Conditions are ripe for accelerated consolidation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage distribution businesses in the US market, predicts Matt Hughes, a former Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands executive. That could mean even Coca-Cola and Pepsi franchise bottlers one day look to combine with beer distributors to add efficiency and boost...

This is one dynamic beverage industry.

Our lead story (pg. 3) uncovers how Olipop Cofounder Ben Goodwin intends to pursue $1 billion brand status — and he says he can do it without direct store delivery, at least for now. This digestive health drink, or gut soda as some refer to it, didn’t exist before six years ago. And Olipop helped spawn a formidable competitor in Poppi. Many alternative sodas have marketed themselves at the expense of traditional sodas. Olipop has been among the most successful so far. I’ll note, as well, that in an era when barriers to entry in non-alcoholic beverages are lower than ever, Olipop is a brand built on function, R&D, and efficacy. That’s worth watching.

The second story in today’s issue (pg. 6) features a conversation with former Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands executive Matt Hughes. He is a well-known and respected industry voice whose expertise bridges the gap between mainstream and emerging brands. Now with private equity firm Franchise Equity Partners, Hughes is tracking the winds of change within

I finally tried A.G. Barr’s Irn-Bru during a trip this month to Scotland. The carbonated soft drink is said to outsell even Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the country. Irn-Bru is dubbed “Scotland’s other national drink,” coming after, of course, Scotch whisky. The soda has its own closely guarded “secret recipe.” At Edinburgh airport, an Irn-Bru branded orange and blue vending machine awaited my arrival — it also contained Coke, Diet Coke, and 7Up.

Irn-Bru’s flavor is hard to describe. I’ll try. While the drink has a medicinal orange color, it doesn’t taste anything like the orangy flavor of a Fanta or a Crush. There are bitter tonic notes owing to the quinine in the formula. Perhaps Irn-Bru would work well as a mixer for gin? I’m not sure of that. Apparently, young Scots...

Keurig Dr Pepper’s repackaged and reformulated Bai is reaching store shelves now with the tagline, “It’s WonderWater.” The new formula adds electrolytes and zinc. The new taste is sweetened only with stevia for all flavors. The refreshed bottle body is made from 100% recycled content....

A Rockstar branded vodka canned cocktail is available in Canada. Rockstar Vodka contains 6.9% alcohol by volume.

Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor brand and Dude Perfect have teamed up for a limited time summer flavor called Perfect Pop. BodyArmor is the official sports drink of Dude Perfect, a sports and comedy group that gained a wide following by posting videos of...

The pandemic put a temporary chill on choice as CPG companies waded through supply shortages and retail disruption to keep core products on the shelf. As we move further away from crisis mode, expect to see a return to the kinds of customization and personalization that was growing prior to the global upheaval.

Here are a couple of examples that have come across my desk in recent months:

Dream Tea NYC — A consumer answers a few basic questions so the company can create a personalized small batch tea blend for them. BD’s Laura Stanford, a hot tea drinker, gave the program a try. She chose loose leaf chamomile tea with added lavender, bergamot, and vanilla. The can, which she selected in green, was printed with her first name and a list of tasting notes: honey, smoke, citrus, vanilla, and “inspiration.”

Pax — The product is sold in a resealable pouch containing drink mix packets — three each of Cranberry Cosmo, Margarita, Pineapple Paloma, and Moscow Mule. The flavor mixes can...