• 🧊 Move Over Cold Brew: Snapchill Shifts Strategy
• 🥤 Suja Unveils Organic Protein Shakes
• 6️⃣ Six Questions with Casa Lumbre
• 💰DISCUS Lands +$1M to Promote American Spirits

Sometimes, it takes trial-and-error to build a business. That has been the case for coffee maker Snapchill which entered the market in 2017 with a proprietary technology to rapidly cool hot-brewed coffee while maintaining the nuanced flavors of a warm cup o’ joe.

Over its first couple of years, the potential cold brew-killer tried launching a instant cold coffee machine positioned towards coffeeshops and cafés as well as making its own branded RTD cans in partnership with Whole Foods Market. But as the company developed a name in recent years as a co-manufacturer for specialty coffee roasters trying to expand into the growing RTD category, a new path towards growth became apparent.

Seeking to capitalize on a $3.8 billion category fueled by demand for iced and on-the-go formats, Snapchill brought on Englewood Marketing Group (EMG) as an equity partner in May 2022 and moved its manufacturing to a 20,000 square foot plant in EMG’s Green Bay, Wisconsin headquarters where it will soon be able to produce 50 million cans per year.

Snapchill also signed onto a pilot program with CPG accelerator The Hatchery Group that introduced the co-packer to Walmart. Leveraging that relationship, Snapchill is preparing to launch a new ecommerce program with Walmart where it will act as a middleman flexing its manufacturing muscle and network of around 300 regional specialty roasters to bring more high-quality cold coffee cans to Walmart shoppers.

“The hurdles to get a small roaster into large retail are quite significant,” Bosshardt said. “The best way to increase consumer education is to increase exposure. Having the cans integrated into both Walmart.com and brick-and-mortar stores will reach larger audiences nationwide.”

Read the full story on BevNET

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Cold-pressed juice maker Suja Organic announced today the launch of its 3-SKU line of plant-based Organic Protein Shakes. According to Shannon Murray, Suja’s director of innovation, the move is pivotal in expanding the brand’s footprint in the health-conscious consumer market. 

🍫Offered in Vanilla Cinnamon, Chocolate and Coffee Bean flavors, the shakes boast 16g of plant-based protein per 12 oz. bottle. Individual bottles are now available for purchase at all 1,800+ Target stores nationwide with a price tag of $4.99. 

💭 “We are not just offering a new product; we’re introducing a new use case, broadening the ways in which our consumers can integrate Suja products into their daily lives,” said Murray.

💪The launch of the protein shake line comes over a year after Suja acquired Vive Organic in hopes of becoming a key stakeholder in the U.S. cold-pressed juice shot market. With its newest innovation, Suja is looking to establish an equally strong foothold in adjacent categories.

Read the full story on BevNET.

Two emerging beverage brands are going nationwide in Sprouts, while another is expanding via Whole Foods and Albertsons in this week’s distribution news.

🪄 Functional plant-based shots maker Magic Mind is going nationwide with Sprouts Farmers Market. The “Productivity Shot” line, available in 2 oz. bottles, will be available in about 400 stores at $4.49 per unit or $24 per 6-pack.

🇻🇳 Vietnamese coffee brand Nguyen Coffee Supply is also hitting Sprouts with its three-SKU RTD cold brew line. The expansion will bring the company’s total retail footprint to over 1,000 stores total.

☕ Another coffee startup is making headway elsewhere. Chamberlain Coffee announced its flagship line of canned lattes, made with almond milk and coconut cream, is now available in Whole Foods stores, while its Oatmilk Latte line is now in Albertsons.

Read the full story on BevNET.

Last year we could barely keep up with launches from Mexican spirits company Casa Lumbre, which included a ready-to-drink tequila cocktail with Spirit of Gallo, a premium Mexican orange liqueur, and a non-alc agave spirit produced in collaboration with a Formula One champion. We chatted with co-founder Moises Guindi and master distiller Ivan Saldaña about what guides their innovation strategy, where they see opportunity beyond agave spirits, and why they don’t let category structure influence their releases.  

Read the full interview on BevNET

The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) has gained a little more fuel to push American spirits into international markets. 

🤝🏼 The membership and advocacy group announced it was granted $1,090,436 to promote American spirits in international markets in 2024 through its partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Market Access Program (MAP). DISCUS was one of about 70 agricultural organizations to receive MAP funding from the USDA in 2024.  

🌏 Last year DISCUS used its MAP funding to implement marketing campaigns in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and Japan; participate in trade shows in London and Berlin; and conduct a trade mission to Japan.

📈 The organization has been a part of the program since 2006, since then American spirits exports have increased by nearly 145% from $831 million to $2.06 billion in 2022.

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