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The drastic – some-might-say extreme step – of taking a month off alcohol is exactly what helped make Dry January so popular to begin with. But does that approach seem just extreme nowadays? 

“If people are overall drinking less per year, then the need to take a full month off kind of declines,” Recess founder Ben Witte told us last week. 

His relaxation drink platform, which has long touted itself as “an antidote to modern times,” has always allowed a place for alcohol within its philosophy, but this month has brought that message to the masses with a “manifesto” full-page ad in the New York Times Sunday edition. 

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• Inside the merger taking place under Mizkan America’s portfolio
• Another major spirits business departs its RNDC partnership
• An analysis of the latest NA beverage data from NIQ

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Hemp THC drinks are coming to the country’s biggest indoor arena, as RYTHM and Señorita have each inked multi-year agreements with the United Center in Chicago.

Read the full analysis with Insider access

Honey elevates non-alcoholic beverages by delivering natural sweetness, complex flavors and a premium health halo that today’s mindful consumers trust. Learn more

C-stores expect non-alcoholic beverage growth to reaccelerate in 2026, driven by easier YoY comparisons, consumer adaptation to higher price points and surging energy drink sales, per the latest Beverage Bytes survey from Goldman Sachs Equity Research. 

Continue reading the full breakdown with Insider access

Here’s a look at leading headlines from around the beverage industry. Go beyond the headlines with Insiders access.

1. Stateside Bets on High-ABV Vodka Sodas and Super Lyte Vodka + Ade
2. Nowadays Eyes Category 'Longevity' With New Regulatory Hire
3. Vertosa Faces Legal Challenge Over Hemp THC Production Process
4. Spindrift Is First Beverage to Adopt Non-UPF Verified As Enrollment Opens
5. Heywell Preps for Scale with New Partnerships, Debuts Refreshed Look

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After years of building credibility with a core consumer, Zevia is leaning into scale – and confronting what it takes to turn a purpose-driven brand into a durable CPG business. 

CEO Amy Taylor breaks down the executional shifts across product, pricing and packaging that are helping Zevia compete more effectively in mainstream retail and position the brand for sustainable, long-term growth.

Tune in here. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.