Rumors, lawsuits and celebrities seized the headlines this year, and your attention. From Snoop and Dre’s new RTD cocktail to word of Coke & Pepsi’s new prebiotic soda plays, it was an eventful year in the beverage business, and as is tradition here at BevNET we’re closing out 2024 by tallying up the most read stories of the last 12 months. Here’s a quick trip down memory lane, and here’s to 2025! #5 Dr. Andrew Huberman Takes Majority Stake in Mateína Wellness influencer Andrew Huberman commands attention, and his investment in canned yerba mate maker Mateína put a lot of eyes on the Canadian startup. Huberman made the investment in coordination with his firm Tiny. The brand is now working to build on that momentum and make its own name better known while expanding in the U.S. #4 Lawsuit Takes Aim at Poppi’s Gut Health Claims Lawsuits made big news this year. So did prebiotic soda. The two coming together was, it seems, inevitable as Poppi faced a class action complaint alleging its claims around gut health are misleading. The brand was actually on the receiving end of two class action cases this year, the first in May and the second in September. Both happened to come as the brand has sought to de-emphasize health claims from its messaging and focus more on flavor as the selling point. #3 Rowdy Energy to Shut Down It was the end of the road for Rowdy Energy this year. The brand, co-founded by former Suja head Jeff Church and NASCAR star Kyle Busch, officially closed up shop as “challenges in securing funding and difficulties in achieving the necessary turnover at the shelf” forced the company to shut down, Church told us in January. #2 Casa Azul Wins Trademark Case Against Clase Azul Lance Collins got a big win in court this year as a judge ruled that his tequila brand Casa Azul was not in violation of fellow tequila maker Clase Azul’s trademarks. The court found that there were enough distinctions between the two brands to make the likelihood of confusion low, marking a legal victory for the entrepreneur’s spirits play. Curious to know what story took the top spot? Insiders can read the full list on BevNET. | 
