Beer Marketer's Insights
Kitu Life Super Coffee has bet big on its new Protein+ platform. Now it's won a ticket to enter all Kroger divs nationally, Austin-based co exulted. The megaretailer will be picking up 12-oz singles of the new line in time for shoppers' new year's self-improvement resolutions . . . Ketone-IQ high-performance energy shot has gone national within Target chain. Line uses drinkable ketones rather than caffeine to provide energizing lift . . . Alc-alternative Kin Euphorics said it's secured national distribution with wine & spirits giant Southern Glazer's . . . Working with its strategic partner Nutrabolt, Austin-based Bloom Nutrition has expanded its powdered greens line into Walmart Canada.
St. Louis' 4 Hands is getting into THC bev business. Co will release 4-pks of 4 Hands Cannabis in 3 flavors: Zest (citrus), Trop (tropical fruits) and Raz (berry), each containing 5 mg of hemp-derived Delta-9 THC, at 4 Hands locations on Nov 7 and statewide on Nov 10, reports St. Louis Mag. "We've always believed 4 Hands is more than a brewery. It's a beverage company," said founder/CEO Kevin Lemp. He called this a "launch and learn" moment and will offer customers unspiked versions of the drinks at 4 Hands locations so they can understand the flavor profile before diving in.
Mark Anthony Brands Downsizes Mas+ by Messi Sports Drink; Tilting More Heavily to DTC, DTR
Body Armor may have showed the potential of disruptor brands to crack longstanding hegemony of Gatorade and Powerade in sports drinks, but it's still not a category for the faint of heart. That was reinforced earlier this week when Congo Brands cut its entire staff supporting wholesalers of its foundering Prime Hydration and Prime Energy brands (BBI, Oct 29). Now it's Mark Anthony Brands that's undertaken a sweeping cutback in staff on its Mas+ by Messi sports drink launched a year ago in collaboration with iconic soccer star, from what we've heard over past day. It's pivoting from emphasis on DSD to greater focus on direct-to-retail and direct-to-consumer channels while it tries to get brand on growth trajectory. As we reported, co had signaled at natl sales meeting recently that it was planning pivot from half-liter PET bottle to 12-oz sleek can after its first-year sales missed 5-mil case target by over two-thirds (BBI, Oct 3). Among the changes are formula enhancements that include increased potassium, magnesium, sodium and vitamin B.
Craft Throwbacks - Oct
This month in 2009, Bell's settled a brand transfer dispute with a local distrib. In Apr that yr, MI craft brewer Larry Bell sued to stop hometown distrib (Classic) from selling rights to his brands to local AB distrib (M&M). Claimed, among other things, that AB controlled M&M, that M&M lacked experience selling craft beer etc. Classic counterclaimed that Bell's withholding approval of M&M was "sham" and "unreasonable." Suits were settled and brands were headed to Kent Bev, which had Coors, lotsa smaller brands in two locations and was one of distribs Larry told Classic to contact early in Jan when he first denied approval of M&M.
SoCal's Metabolic Brewing Co and its "mad science" theme are expanding from Ontario, CA to Chino, reports What Now LA. Metabolic TapHaus will open in the former site of I & I Brewing, which closed in Sep. "If Ontario were X-Men, Chino would be Batman: The Animated Series," co said, and while CBN does not entirely understand the reference, it's clear that fun is being had (which is rare these days). Owners David and Kathryn Fresquez both have backgrounds in the healthcare industry, and said new location "will feature 30 taps and a mix of moody, film noir-inspired décor that aligns with the brewery's creative branding," per report.
CO's Dry Dock recently celebrated its 20th anniversary at its Aurora taproom… but the party's moving elsewhere, reports the Denver Post. Co will close its flagship location in Jan, with plans to "open a new brewpub elsewhere in the Denver metro area," per report. Recall, Dry Dock and Left Hand merged in Apr, with plans to "double the sales of Dry Dock through territorial expansion and getting more people familiar with it," per co-founder Michelle Reding (see Apr 18 issue). Dry Dock reported 8.3K bbls produced in 2024, down from 13.4K in 2020, while Left Hand reported 25.6K bbls in 2024, compared to 50.9K in 2020.
St. Louis' 4 Hands is getting into the THC bev business. Co will release 4pks of 4 Hands Cannabis in 3 flavors: Zest (citrus), Trop (tropical fruits) and Raz (berry), each containing 5mg of delta-9 THC, at 4 Hands locations on Nov 7 and statewide on Nov 10, reports St. Louis Mag. "We've always believed 4 Hands is more than a brewery. It's a beverage company," said founder and CEO Kevin Lemp. He called this a "launch and learn" moment and will offer customers unspiked versions of the drinks at 4 Hands locations so they can understand the flavor profile before diving in.
"We don't compromise," Misty Sanford, co-founder of the Manhattan Project Beer Company, told CBN when asked how co was thriving in a tuff environment. "For the first 2-3 years, we didn't have a home. When we messed up, it wasn't a huge financial ruin. We've continued that mindset through the entire existence of the brewery. We don't compromise. We dump a ton of beer. We've made $20,000 mistakes. People want beer they can rely on. We can't let them down."
Scheduled Senate hearing over Casey Means' qualifications to serve as Surgeon General has been postponed from 11 AM today as nominee went into labor. Because of her advanced pregnancy, she'd been scheduled to testify virtually. Word on Capitol Hill is that hearing will be rescheduled for coupla days after she gives birth. "This is one of the few times in life when it's easy to ask to move a Senate hearing," said a Health & Human Services Dept rep. As we reported yesterday, influencer Means is controversial choice given her skepticism on received medical wisdom on kids' vaccines and raw milk consumption.
Primo Brands broke ground on 200K-sq-ft production and warehousing plant in Hot Springs, Ark, for its fast-growing Mountain Valley bottled water brand, bringing 1 small-format and 2 large-format production lines. Mountain Valley has been sourced from nearby Ouachita Mountains since 1871. Primo execs had flagged twin expansions of superpremium Mountain Valley and Saratoga water brands this past summer (BBI, Aug 7) . . . Swire Coca-Cola has completed expansion of distribution facility in Spokane Valley in Wash State after 16 months of construction at final cost of $22.4 mil, per local media. Per regulatory filings, site was to receive 60K-sq-ft warehouse and 5K-sq-ft office building and an existing building there was to be removed.