

$47,134,191

-0.5%

Monster Energy

$1,754,903,634

9.0%

Odwalla

$28,973,134

5.0%

$784,246,102

9.2%

Shamrock Farms Rockin’ Protein

$16,065,846

625.7%

Red Bull Sugar Free

BRAND

Monster Energy Zero Ultra

$689,456,231

13.7%

Shamrock Farms Rockin’ Refuel

$10,706,853

-56.0%

NOS

$454,072,080

7.2%

Private Label

$5,518,746

3.2%

Monster Energy Lo Carb

$284,797,420

-2.3%

Bolthouse Farms Strong

$5,513,242

N/A

$237,416,611

-1.2%

REBBL

$442,355

209.1%

$225,262,958

14.3%

Koia

$124,043

N/A

Monster Mega Energy Red Bull The Blue Edition Bang

$208,534,749

N/A

Designer Protein Organic Pro 30

$33,957

122.0%

Red Bull The Yellow Edition

$205,878,633

18.7%

Karuna

$31,283

-1.5%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 2/24/19

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32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

BOTTLED WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$2,940,561,303

11.4%

Dasani

$1,066,058,209

-1.5%

Aquafina

$1,054,835,454

-1.9%

Glaceau Smart Water

$830,566,725

2.7%

Nestle Pure Life

$808,198,831

-8.2%

Poland Spring

$707,755,055

4.0%

Glaceau Vitamin Water

$490,114,536

0.0%

Fiji

$435,390,430

-4.6%

Deer Park

$425,075,433

4.5%

Ozarka

$398,613,185

7.2%

SPARKLING WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Private Label

$554,643,207

9.0%

La Croix

$455,767,463

18.3% 12.3%

Sparkling ICE

$438,892,390

Perrier

$281,325,758

4.2%

Polar

$174,551,567

15.2% 9.2%

San Pellegrino

$146,630,017

Bubly

$134,807,682

N/A

Topo Chico

$118,829,858

41.9%

La Croix Curate

$59,894,727

7.8%

Schweppes

$58,997,327

-9.6%

BOTTLED FRUIT DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Bai

BRAND

$319,269,902

5.0%

Snapple

$238,496,773

9.1%

Hawaiian Punch

$208,063,594

-1.5%

V8 Splash

$164,331,896

-7.3%

Private Label

$120,211,323

13.2%

Minute Maid

$106,524,501

18.7%

Tampico

$97,179,379

-10.9%

Welch’s

$92,227,970

7.7%

AriZona

$77,010,916

18.7%

Little Hug Fruit Barrels

$60,338,808

-6.0%

DOMESTIC BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

Bud

$7,280,256,445

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER -5.2%

Coors

$2,510,155,447

-3.6%

Michelob

$2,174,912,063

19.4%

Miller Lite

$2,016,763,774

-0.6%

Busch

$1,451,221,355

-4.0%

Natural

$1,325,587,397

1.0%

Bud Specialty

$703,586,926

3.0%

Keystone

$502,450,994

5.1%

Miller High Life

$455,857,754

-1.7%

Yuengling

$388,770,189

0.8%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm-@iriworldwide% 52 Weeks through 2/24/19

The largest companies in the beverage industry already trust PurCaf. So, why wait to formulate with PurCaf?

appliedfoods.com/caffeine 33

GERRY’S INSIGHTS

BY GERRY KHERMOUCH

Don’t Rush the Bubble It’s boom times for predicting boom times in cannabis and hemp. Stocks of many pure plays are on a tear, and financial transactions are occurring at outlandish multiples that put even Dr Pepper Snapple’s acquisition of Bai to shame. Beverage companies right now can get a lift simply by declaring their intention to enter the segment.

To me it’s got “bubble” written all over it, though that’s not to say we’re not at the incipient stages of what may prove to be a major new industry. And I know from bubbles better than most: even before the dotcom boom-and-bust, I’d experienced a similar frothiness. While covering manufacturing back in the 1980s, when General Motors was infatuated with the potential of industrial robots, projections were running wild about their growth, and failing makers of, say, welding equipment could prompt a surge in their share prices just by changing their corporate names to include the phrases “robotics” or “machine vision.” The robotics newsletter where I worked would print some projection that we’d allow was pretty blue-sky and we’d hear those same somewhat arbitrary projections being used as justification for major capacity expansions. Industrial robots proved not to be a panacea, GM cut back its purchases and before long many of the high-fliers – along with my newsletter – were kaput. Since subsequent bubbles in dotcoms, real estate and bitcoin carried an all-too-familiar ring, I’m not quite ready to toke up in celebration of a world-changing cannaboom.

Most people in the beverage business must at least suspect this, but it can be easy for their judgment to be clouded by their own business dilemmas. For beer wholesalers who’ve seen a flattening in beer trends – there may still be robust growth in beer sold through local brewers’ taprooms, but that completely bypasses them – it’s unsurprising to put outsize hopes in cannabis as a new leg to their businesses, even though we’re a lot of miles away from defining who will be delegated by regulators to handle distribution and how. (Of course, one solution might be for them to finally make a wholehearted effort to play in non-alcoholic beverages, but that’s more of a slog than entering an explosive sector like cannabis where a bottle of THC currently goes for 34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

$10 or more.) Ditto for beverage players in cluttered categories – even newer ones like kombucha and cold-brewed coffee – who’re looking for a differentiator, or those who’re publicly traded and wouldn’t mind enjoying a bounce in the stock price.

For a sense of the many challenges and imponderables confronting the cannabiz, you only need to read the risk sections of corporate players’ prospectuses. Despite passage of the Farm Bill, the regulatory situation remains highly unsettled. (Who is named permanent successor to departing FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb will somewhat clarify things.) In part because the government made it so difficult in the past, there is a dearth of U.S. research on cannabis and its myriad components to guide policymaking. Amid the glut of players of all sizes and at all tiers of the business, it is very difficult to pick winners and losers with any degree of faith at this point.

In trying to get my hands around this segment – and I certainly won’t claim any real expertise at this point – I have encountered a few assumptions among entrepreneurs entering from the beverage space that I have reason to question. I’m going mainly on hunches, as it’s hard to develop great conviction in such fluid circumstances, but for what it’s worth, here are a few: If you don’t rush in now, the big guys will blow you out of the market. We don’t know yet what regulatory barriers might end up favoring the big established players and impeding small independent players, in an era in which the government has shown scant interest in reining in market dominance. That issue aside, the major beer, beverage and packaged food players haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory with their ability to grow through internal innovation. Is there some special reason why this segment will prove to be different?

Certainly, the management teams behind the bigger cannabis players like Canopy, Aurora and Tilray with whom they’re aligning have proved themselves to be agile, creative businesspeople. But relying on CPG giants who haven’t been able to innovate effectively in their core businesses doesn’t seem like a slamdunk in the nascent beverage and edibles spaces. Maybe the new brands these alliances create will prove to be similar clunkers.

The amateurishly branded incumbents in dispensaries will be road kill in the cannabis wars. Sure, a lot of the brands to be found in dispensaries lack sophistication, or any sign of a coherently thought-out strategy. But is that homespun, amateurish branding really so far off the mark? Hasn’t that been precisely the gibe directed over the years at innovative beverage brands like Snapple, AriZona, Vitaminwater, Red Bull and Bai that went on to steadily refine their propositions and end up as solid brands with dedicated consumer followings? (Disclosure: I was among those who questioned Vitaminwater. Seriously, who would ever want to drink their vitamins?) The “professional” branding and marketing types who believe those pioneers will be easy prey may be too quick to dismiss the equity that comes of having been an early, authentic player in a risky sector. Many of these brands could end up evolving to less assailable positions.

Don’t assume your trade partners will all be wowed when you throw your hat in the ring. Among established brands – meaning those that have been around a few years, and built some degree of business around non-cannabis beverages, even if their toplines are still modest – it can feel like a heady gesture to announce that you’re entering or about to enter the space. It puts you in an exciting new category where the sky seems to be the limit, one with seeming relevance and appeal across demographics, from millennials to baby boomers. But the downside is that some of your trade partners may wonder whether the move signals that you’re losing faith in the ability of your core brands to meet growth expectations. And if you’re losing faith, maybe they should temper their faith, too. If that vibe I’m picking up is accurate – and keep in mind that many of the first entrants have been beverage companies who’ve struggled to grow their toplines – then it may be wise to hold off on the pre-announcements and keep your cards closer to the vest. Your risk/reward ratio may be quite different than theirs.

Longtime beverage-watcher Gerry Khermouch is executive editor of Beverage Business Insights, a twice-weekly e-newsletter covering the nonalcoholic beverage sector.

FINALLY, A KOMBUCHA

for the rest of us!

Never Vinegary Crisp Taste No Sediments Lowest in Carbs and Cals Always Awesome

SHOW PREVIEW

BY BEVNET STAFF

2019 Craft Brewers Conference Preview The Brewers Association (BA) is doubling up in Denver in 2019, bringing both of its marquee events – the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & BrewExpo America and the Great American Beer Festival – to the Colorado Convention Center.

From April 8-11, CBC will bring more than 13,000 brewing industry professionals to the Colorado Convention Center for networking, brand launches and social gatherings. The festivities officially begin on April 9 when Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden – which has its own line of “Trooper” beers – delivers this year’s keynote address. And later that evening, Brewbound will present its first Brew Talks event of 2019, sponsored

by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, at Cervantes’ Masterpiece.

With more than 70 educational seminars and tons of networking opportunities (and parties), CBC can be daunting. To help attendees plan their schedules effectively, Brewbound has picked eight seminars that shouldn’t be skipped.

Tuesday, April 9 Legal and Government Affairs Update The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reduction Act and its two-years of excise tax relief finally became law in 2018. However, those tax breaks expire at the end of 2019. Marc Sorini, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, will provide an update on the renewal efforts as well as other topics, such as increased trade practice enforcement by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), cannabis legalization and more during this annual legal briefing.

Retailer Panel With thousands of beer companies vying for limited shelf space, gaining placement

at off-premise retailers has become increasingly difficult.

Jeff Nowicki of Bump WIlliams Consulting will discuss ways to win in the grocery channel with beer category managers from major chains Kroger and King Soopers, as well as Seismic Brewing vice president of sales and marketing Tom McGinty.

Wednesday, April 10 General Session II – State of the Industry The annual “state of the industry” address by the BA chief economist Bart Watson and senior VP Paul Gatza is a must-attend session. Expect industry commentary from Gatza, while Watson will provide a high-level overview of the latest craft brewing trends,

36 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

including an updated brewery count, openings and closings numbers, an analysis of craft beer market share, style trends, average pricing and more. If you only attend a single session, make it this one.

Craft Beer HR Panel: Focusing on Employee Retention & Maintaining Culture Maintaining a strong company culture as your brewery grows isn’t an easy balance to achieve. HR directors and managers from Bell’s Brewery, Alaskan Brewing, Russian River, Rhinegeist and The Bruery will share tips on developing and maintaining company culture while reducing staff turnover.

Thursday, April 11 From Sneaker Shops to Yarn Swaps: Making Community Partnerships to Cultivate Diversity During last year’s CBC, Brewers Association diversity ambassador Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham addressed the challenges and opportunities of diversifying the brewing industry. “If you’re going to grow, you cannot simply sell beer just to white dudes with beards,” she told hundreds of brewers.

Jackson-Beckham returns this year with a panel featuring Beer Diversity owner Ren Navarro, Queers Makin’ Beers founder Rebecca Sandidge, Black Brew Culture founder and CEO Mike Potter and others to discuss how to create authentic community partnerships.

Crafting an Intersection: Cannabis, Beer and Cannabeers Legal cannabis and its effect

on the beer category has understandably become a regular topic of discussion and concern at industry events, as sales in North America are projected to exceed $20 billion over the next three years. Jessica Lukas, vice president of consumer insights for BDS Analytics, will give an overview of the legal cannabis market as well as updated sales projections.

She will also share insights into cannabis consumers and how craft brewers can capitalize on this new market opportunity..

Who Is Your Brewery and What Do You Do? How to Define, Market and Align Your Brand With more than 7,000 breweries in operation, differentiating from the pack has become increasingly important. In a panel discussion, Denver Westword writer Jonathan Shikes will discuss staying true to your brand with a panel featuring Rhinegeist Brewery’s Bryant Goulding, New Belgium’s Andrew Emerton, Ratio Beerworks’ Tristan Chan and Rising Tide’s Kailey Partin.

Growing into the Headwinds – the Sequel!

As more breweries fight for a smaller share of the growth pie, some brewers are bucking trends. An all-star panel featuring Karl Strauss co-founder Chris Cramer, Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo, Brooklyn Brewery CEO Eric Ottaway and Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker will share strategies for growing through a more challenging market with Benj Steinman of Beer Marketer’s Insights.

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SHOW REVIEW

BY BEVNET MAGAZINE STAFF

Winter Fancy Food Show Review The 2019 Winter Fancy Food Show, held Jan. 13-15 in San Francisco, Calif., served somewhat as a warmup for the main event of Natural Products Expo West in March. But while many brands at this year’s show held back on product launches and line extensions, it gave the brands presenting new ideas a chance to stand out among the crowd and set the tone for the new year in beverage.

One of the trends visible on the show floor was the continued rise of the wellness and functional shots category. Companies

vor profiles; Render, for example, showed a savory brine-flavored drink and a second product made with repurposed whey.

Small Barrel Shrub debuted a line of balsamic vinegar based sodas in flavors like Lemongrass Mint and Cara Cara Orange Vanilla. Brooklyn Crafted released new still varieties featuring Calamansi and Cinnamon flavors. Q Drinks announced a low calorie Light line featuring erythritolsweetened versions of its Ginger Beer and Tonic Water flavors. And both Fentimans and 18.21 Bitters made use of Japanese cit-

across all its product lines. The brand, which markets juice, sparkling water, and coconut water products showed off multiple product redesigns and reformulations to establish what Abrams called “a clean, contemporary, more youthful look.”

Packaging on the Purity Organic’s “passion” line of sugar sweetened beverages, including iced teas and lemonades, has been updated. The company’s sparkling water line, made with 15 percent fruit juice, has been reformulated to stabilize calorie count across all SKUs at 20

like Numi Organic Tea, Brain Juice, Good Pickle Juice, and Tulua (formerly Ginger Shots) unveiled new lines featuring functionalities including immunity, anti-inflammation, mental stimulation, and gut health.

“People are starting to see the value of that segment, they love the convenience of it,” Zeyad Moussa, CEO of Tulua, told BevNET. “They love the fact that they can take a bunch of them, throw them in their bag or fridge and have one every day. It’s just accelerating now as far as what people are looking for, they don’t want just one particular functionality out of a shot, and they don’t just want one particular flavor either.”

The craft soda and cocktail mixer categories also used Fancy Food Show to showcase new products and branding.

Beverage exhibitors embraced unique fla-

rus fruit yuzu with their respective Oriental Yuzu Tonic and Yuzu Herb Tonic products.

Winter Fancy Food Show was also a prime location for companies to unveil new designs, from slight label tweaks to comprehensive makeovers. Brands including Hella Cocktail Co. and The Living Apothecary refreshed their look across their entire product portfolio, while Harmless Harvest reformulated and relaunched its probiotic coconut smoothie line as a non-dairy drinkable yogurt. Drinkable yogurt brand Slingshot changed the name of its on-the-go breakfast line to Rise and showed show an entirely refreshed design built around the slogan of “Breakfast Elevated.”

Finally, Purity Organic, which sold a majority stake to CEO Douglas Abrams last year, announced a comprehensive rebrand

calories per 12 oz. can. Along with new packaging, raspberry and lime were announced as new flavors. The brand is also now offering its coconut water in 4-packs of 330 ml Tetra Pak cartons. The line has been reformulated to be produced not from concentrate while maintaining organic certification.

According to Abrams, the brand’s packaging had not been updated in more than five years. While the company is working to evolve its beverage business, Abrams added that he sees Purity becoming a larger lifestyle brand with potential to break out of beverage and into food, cosmetics, and even paper goods.

“I think Purity should be a lifestyle brand, certainly beyond just beverages,” Abrams said. “We want truth in labelling, quality around the products and what’s inside of it.”

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BASICINSTINCT Why more premium water brands are going alkaline.

By Martín Caballero

The premium water market is currently exploding, and alkaline water helped provide the spark.

