Perfect Hydration Alkaline Water is going heavier on metal as alternative to plastic as part of a broader rebrand unveiled at NACS last week that's headed into market next spring. Rebranding from what had been static, chemistry-evoking blue look includes more dynamic-looking logo to herald brand's utility in sweat-inducing endeavors like the NoBull Crossfit Games that Perfect has sponsored since earlier this year. Green color highlights are intended to convey the brand's environmental cred via reliance entirely on 100% rPET bottles and aluminum cans. As for the new 16-oz resealable can, that augments the 9.5+ pH brand's initial foray into aluminum with non-resealable half-liter pack.

The wall did its job, as soccer announcers like to say after free kicks. After we posted pic of curious new color scheme on wall of Essentia Water booth at NACS show, a reader filled us in: it flags line of flavored electrolyte-rich waters called HydroBoost that are packed in 15.2-oz PET bottles in Peach Mango, Raspberry Pomegranate and Lemon Lime flavors. Packaging flags electrolyte content that's 30X that of conventional brands, along with complement of B-vitamins. Descriptor says "supercharged hydration," but there's no indication of whether the water is alkaline like core line.

Another celeb has entered coffee space with brand that purports to harness heartland qualities rather than elitist coffeehouse culture. This time it's Yellowstone star Cole Hauser with Free Rein Coffee Co, which "draws its spirit from the open promise of the American Dream, paying tribute to the hard working cowboys that he grew up around on and off set." Drawing on unnamed roasting partner in San Angelo, Texas, new line is being offered in varieties like highly caffeinated Heavy Spur, the cayenne and cinnamon-inflected Branded, a signature dark roast blend called American Dirt and the more balanced Homestead blend. "When creating Free Rein, we set out to build a brand inspired by those who forged their paths in pursuit of prosperity, through the determination and resilience that defines the American Spirit," per one of his cofounders, Karl Pfluger. Some proceeds will go to support Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a nonprofit on whose board Hauser sits. Of course, Free Rein is moving in wake of brands like Black Rifle and Firehouse Coffee that seek their appeal among heartland shoppers, military vets and first responders. As for Yellowstone franchise, recall it's already thrown off an alcohol brand called Four Sixes . . . Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg is reported to have "abruptly" pulled out of his role fronting INDOxyz RTD and whole bean coffee line after developing doubts about his Indonesian biz partner Michael Riady, per accounts in NY Post and elsewhere. Riady's camp has attributed the split to disagreements over music choices for marketing. INDOxyz's prexy, Elbert Song, also has exited. Where's he headed? Another coffee brand, it seems: Page Six has him going to java venture called Flowin Coffee founded by Tamie Tran . . . Cincinnati-based Hoist hydration brand has signed on as official hydration partner of Nascar's RFK Racing team and its star driver, #17 Chris Buescher, via multiyear deal. RFK (short for Roush Fenway Keselowski) has notched 300+ victories, including 141 Nascar Cup Series wins. Both Buescher and Brad Keselowski, recruited in 2021, are in the 2023 Nascar Playoffs.

New Tree Fruit Co, among flock of foodtech cos that are exploring ways to remove sugar from fruit without otherwise depleting nutritionals, has hit a symbolic milestone as it prepares to go out for funding: it successfully removed 100% of the naturally occurring sugars (fructose, sucrose and glucose) from cranberry juice concentrate while retaining all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other key nutrients in the fruit itself, the co has announced. It had previously come within a point or 2 of 100% but never removed all the sugar. From here, the Traverse City, Mich, co will turn its proprietary De-Sugaring tech to other juices while working to broaden user base beyond a smattering of smaller players like Noca hard teas, Supper Club Cocktails and NTFC's own Edit juice line. Potential users are involved in alc and NA bevs, yogurt, jelly, gummies and nutritional bars, and co is having discussions with branded players, retailers eyeing private-label opportunity and strategics that might want to license the tech, said Stephen Horgan, principal at InterContinental Beverage Capital, an advisor and minority investor. Coca-Cola's Cidewinder Cultured Sparkling Cider, which got a brief test just before arrival of pandemic realigned priorities (BBI, Feb 24 2020), is rumored to have been among NTFC's past customers, tho Stephen said he couldn't comment on that. These developments come as World Health Org has taken more combative stance vs juice, recommending consumers keep their intake to 4 oz per day, even as widening popularity of anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic has been spooking CPG investors. Tho it's starting smaller, Horgan said it's not out of the question that NTFC might raise as much as $50 mil over next 5 years, given magnitude of opportunity and interest co is receiving from major players. "Everyone wants to de-sugar but nobody wants to do it in a nutritious way," Stephen said of current efforts to grapple with issue, often just by diluting juice.

Pepsi's Blue Cloud distribution hardly garnered the same hot-topic status at this year's NBWA program compared to last year's show in Chicago. But atty Mike Madigan picked up where he left off during this year's annual conference of Natl Beer Wholesalers' Assn, arguing that Pepsi is essentially doing "indirectly what they're prohibited from doing directly." The confusion it causes around slotting fees is "a nightmare from an enforcement standpoint," Mike told Las Vegas audience, while Pepsi's relationship with Blue Cloud raises "very serious questions" about what's a supplier, who's a brand owner, and what's a prohibited interest under 3-tier laws. If Blue Cloud is successful, said Mike, other suppliers will likely try to replicate a similar strategy, which could be "death by a thousand cuts."

Quick: what do Napoleon, brunch and research into the "extrinsic cues" of product labeling have in common? Why they all appear in the latest proposed class action complaint against an alc bev producer, of course. Filed yesterday in a fed ct in NY, this suit once again pits an allegedly confused consumer represented by (very) familiar plaintiff's atty Spencer Sheehan against Molson Coors over the marketing and labeling of its Vizzy hard seltzer brand.

"Beer breaks down barriers" and that's what "led me to the space," National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) chairman Kevin Johnson said in fireside chat with INSIGHTS exec editor David Steinman yesterday at NBWA. Kevin, of course, is a former NBA all-star who previously served as mayor of Sacramento. But he's also a brewpub owner, and earlier this yr Kevin co-founded the National Black Brewers Association with aim to foster African Americans' participation in the industry.

The Yuengling JV (with Molson Coors) sold so much more beer than it anticipated in its 3 2023 expansion states (MO, KS, OK) and yet less than it could have sold, gen mgr Pat Pikunas told INSIGHTS. Molson Coors ultimately managed to fulfill far greater demand for Yuengling beer out of its Fort Worth brewery (after a reportedly rocky start), even while its own shipments surged. But with Yuengling's unexpected windfall following the Bud Light controversy, Yuengling needed even more capacity than was available. Enter Milwaukee.