Soccer star Lionel Messi and Mark Anthony Brands, maker of White Claw Hard Seltzer, have unveiled a new “hydration beverage” that Messi previously teased to his 502 million Instagram followers. Más+ by Messi is billed as a “a next-generation...
In case you missed the April Fool’s Day fun this month, here’s a recap of some of the beverage gags that came across our desk and social media feeds:
7-Eleven — The convenience store chain announced a sparkling water flavor based on its signature roller grill hot dog. The drink promised the “mouthwatering experience” of a 7-Eleven hot dog, including the ketchup and mustard. The gag was used to pitch a very seltzer collaboration with Miracle Seltzer.
Poppi — Gut soda Poppi teased fans with a set of licensing deals with famous candy and snack brands: Ring Poppi, Poppi-tarts,
PepsiCo and Lipton have launched a Pure Leaf Zero Sugar Sweet Tea nationally in the US. Sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium, the ready-to-drink bottled tea contains no calories. The drink, packaged in an 18.5-oz single-serve carafe, will retail for $2.49 per bottle. It’s the first zero sugar tea produced in the US by the PepsiCo’s Lipton tea joint venture with Unilever. In an interview with BD, North America Pepsi Lipton Partnership GM Julie Raheja-Perera pointed out that...
Trade Show Highlights Poppi, Sparkling Ice, Lemon Perfect, and More
April 4, 2024
New York direct store distributor Big Geyser is known for helping turn aspiring non-alcoholic brands into stars by incubating them up and down the street in one of the most competitive beverage markets in the world. Brands handled by Big Geyser often graduate to the national distribution systems of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, or Keurig Dr Pepper. Notable examples include Vitaminwater and Smartwater, BodyArmor, and Monster Energy. Even more impressive recently is Big Geyser’s ability to hold onto hot brands even after they sign national distribution deals. Recent examples are...
We tried it. My family assembled at the house this past weekend to sample one of the oddest examples of social media targeted collaboration we’ve seen. I’m talking about Empirical’s Doritos Vodka.
This is the nacho cheese flavored spirit that made the rounds of lifestyle publications, blogs, and social media feeds last December. We took the bait and bought a bottle. All in, the $65 vodka cost us $81.50 for 750-ml after fees and taxes. It arrived in March.
You likely didn’t get a bottle yourself unless you acted fast — the limited run sold out immediately. After all, this bit of laboratory fun by an avant-garde Danish distillery was taken to the masses by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay to generate free media attention and TikTok level excitement. Guilty as charged.
The first thing I can say is that Doritos Vodka absolutely tastes like Doritos nacho cheese. Empirical describes the flavor as “nacho cheese, corn tostada, umami, hint of acidity.” No disagreement here.
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