In this guide, Vibrant Ingredients’ experts share how to design beverages around consumer’s need states. It covers tempo drinking, functional ingredient trade-offs, flavor-function fit and what it takes to move from bench to production. It’s a practical resource for founders and formulators building beverages consumers will keep coming back to. Learn More

As ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail sales growth continues to outpace the broader industry, spirits-based RTD suppliers are still limited to certain channels in many states. 

Now, Maryland RTD wine- and spirits-based cocktail suppliers will have a little more freedom to choose how they distribute their products. 

• The regulation, effective November 9, replaces a single statewide wholesaler model and now allows RTD suppliers to split a brand across different distributors by county. 

• The rules arrive as RTD cocktails are up 27.9% in sales growth in the latest 52 week-period ending October 24, according to NIQ. 

Maryland is one of the states counting a policy win for spirits advocates after expanding RTD sales to 400 private beer and wine licensees in Montgomery County in 2025. 

Get the full story.

BevNET Live L.A. 2026, the leading event for beverage entrepreneurs and industry leaders, is less than 30 days away.

From December 6-8, 2026, founders, beverage executives, investors, retailers and suppliers will gather at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles for three days of insights on what’s ahead for the beverage industry, curated 1:1 meetings, product sampling and the New Beverage Showdown pitch competition.

Learn more.

In a complex market, consider these stories on turnarounds, post-bankruptcy revival and aluminum to parse through the noise…

↩️ Turnaround Talk: Jones Soda is celebrating a record quarter after the company ditched experiments in innovation to focus on fueling its core soda business through partnerships. Learn more.

🍸 Vodka Revival: Stoli vodka is headed back to U.S. shelves, less than a year after the brand’s American arm moved to liquidate. Understand the impact.

🥫 Can Conundrum: What happens when one of the biggest can suppliers in North American breaks up? It’s the question facing manufacturers as Ardagh Group begins divesting assets. Read the full story.

Read these stories and more with BevNET Insider access.

Here’s How To Keep Your Brand Above Water

Ingredient costs are a constant concern for CPG operators, but, against the current backdrop of geo-political disruption and persistent inflation, it’s more important than ever. 

This week’s episode features two brand leaders who are in the thick of those battles right now: Loren Castle, founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, and Ahat Caskurlu, co-founder and CEO of Peppertux. 

Bringing perspective and insight from years spent building their respective brands in the CPG trenches, both entrepreneurs break down the critical decisions and strategies that have helped them survive and thrive amidst ingredient market turmoil.

Listen now.

Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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