Fever-Tree, the UK-founded mixer brand, has added a cola to its US lineup of premium carbonated offerings. Named Distillers Cola, the new drink was formulated to mix with...

Mushrooms have been used medicinally in Asia for centuries. In the US, mushroom extracts have become a go-to functional ingredient within the wellness community. Often referred to as adaptogenic, functional, or medicinal mushrooms, the ingredient now is...  To better understand functional mushrooms as an RTD beverage ingredient, BD turned to Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss. Last year, they launched Earth & Star, a line of canned mushroom-infused oat milks and coffees.

PepsiCo’s Bubly sparkling water brand is rolling out a caffeinated version called Bounce. The line extension contains...

While Boxed Water is Better represents a small fraction of the packaged water category, the company has captured an outsized share of social media and celebrity attention since its founding in 2009. That’s in large part due to the purified water brand’s strikingly plain carton within a premium water category dominated by sculpted plastic bottles. With a package made mostly of paper, Boxed Water has helped drive the consumer conversation around packaging sustainability, an issue that will only grow in impact and importance during this decade. We spoke to Boxed Water’s Chief Marketing Officer Robert Koenen about growth prospects and how the company is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic...

Franchise bottlers for Coca-Cola’s North America Operating Unit recently met virtually to review innovation and system execution plans for 2021. Those plans will center on growing the base business, relaunching innovation that was disrupted in 2020, and introducing “purposeful” innovation, according to multiple sources who attended...

Consistent recycling messages on PET plastic bottles distributed by competing US beverage companies is now expected to rollout by early next year, according to American Beverage Association President and CEO Katherine Lugar. The effort is part of the Every Bottle Back plastic waste reduction initiative announced one year ago by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper under the direction of the ABA. The voluntary on-pack language will...

PepsiCo announced last week that it will launch Bubly-branded flavor drops for use with its do-it-yourself SodaStream sparkling water appliance. In an interview, SodaStream International CEO Eyal Shohat said he isn’t concerned that the drops will ... 

Until the COVID-19 pandemic, European-based private label and contract manufacturer Refresco had been on an acquisition tear since purchasing Cott’s North American soft drink operations in January of 2018. Deals last year stretched from Arizona to  ...  

In the Q&A below, Goist discusses in greater detail Refresco’s acquisition outlook. BD also asks about can shortages and the hard seltzer category. But first, some background and context.