Brand on fire: How Trip has pioneered the calming beverages category
With tens of millions of views on TikTok, Trip has found fame with Gen Z and pioneered the calming beverages category. What are the brand’s secrets to success?
Beverage entrepreneurs
Startup Spotlight
Third wave hydration: Plink! sparks shift toward flavor-first daily wellness
By putting consumer enjoyment ahead of its sustainability mission, the fizzy electrolyte tablet brand has ushered in an era of daily hydration and in doing so doubled its velocity, expanded distribution and outpaced legacy competitors in natural grocery...
The evolution of the energy drink category: Odyssey Functional Energy heralds drive towards added functionality
Clean energy has already swept across the energy drink category. Now, Odyssey Functional Energy heralds the next era of added functionality: becoming a favorite in offices of SpaceX, Uber, Google, Meta, Amazon and more
Tips and tricks for getting a beverage brand into retail
Getting into a national retailer is the dream for most beverage start-ups. But competition is fierce...
How Sprouts scouts out the next big thing in beverage innovation
Sprouts Farmers Market’s approach to NPD keeps it on a constant search for the hottest beverage innovations
The British beverage brands making it big in the US (and the mistakes they made on the way)
The UK and US markets are often defined by similar macro-trends: making expansion attractive for beverage entrepreneurs. But don’t forget the classic quote: ‘England and America are two countries separated by a common language’…
Twins triumph: Gut health guinea pigs turned burgeoning business leaders
The Gut Stuff, a multi-faceted business devoted to improving the general public’s awareness of gut health, has been recognized in the UK Fast Growth 50 index this year.
How to build a beverage brand: Bulletproof on shifting from biohacking to the big time
A decade ago, Bulletproof was a biohacking sensation. Today, it’s moving into the mainstream as it sees functional coffee gather momentum. How do you stay true to your brand while adapting to consumer trends?
Behind the big idea: How Air Up creates beverages from thin air
Most of what we ‘taste’ actually comes from smell. So can a beverage be based on that alone? Yes, says Lena Jüngst: a product designer turned beverage entrepreneur who took this simple idea into a bottle that’s built a fan following among kids and young...
Cold pressed hemp drinks creator aims to disrupt CBD category
The founder of a UK-based cold-pressed hemp drinks brand says the moment is ripe to enter the thriving functional drinks market, armed with Novel Foods exempt drinks that comply with the legal CBD limit.
New beverage launches: Suntory, Celsius and more
From vodka seltzer to energy drinks, we take a look at some of the new beverages launching around the globe
Tapping into the productivity market: How two influencers built a $20m nootropic brand
In November 2023, British influencers James Smith and Chris Williamson founded Neutonic, a nootropic supplement company which set out to create the world’s first productivity drink. Just 18 months later, the company has been valued at $20 million. So,...
Brewing direct connections with a new generation
A fresh wave is brewing in beverages and Millie Bobby Brown is leading it. Her DTC coffee brand is bypassing shelves to connect straight with fans
How to build a beverage brand: Just Ice Tea’s Seth Goldman on being an ‘activist entrepreneur’ in RTD tea
In 2022, Just Ice Tea emerged from the ashes of the axed brand Honest Tea. Industry veteran Seth Goldman tells us what he learned from Honest Tea and how Just Ice Tea can be even bigger and better
How to build a beverage brand: Celsius takes better-for-you energy to mass market success
Better-for-you energy drink Celsius is a premium lifestyle brand that’s continuing to gather serious momentum across the US and beyond. How has the brand transformed itself from a niche product to mass market success?
Innovators in alcohol-free: Kin Euphorics
Rooted in Ayurvedic medicine, Kin Euphorics is exploring the world of functional ingredients to push the boundaries of the alcohol-free category. What’s coming up in 2025?
Innovators in alcohol-free: Smiling Wolf
Co-founded by former Diageo execs, Smiling Wolf turns to functional ingredients such as nootropics and vitamins to provide the ‘buzz’ associated with alcoholic drinks. How does the brand explain this concept to consumers?
Innovators in alcohol-free: CROSSIP
As a brand ‘born in a bar, not a boardroom’, CROSSIP has been carving out the alcohol-free category in the on-trade. What’s the secret to success?
Innovators in alcohol-free: TÖST
TÖST isn’t an alcohol-free wine, beer or spirit: rather, it’s an elevated drink with a unique blend of white tea and botanicals designed to sparkle on the table. Having attracted investment from Constellation Brands, it’s making waves across the US and...
