As we sit in the thick of August, an age-old question rises to the surface once again: how early is too early for pumpkin spice?

Admittedly, as beverage people, we don't see any reason so slap seasonal restrictions on a beautiful celebration fall-ish flavor, but the good people at Laird and Chobani have the better sense to wait until late summer to get that train going again, this time via a pair of releases included in this week's NPG.

• G-Fuel may be moving into snacks, but it isn't pivoting from its core strategy of integrating popular IPs -- in this case, DC Comics & Warner Bros. new film Blue Beetle -- into its gamer-friendly energy powders.
• Blue Bottle may be one of third-wave coffee's iconic brands, which makes its limited run of of instant coffee crystals for its Samra Origins collection (100% Ethiopia Natural METAD Yirgacheffe Gedeb Chelebesa) all the more notable.
• After weathering its share of distribution drama, Genius Juice is looking towards the future with Genius Boost Wellness Shots, a daily nootropic shot for focus and energy with functional mushrooms and “other highly efficacious ingredients," slated to launch in 120 locations across Los Angeles this month.
• On a related note, is it too early for glowberry season?

From where we sit, every week seems to brings a new crop of innovative THC-infused drinks to the market, but the bigger picture reveals a category where its potential is still outpacing the practical realities on the ground.

Case-in-point: per data shared in a conversation with BDSA market analyst Brendan Mitchel-Chesebro, across 14 tracked markets, beverages make up only 6% of total edible dollar sales; for comparison, candy is at 76%. Within the latter, there are 422 brands producing around 5,660 individual SKUs — compare that to beverages, with just 122 brands producing just 883 SKUs in Q2 2023.

For newer markets like Michigan, where cannabis beverage dollar sales soared 87% between Q1 2022 and Q1 2023, that means there's plenty of room for new brands to join in. But what about more mature markets like California and Colorado, where issues like price compression and occasion-driven purchasing behaviors are impacting growth?

Read the full story on BevNET

The late Colonel Sanders once said “I’m too drunk to taste this chicken.” Now, with KFC’s new collaboration with Halewood Artisanal Spirits, you don’t have to worry about losing your senses when you can enjoy hard liquor and the flavor of Colonel’s secret recipe at the same time.

• The restaurant chain and the distiller have unveiled Dead Man’s Fingers (maybe don’t lick them), a limited edition spiced rum made with the 11 secret herbs and spices used in the company’s fried chicken recipe. 
• In addition to the peppery flavor of KFC, the spiced rum also contains notes of caramel, vanilla, treacle toffee and nutmeg.
• KFC is only the latest legacy brand to lend its name to peculiar new alcohol products. Earlier this week, frozen waffle brand Eggo unveiled its Brunch in a Jar cream liqueur. The trend has been particularly prevalent within the fast food and fast casual restaurant sector in recent years, giving us unique entries like Arby’s branded Smoked Bourbon and vodkas.

Spirits industry watchers are asking: Could a shift in voting rights at Campari create a path to a big acquisition?

• A new voting structure taking effect this month provides substantial room for the controlling family to dilute its economic interest without losing control of the company.
• The group’s firepower rises to something like €8 to €10 billion by some estimates, giving it a more competitive edge among other large groups like Diageo and Pernod Ricard.
• Based on the group’s investments in the U.S. market, the acquisition would likely target a U.S. brand, but in what category? We chatted with luxury portfolio manager and investment researcher Javier Gonzalez Lastra about the possibilities.

Read the full story on BevNET

Marianne Eaves graduated the University of Louisville with a degree in chemical engineering and no taste for whiskey, but 15 years later she has become the first female Master Distiller in Kentucky since Prohibition and has carved out a role as a tastemaker in the craft whiskey industry. Eaves began her career working her way up through Brown-Forman to eventually become a Master Taster for the Woodford Reserve brand, then later went on to revitalize a historic Kentucky distillery, claim the title of Master Distiller and work with high-profile celebrities like Peyton Manning to blend award-winning whiskies.

Now, Eaves has released her first “grain-to-glass” bourbon called Forbidden where she has controlled all aspects of its production from sourcing to distilling, aging and bottling.

Read on to learn how Eaves is innovating the whisky world with new ideas and a nontraditional approach to distilling and blending.

• ROAR Organic is capitalizing on its appeal among pickleball players and a $6 million capital infusion from earlier in the year to build out distribution in select Costco locations in Colorado and the San Francisco Bay Area. 
• After recently signing on two new distribution partners in Georgia and Florida, Odyssey Mushroom Elixir is expanding into 732 7-Eleven stores across Florida and all 109 Wegmans Food Markets across the East Coast. 7-Eleven will offer three SKUs – Passion Orange Guava, Dragon Fruit Lemonade, and Blackberry Lemon Twist – while Wegmans will also offer those plus a fourth flavor, Orange Ginger. 
• Remedy Organics takes on Texas bringing its Immunity+ Shots to H-E-B stores in the Southwest.
• Canned Vietnamese coffee company Sang is bringing its Saigon Cinnamon Lattes to the Midwest with a partnership in over 260 Meijer retailers.