Modern grocery cooler sets are increasingly populated by the relatively new phenomenon of functional waters, with products offering added value such as caffeine, antioxidants, probiotics, CBD, fiber and more. But the concept of a “functional” subset for the water category has been largely validated by the success of alkaline water, the general term used for packaged water with a pH of over 7.

Companies such as Essentia, CORE and AQUAhydrate have helped establish alkalinity as a major growth driver for premium water, using it as a vehicle to move beyond natural retailers and into conventional and mass channels. Meanwhile, brands like Flow, Eternal and Icelandic Glacial are positioning themselves as the next generation of alkaline waters by emphasizing natural sourcing and environmental responsibility. Even The Coca-Cola Company recently launched an alkaline SKU under its smartwater 40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

brand, a big company move which could provide further growth – and disruption – for the category.

As alkaline water continues to grow at a healthy clip, what that market may look like in the next several years nevertheless remains unclear. As legacy brands evolve and new ones emerge, consumers’ understanding of alkalinity as both a functional component and a connotation of premium quality in water is changing as well.

DRIVING A THRIVING MARKET The runaway growth of bottled water has been a major story in beverage for the last decade, during which alkaline waters have helped create a new space for enhanced products. Even as more cutting edge functional offerings have emerged in the segment, alkalinity remains a growth driver across most retail channels.

According to data from market research group SPINS, the U.S. shelf-stable water category grew 7.8 percent over the past year, reaching $13.2 billion. Dollar increases were relatively consistent across

channels; conventional multi-outlet grew 7.8 percent, followed by 7.7 percent in the natural channel. The specialty gourmet channel grew 5.1 percent, but, at $217.2 million, has a larger share of the space than natural.

Enhanced waters represent around $2.1 billion of that $13.2 billion market, but the segment is growing at a faster rate.

According to SPINS, enhanced waters – which include nutrient, electrolyte, alkaline and oxygenated waters – grew 12.9 percent over the past year in the U.S. Of those, alkaline water posted the secondlargest increase in sales, growing 37.5 percent to approximately $252.6 million.

Broken down further, alkaline waters are enjoying the fastest growth in the conventional multi-outlet channel, where U.S. dollars increased 51.6 percent last year to $198.5 million. The specialty gourmet channel, representing approximately $12.3 million of the total category value, grew by 14.4 percent. Alkaline waters saw a small drop of 0.4 percent in the natural channel last year, according to SPINS data.

For larger brands seeking to play in the premium water market, alkalinity and callouts to pH levels can be a relatively simple way to enter the category. Last year, following the departure of premium water brand Fiji from its distribution portfolio, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) paid $525 million to acquire CORE Nutrition. With its signature bottle design and the backing of a slew of celebrity investors, the brand’s flagship product, CORE Hydration, which markets itself as having a “perfect pH” of 7.4, had been a part of the KDP’s allied brands roster since 2016. Meanwhile, PepsiCo’s venture into premium water, LIFE WTR, notes that the water is “pH balanced” on its front label. According to IRI, the brand recorded dollar sales in excess of $225 million last year, growing 12.6 percent.

Instead, Uptain told BevNET the company is seeking to continue the steady strong growth numbers it has enjoyed in recent years. He said Essentia generated approximately $208 million in measured retail sales in Period #2 of 2019, which is calculated as a combination of data from IRI, SPINS and Whole Foods. With a national DSD structure in place to serve nearly 90,000 retailers, the brand is looking to translate its momentum from the natural and mass channels into c-stores and drug stores.

“At the end of the day, we own the alkaline water category; we have a 53 percent market share and we are 68 percent of the category growth,” he said, noting that the company has added 20,000 points of distribution so far this year. “On a sales per point basis, Essentia is number one premium

the launch is designed to offer consumers “more of what they want from a brand they love and trust.” The move also gives smartwater a clear distinction between Coke’s other water brand, Dasani, which brought in over $1 billion in U.S. dollar sales last year, according to Nielsen.

“With the introductions of smartwater alkaline and antioxidant, smartwater became the only premium water brand offering sparkling, alkaline, antioxidant varieties plus a pH balanced still product,” wrote Beatty.

As Beatty noted, adding an alkaline SKU is part of Coke’s overall effort to position smartwater within different use occasions, consumer demographics and purported functionalities. The company does not make any health claims related to alkalin-

With CORE’s acquisition, one of the alkaline category’s earliest names now stands as both a category leader and its largest remaining independent company. Essentia, founded by Ken Uptain in 1998, grew over 59 percent in 2018, capturing an 8.3 percent share of the premium water category, according to the company. Rumors about a potential sale have swirled around the company over the past year; last June, CNBC reported that Nestle, Danone, PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch InBev were all exploring bids at a valuation in excess of $500 million. While Essentia has an ongoing relationship with investment bank Credit Suisse, the company has denied that any official sales process is underway.

water brand for food and drug. We are now number two premium brand sales-per-point in c-stores and number one in natural.

Wherever we are going, it’s resonating.”

ity, though; according to Beatty, “we are communicating that hydration is important to help keep you at your best.” Marketing copy around smartwater alkaline positions the product “for daily fitness.”

“Over the past two years, the alkaline segment has grown by 171 percent – but awareness of the segment is still relatively low, pointing to more growth opportunity ahead,” wrote Beatty.

42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

SMARTWATER GOES ALKALINE In launching an alkaline (9+ pH) water SKU this spring, smartwater, already a leader in the premium water segment, is looking to extend its reach into new areas of the category.

Initially unveiled at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) trade show last fall, smartwater alkaline will arrive in stores this spring in 1 liter PET bottles. Luke Beatty, director of marketing strategy and portfolio commercialization for smartwater, said in an email that

NATURAL ALKALINE RISING Natural spring and reverse osmosis water have long competed for market share in the bottled water category. Within that segment, a handful of naturally alkaline water brands are hoping to disrupt a space dominated by processed products.

Since founding Eternal Beverages in 2006, Karim Mashouf has worked to establish natural alkaline waters as a distinctive and, in his view, superior alternative to processed alkaline products. Eternal Water is sourced from multiple springs in the U.S. and is marketed as having a natural pH of 8.0. By emphasizing how the product has been untreated or processed in any way, Mashouf said he sees the brand competing with premium natural imports like Voss, Fiji and Evian, rather than against strictly alkaline brands.

“Filtered tap water with minerals added back in is not a good thing,” he said. “I relate it to the days where companies like Gerber and Johnson & Johnson and others convinced mothers here in the U.S. that their breast milk was inferior and that

other brands, the ingredient list reads like it is sodium bicarbonate, where as ours is alkaline by nature. We want to go heavy and hard on that point.”

Yet even within this segment, the purity and sourcing of water appears to have overtaken alkalinity as a major call out for brands. Both Eternal and Icelandic Glacial have introduced non-alkaline sparkling water lines, for example.

“The fact that we are naturally alkaline is definitely part of our messaging – it’s not who we are, but it’s part of it,” Mashouf said.

Canadian brand Flow Water has been actively growing its U.S. presence since entering the market in 2015. Leveraging its natural spring source, which contains electrolytes and minerals and has a pH

(dubbed “labs”) in New York and Brentwood, Calif. this summer. Reichenbach said the affiliation makes sense for the brand, for which 75 percent of consumers are females aged 34 to 41. Taking that even further, Flow announced a new “daily beauty” functional line, called Glow, in late 2018. The product, slated for launch this year, infuses the brand’s alkaline spring water with botanicals and antioxidants, as well as CBD.

they could create something superior out of science. And I think it’s obvious with the whole natural food revolution that humans are seeing that that is not the case.”

Icelandic Glacial, which is also naturally alkaline, is also preparing to unveil new consumer communications in April that CEO Reza Mirza said will “go heavy on calling out that we are alkaline by nature and not from a factory.” While acknowledging that a significant number of consumers don’t care about natural versus processed alkaline water, he said having a clean ingredient panel provides an instant point of difference for Icelandic.

“Consumers right now look at numbers like 9, 9.5, 8.4 – for them, it’s just numbers,” he said. “The moment you tell them to look at the label on some of these

of 8.3, the company has built its identity around health, wellness and environmental sustainability. Founder and CEO Nicholas Reichenbach said the brand’s introduction of fruit flavored essence waters in 2017 was aimed at capturing “sophisticated detox flavors, like you see at spas and hotels.”

At Natural Products Expo West 2018 in March, the company doubled down on that positioning with the announcement of a partnership with actress Gwenyth Paltrow’s influential health and wellness company Goop. Product was available at Goop’s “In Goop Health” summits in New York on March 9, and will also be part of a second event in Los Angeles scheduled to take place in May. Flow will also be served at Goop’s two retail stores

favor of broader functional and healthy lifestyle claims.

In the category’s early stages, alkaline water, like bottled water in general, was presented as a healthier alternative to public tap water. Though scientific evidence is inconclusive as to its benefits, some believe drinking alkaline water to be an effective way to treat conditions caused by an overproduction of acid in the body, such as acidosis or acid reflux. The human body naturally maintains internal pH levels at approximately 7.40 (7 being neutral), but some claim drinking alkaline water can help with chronic issues related to excess acid.

Endorsements from influential figures in sports and entertainment, such as Paltrow and NFL quarterback Tom Brady, have helped alkaline water enter the mainstream.

44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

BEYOND ALKALINE Even as alkaline water continues to grow as a category, it is still just one element fueling the overall momentum behind functional waters as a whole. In that climate, some brands are seeking to deemphasize call outs to pH and alkalinity in

BRAND NEWS BOTTLED WATER

Hellowater has expanded into the Northeast with Stop & Shop, Shaw’s and Giant, with new partnerships with Kroger and Walmart to come in Q2.

The line extension Hellowater Mini will launch in over 800 Walmart stores, while its core line will hit shelves at 2,200 locations along with authorization in Kroger’s Atlanta Division.

Liquid Death Mountain Water started the artist series of Murder Your Thirst “print ads” which have been also been used on social media. It is also launching a new initiative called #DeathToPlastic, donating 5 cents from every can sold to help clean up plastic waste from oceans.

VOSS Water of Norway is expanding its range of flavored sparkling water with two new flavors set to launch in April: Raspberry Rose and Strawberry Ginger.

These flavors join current offerings Tangerine Lemongrass, Lemon Cucumber and Lime Mint.

Evian is introducing its 1.5 liter bottles made with 50 percent recycled PET in April as part of its commitment to transform its approach to plastic and become a 100 percent closed loop brand by 2025.

TEN Water is now being sold at 10 major retailers, including Wegmans, Publix, Food Lion, Fairway, Whole Foods, Brookshires, Ingles and Food City, and online at Walmart.com and Amazon Prime. TEN has also added a 1.5 liter bottle to its product portfolio.

Boxed Water’s packaging is now 100 percent recyclable and 74 percent sustainable. Boxed Water is also supporting reforestation efforts, planting over 790,000 trees in National Forests based on consumer support. This year, the company is expanding its efforts to remove plastic from beaches.

Detoxwater, the prebiotic aloe-infused water brand, is now available in over 8,500 stores nationwide, including at major retailers like CVS, Kroger, Ralph’s, HE-B, Wegmans and Hy-Vee. This spring, Detoxwater will have brand activations at events including Mardi Gras, SXSW, Ultra Music Festival and Coachella.

HFactor Water has announced its newest innovations this spring with a larger 20 oz. pouch and natural flavored SKUs including Watermelon, Blood Orange, Tart Cherry and Honeydew.

Essentia is now distributed in nearly 90,000 retailers nationwide.

AquaHydrate. This spring, AQUAhydrate will launch an inaugural partnership to support The Wounded Warrior Project. This program will include a limited edition AQUAhydrate Camo-Gallon package, available across all current outlets and now in over 7,500 new CVS locations nationwide.

Flow Alkaline Water recently launched the first organic flavored premium alkaline water to the market. Six flavors are now available: Cucumber + Mint, Lemon + Ginger, Strawberry + Rose and Watermel-

46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

on + Lime, and new for 2019, Grapefruit + Elderflower and Blackberry + Hibiscus.

and named 1977 after the year of the company’s founding.

AIRA atmospheric water is a new bottled water launching in 2019 which utilizes Watergen patented technology to pull water from the air. Notable benefits from this process are zero contamination from the ground, preservation of natural spring water, lower carbon footprint and balanced pH.

Whistler Water. Canadian glacial spring water brand Whistler Water has added Bristol Farms and Erewhon to its list of California retailers. Additional retail partners include Whole Foods and Bartell Drugs in Washington, as well as in all Central Market stores in Texas. It has also partnered with UNFI, KeHE and Market Center distributors in the U.S.

FRESH has announced that Purity Springs Bottling, Inc. is now bottling its natural spring water in one liter size bottles.

FIJI Water, the number one imported premium bottled water, is now available direct through DSD distribution.

Crystal Geyser Water Company has introduced 1977 Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, available in 1 liter and 500 ml bottles. The line is sourced and bottled in the heart of the Napa Valley

Eternal Water. Alkaline water brand Eternal Water has expanded its offerings with still spring water in a 2.5 liter bottle as well as a line of all-natural, zero calorie and zero sodium sparkling water.

Proud Source Water announced that it has become a member of 1% for the Planet, an international organization whose members contribute at least one percent of its annual sales to environmental causes.

47

Water and sports drinks brands have long competed with one another to offer the best form of hydration on the market, whether it’s through reduced sugar, added electrolytes, or boasting pH levels so high they’re approaching bleach. But beyond liquid, the hydration-focused powdered sports drink mix category has been experiencing a renaissance as independent brands look to compete with mainstream mixes by offering consumers clean label credentials, sometimes with clinical testing to back efficacy claims, while also delivering fun, lifestyle brand identities to bring in new consumers and celebrity influencers.

Though they make up a small portion of the Gatorade-dominated single-serve powder mix space, brands including Nuun, Liquid I.V. and Skratch Labs are growing against a 2.1 percent year-over-year decline of the $79.9 million subcategory. According to IRI, which, due to its channel makeup, provides only a low desnsity reflection of this product category. Nuun’s core Sports line alone grew 55.2 percent to $1.8 million in sales in March.

Now new entrants like Cure Hydration are looking to shake up the category more, with millennial-friendly branding and ecommerce focused go-to-market strategies.

“The market is just ripe for disruption, we’re just long overdue for a better solution,” said Cure Hydration CEO Lauren Picasso, noting the dominance of PepsiCo-owned Gatorade in the sporks drink category. According to Nielsen all-channel data, in retail RTD sports drinks are a more than $6.1 billion category, but PepsiCo controls more than 72 percent market share, while BodyArmor and Powerade distributor The Coca Cola Company controls the next 19 percent.

Now, as “hydration” becomes a trend in itself, powdered brands are resonating with consumers by promising a better and more convenient delivery vehicle for replenishment.

The Athletic Culture

A leader in the powdered hydration category – growing 55 percent last year with nationwide distribution in sports stores, natural and specialty shops, and grocery – Nuun has recently under48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

gone a brand revamp by reformulating its tablets to improve taste and reduce dissolve time by half, while also redesigning labels to feature intuitive packaging across its various functional lines.

With its focus on clinically-backed sports nutrition, CEO Kevin Rutherford said the brand has found a consistent consumer base in the running community by sampling at more than 1,500 race events in the U.S. and Canada last year and through influencer advertising with celebrities like triathlete Sarah True.

“I think there is a convergence happening right now with the health and wellness world and the sports nutrition active lifestyle space,” Rutherford said. “On a macro level, as people have adopted more organic and natural food diets and clean ingredients in beverages as well, now the next level is where people tend to take a more proactive approach to health and they realize that moving is more important.”

Rutherford told BevNET Nuun, which contains 1-2 g of sugar per tablet, has resonated with athletes due to a growing rejection of sugary sports drinks like Gatorade.

Skratch Labs, which began as a powdered hydration brand but in recent years has added energy bars and chewable snacks, has similarly focused on athletes and sports nutrition. Founder Allen Lim told BevNET many athletes prefer powdered drinks over RTDs due to an ingrained cultural mindset of “filling your own bottle” and avoiding artificial additives and high sugar counts often present it traditional sports drinks.

“Most of these sports drinks make people sick, and create a lot of flavor fatigue, meaning there is a strong aftertaste or a flavor in your mouth you can’t get rid of because the natural flavoring agents are so strong,” Lim said. “So for us the innovation was in simplicity, the innovation was in paring down the product to only the ingredients that replace what athletes lose during exercise.”