How to choose a name for a new beverage brand
For some, it's the most difficult part of beverage NPD...
Alcohol-free beer is booming. Can alcohol-free cider enjoy the same success?
CHANCE Clean Cider (0.5% ABV) sees the opportunity for low and no ciders to enjoy the same success as alcohol-free beers.
How to build a beverage brand: Gut health superstar OLIPOP on creating the next wave of soda
When Ben Goodwin founded OLIPOP in 2018, his mission was to reshape the US’ soda addiction with a healthier alternative. This year, the brand is featured in Time100’s Most Influential Companies 2024. How has Goodwin built both a beverage brand – and a...
Luxury gin: Can brands such as Emma Watson's Renais take on tequila?
Premium gin Renais – founded by Emma Watson and her brother Alex Watson – is expanding to the US. Will the brand’s luxury positioning help it take on trending categories such as tequila and mezcal?
How to accelerate your startup journey in a crowded marketplace
BeyondSKU Accelerator is calling for innovative New Yorkers to join its upcoming cohort. Do you have what it takes?
Food and beverage start-ups: How to succeed where others fail
Starting a new business is an enormous challenge and takes a huge amount of courage. So what can you do to give yourself the best chance of succeeding?
How to increase consumer engagement through social media
Whether you’re a start-up or a long-established brand, continued consumer awareness and interest is fundamental to achieving success in the global marketplace. So how can you use social media to do this?
Carving out the white spaces in functional beverages
Brands that want to lead the next generation of functional beverages need to stop thinking about following the big trends: and instead set their sights on niche – but highly loyal – consumers. How do you identify these areas - and successfully build a...
Craftsmanship, collaboration and the ultimate non-alcoholic cocktail: Botivo on creating its aperitif-inspired drink
Sam Paget Steavenson created aperitif-inspired botanical drink Botivo with high-end occasions in mind (his background in events saw him create drinks for The Royal Wedding in 2018). Who better to ask what the secret to the ultimate non-alcoholic cocktail is?
Funding strategies: Mother Kombucha, Lil Bucks, Wildway share tips on raising money
CPG founders from natural brands Wildway, Mother Kombucha, and Lil Bucks shared their strategies for securing funding in a tighter capital market during a recent Naturally Chicago webinar.
How to build alcohol-free brands: Spirits of Virtue shares its secrets to success
Creating a great alcohol-free product is one thing: growing and scaling that into a successful business is another thing entirely. In the last five years, Spirits of Virtue has perfected a range of products; expanded to 16 countries including the US (a...
Profile series: Innovators in low/no alcohol
My Drynuary: ‘This year is a pivotal year for the non-alcoholic category in New Zealand’
After 25 years in the brewing industry – most recently as Heineken’s Global Director of Craft Beer in Amsterdam – Grant Caunter returned to his native New Zealand to start zero-alcohol brand State of Play Brewing. In our series profiling innovators in...
Profile series: Innovators in low/no alcohol
My Drynuary: ‘The beauty of the non-alcoholic space is that there are no rules! We're creating the category for the modern drinker'
Ryan Hanson co-founded non-alcoholic wine Surely in 2020, attracted to the opportunity to innovate in a very traditional category. In our series on entrepreneurs in the low/no alcohol industry, he takes us through what he’s focusing on as a leader of a...
Profile series: Innovators in low/no alcohol
My Drynuary: ‘‘Our calendar is packed with events, from mindful mixology classes to concerts, samplings and more!’
Los Angeles brand OPTIMIST makes botanical spirits that are completely free from alcohol, and this month debuts its first RTD canned cocktail. In our series on innovators in the low/no alcohol industry, co-founder Lisa Farr Johnstone tells us about the...
My Drynuary: ‘Our customers are our main source of inspiration'
Canadian non-alcoholic beer Partake Brewing was launched in 2017: and now sells its brews across Canada and the US. Evan Cohen, President and Chief Commercial Officer, looks at the two markets in this series on innovators in the low/no alcohol industry.
Profile series: Innovators in the low/no alcohol industry
My Drynuary: ‘One of the most common questions we receive is ‘Are you sure this is alcohol-free?’ That's the best compliment we can get!’
ISH Spirits offers a range of alcohol-free sparkling wines, spirits and cocktails: using a proprietary technique so that drinks mimic their alcoholic counterparts as closely as possible. In our series profiling movers and shakers in the industry, founder...
