• ☀️ New Sips From Expo West
• 🌊 Tariffs Threatens Bev Exports
• 🦾 U.S. Props Up GURU’s Q1
• 😧 Holy! Water Co-Founder's Immigration Woes
• 🔥 Hot Takes From Expo West

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After over a decade of investing in emerging spirits and adult non-alc brands, Diageo’s Distill Ventures will cease bringing new brands into its portfolio. 

The confirmation comes from two anonymous sources who told BevNET that the program was “shutting down.” Diageo’s official line is that it has “undertaken a strategic review” of its approach to early-stage, venture investments, and will cease investments while a smaller team will manage a reduced portfolio of existing investments. 

Since its founding in 2013, Distill Ventures has invested more than $300 million in 39 founder-led brands. 

• Companies in the Distill Ventures program have included trailblazers such as non-alc spirits Seedlip and Ritual Zero Proof 
• Coffee liqueur Mr Black is also a part of that cohort 
• All of the above brands have been acquired by Diageo 

With six of Distill Ventures’ investments leading to acquisitions, the accelerator served as a pipeline for innovative brands – and its closure signals a tightening spirits market.  

The group’s Pre-Accelerator has been one of the few programs to provide funding and guidance to a diverse group of emerging brand founders, who now are likely faced with less support as they navigate a flat spirits market and difficult funding environment. The last cohort included all female-owned brands. 

Insiders can access the full story to learn more about what’s going on at Diageo.

Like your best friend back from vacation, we’re dying to show you our Expo West camera roll. We won’t hit you with the full wave all at once (check back tomorrow), but this morning’s taste should quench your thirst, whether it’s for a daily serving of phytonutrients or just a good old morning Slapp. We’ve got:

🥛 Rich and decadent new innovation from one of the leaders of both the A2 milk and regenerative organic agriculture movements

👩🏼‍🚀 A dreamy flavored sparkling water that wants to send you to space camp.

👋🏼 A ginger and turmeric shot that really hits you in the face.

🪴Phytonutrients – the stuff in plants that you’re not getting enough of – in a bottle!

Check out the full gallery for all of this and more on new and revamped drinks sipped at Expo West.

We're excited to unveil Nombase, powered by BevNET—a game-changing platform designed to connect CPG professionals with industry partners, AI-driven insights, and expert-driven discussions. Whether you're searching for suppliers, staying updated on industry news, or looking for job opportunities, Nombase brings it all together in one place—free to explore.

With a comprehensive partner directory, an AI-powered search tool leveraging decades of industry reporting, a centralized Press Release Wire, and an integrated job board, Nombase is built to support food, beverage, beer, spirits, and health & beauty professionals. Plus, our community conversations continue with the newly rebranded Nombase Podcast and Nombase Slack community.

📍 Check it out now at nombase.com and start exploring

New Beverage Showdown Winner, Recoup, will be sampling their delicious, sparkling "Gut Healthy Hydration" beverages at booth #N1529. Crafted with electrolytes, prebiotics, and ginger with no added sugar or stevia, Recoup delivers restorative refreshment with a ginger kick. Learn more

American whiskey is swept up in (another) trade war after the EU bit back over new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. 

🥃 Signature American products like bourbon have been hit with a 50% tax, just like the levies imposed during Trump’s first term, in response to aluminum and steel tariffs that went into place Wednesday.

🚦 EU whiskery tariffs are slated to begin April 1, with a second wave scheduled for mid-April that could include exports from the broader beverage industry. 

📉 2018-era tariffs hit American whiskey hard, with exports to the EU – the industry’s largest foreign market – dipping 20%. 

Follow BevNET for the latest updates on tariff impacts.

When it comes to energy drinks, Zero is the Hero of the moment. The rollout of GURU’s sugar-free Zero line in the U.S. helped fuel a record Q1 performance for the Canadian energy drink brand, per the company’s latest earnings report.

• Q1 net revenue rose 8% to $7.7 million
• Gross margin improved to 59.5%.
• Canada may still be GURU’s largest market, but U.S. sales were the backbone for growth, up 46% in the quarter to $2.1 million 

🍇 What comes next: Well, since Zero only launched stateside last fall, Q2 will bring the roll out of several new flavors in both countries, including Zero Wild Berry, Wild Ruby Red and Wild Ice Pop for Canada and Zero Wild Ice Pop into the States.

While the industry’s attention focuses on tariffs and inflation, the Trump administration’s stance on immigration is having a personal impact for one CPG entrepreneur. Ketone drink Holy! Water (and BevNET Live Summer 2024 finalist) co-founder, Jasmine Mooney, was detained at a border crossing in Southern California on March 3 due to an incomplete application for a Trade NAFTA work visa, Mooney’s mother, Alexis Eagles, told Vancouver Sun.

• Since then, Mooney has been reportedly moved through at least two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers in California and Arizona. 
• As of March 9, online tracking indicated that Mooney has been released, but Eagles has reportedly not been able to make contact with her. 
• Mooney’s work visa was revoked in November 2024 and she was taken by ICE officers last week as she tried to enter through the southern border with a new application in order to attend the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, Calif.

The CPG Week podcast team is still decompressing from the Natural Products Expo West show last week. In between breaking news items, reporter’s notebook dumps and new product galleries, the crew carved out some time to chat about what stuck out as they scoured for samples on the show floor. 

From bubbling trends to maturing categories, the podcast hosts discuss protein popping up in every product type, meat snack mania, a simmering distaste for seed oils, next-gen sodas and surprising innovations tasted within the convention halls.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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