Liquid I.V., however, has taken a broader approach. According to CEO Brandin Cohen, “hydration” has emerged as a trend in and of itself, broadening the brand’s base beyond the traditional athlete. The company promotes its own science-backed process – a sodium, glucose, and potassium blend it calls “Cellular Transport Technology” – which claims to deliver water into the bloodstream and hydrate the consumer faster. Liquid I.V. has targeted mainstream retail chains and is currently recruiting high profile celebrity influencers to join the brand as investors, he added.

“We’re not marketing to just cyclists or to just military people,” Cohen said. “We’re marketing to all of them – firefighters, pro ath-

W NAEVORS! FL

W NAEVORS! FL

letes, moms who buy it for themselves and for their kids. It’s difficult because there’s so many people who use the product but we’re able to be ubiquitous and universal when it comes to hydration.”

The Benefits of Powder

Cure Hydration co-founders Lauren Picasso and Alex Sarkissian met while working at ecommerce retailer Jet.com, where they found that bottled water was a top-selling category but a logistical headache as the product is expensive and unprofitable to ship.

Picasso had been looking to create an all natural hydration alternative to products like Gatorade and Pedialyte, and the economics and sustainability of the powder format made powdered drinks the ideal category to launch in.

“It’s super lightweight, easy to ship, and there’s just generally high margins throughout the cycle of the business,” Picasso said. “So everything from production to shipping to storage to even just the sales per square foot, all of those metrics look better for powder.”

Liquid I.V. is currently in about 20,000 retail accounts, most recently adding Costco nationwide, but a large portion of its business is ecommerce with direct-to-consumer and Amazon, Cohen said. Because of low costs, he noted, consumers are more likely to make the trial purchase and frequently prefer buying online.

But the category has room to grow in retail too. Picasso said many consumers prefer to carry single-serve packets with them

throughout the day and environmentally conscious shoppers are drawn to the reduced plastic waste.

“I think as consumers turn to more sustainable options in terms of their beverages, you’re seeing powders really evolve not just in hydration but in the functional beverage category at large,” Picasso said. “So you’re seeing brands like Moon Juice, Amazing Grass, and other brands like that take a lot of market share.”

Cure is currently sold direct-to-consumer in 14-packs, but will soon expand to additional online retailers including Amazon and Jet, Picasso said. The company is exploring retail and sees space to grow in brick-and-mortar, but Picasso is hoping to secure strong in store placement and is concerned the brand could become lost among hundreds of products if it is lumped into the larger supplements category.

Functional Extensions

In March, Nuun, which already offered a variety of functional line extensions including vitamins and immunity, introduced Rest, an endof-day recovery drink made with magnesium, potassium, and tart cherry to calm nerve function and reduce inflammation. The product can be used as a sleep aid but is not explicitly marketed as one, as it

50 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

can also be used for post-workout or stress reduction. According to Rutherford, the company maintains a strong innovation pipeline to fuel its growth by offering consumers around the clock use occasions.

“The Immunities of the world, the Vitamins of the world, the Rest product, they definitely have a broader appeal but we do look at it always through an athletic active lifestyle lens,” Rutherford said.

In February, Liquid I.V. released its Sleep variety, made with a blend of melatonin, L-theanine, and valerian root. Cohen noted sleep products in particular have gained popularity as consumers find themselves more caffeinated and constantly tuned into their devices, creating disruption in sleep patterns.

He added that the line is the first of multiple new functional expansions the company is exploring, which potentially include non-finalized energy and CBD products.

“We really built out the market and found our consumer base and the community around hydration knowing that we also had a way to deliver other nutrients,” Cohen said. “Our whole thing is that there’s really healthy, awesome stuff out there and we have the most efficient way to deliver it into your bloodstream.”

Hydration On the Go

While single-serve powder packets are finding their audience as on-the-go hydration, Oral I.V. is taking advantage of the fastgrowing functional shots space to offer the same convenience and

hydration function in a liquid format. The brand, which offers 2 oz. “structured water” shots with trace minerals, currently has limited distribution in just a few hundred stores, but CEO Bob Jones says that is by design as the company plots an expansion targeting hospitality, convenience, and grocery accounts.

“The shot category is big and it’s getting bigger in the natural space,” Jones said. “I think a lot of people just want to grab it and go, not have to buy a separate water, open it up, mix it together, and then drink the whole product and get the sugars and all the other things that go with it.”

Jones said he believed part of the growing interest in hydration was tied to the rise of endurance sports and workout trends, like Spartan Race and Crossfit, a development to which he credited the rise of the powdered hydration drinks category.

“All the major sports, if you look at them to me, you only connotate Gatorade because you only see the buckets on the sidelines,” he said. “You don’t see the players and what they’re using, and none of us can compete with that. So now you’ve got all these other sports out there like UFC and Spartan Race that have highlighted them and given us the opportunity to create a category that’s more than just water.”

BRAND NEWS POWDERS, SHOTS

SHOTS

Mind Your Manna. In March, Mind Your Manna introduced its rotating seasonal brew, a potent combination of fresh carrots, orange blossom and goldenrod layered on top of its fiery blend of plant-based ingredients and raw apple cider vinegar. It is available through June 15.

Lumen launched its Regenerative Hemp Elixir shots in January through a successful Indiegogo crowdfunder completed in December 2018. The shots are now available in Southern California through Erewhon and Lazy Acres.

VitaminEnergy launched a Vitamin Cinfused immune support shot late last year, and introduced a B12 energy shot and a CBD-infused pain relief shot in March.

Beet It Sport. The Beet-It Sport beet juice shot has expanded distribution to Fresh Thyme Farmers market stores and 500 Kroger stores nationwide, and will be in all Giant Martin’s stores beginning in April, along with select Whole Foods stores and Heinen’s.

Monfefo. This March, Brooklyn-based Monfefo ginger shots launched in all Central Market locations in Texas through KeHE Distributors. The product is currently available in all Royal Blue Grocery locations in Dallas and Austin, and has also expanded distribution to MOM’s Organic Market locations.

Fire Cider. Shire City Herbals is set to unveil its newest product this spring: Fire Cider Super Shots, which are 1 oz. single-serve pouches and sold in 12pack breakaway boxes. The Super Shots will be available nationally through KeHE later in the year and direct to consumers at FireCider.com

52 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Hemp Energi 2 oz. shots have been picked up by Sheetz in Pennsylvania for distribution. It is also launching in 12 oz. cans.

FORTO Coffee Shots has gained national distribution at Walgreens. Along with the “Powered By FORTO” lineup that includes both Green Mountain Mocha and Gevalia Espresso coffee shots (each with 100 mg caffeine), FORTO 100 mg caffeine Hershey’s Latte and Vanilla Latte flavors as well as 200 mg caffeine Chocolate Latte and Vanilla Latte will be available at over 7,400 locations on cooler tops and at checkout.

Morning Recovery. 82 Labs, the parent company behind liver-boosting supplement Morning Recovery, has rebranded to More Labs. The company has added new retail partners such as 7/11, Urban Outfitters and Tao Group. Morning Recovery is now packaged in plastic bottles with aluminum caps and is available in a sugar-free variety.

POWDERS

Real Source launched two new flavors (Chocolate, Caramel Latte) of its Supergreen LENTEIN Superfood in February and introduced a new SKU of pure milled Water Lentil Superfood. Three additional SKUs of adaptogenic blends will be launching at the end of March.

Minute Mixology. Cocktail mixer brand Minute Mixology has expanded its distribution with Southern Wine and Spirits.

ALOHA. In January, ALOHA released a plant-based protein powder with 15 grams of protein per scoop and available in three flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla and Banana. ALOHA has expanded distribution to Wegmans, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Sprouts and Hy-Vee.

Click. Coffee protein drink mix CLICK has expanded worldwide and is now available in Saudi Arabia, Japan, with deals in the works for South Africa and Kuwait.

Cusa Tea. In the past 12 months, Cusa Tea has added over 1,000 retail locations with retailers like REI, Sprouts, Safeway, H-E-B and World Market. It has also added two new flavors, Chai Tea and Peach Green Tea. Pureboost Clean Energy Drink Mix, made with B12 and natural green tea caffeine, launched in August 2018 and is available exclusively through Amazon.

Mixallogy, a premium organic powdered cocktail mixer company, recently partnered with Walmart to begin selling

the product in over 1,400 stores nationwide.

The Jel Sert Company has launched several new drink mixes, including a variety pack of Wyler’s Light sugar-free drink mix, available at Walgreens; Pure Kick energy drink mix; Sunkist Vitamin C powdered drink mixes and Sunkist soda powdered drink mixes. Dad’s Root Beer powdered drink mix is set to launch in the third quarter of this year.

Jade Monk. Matcha brand Jade Monk is continuing to expand retail distribution for its instant mix packets. The products recently landed in Fresh Thyme and Whole Foods Southwest with four 12-count flavors each, and will soon be on-shelf at Gelson’s Markets with four 6-count flavors.

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TO ATTRACT HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS, BREWERS FOCUS ON FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS

By Chris Furnari

Bee Pollen. Quinoa. Pink Himalayan sea salt.

You wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find these ingredients listed on a beer label, but increasingly brewing companies are pushing more “functional” offerings as they look to appeal to consumers seeking healthier alcohol options.

It’s a new approach for a growing number of craft breweries, who for years have churned out calorie-dense, barrel-aged stouts and high-octane IPAs. Now, they’re turning to lighter and more sessionable offerings, often made with non-traditional ingredients, as a source of growth.

Dogfish Head, which has long prided itself on “brewing beers with culinary ingredients,” is perhaps one of the most well-known craft brewing companies lean-

ing into the health and wellness trend.

In 2017, the company launched its 140-calorie SeaQuench Ale, brewed with black limes and sea salt. Sales of SeaQuench were up 96 percent over the 52-week period ending February 17, 2019, according to data from market research firm IRI, and the early success of a lighter offering led Dogfish to consider the development of additional products for active lifestyle consumers.

“With the meteoric success of SeaQuench Ale growing to be the best selling sour beer in America, we learned from consumers that approachable, refreshing, super-flavorful beers are what they’re seeking when making choices about beverages,” founder Sam Calagione said.

The company recently rolled out SuperEIGHT, a 5.3 percent ABV sour beer that was “specifically designed for active lifestyle enthusiasts interested in incorporating high-quality ingredients in their beer choices.”

If that sounds like a long-winded way of saying “this beer is probably healthier for you,” it’s because alcohol manufacturers are restricted from making claims about the functional benefits – real or perceived – of their products.

However, that hasn’t stopped Dogfish and other booze makers from finding creative ways to let drinkers know what they’re getting into. Observant consumers can easily spot that SuperEIGHT “Super Gose” is made with “eight heroic ingredients,” including prickly pear, mango, boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, kiwi juice, and quinoa. Hawaiian sea salt is also added to the brew, according to the company.

Other companies, such as upstart Crook & Marker – which produces gluten-free, “spiked and sparkling” beverages made with quinoa, amaranth, millet and cassava root – are attempting to attract health-conscious consumers by talking about what is (or isn’t) in their products.

At an industry conference earlier this year, Crook & Marker founder Ben Weiss, who created Bai Antioxidant Beverages and sold it to Keurig Dr Pepper in 2016 for $1.7 billion, boldly exclaimed that the “craft beer boom is done.”

“The millennials are wreaking havoc

DOGFISH HEAD - SUPER EIGHT ABV: 5 .3

WILLIE’ S SUPERBREW - SPARKLING MANGO & PA S SIONFRUIT • ABV: 4 . 5

JUNE SHINE - MIDNIGHT PAINKILLER ABV: 6 .0

DOGFISH HEAD - SEAQUENCH ALE • ABV: 4 .9

56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

on this industry,” he said. “That millennial consumer is now acutely conscious of calories, and it [craft beer] becomes a bit of a false proposition for them.”

His solution? An organic spiked-andsparkling beverage that comes in eight flavor varieties (black cherry, tangerine, strawberry-lemon, blackberry-lemon, grapefruit, mango, peach, and coconut pineapple), contains zero sugar and is sweetened with stevia leaf extract and erythritol.

Similarly, Dogfish Head spent about a year-and-a-half designing Slightly Mighty, a 4 percent ABV, 95-calorie “Low-Cal IPA” with 3.6 grams of carbohydrates. The beer is brewed with monk fruit extract and is poised to compete with Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra brand, which is marketed to athletes and checks in at 4.2 percent ABV, 95 calories and 2.5 grams of carbs.

But Calagione and Weiss aren’t alone in their quests to cut into surging sales of Michelob Ultra, which grew 15.7 percent, to $1.9 billion, at off-premise chain retail stores during the 52-week period ending February 24, according to IRI. Boston Beer Company, the country’s

also delivered a great taste."

The list of products being marketed toward wellness-minded consumers who count calories and scrutinize nutrition labels is growing longer by the day. And as you would expect, the country’s largest beer companies are paying attention.

In March, Constellation Brands-owned Ballast Point Brewing released a 4.2 percent ABV lager with 99 calories and 3.5 grams of carbs that is positioned as the “go-to beer for your next outdoor adventure.”

Before that, MillerCoors-owned Saint Archer Brewing debuted its 95-calorie craft light lager, which is called “Gold” and has 2.6 grams of carbs, in four test markets. It also created television ads to promote the new brew.

For its part, Anheuser-Busch has doubled down on the success of Michelob Ultra with a “keto-friendly” prickly pear line extension.

Three other notable craft breweries – Colorado’s Avery Brewing, Missouri’s Boulevard Brewing and Massachusetts’ Harpoon Brewing – have also rolled out sport-themed beers with functional

BO STON BEER C OMPANY - 26 .2 BREW • ABV: 4 .0 second-largest craft beer maker, also took its 26.2 Brew national this year. Cans and bottles of the 4 percent ABV, 120-calorie “golden, hazy ale” are adorned with the iconic blue and yellow Boston Athletic Association branding, and feature the group’s unicorn logo, which the company hopes will attract endurance runners.

The beer itself is brewed with pink Himalayan sea salt and is being marketed to marathon runners as a better-for-you, post-race refreshment option.

"Understanding what is important to runners is what made brewing this beer different from what is currently available,” said Shelley Smith, Boston Beer Company’s manager of research and product innovation. “While most brewers are stripping flavor to hit a certain calorie mark, we focused on brewing a beer that not only fit what runners were looking for, but 58 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

– 52 percent of beer drinkers are making efforts to reduce their consumption of alcohol, market research firm Nielsen said.

CHASING ZERO PROOF

Perhaps the biggest signal that craft breweries were pivoting toward more functional beers came in February, when Sierra Nevada Brewing Company made its first ever acquisition, buying San Franciscobased Sufferfest Beer Company.

Sufferfest – a term used to describe an extended endurance endeavor, such as a race or a hard workout – was launched in 2016 by Caitlin Looney Landesberg, a former marketing executive at fitness app Strava. The company makes glutenreduced beers made with ingredients such as bee pollen and sodium and markets to endurance athletes. Many of its beer names – Shakeout Blonde Ale and Taper IPA – draw inspiration from the running world.

Speaking to BevNET, Landesberg said she believes a growing number of younger consumers are gravitating toward “betterfor-you” alcohol offerings because they’re

DE SCHUTE S BREWERY - DA SHOOTZ! • ABV: 4 .0

ingredients in recent months. Avery’s “Go Play” IPA is brewed with sodium and potassium, while Boulevard’s Easy Sport “Recreation Ale” contains magnesium, potassium, sea salt and tangerine peel.

And Harpoon’s “Rec League” hazy pale ale is made with buckwheat kasha, chia seeds, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and Mediterranean sea salt.

Meanwhile, Deschutes Brewery, the 10th largest craft brewery in the U.S., appears poised to become the next craft brewery staking its claim in the low-calorie beer segment. Earlier this year, the company launched Da Shootz, a 4 percent ABV, 99-calorie pilsner with 4.2 grams of carbs.

Oregon-based Deschutes is also currently developing a range of low- and noalcohol offerings that it hopes will appeal to a growing number of consumers who are moderating or abstaining from booze

seeking transparent products, and they’ve been conditioned to read nutrition facts labels. She argues, the beer category has struggled to keep pace with the broader food and beverage marketplace trend toward healthier snacks and drinks that boast fewer ingredients with more functional benefits.

“There was literally nothing on the market for me,” she said of the impetus to launch Sufferfest. “Macro brands didn’t get me. Cider was too sugary. There were brands I grew up with and revered as a more informed millennial, and I thought there should be the ‘Clif Bar’ of beer.”

