Hawaii Volcanic Water is saying “aloha” to the West Coast. The premium bottled water brand announced it has raised $10 million in a funding round that includes an equity investment from beverage accelerator L.A. Libations, while pro ‘Soul Surfer’ Bethany Hamilton also joins the brand’s team.

The new funding will go towards doubling the brand’s door count to 8,000 in the coming months through the support of L.A. Libations, with much of that expansion coming from the mainland U.S., according to Hawaii Volcanic founder Jason Donovan. Founded in 2012, the brand spent most of its first decade selling exclusively in Hawaii. With L.A. Libations on board, as well as distribution partner PepsiCo, the brand is now expanding its presence in California and Nevada with accounts like Albertsons, Vons and Pavillions.

Hawaii Volcanic has also partnered with pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who has joined the brand as an equity partner. The Hawaii-born surfer famously survived a shark attack in 2003, when she was 13, in which her left arm was bitten off. She quickly mounted a return to surfing, winning a 2004 ESPY Award, and was later the subject of the 2011 biopic Soul Surfer.

According to Donovan, Hamilton was a longtime fan of the brand and reached out to the company about potential partnerships.

“I am so excited to be part of the Hawaii Volcanic team,” Hamilton said in a press release. “The brand has incredible Hawaiian Authenticity, and that authenticity including truly being pono and ‘doing what’s right’ deeply resonates with my core beliefs and is part of what drove me to this brand.”

Read the full story on BevNET

The Sweetensify™ Collection’s flavors for taste modulation, debut Sweegen’s sweet protein Brazzein, offer multidimensional benefits for brands creating better-for-everyone products. Elevate flavor tonalities. Block bitterness. Eliminate aftertastes. Cut Sugar. Get More Flavor. Learn more

Soda’s Back! Prebiotic soda producer Poppi has announced the launch of its largest consumer-driven ad campaign to date. The brand’s first true 360 marketing initiative, the national campaign will encompass digital screens, social media and out-of-home advertising spanning major U.S. cities including New York City, The Hamptons, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin. “It’s not just about the channels we’re utilizing; it’s about how we are highlighting our consumers and content creators. Soda’s Back celebrates their voices, their love for Poppi and their passion for a better-for-you alternative,” said co-founder and chief brand officer Allison Ellsworth in a press release. The brand has frequently found success through social media marketing, particularly through TikTok, which Ellsworth said has been a key driver behind the brand’s success in the Midwest. The new campaign comes on the heels of Poppi’s CAVU-led $25 million Series B round that closed in December.

Wellness shot maker The Happiest Hour announced its products have been removed from Amazon over the use of terpenes – often associated with cannabis – in the drink maker’s products. The news sheds light on the often complicated relationship small businesses have with the ecommerce giant. 

The shakeup is “a detrimental blow to our small business,” co-owner Tiffany English said, seeing as similar brands have successfully been able to get their products restored on the online marketplace yet The Happiest Hour’s products are still unavailable on Amazon even though The Happiest Hour’s 2 oz. shots don’t contain cannabinoids but are botanically-derived flowers, herbs and other plants.

Non-alcoholic functional beverage maker Kin Euphorics has partnered with apparel brand The Mayfair Group to “[bridge] the world of fashion and wellness” through a new affirmation-forward merch collaboration. The Kin + Mayfair Group Angels Crewneck sweatshirt, designed by Kin co-founder Bella Hadid, features the phrase “Be someone’s angel today.” The limited edition crewneck is available via Kin’s website for $118. Earlier this year, Kin teamed up with scented candle brand Boy Smells to launch the Emotional Illuminations collection of three mood-boosting candles that correspond with three of Kin’s signature drinks.

French drinks group Rémy Cointreau has settled a trademark lawsuit with rapper 50 Cent over his Branson Cognac brand. In 2021, the cognac maker filed a complaint against Branson Cognac producer Sire Spirits, which is owned by the rapper and entrepreneur, whose real name is Curtis J Jackson III. Rémy Cointreau accused Sire Spirits of designing their bottle to capitalize on the “goodwill and reputation” of its bottle mark. A statement from Rémy Cointreau confirmed the two companies had reached a settlement. Jackson is not the only hip hop star to be engaged in a lawsuit with a major spirits company, music mogul and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs is suing business partner Diageo alleging that the brands he co-owns with the spirits group, Cîroc Vodka and DeLeon Tequila, were given worse treatment because he’s Black.