Profile series: Innovators in the low/no alcohol industry
My Drynuary: ‘Knowing there is a bigger purpose behind the role Wild Idol plays in people's lives is very inspiring’
Throughout January, this series will profile some of the movers and shakers in the booming low/no alcohol industry. Today: Paul Beavis, CEO of premium alcohol-free sparkling wine Wild Idol, tells us how the brand has built up listings in upmarket...
Indian anti-hangover first mover Morning Fresh eyes growth opportunities for RTD functional beverages
India-based Morning Fresh is actively expanding its portfolio across categories and formats to fulfil rising demand for functional products, particularly ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.
How brands can rethink the single use plastic water bottle
The challenges for plastic water bottles are clear: their environmental impact is leading to a consumer backlash and even potential regulatory restrictions. But the future isn’t about a few brands moving into alternative packaging formats: it’s about...
Wecheer wins Coca-Cola HBC’s start-up challenge
Bottle-as-a-Service platform and app Wecheer – whose patented ‘smart bottle opener’ can track every bottle opened to pinpoint the time, location and brand of consumption – has been named as the winner of Coca-Cola HBC’s €100k Start-Up Challenge.
Serial snack entrepreneur with the Midas touch turns his attention on Junkless
Impact Capital - the private equity group of Mike Repole, best known for cofounding Vitaminwater and BodyArmor SuperDrink, which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1bn and $5.6bn, respectively - has acquired a majority stake in the better-for-you chewy granola bar...
Odyssey Elixir partners with 7-Eleven and Wegmans to bring functional mushrooms “out of niche spaces”
As adaptogens and mushrooms continue piquing the interest of health conscious and sober-curious consumers, the sparkling, functional mushroom beverage brand expanded its convenience and grocery retail presence so “more people are able to experience the...
Optimism and challenges for US craft beer market
In a maturing market, US craft brewers are up against rising costs and supply chain disruptions. But the Brewers Association says its midyear survey indicates optimism for the second half of the year.
Guest article
'It’s a bold new colorful world!' New beverage brands are leveraging colorful brand palettes
The soda aisle is made up of iconic brands with red, blue and green products. But new beverage brands have other ideas, explains Amy Kosnick, CBX Director of Design Strategy, in this guest article.
Gipsy Hill Brewery debuts offset-free carbon negative brews: 'Revolutionizing our supply chain has really made the difference'
Gipsy Hill Brewery claims a world first in creating carbon negative beers without the use of offsets. And the concept, based on regenerative farming, could go well beyond its pints served in London. “By truly embedding sustainability into our brewing...
Coffee startup ansā looks to make a “good cup of coffee” more sustainable with novel roasting technology
Tech startup ansā is in the business of creating a good cup of coffee in all senses of the word with its unique roasting method and consumer appliance that circumvents the need for traditional roasters; all in the pursuit of a greener cup of Joe, company...
BrewDog Distilling Co: ‘2023 will be the year we set the groundwork for our future success’
BrewDog Distilling Co is ‘on a mission to create a world-renowned Scottish spirits brand’: having announced a new portfolio, new distillery, and new CEO. The brand tells us how it intends to create ‘some serious tidal waves’ in the craft spirits industry.
Guest article
Brewing a better future: How beverage brands can strengthen their sustainability credentials
Push those Margaritas, Cosmopolitans and Daiquiris aside. In 2023, clean and green drinks are top of the menu. But how can beverage brands show their commitment to a sustainable future? Giles Fuchs, owner of Gunner Cocktails, takes a look.
US CPG accelerator gears up to turn next cohort of brands into household names
BeyondSKU - a New York-based accelerator for consumer-packaged goods (CPGs) - has issued a callout for F&B startups to apply for the next programme in in September.
Boosting craft beer in Indonesia: Stark seeks to appeal to local tastes and increase category awareness
Bali-based Stark Craft Beer has revealed how it is differentiating its marketing strategy between regions, while cautioning that the fledgling Indonesia market is not yet ready for excessive flavour innovation.
Non-alcoholic market is at an “inflection point,” Ritual Zero Proof CEO discusses growth
Non-alcoholic spirit brand Ritual Zero Proof is tapping into the demand for more artisanal and craft mocktails with the release of its aperitif, as the overall market sees new growth from health-conscious and younger consumers, brand CEO and founder...