As Landesberg points out, Sufferfest’s early success can be partly attributed to the broader consumer shift toward “better-for-you” products. According to the Bump Williams Consulting Company (BWC), 10 of the top 25 “growth” brands

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in beer tout some kind of benefit – fewer calories, lower carbs, less alcohol, or gluten-free ingredients.

And, according to Nielsen, Americans spent $207 billion on “transparent” food and beverage products in 2018. At the same time, 25 percent of beer drinkers are more interested in consuming alcoholic beverages that were produced with wellness in mind versus “a couple years ago,” the firm told BevNET. All of this has left most major beer companies angling for a piece of the beer market that is still hard to quantify.

Heineken plans to spend $50 million to promote its alcohol-free 0.0 product.

Pabst Brewing has also developed low-

“We’ve had to jump into this with some assumptions,” Forrest Dein, the cofounder of JuneShine Hard Kombucha, told BevNET. “It’s all about being honest and transparent, which is bigger than the products themselves. It’s a macro trend.”

JuneShine, which recently completed a capital raise and acquired the original 24,000 sq. ft. Ballast Point Brewing facility, is betting that more consumers will seek out alcohol products matching the level of transparency that many food and beverage companies currently provide.

Sales of “clean label” food and beverage products are outpacing conventionally labeled products, according to Nielsen. “Simple” products with fewer

Beyond “functional” craft beer, boozy seltzer water and higher-proof kombucha, there’s also been an uptick in the development of low-calorie, gluten-free products, such as spritzers and sessionable wine, that larger companies are beginning to test market.

In January, A-B, via its Virtue Cider brand, launched a line of cider-based spritz beverages called Mezzo Spritz. The first product, a blood orange flavor, checks in at 3.5 percent ABV and 80 calories.

A-B, via its ZX Ventures incubator, is also testing two other low-calorie products. Saturday Session wine checks in at 5.5 percent ABV and 100 calories, while “b,” a gluten-free beverage made with wa-

“THE ALCOHOL SPACE IS A BIT ANTIQUATED. IT HASN’T EVOLVED AS FAST AS THE FOOD SEGMENT. CONSUMERS WANT TO KNOW THE INGREDIENTS, AND THEY WANT THERE TO BE SOME FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT.” FOREST DEAN • CO-FOUNDER, JUNESHINE HARD KOMBUCHA and no-alcohol line extensions of its flagship brand, and FIFCO USA, formerly North American Breweries, last year launched an uncarbonated 4.5 percent ABV spiked water called Pura Still.

HYBRIDS

In recent years, dozens of large malt beverage manufacturers and smaller regional craft beer producers have rushed into a crowded hard seltzer category – one that now accounts for 1.3 percent of total offpremise beer sales. The big breweries have bought or developed their own, as well.

Meanwhile there’s another faction of craft producers vying for a slice: kombucha makers. “Hard kombucha” producers such as San Diego’s JuneShine and Boochcraft, among others, have emerged as serious contenders in the fight for health-conscious consumers’ dollars.

Both companies have made significant investments in production capacity, and they are among an emerging group of entrepreneurs – including Kevita founder Bill Moses, who recently launched Flying Embers Organic Hard Kombucha – who are convinced a large swath of drinkers will eventually seek out alcoholic products with more functional benefits, such as probiotics.

60 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

than 10 ingredients listed on their labels are growing at 1.3 percent, while “clean” products are growing at 4.3 percent, according to the firm.

“The alcohol space is a bit antiquated,” said Dein. “It hasn’t evolved as fast as the food segment. Consumers want to know the ingredients, and they want there to be some functional benefit.”

For more proof Dein and other entrepreneurial beverage makers see opportunity in transparency, look no further than Willie’s Superbrew, which describes its products as a hybrid cider-seltzer-kombucha. On the company’s website, the first thing you’ll see is a message that reads: “It is absurd that alcohol packaging doesn’t include nutrition facts or ingredients. We believe we deserve to know what we’re drinking.”

Ingredients panels notwithstanding, it’s still early days for hard kombucha makers.

According to data from IRI, off-premise dollar sales of alcoholic kombucha were up 179 percent, to $3.9 million, during the 52-week period ending February 17, 2019.

The largest hard kombucha brand in the set is Boochcraft, with about 53 percent of the market share by dollars. The next largest brand is Kyla Hard Kombucha, which is made by Full Sail Brewing. A-B is also playing in the hard kombucha space, with its 4.4 percent ABV Kombrewcha brand.

ter, honey and fruit, contains 100 calories at 3.5 percent ABV. Similarly, MillerCoors has launched a line of 100-calorie, 8.4 oz. canned wine spritzers called Movo, as well as a line of sessionable alcoholic beverages called “Cape Line.” The latter also contains 100 calories or fewer, per 12 oz. serving.

Even Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), which is 31.3 percent owned by AnheuserBusch, has created a business unit, called the pH Experiment, that is specifically tasked with innovating around non-traditional alcoholic beverages that play on the fringes of the beer category.

“Our goal is to provide long-term, sustainable growth for CBA,” Karmen Olson, general manager of the pH Experiment, said.

The division’s first product is Pre aperitivo spritz, which checks in at 6.6 percent ABV, contains 160 calories, 1 gram of sugar and 7 grams of carbohydrates.

At the end of the day, after all of the calories and carbohydrates have been counted, it’s clear the beer industry has shifted its focus toward providing drinkers with a variety of so-called guilt-free alcoholic beverage options.

The question, as always, is whether consumers will pull these products off the shelf.

Time – or perhaps waistlines – will tell.

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BRAND LISTINGS Craft Non-Alcoholic Beer - Beer for the Modern, Healthy Adult

ALO Drink Unveils New Bottle Design ALO Drink by SPI West Port

South San Francisco, CA-based ALO® Drink, the #1 ready-to-drink aloe vera beverage brand in the U.S. (according to the most recent natural and grocery SPINS data), unveiled a new proprietary bottle shape featuring a tapered center and an updated label design. The new label features highly stylized aloe vera leaves that wrap the flavor callout and continues around the bottle for a completely unique approach to the category. “The objective of our new design was to improve our brand equities, increase simplicity and reduce complexity in our design language, and to evolve our aesthetic to be more on trend with what appeals to consumers today,” said Henry Chen, President & Founder of ALO Drink.

This bottle change will not, however, change the current UPC or ordering codes. The new design will first be featured in ALO Drink’s Original lineup in 16.9 FL OZ (500mL) PET bottles. Bottle width and depth will increase by 0.25 cm, while bottle height increases by 0.5cm. A new flavor will be introduced into the ALO Drink’s Original line during this time period, ALO Zeal (ginger and lemon combined with ALO Drink’s signature aloe vera juice and pulp). The new bottles will be available to ship starting April 2019. For more information, please reach out to info@alodrink.com or www.alodrink.com.

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MAKING THE

ORDINARY Extraordinary

Partner With The Most Delicious Kombucha You’ve Ever Tasted!

Clearly Kombucha

INFUSED Passion

Discover how our tea ingredients can transform your products Visit treatt.com or follow us @treattworld 67

BRAND LISTINGS Clue Prebiotic Water - contains 4g of FOS; GIVE YOUR BRAIN A BOOST WITH food for your probiotics PELOTON CASCARA TEA! Cluebiotics

Drink Peloton

FOS is a prebiotic fiber that stimulates an increase in the amount of beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut. To get four grams of FOS, you would have to eat 20 onions, 29 bananas or 510 garlic cloves, or just one bottle of Clue Prebiotic Water.

Brewed from the powerful coffee fruit (CASCARA).

Coffee fruit has been clinically proven to boost Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, helping with brain health, memory and focus. Peloton Cascara Tea is ORGANIC CERTIFIED and only 60 CALS per bottle.

Functional Coconut Water Range/ Collagen, Prebiotic or Daily Vitamin C

Organic Sparkling Drinking Vinegars in 3 delicious flavors Crafted Brand Company

fairlife Introduces New Drinkable Snacks: fairlife® smart snacks ™

COCO LUXE

fairlife, LLC

We start 100% PURE, sustainably sourced single origin water picked and processed onsite which we gently blend with functional ingredients to add to your daily wellness needs. COLLAGEN & ACAI, CITRUS & ADDED VITAMIN C & PREBIOTIC & LYCHEE OR NATURAL.

We blend fairlife ultra-filtered milk with honey & oats to help curb hunger between meals. Available in chocolate, strawberry & vanilla, it delivers 15g protein, 5g dietary fiber and prebiotics for gut health. No lactose, gluten or artificial flavors

Realife Caffeine Infused Spring Water Cool Mountain Beverages, Inc.

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CuBeD Functional Beverage Cubed Beverage LLC

BRAND LISTINGS Dahlicious introduces Plant-Based line Dahlicious

DAHlicious Organic, maker of organic, India-style, probiotic-rich lassi and yogurts has moved into organic slow-cultured, high-probiotic plant-based yogurts.

Dahlicious now offers two new plant-based lines. Almond milk cup yogurt, and Cashew drinkable yogurt.

Prepare your taste buds for a rich, creamy yogurts that are not only incredibly delicious, but also free of dairy, soy, gluten, carrageenan, and GMOs. Made with whole almonds and whole cashews, we use a proprietary grinding technique that ensures a full serving of almonds and cashews in every cup. Add that to real, organic fruit and over 15 BILLION live probiotics per serving, and you’ve got a flavor packed yogurt experience that will win over dairy-free and dairy-loving yogurt fans alike.

DIRTY LEMON Introduces Thermogenic Elixir +chromium DIRTY LEMON

DIRTY LEMON introduces +chromium, an elixir designed to compliment your health and fitness goals by boosting metabolic stimulation and building lean muscle mass. The high-tech, fullflavored beverage features a targeted dose of 600mcg of Chromium per bottle. +chromium is formulated with a synergistic combination of key nutrients, botanicals, and minerals that stimulate your internal thermostat and assist in the conversion of fat into energy. The flavor profile was inspired by ingredients grown in the South Pacific, pairing sweet notes of purple passion fruit and pineapple with the tartness of guarana and lemon.

Dahlicious offers Almond milk yogurt in 5.3oz cup size and 5 different flavors; Vanilla, Plain, Mango, Strawberry, and blueberry. Dahlicious Cashew drinkable will be offered in both 7oz and 28oz sizes. The flavors will include, blueberry, strawberry, mango, and plain.

DIRTY LEMON was created to meet the evolving taste and preference of the modern consumer. The brand offers a range of innovative, ready-to-drink beverages to improve customers’ everyday routine. Each beverage incorporates high quality, functional ingredients that have been used in the naturopathic space for decades, blended with a base of organic lemon juice, ocean minerals and pink Himalayan pink sea salt. Each beverage has less than 30 calories and less than one gram of sugar. The company’s SMS-based distribution technology enables seamless communication with customers and frictionless access to its portfolio by selling exclusively via text message.

DEFY YOUR EVERYDAY

Drive - Real Ingredients. Real Benefits. Excellence Is Everything!

DEFY

Drive Beverages, LLC

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MAKING SPLASHES IN THE SOUTHWEST In two years since opening CForce Bottling Company, Chuck and Gena Norris’ brand of naturally alkaline artesian water is now in more than four thousand locations, with the majority of availability in its’ home state of Texas and surrounding markets in the Southwest.

From an aquifer, deep underneath Chuck Norris’ Lone Wolf Ranch, emerges a true force of nature.

CForce artesian water prides itself on absolute quality — from the pristine water inside to the premium packaging outside.

Within our world-class bottling facility rests crisp, clear, fresh-tasting water straight from our sustainable aquifer. Naturally filtered through volcanic rock, CForce artesian water is dated back 23,000 years old - to the last Ice Age. The preservation of its essential minerals and naturally high pH gives CForce its delicious, smooth taste. Directly from the source to you, it’s Ice Age water, at its purest.

VISIT CFORCE.COM

FOR INFO, EMAIL SALES@CFORCE.COM

BRAND LISTINGS Drive MV - All the benefits of original Drive + Organic Vitamins Drive Beverages, LLC

FIJI Water Launches New Distribution Model FIJI Water

FIJI® Water, America’s No. 1 premium imported bottled water brand, is now direct through DSD distribution. Now available nationwide, FIJI Water’s Sports Cap bottle – the latest addition to the portfolio – is perfect for active, on-the-move hydration and features a convenient flip-top cap, making it a great choice for hydrating even the toughest workout.

FIJI Water is bottled at the source in Fiji at an ancient artesian aquifer deep within the earth, where it is protected from external impurities. As tropical rain slowly filters through volcanic rock, it gathers the electrolytes and minerals that give FIJI Water its signature soft, smooth taste. It’s Untouched By Man® - until you unscrew the cap. For the latest updates on FIJI Water, please visit fijiwater.com.

Reach for Better – Overachieving H20 Essentia Water

The first ionized alkaline bottled water offered in the U.S., Essentia is known for its unique ionization process that results in a pH of 9.5 or higher. Essentia is the #1 alkaline water and #1 selling bottled water brand in the natural channel.* It is distributed in nearly 90,000 retailers nationwide and available in 700mL sport cap single bottled, 20oz single bottle, 1L single bottle, 1.5L single bottle, 1L 6 pack, 12oz 12 pack, 20oz 24 bottle case, 1L 12 bottle case, 1.5L 12 bottle case and 700mL 24 box. * IRI/SPINS/WFM P13 2018 Ending 12/30/18

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Introducing fizzique, the world’s first sparkling protein water FiZZiQUE, LLC

BRAND LISTINGS Super-natural, super water.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water

Tulua® Introduces First of its Kind MediDate® Date Seed Coffee Ginger Shots, Inc. DBA Tulua

Tulua®’s new MediDate® Date Seed Coffee is the first of its kind to hit retail shelves. The line includes four 10 oz flavors: Original, Cardamom, Oat Milk Latte and 50/50 Cold Brew.

Date seeds are roasted, ground and craft brewed to create a delicious drink - that tastes like coffee. Date seed coffee is naturally caffeine-free but rich in prebiotics, nutrients, polyphenols, and antioxidants.

MediDate Date Seed Coffee was a finalist for the prestigious NEXTY Award for best new product in the coffee/tea category at Expo West 2019. Date seed coffee is a powerful drink in Mediterranean tradition, where it has been known for hundreds of years to nourish both mind and body, calm and cleanse the body, and naturally boost energy levels. Each bottle is made with at least 10 date seeds, which are grown in the highly fertile soils of the Arabian highlands. It’s naturally free from caffeine, soy, dairy, nuts and gluten.

Fresh Mojito H2O - It’s Not Just Water, It’s Hydration With A Twist!

Fresh Mojito H2O

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Performance Drinks | Optimum Nutrition, Isopure, A.B.B. Glanbia Performance Nutrition

BRAND LISTINGS Aloe Collagen Energy Elixir Garden of Flavor Aloe, Collagen Peptides, Probiotic Cultures, Ginger & Lemon create a zesty 25 calorie, 10 grams of protein Energy Elixir to hydrate, beautify, detoxify and build.

Good Idea cuts the sugar spikes

greenONE Holdings, Inc idrink utilizes nanotechnology as a delivery vehicle in transporting vitamins, Nutrients and Electrolytes, so its bioavailable when you take a sip! Its referred to "IV in a bottle," hydrating you on a cellular level.

Refreshing crisp taste, pH9.0+ Introducing H2rOse: Bigger Bottles & Lower Calories!

Good Idea Inc.

H2rOse

Good Idea mealtime beverage is sparkling water with five amino acids and chromium, proven to cut the blood sugar spike after eating. Reduces post-meal slumps and sugar cravings.

Zero calories, zero sugar or sweeteners, and all natural.

We are excited to launch our new 16.9 oz bottles made BIGGER but with LOWER calories & sugar! H2rOse is a natural specialty beverage infused with rose water, saffron & other natural ingredients that will change the way you hydrate! 40 cal per bottle.

Goldthread Plant Based Tonics Goldthread

idrink is the the worlds first Nutrient water GURU ENERGY DRINK : Crafted with natural and organic ingredients utlizing nanotechnology GURU Beverage Co

Hawaii Volcanic Naturally Alkaline Water Hawaii Volcanic Beverages

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BRAND LISTINGS Health-Ade Kombucha: A Bubbly Probiotic Tea Health-Ade Kombucha

CoQ10-ERGY® New Flavors Heart Smart Nutraceuticals, In CoQ10-ERGY® is a NEW caffeine free energy drink.

Formulated with the most absorb-able form of CoEnzyme Q10 on the market today. Complemented with Rhodiolife and Sensoril as its energy partners! There are four great tasting flavors!

