I’m a skeptic when it comes to non-alcoholic craft beers, spirits, and wines. How big can this market get without the functional benefits of alcohol, especially when sold at about the same price?

I recently posed the question to Athletic Brewing Co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt during a panel I moderated for Credit Suisse in New York. His non-alcoholic beer brand has raised more than $70 million since launching in 2018 and accounts for almost half of the still-small US non-alcoholic beer market. Shufelt told me that most of his consumers don’t shun alcohol. Sometimes they just need a break and they like beer. He sees lots

The New York Times recently published a story under the headline, “Beverages With Benefits: Do They Really Work?” The piece addressed what it described as the “flourishing” functional beverage market, made up of everything from prebiotic sodas for gut health to nootropics for brain acuity. The newspaper rightly points out that such products are an extension of the health supplement market that has generated profits for decades. As this functional beverage market grows, entrepreneurs and large beverage companies alike have been...

A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...

 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed.

Progress in Away-From-Home Consumption Key for Coke, PepsiCo Companies Confident in Pricing Strength Amid Commodity Inflation. On April 15, PepsiCo reported first-quarter earnings results, followed by Coca-Cola yesterday. Both reports were complicated in various ways by the lapping of pandemic pantry loading last year. The companies are now...

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