After a well-orchestrated and confident Strategy Day meeting with investors, including big reveal of $2-bil share buyback, TAP stock up around 1% today so far in an up mkt. That's somewhat surprising since several analysts were pretty positive on meeting too (and stock up 2.5% briefly this morn). Analysts typically emphasized Molson Coors' own positivity. Last time Molson Coors had such a meeting with investors (2017), stock suffered big decline during course of meeting, so this meeting another indication of improvement for MC.

Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St Jacques leaned into TAP's commercial strategy at yesterday's meeting with investors, heavily featuring its core 4 brands (Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet and Molson Canadian) which together are almost 60% of revs in North America. Those brands are "stronger than ever" and each of them is growing $$ share, revs and volume in US and Canada this yr.

As the Federal Trade Commission sues Amazon over what it alleges are host of anticompetitive activities, the operator of an emerging brand, Protein2O protein water, offered his perspective on what the innovation world might be like without Amazon. Here's the take of Andy Horrow, a former Gatorade exec, adapted from his post on LinkedIn this week:

Underutilized West African grain called fonio has popped up in a new craft beer from Brooklyn Brewing called Fonio Rising Double Pilsner that's hitting Whole Foods chain this month, first time venerable craft brewer is employing ingredient on a national scale after previous limited releases. Initiative goes back to a TED talk by Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam heralding the exceptional nutritional profile of the "seed of the universe," part of the millet family. After hearing the talk, Brooklyn's longtime brewmaster Garrett Oliver reached out to Thiam, whose purpose-driven company Yolele is supplying ingredient for 6.4% golden lager with tropical fruit notes. It follows limited releases in 2021, via collab with Run the Jewels dubbed 36" Chain and last year its first collab with Yolele dubbed Brooklyn Brewery X Yolele Fonio White Beer. Crop holds key sustainability credentials, given its ability to thrive in nutrient-poor soil without much rain in areas around Sahel Desert, and for providing vital source of income for rural communities, per brewery's announcement. "No fertilizers, no irrigation, no pesticides, no insecticides, no fungicides - nothing," Oliver declared. "Whether you look at it from an environmental perspective, a social benefit perspective for the farming communities, or from a brewing perspective, fonio is so good that it seems like someone must have just made it up. But fonio is real, and Africa grows 700,000 tons of it every year." Beer is out in 4-pks of 16-oz cans at Whole Foods and also available at co's taproom in Brooklyn.

"A touchstone of the American palate." That's how NY Times described Starbucks' seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte entry, which just turned 20. Here's the reasoning: "The PSL has evaded irrelevance by appealing to our need for a reliable marker of passing time." It offers a Pavlovian feedback loop: Give up a few dollars, receive instant nostalgia for chilly nights spent curled up watching "Practical Magic" and "a sweet reminder of the approaching holidays." Indeed, before PSL was created, "'pumpkin' simply did not exist as a consumer category at the scale familiar to Americans today," as article paraphrases Erin LaBranche, sr strategist at R/GA agency. This past year, tho, pumpkin-flavored items rang up $787 mil in US sales, including pumpkin spice hummus and pumpkin spice deodorant, per NielsenIQ. Peppermint-flavored products by comparison, brought in just $494 million in that same period. Among controversies that have surround item over the years, article notes, have been sugar content of 50 g in medium-size version, its lack of any real pumpkin an allegedly carcinogenic coloring agent in its early iterations and whether the formula secretly changes year to year. Article goes on to plumb the deep cultural implications - or lack thereof - of this annual treat.

Swedish oatmilk pioneer Oatly said it's enlisted 265-unit Meijer chain in Midwest for its refrigerated Oatly Original and Full Fat items in 64-oz cartons as well as its shelf-stable Original and Barista Edition items in 32-oz cartons . . . Bala has entered Campbell's Nutrition retailer in Iowa . . . Bizzy Cold Brew Coffee has entered Erewhon chain in Southern Calif . . . BLK Water has entered NY's Fairway chain via DSD partner Preferred Distributing . . . Brooklyn Best canned iced tea and lemonade brand has entered Just Salad chain in NY metro.

Sporting newly won organic certification that's still a rarity in CBD sector, Sati Soda used Expo East presence to mark its national expansion after mainly plying western markets from its Boulder base. Founded in 2019, it has by now augmented core CBD line with non-infused line and boasts about 1,000 retail doors in 35 states. WeFunder campaign launched during show indicates brand grew from $650K in sales in 2021 to $750K in 2022 and is anticipating $1.1 mil this year.

A-Game Bevs, which has been on aggressive buildout of its hydration drink, has notched Ballparks of America complex in Branson, Missouri, as its latest partner via deal that carries it thru 2024 and 2025 seasons. Deal will make A-Game a presence at 70-acre complex that includes five 2/3-scale replica Major League fields. Based in Orlando, A-Game is formulated from Icelandic glacier water, honey, sea salt and 8 vitamins and counts Bo Jackson and Johnny Damon as cofounders and is backed by other elite athletes like Nascar driver Ryan Sieg, along with musician Ryan Cabrera. By now it claims to be in over 10,000 stores, including chains like HEB, Publix, Stop & Shop and Giant via expanding DSD network that includes KDP-aligned Polar Beverages in New England and Kalil in Ariz, as well as KDP-owned operations Chicksha, Okla, Little Rock and other heartland markets. (The 29-year KDP vet Allen Hartman came aboard as vp biz development this past Apr, per LinkedIn.) In past year brand has inaugurated zero-sugar line and adopted new look. Core line uses blend of cane sugar and stevia to come in at 90 calories per 16-oz bottle while Zero Sugar uses erythritol, stevia and honey, coming in at 10 calories . . . Meanwhile, Clear Cut Brands, which is throwing its own hat into hydration game with entry called Hero, is thinking big when it comes to recruiting college athletes who've been newly liberated to be compensated for promoting brands. After announcing initial batch of NIL (name, image, likeness) deals in alliance with 98Strong (BBI, Sep 7), its founder/ceo Joey Nickell is aiming to work with 150+ athletes next year. Meanwhile, on pro side, co has forged partnership with KC Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker, its first with pro athlete.

Nirvana Water Sciences, which offers HMB and other clinically supported ingredients in bev lineup, has recruited former Health-Ade cfo Gary Cooperman to cfo role with role that encompasses finance, legal, HR and admin functions. He'll report to ceo David Vanderveen. Prior to this role, Gary had served in similar role at DTC apparel co True Classic Tees. During his nearly 4 years at Health-Ade, as announcement noted, Cooperman had successfully navigated fundraising episodes with likes of Coca-Cola and First Beverage Group, which ultimately acquired co . . . Liquid Death has recruited the alcohol sector sales vet Stephen Ballard to newly created post of chief commercial officer reporting to cofounder/ceo Mike Cessario. Over more than 2 decades, Stephen has moved thru sales roles at Canandaigua Wine, Nolet Spirits, Russian Standard Vodka, Stoli USA and most recently Mike's Hard Lemonade marketer Mark Anthony, where he served as svp sales until this past Dec.