High Brew Triple Shot - Clean Functional Energy

Hfactor: Ready For What’s Next?

Hydro One LLC TRUE SUGAR FREE GREEN TEA with FDA claim for plant sterols to help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Contains ALPHA-GPC, a natural cholinergic that is good for focus, learning, memory, and physical performance.

Smooth, refreshing taste!

HyVIDA - World's First Hydrogen Infused Sparkling Waters

High Brew Coffee

HyVIDA Brands, Inc.

Coming to a Convenience Store near you, High Brew Coffee 11oz Triple Shot in four flavors: Espresso, Vanilla Bean, Black, and Café Mocha +20g Protein.

With 3x the caffeine of a coffee, it’s natural energy that’s ready when you are!

HyVIDA, functionality & 0 calories.

Hydrogen is a hot trend because of its amazing health benefits from circulation and endurance to recovery and memory.

With Magnesium & Hydrogen, HyVIDA's sparkling waters give a smooth lighter bubbly taste.

Hoist Introduces New Packaging

HFactor Hydrogen Infused Water Hoist New in 2019, hoist updated their packaging to focus on the education and science behind the formulation of the product. Hoist also switched to Pure Cane Sugar and has also removed the preservatives for an even more healthy hydration.

Honeydrop -- Full Spectrum Hemp Lemondes

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TRUE SUGAR FREE GREEN TEA with "complete green tea benefits."

KÖE Organic Kombucha - The Friendly Kombucha KÖE Organic Kombucha KÖE Organic Kombucha - The Friendly Kombucha, breathing life into the better-for-you category with one of the first shelfstable kombuchas packed with billions of probiotics and delicious organic fruit juices.

Kokomío - Whole Coconut + Probiotics

Honeydrop Beverages

Kokomío

Made with 20mg of Full Spectrum Hemp sourced by Evo Hemp and a teaspoon of raw U.S. honey, these new CBD lemonades contain just 4g of sugar per bottle and areoffered in three flavors: REVIVE (Matcha), RELAX (Lemon) and REHAB (Turmeric).

We source a unique variety of organic coconut that in its young state is low in sugar. We blend together the whole coconut -both water & pulp- and fortify it with superfoods to create thirstquenching, delicious and nutritionally powerful beverages

BRAND LISTINGS Enjoy a Resqwater during and after your next workout or celebration.

Intelligent Beverages

TEAS’ TEA Organic ITO EN (North America) INC.

TEAS’ TEA Organic is a line of refreshingly delicious teas, brewed with simple, organic ingredients and bottled to yield a distinct clarity that draws out the natural taste of the tea leaf. Clean and vibrant, TEAS’ TEA Organic strives to create only the purest tea with a pristine, crisp finish. A light and invigorating alternative to sugary juices and soft drinks.

TEAS’’ TEA Organic embodies the tradition of ancient tea making and meticulous brewing methods to craft its organic unsweetened and slightly sweet teas that enlighten the body and soul. Vegan, gluten-free, and free from artificial preservatives.

Matcha LOVE® ITO EN (North America) INC.

Fit Soda KOIOS Beverage Corp.

Taking a modern take on an ancient ritual, Matcha LOVE® celebrates the authentic taste and restorative powers of Japan’s famed green tea powder-matcha. Brewed with premium green tea, Matcha LOVE® offers the vitality of consuming the entire tea leaf with a natural energy boost and fresh umami taste. Authentically brewed with 100% pure matcha and whole leaf green tea, Matcha LOVE ® is available in Organic Non-GMO unsweetened flavors with 350 mg of Catechin Tea Antioxidants and Vitamin C. Packaged in BPA Free recyclable bottles and convenient no fuss cans, the innovative Matcha LOVE leads the trend in all things Matcha. The award-winning line is not only healthy and delicious, but offers a pure Matcha experience without the traditional preparation of this revered green tea powder.

Ceremonial and culinary matcha powder is also available for wholesale food service.

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BRAND LISTINGS KOIOS

KOR SHOTS: 6 SHOTS 6 FUNCTIONS

KOIOS Beverage Corp

Vimin™ USDA Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Sipping Drinks

KOR SHOTS

LiDestri Food and Drink

Each shot we make is designed with taste and functionality in mind. We source only the highest quality organic produce from farmers we know and make the product ourselves in our facility in Southern California.

KRa Sports Drink - Packaging Update

Low cal ACV drink without the “vinegar” burn. Its name is a riff on vim ‘n vigor - it offers vitality and a dash of moxie. Three amazing flavors with different “sipping levels: honey peach, lemon ginger, cranberry cayenne.

2 tbsp of ACV in every jar.

NEW Lightly Caffeinated Sparkling Water - Zero Calories, Zero Sugar!

KRa Drinks for Athletes, Inc. KRa Sports Drink is made with only real ingredients, no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.

Refreshed packaging communicates KRa's ingredients boldly, front of pack. Real Ingredients. Less Sugar. No Junk.

That's KRa, The REAL Sports Drink.

ENERGY DRINKS & CBD ENERGY WATERS

Northern Chill 100% Naturally Alkaline Water Born in Wisconsin

KONA GOLD LLC

Langlade Springs, LLC

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LIMITLESS Finally, a product to help kick your diet soda addiction. Not just another sparkling water, we harvest clean caffeine direct from green coffee beans and infuse it along with unique flavors. Zero calories, zero sugar and no artificial ingredients!

BRAND LISTINGS REFIX - ALL NATURAL RECOVERY DRINK LATITUDE 4T INC

Mamma Chia Introduces New Organic Chia Protein Smoothies Mamma Chia

Mamma Chia, celebrating 10 years as creator and leading brand of chia-based beverages and snacks, announces the launch of their plant-based, organic Chia Protein Smoothies!

Continuing the mission to share the Magic of ChiaÂŽ with flavorful, nutrient-rich, organic chia-based foods and beverages, Chia Protein Smoothies boast a delightfully smooth consistency, inviting new consumers to the Mamma Chia franchise. With only 9 g of sugar, Chia Protein Smoothies offer a delicious and powerful trifecta of 1200 mg of Omega-3, 13 g of plant-based protein, and 2100 mg of MCT. Chia Protein Smoothies are available in two delicious 12oz. varieties including Tropical Mango and Strawberry Banana and will be available at retailers in April.

Mamma Chia is a member of 1% for the Planet and a Certified B Corporation and believes that business can be a force for good by honoring and uplifting both people and planet.

Mamma Chia is available in grocery stores and natural food markets in the United States including Kroger, Target, Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Sprouts and Publix.

Mamma Chia is also available in Canada and other countries full of chia lovers. For more information, visit MammaChia.com or Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ALL FLAVORS NOW AVAILABLE IN SLEEK 12 OZ. CANS 79

BRAND LISTINGS Living Juice - New 4oz Bottles

Own your OM with GAIAM Organic Green Tea. MindFull Inc.

MONTAUK JUICE FACTORY - THE UNICORN

Living Juice

Montauk Juice Factory

Living Juice, makers of organic, coldpressed fruit and vegetable juices, reveals new 4 ounce size of its original five flavors. Available now for launch at the retailer level, these 4oz bottles pack a healthy punch with 100% cold-pressed juice.

A Sparkling Superfood in Every Sip!

The Unicorn is a brain-boosting blend that is designed to help increase mental clarity and creativity.

Naturally low in sugar and calories, cut through brain fog while relieving stress.

Fly high with this magical elixir!

Mother Beverage - A better for you Soda!

Maple Mama Craft Beverages

Mother Beverage As seen on Shark Tank, Mother Beverage is a great tasting, low calorie, and low sugar beverage. Each 12 oz bottle contains 1 TBSP of ACV. It's a better for you soda!

- Cheers to your Health -

100% sweetened

by Mother Earth, MapleMama is rich in maple nutrients.

Yet it doesn't taste like maple. Our four organic blends sparkle with 54 antioxidants & 7 vitamins & minerals: Raspberry Lime, Ginger Lemon, Vanilla Bean & Cold Brew Coffee.

MATI Energy - The Cleanest Label and Simplest Ingredients MATI

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AMP IT UP with VIBE Organic Electrolyte Black Tea. MindFull Inc.

BRAND LISTINGS mood33 Cannabis Infused Sparkling Tonics mood33

Cold-Pressed, Holistic Juices Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Mindfully crafted with functional botanicals, traditional spices, & superfood ingredients to promote health, wellness & nutrition.

Made from 5 ingredients or less, these juices are free from preservatives & added sugar.

AKESO Functional Fitness Water

It’s in the Craft.

Mother Kombucha

Perfect Hydration Purified to its cleanest form by a 9-stage filtration process, Perfect Hydration Alkaline & Electrolyte Water is ionically charged to a pH of 9.5+ and enhanced with a proprietary blend of minerals and electrolytes.

Petal - Sparkling Botanicals

NXT Water

Petal Beverage, LLC

First-Ever CBD water that is tested and verified. 12mg organically grown whole plant hemp derived CBD oil, with naturally occurring vitamins & omegas.

Nano encapsulated for optimal absorption. Added electrolytes & oxygen for an ultra-smooth taste.

NEW: Petal Sparkling Botanicals is organic certified and crafted from the finest botanical essences and extracts. Available in 6 botanical flavors and lightly sweetened with organic agave.

Raise your can, raise your vibe!

Obrigado Coconut Water With Mango & Acerola - 7x DV of Vitamin C

Clutch Energy Drink: Zero Sugar, Great Taste

Obrigado

Power Nation

Obrigado 100% Coconut Water with Mango & Acerola.

This refreshing, exotic fruit blend from Brazil has 7x the daily value of vitamin C, all 5 electrolytes, and is a good source of potassium. Never from concentrate, it's a difference you can taste.

Clutch Energy Drink's Citrus Lime Power Blend is a refreshing burst of citrus flavor that will keep you going all day long.

With no added sugar, Clutch gives you the energy you need without the extra calories. Try all four flavors.

OXIGEN Enhances Functional Line-Up OXIGEN (Formula Four Bev Inc.) OXIGEN functional WATER and SHOTS are all-natural and scientifically proven to accelerate postexercise recovery with OXIGEN’s powerful O4 oxygen molecule. The NEW 1L rPET bottle is now available to help OXIGEN continue to outpace category growth.

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Perfect Hydration Alkaline + Electrolyte Water

New: Protein2o Plus Energy Protein2o Protein2o, the nation’s #1 protein water, has launched Protein2o Plus Energy, which contains 15 grams of whey protein and 125 mgs of caffeine derived from green coffee beans. Available in Blueberry-Raspberry and Cherry Lemonade with only 70 cals.

BRAND LISTINGS New! Oki CBD Infused Flavored Waters & Iced Teas in 8 Vibrant Flavors

PATRIA ENERGY DRINK

Phivida

Power Supplements LLC

Introducing a new kind of drink that helps restore balance to your life and focus to your day.

Life can be demanding – that’s why Oki contains Active Hemp Extract. Relax and discover the quiet strength that gives you the calm and focus you need to meet the day head-on. Whether recovering from a workout or getting ready for the day ahead, Oki helps you feel positive, upbeat and enthused.

Active Hemp Extract is the same stuff you’ve probably heard of, and it’s all natural. There’s 20mg of it in each bottle, which ensures you feel gently refreshed, renewed and revitalized.

And everything is completely natural and plant-based, which means there’s absolutely no GMO and it’s all completely vegan.

FeelOki.com @FeelOki ENHANCED WATER | CRANBERRY REVIVE | CUCUMBER MINT REFRESH | WATERMELON RENEW MINT RELAX | HONEY TRANQUIL | RASPBERRY SERENE | LEMON GINGER HARMONY For more information, please contact: Doug Campbell dcampbell@phivida.com

Lightly carbonated, perfectly dosed for maximum energy and focus without the uncomfortable jitters and undesired crash.

The introduction of Patria Sugar Free now provides consumers with the opportunity to enjoy a great tasting ZERO calorie option.

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BRAND LISTINGS New Wonder Drink Prebiotic Plus Pure Steeps Beverage, LLC

Industry’s First Alkaline Water with Caffeine and Flavors QURE Energy

QURE Energy is pristine pure 9+ pH Alkaline Water with natural caffeine for clean energy.

Infused with the essence of flavors and electrolytes, QURE Energy is your rehydrating flavorful boost - free from the guilty sugar, calories and acidity other energy drinks are known for.

With 130mg of natural caffeine and a stable pH of 9+ plus electrolytes, QURE Energy is a great complement to an active and balanced lifestyle.

To know more about QURE Energy, visit www.qurenergy.com or send email to info@qurenergy.com.

QURE Energy is owned and distributed by Brand Beverages, Inc. of Southern California.

Introducing Pursuit Energy by Mossy Oak

Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze

Pursuit Beverage Company, LLC

Red Bull North America

Powered by Mossy Oak, Pursuit Energy is the only energy drink specifically engineered to fuel your outdoor passion.

Offered in refreshing flavors with just the right amount of ‘kick’ and no medicinal aftertaste.

Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze will launch nationwide in late April for a limited time in 8.4 and 12 fl oz cans. With eyecatching turquoise packaging and a light, crisp taste it gives wiiings to make summer a breeze.

Quantum PCR H2O

Golden Mind - Delicious New Functional Flavor From Remedy Organics!

Quantum Dynamics, Inc. Hemp infused water beverage with CBD & 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!

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Remedy Organics Golden Mind contains unique, high-quality functional ingredients including a vegan DHA Omega-3, MCT Oil, a 90% curcumin turmeric and prebiotics that synergistically work together in a fatsoluble formulation to support optimal brain health.

Ready Protein Water™ Ready Nutrition

BRAND LISTINGS Recover 180 - Functional Hydration Beverage Recover Life Brands LLC

NEW Riff Alter Ego Sparkling Superfruit Beverage Riff Cold Brewed

Introducing Alter Ego, a new line of shelf-stable Sparkling Superfruit Teas from Riff. Alter Ego (named for being coffee’s lesser-known counterpart) is cold brewed using dried cascara— the naturally sweet, naturally caffeinated, antioxidant-rich, fruity pulp, or “cherry,” that surrounds the coffee bean prior to harvest and processing at source. Cascara (Spanish for shell, husk or skin) has traditionally been a discarded byproduct of the coffee harvest, yet is reported to be significantly higher in antioxidants than blueberries, higher in iron than spinach, and higher in potassium than bananas, and about one-third the caffeine level of cold-brewed coffee. Alter Ego is packaged in 12 oz. sleek cans, contains 105 mg of caffeine and 2 g of sugar, and is available at a suggested retail price of $2.99.

Good For Ya and Super Tasty, Guaranteed Revive Kombucha

Roli Roti leads with Butcher's Organic Bone Broth

SAFFRON ELIXIR- Ready to Drink, All Natural, Daily Euphoric Detoxifer

Roli Roti

SAFFORIA

Butcher's Bone Broth is the number one refrigerated bone broth in the US. Made with only organic bones, organic carrots, and filtered water (with no added salt or alliums) Butcher's also leads the bone broth market with the cleanest label.

SAFFORIA embodies a modern twist on ancient traditional medicine. Our patent-pending elixir includes a medicinal amount of saffron and a unique composition of spices to elevate mood, enhance cognitive function, detox and provide sustained energy.

New Lion’s Root Nootropic Brew from Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha Brewed for brilliance, decaffeinated Lion's Root kombucha is flavored with the refreshing sweetness of pineapple, grounded with fresh turmeric, and built around the natural nootropic, lion's mane mushroom. Awaken focus and enlighten the senses.

Fire Cider Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics– now in 6 convenient sizes Shire City Herbals Fire Cider harks back to the traditional apple cider vinegar tonics our ancestors would drink for daily health, updated for modern palates and certified organic.

Available in six sizes–8 oz, 16 oz, half gallon, gallon, growler and NEW 2 oz flex pack.

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BRAND LISTINGS Single Origin Nitro Cold Brew Coffee That Will Rock Your Socks Off!

Steaz Prickly Pear Water

Sunshine Beverages

Snowing in Space Coffee

Steaz Steaz Prickly Pear Water is available in 3 flavor choices of Original, Starfruit and Cucumber, providing hydration, antioxidants and electrolytes.

We're taking a unique approach to nitro cold brew coffee with a focus on a fun, approachable brand, single origin beans, caffeine & roasting variety and pricing and packaging aimed at increasing cold brew purchasing & consumption behavior.

SuperAde Line

Sunshine - Feel Good Energy

New from Sparkling Ice - Sparkling Ice +Caffeine Sol-ti Beverages Organic functional beverages with less than 7 grams of natural sugar.

