Paid Holiday to Vote. Coca-Cola will give US employees a paid day off on Election Day, Nov. 3, to make it easier to vote, according to an internal Coke memo. The paid time off also will allow employees to “participate in the election process in other ways, such as staffing phone banks to support their candidate of choice or engaging in their local community,” stated the staff announcement from Coke North America President Jim Dinkins and Chief People Officer Lisa Chang. In addition, a “fresh look” at paid US holidays will include a “social justice lens,” the executives wrote.

Drinkfinity Discontinued? PepsiCo’s standalone Drinkfinity pod-based drink system appears to have been discontinued after two years of operation (BD 3/30/2018). The brand’s presence online and on social media has been removed. Drinkfinity sent an email in March announcing that the brand’s reusable bottle and pods would be available on Amazon. An April email introduced Drinkfinity customers to PepsiCo’s at-home sparkling water maker, SodaStream. The marketing emails appear to be the brand’s last. Beverage Business Insights first noticed the brand’s disappearance. PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment.

Technology. PepsiCo has branded its touchscreen watercooler platform (BD 5/3/19)
-- targeted for airports, universities and workplaces -- as SodaStream Pro ... Esports team Dignitas has named Respawn as a corporate partner; Respawn is a powdered energy drink mix targeted at competitive video gamers and fans.

Launches, expansions. Honickman Group’s Pepsi-Cola Bottling of New York has agreed to distribute Yerbae Enhanced Sparkling Water as the brand launches 16-oz cans ... PepsiCo has released a Pepsi-Cola flavored with a “splash of Pineapple” in the US for the summer, lifting the idea from its Japan unit ... Beverage start-up Creative Roots has launched a flavored coconut water for kids in four flavors ... Rise Brewing has introduced a canned Nitro Earl Grey Tea Oat Milk Latte ... The Alkaline Water Company, maker of Alkaline88, is expanding into CBD-infused edibles, such as gummies, and topicals; other CBD beverage products will include powders, shots and water, the company said.

International. Coca-Cola has filed a trademark application in UK for something called EH Canning that includes classes for beer and other alcoholic drinks, setting off speculation that Coke will launch an alcoholic drink. The filing includes non-alcoholic drinks. Coke declined to specify the potential product. PLUS. Uzbekistan’s government intends to sell its 57% stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan, according to Reuters ... Coca-Cola and its Costa Coffee unit have collaborated on what they call a “Coca-Cola flavour coffee range” in China as part of a summer sales campaign, according to a Costa Twitter post; offerings include a latte, a cappuccino and a cold brew ... In UK, PepsiCo and Lavazza have introduced Vanilla Latte and Cold Brew versions of the pair’s milk-based canned coffee lineup.

Quick Takes. Unilever, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Starbucks have joined other brands in suspending ad spending with Facebook following calls for a boycott from a social campaign called Stop Hate for Profit ... A US Federal Reserve emergency program to prop up capital markets includes at least one high-profile company that has surprised commentators: Berkshire Hathaway, controlled by Warren Buffett, Coke’s largest investor and the fourth- richest person on the planet.