Contains pressed organic lemon with Superfoods added, bottled in glass for purity & taste.

Available nationally through select distributors. Email us for a distributor near you.

Soylent Ready-to-Drink Meals Now Available in Two Formats Soylent

Talking Rain Beverage Company From the makers of Sparkling Ice comes Sparkling Ice +Caffeine. Served in an easy-open 16 oz can, Sparkling Ice +Caffeine contains 70mg of caffeine, zero sugar, and zero calories. Wake up your water with 5 fizzy and refreshing flavors.

Thai Pineapple Juice

TeaRoyaal- New organic loose leaf brewed tea line with herbs infused Taste Nirvana Int'l Inc. Taste Nirvana is proud to feature its new HPP Cold Pressed Thai Pineapple Juice as part of its new fresh beverage offering.

Made from Thailand’s finest pineapples.

Gluten-free, Vegan, and Preservative Free. 500 ml bottle.

Happiness Inside.

teaRIOT - Now with 100mg of L-theanine

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TeaRoyaal TeaRoyaal is a new organic loose leaf brewed tea with herbs, vitamins and minerals infused. The delicious flavors are Fruity Hibiscus Green Tea, Peachy Lemon Black Tea and Cocoa Chai Tea. Benefits range from energy, weight loss, immunity boost & more A thousand years of history in every bottle

teaRIOT

TH Herbals US

teaRIOT is maximizing its energy power in every bottle by now offering 100mg of L-theanine an amino acid in tea that binds with tea's natural caffeine to provide steady, balanced energy & focus. No jitters. No Crash.

No added sugar. All Organic.

Nutrient rich gac-fruit blended with herbal infusion and tropical juice blend. From Vietnam's highlands, this 'fruit from heavens' was used by indigenous people for longevity. Based on ancient wisdom of Austronesian people.

We Treasure Mother Nature.

BRAND LISTINGS TEN Water - Premium 10pH Alkaline Water

Tickle Water - making moves

TEN Water

Turveda creates best tasting turmeric beverage

Tickle Water

Turveda

The first and only sparkling water for kids is growing rapidly with new distribution in ACME, Wakefern, GIANT Foods, and launches in Canada this summer!

Tickle Water's soft bubbles and organic compliant natural flavors are enjoyed by all ages.

Turveda is a premium Ayurvedic herbal health food brand that is remixing our Indian flavors/recipes with a Western modern twist. Our main objective is delivering better for you products with exceptional taste and functionality!

Tohi Ventures Introduces Aronia Berry Antioxidant Beverages Tohi Ventures

Pure Kick The Jel Sert Company

True Nopal Cactus Water True Nopal True Nopal is made with the fruit of the prickly pear cactus and has no added sugar or sweeteners.

True Nopal contains less than half the calories and sugar as coconut water while supplying electrolytes, potassium, magnesium and betalain antioxidants

Ultima Replenisher - electrolytes, pure + simple Ultima Health Products, Inc. Ultima Replenisher has all 6 electrolytes plus support minerals and is made with real fruit flavors, plant-based colors, sweetened with organic stevia leaf, and has no sugar, carbs or calories.

Vegan, NonGMO Project Verified, Paleo & Keto.

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BRAND LISTINGS UbU® Sparkling Functional Tonics UbU Health LLC

Introducing Wedderspoon Unfiltered Apple Cider Drinking Vinegars Wedderspoon

UPTIME Introduces New Premium Energy Drink Flavors UPTIME Energy

Uncle Matt's Organic Orange Energy with Ashwagandha

Inko's Organic Energy Drink

Uncle Matt's Organic

Wholesome Tea Company

Uncle Matt's Organic Orange Energy contains 100mg of the superpower Coffeeberry plus Ayurvedic Ashwagandha Root to support cognitive function, natural stamina and overall well being. It's the ultimate healthy energy boost!

Blue Buddha Organic Wellness Tea

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Inko’s “Jitter Free” Energy drink contains only a simple list of Organic and Natural ingredients with no scary chemicals.

It has valuable antioxidants from green tea and less than half the sugar and calories of conventional energy drinks.

Jade Monk Matcha

Wholesome Tea Company

Wholesome Tea Company

Blue Buddha combines high grade green tea with on trend beneficial herbs – Ashwagandha, Amla, & Maitake Mushroom.

These healthful herbs are mainstays in the Ayurvedic tradition.

Blue Buddha is Organic, Non-GMO and low in sugar and calories.

Jade Monk Matcha is a delicious Non-GMO Super Food, that mixes instantly in cold water, hot water, or milk - unlike other plain matcha powders that require a whisk and patience to mix a cup. Jade Monk has 137X the antioxidants of green tea.

BRAND LISTINGS Wild Tonic® Hard Jun is trending & transforming the beverage industry!

Wild Tonic

A rare cousin of Kombucha, our Jun is fermented with exotic teas and honey. Steeped in mystery and celebrated for its delicate effervescence, Wild Tonic® Hard Jun is smooth, subtle, sophisticated.

From classic favorites like Lavender Love® and seasonal flavors, such as Strawberry Blood Orange to the WILDLY popular Dancing Naked®, Mind Spank®, & Wild Love® 7.6% ABV Reserves, we invite you to Join the WILD Revolution! With 19 varieties available in our signature 16 oz. cobalt blue glass bottles, 5.6% ABV 4-packs, 7.6% ABV 750 ml. bottles, & kegs, what’s not to love?

Watch for our 2019 releases this autumn!

Wild Tonic® and you. Beautiful inside and out. Wild Tonic®. Kombucha Redefined®.

XL Energy Diink XL Energy Drink Corp Lightly carbonated and refreshing energy drink providing the classic taste and a boost of energy.

XL enhances the body and mind by improving concentration, awareness and reaction speed. XL Energy Drink helps you to achieve your BEST every single day.

Zenify Natural Stress Relief - Non-GMO Project Verified Zenify Zenify is the leader amongst stress relief beverages, it is Non-GMO, Gluten Free and caffeine free.

Zenify also comes in a Zero Sugar formula, both of which contain 350mg of both GABA and L-theanine; the main stress reducing ingredient in green tea.

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

Making the World Taste Better Allen Flavors Inc.

Organic Functional Ingredients

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.

Allen Flavors provides innovative product development services and exemplary customer services ensuring your ingredients arrive safely and on time, every time. Our R&D team never stops developing new functional concepts for sports, tea, dairy, meal replacements and health and wellness beverages. Ask about our custom flavor creation team and our organic, non-GMO flavors and extracts.

Applied Food Sciences - INNOVATIVE, FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS.

Flavor Manufacturer Abelei Flavors

Highest Throughput HPP Machine Avure HPP Technologies - JBT

Applied Food Sciences (AFS)

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.

• 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.

As a flavor manufacturer abelei creates delicious, application-specific flavors assisting our clients in getting to market faster with flavorings that fit their product requirements. abelei specializes in creating great-tasting sweet brown, citrus fruit, soft fruit and other top-note flavors perfect for beverages, dairy, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceutical applications.

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.

Functional Ingredients AIDP

AIDP, Inc. is an industry leader in developing and sourcing innovative ingredients for the health and functional food and beverage industries. For over 20 years, AIDP has developed an expertise in providing premium, research-based ingredients that meet consumer demand for wellness and healthy aging as well as solving formulation challenges for manufacturers. AIDP’s specialty portfolio features unique branded ingredients for cognitive, digestive, bone, joint and skin health. AIDP is the exclusive supplier of PreticX, a low-dose bifidogenic prebiotic for optimal gut flora, as well as Actazin and Livaux, whole kiwifruit innovations for bowel regularity and microbiome balance. AIDP is also the exclusive supplier of Magtein®, a patented magnesium compound for cognitive health, and KoACT®, a unique bone health solution for active women providing renewed bone strength beyond calcium. AIDP offers a complete line of plant based proteins, over 200 commodity ingredients and unique encapsulation technologies to address a wide variety of formulation needs.

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• 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.

FDA GRAS Proteins +Milks Axiom Foods

Connecting Nutrition & Health BENEO Inc.

Innovating food technology since 2005 Axiom Foods offers the only suspension-grade FDA GRAS, non-GMO verified, clinically tested, multi-functional, neutral plant proteins quality controlled to the field level. Large commercial quantities are available from Oryzatein rice protein, with patented sports claims, to pea, hemp and sacha inchi plant proteins, plus whole grain certified oat and rice milks

From isotonic sports drinks to fizzy water and soft drinks,… Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) opens the door to nutritionally optimised and highly stable beverages. It has a low hygroscopicity and high acid and process stability. From a health perspective, it supports blood sugar management and keeps you going thanks to being a fully digestible and more slowly released source of carbohydrates.

Contract Manufacturing Azpack

BOTTLES, CAPS & PACKAGING Berlin Packaging

Azpack is one of the fastest growing co-packers in the country. We offer co-packing services in cans and bottles. Our team of dedicated and professional staff are focused on delivering the highest quality products to our customers.

Capable of producing cold fill preserved, hot fill and tunnel pasteurized products with onsite lab services. Visit our website to find out what we can do for you.

Berlin Packaging supplies glass, plastic, and metal containers and closures. We offer a wide array of packaging for beverage companies along with design, financing, consulting, and warehousing services. From simple plastic caps to high-end glass bottles and much more -- we deliver excellent value and promote real results for companies of all sizes. We exist to help companies be Greater, Faster.

Enhance your water category with OXIGEN water and shots

Oxygen-enhanced for proven faster recovery All Natural

Faster Recovery

Improved Focus

Jet Lag Recovery

Celebration Recovery

Increased Stamina

DrinkOxigen.com

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Turnkey Beverage Services Big Brands, LLC

Kick Caffeine to the Curb Chemi Nutra

We can turnkey develop and copack/manufacture all types of beverages, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, in aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, and flexible packaging. If you are looking for a one stop shop to take develop your beverage concept, manufacture it, and manage the sales and marketing, then look no further! We can supply all ingredients, materials, manufacturing, and delivery!

Avoid the negatives associated with caffeine while powerfully boosting mental energy, cognitive performance, and exercise performance, with AlphaSize® Alpha-GPC. AlphaSize® Alpha-GPC is incredibly functional, FDA affirmed as GRAS, is tasteless, colorless, stable, 100% water soluble, and the most bioavailable source of choline in the world, for use in any beverage or shot application. Try it!

Bulk Fruit/Vegetab Ingredients Brothers International Food Co.

Functional Branded Ingredients Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

BLS creates innovative, scientific based ingredients for healthier living. The ingredients are clinically proven to support healthy aging, weight management, sustainable energy, antiaging, heart health, and many other health-enhancing benefits. We sell in bulk to businesses who manufacture or formulate functional foods & beverages, supplements, sports nutrition products, and cosmetics. We are best known for the only patented & FDA GRAScertified D-Ribose: Bioenergy Ribose®. Bioenergy Ribose is the true source of sustainable, cellular energy and is crucial to the production of ATP. Bioenergy Ribose increases energy for Endurance, Performance & A Healthier You. Our newest ingredient, RiaGev™, is the first and only commercially available proprietary compound uniquely combining Bioenergy Ribose and a form of Vitamin B3. It is distinctly formulated to enter the salvage pathway directly to more efficiently increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the body. RiaGev maintains and enhances mitochondrial health by boosting NAD levels and inducing the creation of new mitochondria. NAD is vital for mitochondrial health. Increased NAD and healthy mitochondria help slow the aging process, reduce age-related cognitive decline, prevent cellular damage from free radicals, create a stronger immune system, and contribute to lower cholesterol.

RiaGev helps Repair, Prevent & Rejuvenate.

Global Food Ingredients Corbion

Speciality Hydrocolloids CP Kelco

Corbion’s portfolio of beverage solutions offers refreshing new options for acidification, flavor boosting, fortification, preservation and masking off-flavors. Through technical insight and tools, developed specifically to ensure precise application, Corbion can predict the impact of modifying your products and help you develop the most stable, tasty and healthy beverages.

The CP Kelco portfolio of hydrocolloid stabilizers and texturizers is full of tools that develop tasty, indulgent, lower-, low- or no-sugar foods and beverages. Formulators around the globe look to CP Kelco to suspend botanicals in new-age energy drinks, stabilize protein in fruit smoothies, create creamy liqueurs and recover body in reduced calorie beverages, to name just a few examples.

Get a bigger piece of the pie.

Blaze PR

Closure Systems Solutions Closure Systems International

#PEA Protein with USDA NOP COSUCRA Inc.

Co-Packing/Co-Manufacturing CraftPack Beverage, LLC

Blaze is the go-to partner for lifestyle brands hungry for a real piece of the marketshare. Fresh and seasoned, our boutique agency is comprised of veteran practitioners who stay one step ahead of trends and will not rest on the laurels of past successes. We have done it all before, failed, prevailed, and we know the difference.

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 maximize profits by increasing the marketability of their brands and optimizing their cost of operations.

COSUCRA with our technological, sustainability and farm to fork traceability leadership positions commissioned our ¤35 million investment in Belgium in 2018 to increase capacity of Pisane™ pea protein. Gluten-free, allergenfree. USDA NOP and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Pisane™ is perfect for formulating drinks, neutral or acidic, soluble and dispersible. Visit our website for a Pisane™ sample

CraftPack is an 81,000 sq ft co-packing and comanufacturing facility in Baltimore with 13,000 sq ft of cold storage. Low project minimums, multiple can size cold filling, DSP bonded winery & brewery license, cold-chain & Velcorin pasteurizing, in-house shrink sleeve application, carbonation and still product, cGMPs & HACCP accredited, CCOF Organic Certified, Kosher certified, in-house can supply.

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BY 2050, THERE WILL BE MORE PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN THAN FISH.

By choosing Boxed Waterâ„¢ over plastic bottled water, you can keep more plastic out of our oceans. And our food chain.

Made from renewable resources and 100% recyclable.

Sustainability Matters. BOXEDWATERISBETTER.COM

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Probiotic Ingredients Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes

Organic Certified Flavors Firmenich

Container Inspection Solutions FILTEC

FONA Flavor & Taste Solutions FONA International

FILTEC is a leading provider of in-line inspection solutions for the 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 package integrity. Our machines are engineered to increase productivity, quality, and protect your customers. Contact us

Consumers want it all today and expect their beverages to do more for them. You’re balancing the demands of great taste, regulatory hurdles and consumer acceptance. The experts at FONA can help. From ideation to launch, we can create a seamless, winning path for you. We are FONA. Let us bring the best taste solutions to the table for you.

Functional Beverages Flavorman

Beverage Recruiting Firm ForceBrands—BevForce

Flavorman - making functional drinks functional, flavorful, and profitable! Make your functional beverage memorable and unique having Flavorman create it with you. Flavorman 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 BevForce is made up of industry experts who understand the beverage market.

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

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 functional beverage market well and understands the impact your active ingredients have on taste. Our flavor development capabilities will help you stay ahead of the competition. WE CREATE FLAVORS THAT MAKE YOUR BRAND UNFORGETTABLE.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Decorative Label Solutions Fort Dearborn Company

Natural Color Solutions GNT USA Inc.

NeuroFactor™ FutureCeuticals

We’ve got you covered. Fort Dearborn Company offers shrink sleeve, stretch sleeve, pressure sensitive, roll-fed, and cut & stack labels and promotional printing in a variety of substrates, inks and finishing options to support your beverage brand building objectives. We service brands large and small. Contact us today to discuss your application.

EXBERRY® by GNT is the leading brand of natural food coloring for the food and beverage industry. EXBERRY® colors are derived solely from fruits, vegetables, and edible plants through a process of chopping, pressing, filtering and blending. EXBERRY® products can be applied to a range of beverage categories including enhanced waters, carbonated soft drinks, dairy, and plant-based milks.

Coconut Ingredient Products Franklin Baker, Inc.

Advanced Beverage Formulas Hidell International

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, Coconut Concentrate, Creamed Coconut, Coconut Sugar and other products..

Among our certifications, we are USDA Organic, Kosher, BRC & NON-GMO Verified.

The company creates innovative nutritional formulations for the bottled water industry. These formulations are water neutral in that they have no color, taste or odor. They are pleasing to the palette and yet offer highly efficacious micronutrients for human consumption. The effort is to provide healthy hydration to bottled water consumers. The company has six international patents on file.

Coffeeberry® Energy FutureCeuticals

Aseptic Packaging Solutions GoodWest Industries, LLC

GoodWest offers a complete aseptic packaging solution for your bag-in-box beverages and mixes. We specialize in low-acid dairy, cold brew and coffee-based products. Organic, nonGMO, gluten-free, nut free and Kosher options are also available. BIB selections include bag sizes from 2 liters to 5 gallons. A wide variety of bag and dispensing fitments are offered.

Ideation, formulation, research, development, reasonable minimum runs, as well as pilot and trial run capabilities.

Multiple SQF Level 3 certified plants in both Eastern and Western locations.

Call GoodWest today to discuss your product and packaging needs, 1-800-948-1922 or john@goodwest.com. www.goodwest.com 96 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Healthy Ingredients Healthy Food Ingredients

Buffering and stabilization ICL Food Specialties

Decorative Label Solutions Lucky Clover Packaging

ICL Food Specialties is a Global leader in providing ingredient systems that deliver texture and stability to beverage products. With decades of experience and application knowledge we deliver on-trend solutions to common formulation challenges. By selecting the right ingredients for function earlier in the development cycle the innovation process is accelerated. Let's innovate your next success.

Lucky Clover Packaging is a one-stop shop for shrink sleeved cans and other packaging consumables such as crowlers, Paktechs, brites, ends, case trays. With locations in Baltimore and Sacramento, you can focus on making great drinks while we handle the rest! We can also produce your product in-house through our sister company, Craftpack Beverage, a co-packing and co-manufacturing facility.

Culinary Bulk Matcha ITO EN (North America) INC.

HFI is a growing family of global specialty ingredient brands, which includes SK Food International, Hesco/Dakota Organic Products, Suntava, and Heartland Flax.

Combined, we offer non-GMO, organic, certified transitional, gluten-free, and identity preserved pulses, soybeans, grains, seeds, flax, expeller oils and our signature product, Suntava Purple Corn™.

Our latest innovation, IntegriPure®, is our microbial reduction solution that means industryleading validation for a 5-log reduction providing food safety, naturally.

We are dedicated to delivering safe, healthy, premium-quality ingredients and supply assurance in partnership with our diverse grower network.

Can Color Perfectionists INX International Ink Co.

MATCHA, the finely milled green tea powder revered for its antioxidants & natural energy boost, is a trend forward ingredient for healthy beverages, baking and cooking products.

100% Authentic Matcha from Japan. Bulk available for food service.

Designing for metal decorating requires true representation of color, and color standards printed on paper just don’t cut it. The INX Color Catalog is the industry’s first true color standard for beverage can design printed directly on metal. Brand owners, designers and metal decorators can select, communicate and approve color efficiently, reducing lead times and getting labels to market quicker.

The Advanced Color Communication tool contains over 600 removable metal color swatches and access to the same INX colors via the INX Digital Color Library available in today’s design programs. Used together with advanced digital proofing, best-in-class ink, and color management software, users now have proven methods to get accurate, reproducible, consistent color throughout a global network.

Cold-Brew Master Extractors Javo Beverage Company

Teas, Botanicals and Extracts Martin Bauer Inc.

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.

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.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS F&B Accountants & Advisors Marcum LLP

Branding & Packaging Design McLean Design

Quality, Innovation, Custom Solutions Milne Fruits and Vegetables

Screen Printed Labels Monvera Glass Décor

Contract Manufacturer NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO

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.

Nor-Cal Beverage Company, Inc. is a full-service Contract Manufacturer with two production facilities in Northern and Southern California.

Both locations offer a range of production capabilities and certifications. We also offer finished goods and distribution service centers positioned to supply West Coast fulfillment needs. Family owned and operated since 1937 and Women's Owned Business.

Enhance & Fortify Beverages MORRE-TEC Industries, Inc.

Ideal Flax for Beverages Pizzey Ingredients

MORRE-TEC Industries, Inc. is a cGMP compliant company with FDA registered inspected facility.

The company is ISO 9001-2015 certified and manufactures and distributes unique products for the personal care, food, functional, nutritional, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. We offer water soluble vitamins, minerals, exotic oils and botanical extracts to enhance new beverage concepts.

Pizzey Ingredients’ BevPur™ Flax enhances beverages with the nutritional benefits of flaxseed while providing a smooth and rich texture. BevPur™ has a guaranteed shelf life of two years and is available in organic and conventional varieties (both are non-GMO, pesticide-free and gluten-free). BevPur™ is ideal for plant milk, smoothies, meal replacement shakes, and other nutritious beverages.

Beverage & Food Development PTM Food

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.

PTM Food is your premier product development & manufacturing support firm. Our wide range of expertise, development, and creativity achieves an exciting point of difference between your product and competitors. We work hard to uncover key industry insights, developing products that have a competitive edge. Whether your project is simple or a complex one, we’re your team!

Turn-Key Product Development MetaBrand

Brand Mgt./Sales/Distribution SAS Sales and Marketing

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.

Andy Stallone 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.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LABEL COMPANY

Sweet Brown Flavor Specialist

Overnight Labels

Prova Inc.

Trust Prova to be your partner for functional beverage flavor solutions. We are the sweet brown flavoring specialists; market leaders in delivering the taste of vanilla, cocoa, coffee and other brown notes. Our outstanding products include natural extracts; natural and artificial flavors; organic vanilla extracts in both liquid and powder form; cocoa and coffee flavors and extracts (including organic and Fair Trade). Our flavors and extracts are ideal for use in healthy RTD beverages; plant-based protein drinks where they mask the offnotes; and dairy drinks, just to name a few.

Contact Prova to see how our products, including Natural Provanil-US7, a technological, economical and customer-preferred natural vanillin alternative; organic flavors; non-GMO flavors; caramel flavors; maple and honey flavors; and allergen-free nut flavors can help with your functional beverage product development.

Sustainable Packaging Handles PakTech

As an established yet innovative packaging leader in the beverage industry for over 25 years, PakTech delivers the highest quality and most sustainable turn-key packaging solutions.

PakTech is dedicated to bringing the highest quality packaging solutions to the market, with the least environmental impact. PakTech handles are made with 100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resin and the handles are 100% recyclable. Their carriers are repurposed from recycled milk jugs.

Since 2012, they have repurposed 338,267,223 milk jugs into PakTech handles. That has kept 20,973 tons of plastic out of the landfills and oceans and saved 18 acres of land from being used as landfills for waste.

Continuous Inline Blending Statco-DSI Process Systems

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Stiebs

Statco-DSI is the industry leader for continuous inline blending. We have experience blending carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, beer, alcoholic beverages, any application of 2 or more liquid streams, all with precise and repeatable outcomes. Whether it’s flavoring/aromatics, THC/CBD, sweeteners, vitamins, cleansers or lotions, Statco-DSI’s BlenZer has blended it.

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.

Leap-inducing Brand Packaging Stebbings Partners

Production Line Solutions STORCAN

Stebbings Partners is a multi-disciplinary creative studio that balances strategy and design to craft unique and thoughtful food & beverage brands. Our team of designers, strategists and writers work with courageous clients to shape, launch and grow brands that stand apart, start conversations, and build trust with consumers.

Let’s talk. We’d love to hear your story.

Storcan can help you to improve the efficiency of your bottling production lines or installing a new one. Our solutions meet the highest standards and use the latest technologies. Being a one stop shop allows us to simplify each stage of a project: Consulting, Engineering, Management and Support. No matter you produce soft juice, beer, spirit or wine, Storcan can help you from A to Z.

When second life PakTech handles are recycled, they often see a third life as composite lumber, flower pots, pipe, park benches, new Paktech handles and more.

PakTech handles are designed to put the spotlight on the product. With 31 standard colors and custom color match, you’ll find a match that will perfectly complement your beverage artwork. PakTech handles eliminate the need for secondary packaging and print.

In addition, PakTech offers application solutions. PakTech applicators are highly efficient, cost-effective, and proven to run 24-7.

From design to final handle application, PakTech’s responsiveness, rapid turn-around time and product offerings add tremendous value and efficiency.

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SUPPLIER & SERVICES LISTINGS Beverage Pilot Plant WiseBev, LLC

Soluble CBD for food+beverage Stillwater Ingredients

Need to test out your idea? Come to WiseBev 's beverage pilot plant. We are equipped with mini UHT system, high pressure homogenizer, batching equipment and analytical capabilities. Our private pilot plant affords our clients increased confidentiality and the ability to use ingredient suppliers of their choosing. Experience our superior customer service and get the results you need today.

Wisdom Natural Ingredients Wisdom Natural Brands

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 broad-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 Non-GMO Reb M and Reb D Sweegen

Branding & Packaging Design The GRO Agency

Sweegen brings you Non-GMO Project Verified stevia leaf sweeteners BESTEVIA® Reb M, Reb D and e+ for optimal sugar reduction in your food and beverage applications. Our products offer clean, sugar-like 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.

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

Synergy - Inspiring Taste Synergy Flavors

Non-GMO, Vegan Ingredients Top Health Ingredients, Inc.

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.

Top Health Ingredients has been a trusted provider of the highest quality Non-GMO, plant-based prebiotics, fibers and proteins to the functional food, beverage, and meat analog markets. The exclusive supplier of AdvantaThrive™ soluble prebiotic and AdvantaFava™ fava protein, Top Health proudly provides unique, innovative ingredients for creative, healthy solutions. Visit our website for more info!

100 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Wisdom Natural Brands® (WNB), maker of SweetLeaf® Stevia Sweetener, offers ingredients for a wide variety of foods and beverages. Beverage manufacturers seeking an innovative, no-sugar sweetener with no artificial ingredients now have a solution. Widely recognized as the leader in stevia taste profile, SweetLeaf is a whole-leaf extract of a variety of glycosides specially selected for their taste and sweetness. Free from the taste of solvent artifacts, a water-based extraction system produces a wonderfully sweet, no sugars, zero-calorie food and beverage ingredient.

The WNB ingredient division provides proprietary and customized blends developed by a team of world-renowned stevia experts. Providing quality control and assurance, R&D support, a sustainable supply chain, and unmatched customer service, SweetLeaf is the only stevia brand to consistently win global awards for taste and innovation.

The highest quality ingredients are available in powder or liquid forms, or in blends of stevia and bulking agents, for a variety of beverages ranging from soft drinks to sports drinks, teas to juices, flavored waters, and more.

Visit SweetLeaf.com/Ingredients for more information.

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COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

A. Holliday & Company Inc.

Christine Renken

Toronto

ON

(416) 225-2217

teacoff.com

Abelei Flavors

Shelley Henderson

North Aurora

IL

(630) 859-1410

abelei.com

Samantha Ford

City of Industry

CA

(626) 964-6910

aidp.com

Joe Harriman

South Plainfield

NJ

(908) 561-5995

allenflavors.com

AIDP Allen Flavors Inc.

Drew Pawlan

South San Francisco

CA

(650) 616-7777

alodrink.com

Amaz Project, Inc

ALO Drink by SPI West Port

Gustavo Nader

Santa Monica

CA

(310) 310-0672

liveamaz.com

Applied Food Sciences (AFS)

Jackson Zapp

Austin

TX

(512) 732-8300

appliedfoods.com

AQUAhydrate AQUAKOLA Atay

Raz Inserra

Los Angeles

CA

(877) 370-1795

AQUAhydrate.com

Jill Pagelkopf

Sonoma

CA

(303) 514-4799

aquakola.com

Ismail Khayatey

West Hollywood

CA

(800) 205-1318

ataydrinks.com

Athletic Brewing Company

Bill Shufelt, Founder

Stratford

CT

(203) 273-0422

AthleticBrewing.com

Avure HPP Technologies - JBT

Lisa Wessels (Pitzer)

Middletown

OH

(859) 534-1545

avure-hpp-foods.com

Rick Ray

Los Angeles

CA

(310) 264-2606

axiomfoods.com

–

Tempe

AZ

(480) 449-7770

azpack.com

Axiom Foods Azpack BENEO Inc.

Mr. Kyle Krause

Parsipanny

NJ

–

beneo.com

Berlin Packaging

Monika Puzelyte

Chicago

IL

–

BerlinPackaging.com

Big Brands, LLC

Zach Mosesian

Las Vegas

NV

(702) 476-1021

usbeveragemanufacturing.com

Bimble Beverages

Mindy Spire

NY

NY

(917) 622-0244

DrinkBimble.com

Bio-Up Beverage

Christopher Boyer

Pasadena

CA

(626) 524-3214

drinkbio-up.com

Bioenergy Life Science (BLS)

Penny Portner

Ham Lake

MN

(763) 746-3926

bioenergylifescience.com

Black Bear Energy, LLC

Scott Murphy

Bethel

ME

(877) 325-2327

BlackBearB12.com

Blaze PR

Matt Kovacs

Santa Monica

CA

(310) 395-5050

blazepr.com

BLK INTERNATIONAL LLC

Louise Wilkie

Calabasas

CA

(424) 282-3443

getblk.com

BLOSSOM WATER

–

Westwood

MA

(855) 325-5777

drinkblossomwater.com

BODYARMOR

–

–

–

–

DrinkBODYARMOR.com

Boxed Water is Better

Robert Koenen

Grand Rapids

MI

(844) 429-3987

boxedwaterisbetter.com

Bragg Live Food Products

Michael Launer

Santa Barbara

CA

(805) 968-1020

Bragg.com

BrainJuice Brew Dr. Kombucha Brothers International Food Co C4® CAB Enterprises Inc Califia Farms CELSIUS CForce Bottling Company Chemi Nutra CHERRiSH CLEAN Cause

Richard Robinson

Austin

TX

(855) 333-1986

–

Portland

OR

–

Kevin Burt

Rochester

NY

(585) 727-7590

Declan Duggan

Bryan

TX

(800) 870-2070

c4onthego.com

–

–

–

(518) 417-4887

electrolit.com

–

Los Angeles

CA

–

Elisha Bornstein

Boca Raton

FL

(561) 276-2239

brainjuice.me brewdrkombucha.com brothersinternational.com

califiafarms.com celsius.com

Tyler Norris

Navasota

TX

(936) 825-1077

CForce.com

Chase Hagerman

Austin

TX

(866) 907-0400

cheminutra.com

Dan Haggart

Bellevue

WA

(425) 829-2087

cherrish.net

Cortney Hollinger

Austin

TX

(512) 636-4419

cleancause.com

Clear Cut Phocus

Ryan Smith

Louisville

KY

(502) 295-0104

DrinkPhocus.com

Clearly Kombucha

Maria Del Rio

Fairfield

CA

(303) 927-2636

clearlykombucha.com

Clint Rush

Indianapolis

IN

(317) 390-5067

csiclosures.com

Closure Systems International Cluebiotics

Tom Johnson

Seaford

NY

(516) 783-1400

DrinkClue.com

COCO LUXE

US Sales

Sydney

AU

61 410491140

cocoluxelife.com

Cool Mountain Beverages, Inc

Bill Daker

Des Plaines

IL

–

realifewater.com

–

–

–

–

corbion.com

COSUCRA Inc.

Corbion

Frank Truong

Chicago

IL

(732) 428-9094

cosucra.com

CP Kelco

Bobbie Kenney

Atlanta

GA

(678) 247-7300

cpkelco.com

Crafted Brand Company

Felicia Vieira

Encinitas

CA

(408) 835-7084

craftedbrandcompany.com

102 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

COMPANY CraftPack Beverage, LLC Cubed Beverage LLC Dahlicious Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes DEFY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Paul Manu

Baltimore

MD

(443) 315-4022

craftpackbev.com

Roy Corr

Simi Valley

CA

(818) 280-6327

uniquebev.com

Alicia

Leamonister

MA

–

Tod Burgess

Kennesaw

GA

(800) 697-8179

deerland.com

Dahlicious.com

Megan Bushell

Denver

CO

–

drinkdefy.com

DIRTY LEMON

Merel Petri

New York

NY

(630) 596-6779

dirtylemon.com

Drink Peloton

David Jones

West Chester

PA

(610) 350-8192

drinkpeloton.com

Drive Beverages, LLC Essentia Water fairlife, LLC

Charles Sessoms

–

–

–

Pamela Berry

Bothell

WA

(425) 402-9555

– essentiawater.com

Karla Ikpi

Chicago

IL

(312) 624-9444

fairlife.com

–

Los Angeles

CA

(877) 426-3454

fijiwater.com

Nadine Cotran

TORRANCE

CA

(888) 434-5832

filtec.com

Firmenich

Kristi Nichele

Plainsboro

NJ

–

FiZZiQUE, LLC

David Jenkins

Carlsbad

CA

(760) 822-3820

Phil Icsman

Louisville

KY

(502) 301-8132

–

Torrance

CA

–

FIJI Water FILTEC

Flavorman Flow Alkaline Spring Water FONA International Foodarom

firmenich.com drinkfizzique.com flavorman.com flowhydration.com

Cara Newkirk

Geneva

IL

(630) 578-8600

fona.com

Phillip Kraemer

Salt Lake City

UT

(801) 975-2604

foodarom.com

ForceBrands – BevForce

Sean Conner

New York

NV

(917) 596-3229

forcebrands.com/bevforce

Fort Dearborn Company

Gwen Chapdelaine

Elk Grove

IL

(847) 357-9500

fortdearborn.com

John Slade

Memphis

TN

(901) 881-6681

franklinbaker.com

Franklin Baker, Inc. Fresh Mojito H2O

Charles Sessoms

–

–

–

FutureCeuticals

Andrew Wheeler

Momence

IL

(888) 452-6853

Lisa Reed

Cleveland

OH

(216) 702-7991

gardenofflavor.com

Brittany Reilly

Huntington Beach

CA

(888) 410-1487

gingershots.com

Garden of Flavor Ginger Shots, Inc. DBA Tulua Glanbia Performance Nutrition GNT USA Inc. Goldthread Good Idea Inc. GoodWest Industries, LLC greenONE Holdings, Inc Nevada GURU Beverage Co H2rOse Hawaii Volcanic Beverages Health-Ade Kombucha

– futureceuticals.com

–

–

–

–

glanbia.com

Jeannette O'Brien

Tarrytown

NY

(914) 524-0600

exberry.com

Jenna DeNight

Santa Monica

CA

–

Demetria Veal Williams

Larkspur

CA

(888) 317-9797

goodideadrinks.com

John Ludwig

Douglassville

PA

(800) 948-1922

goodwest.com

goldthreadherbs.com

Mariah Fineman

las vegas

NV

(877) 468-1144

idrinkbeverages.com

–

San Francisco

CA

(888) 810-4878

guruenergy.com

Kia Illulian

Los Angeles

CA

(323) 653-8500

drinkh2rose.com

Jason Donovan

Princeville

HI

(808) 639-9394

hawaiivolcanic.com

Shannon Crossman

Torrance

CA

(424) 999-2965

health-ade.com

Healthy Food Ingredients

Joni Huffman

Fargo

ND

(844) 275-3443

HFIfamily.com

Heart Smart Nutraceuticals, In

Kurt Van Tine

Woodcliff Lake

NJ

(833) 267-1074

coq10-ergy.com

HFactor Hydrogen Infused Water Hidell International High Brew Coffee

Steve Torres

New York

NY

(212) 878-3696

hfactorwater.com

Henry "Bob" Hidell

Hingham

MA

(781) 749-8040

hidellinternational.com

Miles

Austin

TX

(512) 853-6770

highbrewcoffee.com

Hoist

Ben Schmidt

Cincinnati

OH

(513) 207-8855

drinkhoist.com

Honeydrop Beverages

Andrew Lorig

Brooklyn

NY

6469428058

honeydrop.com

Sammy Nasrollahi

Greenwood

SC

(864) 993-1159

hydroonebeverages.com

Rick Smith

Muskegon

MI

(231) 780-7450

hyvida.com

Hydro One LLC HyVIDA Brands, Inc. ICL Food Specialties

–

St. Louis

MO

(314) 983-7500

Intelligent Beverages

Troy Michels

Bloomington

MN

–

INX International Ink Co.

Sarah Jacks

Schaumburg

IL

(704) 414-6446

inxcolorcatalog.com

–

–

NY

(718) 250-4000

itoen.com

ITO EN (North America) INC.

iclfood.com resqwater.com

103

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Javo Beverage Company

Candice Peck

Vista

CA

(760) 560-5286

javobeverage.com

KÖE Organic Kombucha

Jared Smith

Los Angeles

CA

–

KOIOS Beverage Corp

Chris Miller

Denver

CO

(303) 946-2728

Kokomío

drinkKOE.com koiosbeveragecorp.com

Alan Cohen

Dover

DE

+525551097891

kokomio.com

KONA GOLD LLC

Chris Selinger

Melbourne

FL

(844) 714-2224

konagoldhemp.com

KOR SHOTS

Rachel Forillere

Malibu

CA

(424) 288-1498

korshots.com

–

Chicago

IL

–

drinkkra.com

KRa Drinks for Athletes, Inc. Langlade Springs, LLC

Curt Kufner

–

–

–

LATITUDE 4T INC

Mario Nova

West Hempstead

NY

(516) 305-3654

latitude4t.com

–

LiDestri Food and Drink

Ricky Tatar

Rochester

NJ

(585) 270-2432

sipvimin.com

LIMITLESS

Matt Rink

Chicago

IL

–

youarelimitless.com

Living Juice

Rosemary Devlin

Cross River

NY

(914) 763-6320

drinklivingjuice.com

Ashley Sebastionelli

Baltimore

MD

(443) 873-0103

–

Carlsbad

CA

–

Lucky Clover Packaging Mamma Chia Maple Mama Craft Beverages Marcum LLP Martin Bauer Inc. MATI

luckycloverpackaging.com mammachia.com

Joe Laur

Wendell

MA

–

David Oksenhorn

Melville

NY

(631) 414-4732

marcumllp.com

maplemamabeverages.com

–

Secaucus

NJ

(201) 659-3100

martin-bauer-group.us

Jacob

Durham

NC

–

McLean Design

Caryn Javinsky

Walnut Creek

CA

(925) 944-9500

MetaBrand

Nick Andlinger

Edison

NJ

(732) 983-5915

metabrandcorp.com

Tyson Jones

Prosser

WA

(509) 786-2611

milnefruit.com

Milne Fruits and Vegetables MindFull Inc.

drinkmati.com mclean-design.com

Jillian Shimskey

Boulder

CO

–

Montauk Juice Factory

Bret Caretsky

Montauk

NY

(631) 356-4490

montaukjuicefactory.com

Monvera Glass Décor

–

Richmond

CA

(877) 792-1150

monvera.com

Michael Christopher

Santa Monica

CA

(800) 336-9630

mood33.com

Michael Fuchs

Union

NJ

(908) 688-9009

morretec.com

mood33 MORRE-TEC Industries, Inc.

mindfull.com

Mother Beverage

Stephen Ellsworth

Dallas

TX

–

motherbeverage.com

Mother Kombucha

Tonay Donati

St Petersburg

FL

(727) 409-8806

motherkombucha.com

–

Fort Pierce

FL

(772) 465-1122

oijc.com

NOR-CAL BEVERAGE CO

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice

Pete Grego

West Sacramento

CA

(916) 372-0600

ncbev.com

NXT Water

Todd Waks

Las Vegas

NV

(310) 995-2949

akesowater.com

Obrigado

Leo Branco

Irvine

CA

–

Overnight Labels

Don Earl

Deer Park

NY

(800) 472-5753

OXIGEN (Formula Four Bev Inc.)

Bill Lange

Playa Vista

CA

–

drinkoxigen.com

–

Eugene

OR

(541) 461-5000

PakTech-opi.com

PakTech Perfect Hydration

obrigado.com overnightlabels.com

Jared Smith

Los Angeles

CA

–

perfect-hydration.com

Petal Beverage, LLC

Candice Crane

Highland Park

IL

–

drinkpetal.com

Phivida

Doug Campbell

San Diego

CA

(214) 862-5954

Pizzey Ingredients

Mary Ekman

Rockford

MN

(651) 797-3168

pizzeyingredients.com

Power Nation

April Mehring

Madison

WI

(608) 442-5973

clutchenergydrink.com/

Patricio Garcia Cano

Houston

TX

(832) 466-2323

psupps.com

–

Elk Grove Village

IL

(855) 290-7820

drinkprotein2o.com

Power Supplements LLC Protein2o

feeloki.com

Prova Inc.

Pam deVries

Danvers

MA

–

provaus.com

PTM Food

Don Rodgers

Wall Township

NJ

(888) 736-6339

ptmfood.com

Marce McKinnon

Anaheim

CA

(657) 254-3321

puresteeps.com

Pure Steeps Beverage, LLC Pursuit Beverage Company, LLC Quantum Dynamics, Inc. QURE Energy 104 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

Eric T. Martinez

Waukegan

IL

(847) 672-6999

pursuitenergy.com

Sales Department

Zephyr Cove

NV

(310) 362-6915

QuantumPCR.com

Jeff McClelland

Irvine

CA

(949) 260-9025

qurenergy.com

COMPANY Ready Nutrition

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Kristopher Anderson

Wexford

PA

(412) 414-1067

readyismade.com

Recover Life Brands LLC.

–

Scottsdale

AZ

–

Red Bull North America

Erin Mand

Santa Monica

CA

(310) 393-4647

Remedy Organics

Henry Kasindorf

Englewood Cliffs

NJ

(201) 540-9868

remedyorganics.com

Revive Kombucha

–

Petaluma

CA

–

revivekombucha.com

Riff Cold Brewed

drinkrecover.com energydrink-us.redbull.com

Steve Barham

Bend

OR

(541) 668-1325

riffcoldbrewed.com

Roli Roti

Thomas Odermatt

Oakland

CA

(510) 780-0300

butchersbonebroth.com

Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha

Michelle Dziuban

Boulder

CO

(303) 396-0498

rowdymermaid.com

SAFFORIA

Yass Grayeli

NY

NY

(212) 406-7038

safforia.com

SAS Sales and Marketing

Andy Stallone

Boca Raton

FL

(561) 350-6397

SASsalesandmarketing.com

–

Pittsfield

MA

(413) 213-6700

firecider.com

Paul Dierkes

Charlottesville

VA

(434) 806-5337

snowinginspace.com

Shire City Herbals Snowing in Space Coffee Sol-ti Beverages

Steven Cosgrove

San Diego

CA

(949) 412-3661

Solti.com

Soylent

Andrew Thomas

Los Angeles

CA

(480) 231-7612

soylent.com

–

Huntington Beach

CA

(714) 375-6300

statco-dsi.com

Steaz

Statco-DSI Process Systems

Ashley Martino

Doylestown

PA

(267) 905-2036

steaz.com

Stebbings Partners

Joel Cambridge

Attleboro Falls

MA

(508) 699-7899

stebbings.com

Stiebs Stillwater Ingredients STORCAN

Brian Nova

Madera

CA

(559) 661-0031

–

Commerce City

CO

–

Flora Grimoire

CHÂTEAUGAY

Sunshine Beverages

Elizabeth Hughes

Winston-Salem

NC

(704) 682-2633

drinkthesunshine.com

Sweegen

Katharina Pueller

Rancho Santa Margarita

CA

(949) 709-0583

sweegen.com

Joe Boehrer

Wauconda

IL

(847) 487-1011

synergytaste.com

–

–

–

–

sparklingice.com

Taste Nirvana Int'l Inc.

Wayne Fagundes

CORONA

CA

(951) 371-7100

tastenirvana.com

teaRIOT

Laura Jakobsen

Venice

CA

(206) 369-3228

teaRIOT.com

TeaRoyaal

Dr. LeShon Peart MD

–

FL

–

tearoyaal.com

TEN Water

George Sandrini

–

–

–

tenspringwater.com

TH Herbals US

Synergy Flavors Talking Rain Beverage Company

+450698215

stiebs.com stillwateringredients.life storcan.com

Wolfgang Friess

Walnut Creek

CA

–

The GRO Agency

Kelly Criswell

NYC & Los Angeles

NY

(917) 498-8912

thegroagency.com

–

The Jel Sert Company

Ken Wegner

West Chicago

IL

(630) 876-4906

purekick.com

Tickle Water

Heather McDowell

New York

NY

(648) 823-3605

Tohi Ventures

Shari Ford

Kansas City

MO

–

Brittany DeMarco

Edmonton

ON

(780) 439-1425

tophealthingredients.com

–

Scottsdale

AZ

(480) 636-8044

truenopal.com

Top Health Ingredients, Inc. True Nopal Turveda

drinkticklewater.com drinktohi.com

–

Hemet

CA

–

UbU Health LLC

Marc Hebert

Santa Monica

CA

(855) 331-3303

DrinkUbU.com

turveda.com

Ultima Health Products, Inc.

Alec Penrod

Cortland

OH

(888) 663-8584

ultimareplenisher.com

Uncle Matt's Organic

Matt McLean

Clermont

FL

(352) 394-8737

unclematts.com

UPTIME Energy

–

Los Angeles

CA

(800) 441-5656

uptimeenergy.com

Wedderspoon

Briana Belden

Malvern

PA

(610) 417-0954

wedderspoon.com

Wholesome Tea Company

Kevin Kotecki

Willowbrook

IL

(630) 861-0422

bluebuddhatea.com

Wild Tonic Wisdom Natural Brands WiseBev, LLC XL Energy Drink Corp Zenify

–

–

AZ

–

–

Althea Randel

Tucson

AZ

(520) 903-7874

–

Lindsay Wisener

Fountain City

IN

(765) 729-9843

wisebev.com

Maja Leitner

New York City

NY

(212) 594-3080

Adam Rosenfeld

Los Angeles

CA

–

xl-energy.com zenifydrinks.com

105

PROMO PARADE

INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS

Pop Singer Halsey Invests in High Brew Coffee

High Brew Coffee, an Austin-based natural beverage company, announced the addition of Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum singer-songwriter, Halsey, as an investor. She discovered the canned cold brew coffee while on tour, will help bring High Brew’s “For Those Who Do” message to a larger audience.

The transition from High Brew “super fan” to investor was a natural one, according to the brand, as she looked to diversify her portfolio and put her name behind something she loved. Known for pushing creative boundaries, in addition to investing in the brand, Halsey will be involved in the innovation process and

assisting High Brew with concepts for future clean energy formulas.

“I love High Brew because I have a super-fast lifestyle. It’s so easy to grab a can and go, whether it’s on a jet, backstage before a concert, on a long day of press interviews, or keeping me cheerful and energetic on a photoshoot,” said Halsey.

“My favorite trick is mixing High Brew into a cocktail for those late-night industry parties where I have to be sharp and awake but want to have a little fun as well. It’s versatile for someone like me. I just love it.”

Halsey joins a slew of other celebrity investors including former MLB pitcher Huston Street, pop rock group Kings of Leon, Lance Armstrong and chef Tim Love. The brand was born “for those who do” when founder David Smith discovered the amazing functional and clean energy benefits of cold brew coffee during a sailing adventure with his family.

“When we first heard Halsey was a fan of the brand, we knew we had to find a way to work with her,” said Smith. “Rolling Stone once described Halsey as bold and that’s exactly the quality we are looking for in an investor. As a strong woman, who pours her heart into all she does, Halsey is the perfect fit to help us convey our clean energy message as she continues to dominate the music industry.”

Revive Kombucha Prints Rolling Stone Ad on LSD Blotter Paper Advertising inserts for Revive Kombucha breaking in the March issue of Rolling Stone magazine are printed on LSD blotter paper (LSD not included). The ’60s throwback campaign, headlined “Expand Your Tongue’s Mind,” is Revive’s first advertising since its acquisition last year by Peet’s Coffee. It is also Revive’s largest-ever campaign and its first from new advertising agency TDA_Boulder.

The campaign marks Revive’s advertising launch in what has become, primarily

through word-of-mouth, its largest single market: the San Francisco Bay area. The 26,000 Rolling Stone inserts appear in San Francisco area issues only, and are supported by related wild postings appearing across the city, especially in the Haight-Ashbury district.

Future work, slated for the fall, will target Southern California.

Each of the 7.5” x 7.5” acid blotter paper sheets is perforated into 900 .25” x .25” tabs, or “hits,” just like in the old days. (Revive had to attest that the sheets are not psychoac-

106 BEVNET MAGAZINE – MARCH/APRIL 2019

tive.) In a retro graphic nod to the old Summer of Love sheets, each tiny hit now shows one of Revive Kombucha’s seven varieties. The psychedelic theme ties into San Francisco and also to the creative brief, which is Revive’s unique kombucha flavors. The campaign targets both soda drinkers and kombucha drinkers.

The inserts are printed on (LSD-less) LSD blotter paper in rural Oregon by Zane Kesey, who is the son of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” author (also “Electric Kool-Aid Acid

Test” hero and Grateful Dead sound engineer) Ken Kesey. As in the ’60s and ’70s, they are printed in vegetable ink and edible. Bought singly, the unprinted sheets are $15.95 each.