• JuneShine Has THC on the Mind
• State Garden Scales Co-Packing Business
• Gold Coast Goes on Offense in NYC
• Del Monte Foods Declares Bankruptcy
• Kate Farms Acquisition Complete
• What Else Is New?

Paraxanthine has not yet gained much traction in a slate of next-gen functional ingredients that have taken starring roles in mainstream beverages these days. But as consumer interest in cognition and performance rises, there are early signals that may be changing.

“Paraxanthine is the future of clean cognitive energy,” said Jon Pierre Francia, who has made paraxanthine the centerpiece of a new line extension to his apple cider vinegar (ACV) beverage brand Life Cider. 

Showcased at this week’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, the new three-SKU, caffeine-free energy drink, dubbed Life Cider X, uses both ACV and paraxanthine to produce “one of those special combinations where the sum is greater than the parts.”

The two ingredients work in tandem, Francia explained, to improve insulin sensitivity and metabolism while enhancing mental clarity. The 12 oz. slim-can, three-SKU line (Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Lemonade and Grapefruit Nectarine) l will be available in Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide in September.

Life Cider is the latest brand to use the paraxanthine, but it wasn’t the first. UPDATE Beverage has also made a bet on paraxanthine, drawing caffeine-adverse energy consumers. 

And the ingredient isn’t just good for a midday boost. New GLP-1 positioned brand Släcka showcased its latest innovation at the show, using paraxanthine in conjunction with amino acid 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) to help users reduce hunger cravings and jumpstart metabolism. 

Insiders can access the full story for a complete look into where paraxanthine is popping up.

BevNET Live heads to Marina del Rey, CA on December 7-9, and the official hotel room block at the Marriott is now available. Rooms always go fast. Staying on-site means you’re just steps away from networking opportunities, product sampling, and every moment of the event.

Register now to unlock access to the room block and save $100 with early registration.

Register Now for BevNET Live »

Drink ‘em if you got ‘em, and JuneShine Brands surely will. The brand’s springtime launch of THC-infused beverage line Willie’s Remedy+, made in partnership with the red-headed stranger himself, Willie Nelson, is paving the way for a bright future in hemp-based drinks.

• The extension in March marked an established bev-alc brand diving into the hemp THC drink space; JuneShine began solely as a hard kombucha company but has since expanded into spirits-based canned cocktails, beer and flavored malt beverages.
• The Willie drinks come in three flavors each made with a low, sessionable dose of 5 mg THC, 2 mg CBD and 2 mg CBG with an added 200 mg of L-theanine per 12 oz. can.

💬 JuneShine co-founder Forrest Dein called the line the “fastest-growing thing” the brand has launched to date, with DTC being a particularly strong channel, and outperformed the launches of already established THC-centric brands.

Insiders can read the full story on BevNET.

State Garden, which is known for its salad brands like Olivia’s Organics, is going deeper into drinks as an organic juice co-manufacturer, announcing plans to expand its capacity and enlist new customers.

• The move to grow juice production is part of its environmental mission, seeking to reduce food waste from its greens lines and “ensure more product is used to its full potential,” the company said this week.

🗣️ “At State Garden, we’ve long leveraged the potential for beverages to get more of our outstanding greens and blends to the consumers who know and love us,” said State Garden CEO Mark DeMichaelis in a statement.

Insiders can learn more about the project on BevNET.

New York City is the ultimate distribution street fight when it comes to independent accounts, with names like Big Geyser, Rainforest and Dora’s battling hard for every inch of shelf space. 

Luckily for DSD house Gold Coast, it’s going into summer with a reloaded arsenal in key categories, as it brings Jolene, OWYN and Spindrift onto its trucks. 

The move fills an important gap in the distributor’s portfolio with OWYN’s full range of protein drinks, which exited previous NYC partner Big Geyser shortly after the brand was acquired by Simply Good Foods last year. 

Jolene, meanwhile, slides in alongside coffee RTDs from Rise, Grady’s and Sang, but the Anthony Keidis-backed brand has already emerged as Gold Coast’s flagship cold brew, said Gold Coast’s director of biz development Mishka Aminov; having Keidis join on store visits across Brooklyn didn’t dampen enthusiasm much, either.

Insiders can read the full story to learn how Gold Coast is attracting “proven brands.” 

Del Monte Foods, one of the country’s largest producers and distributors of branded food products, announced late Tuesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections and is seeking a buyer. 

• Del Monte has also entered into a restructuring agreement with a group of its lenders holding certain of the company’s loan indebtedness. The group expects that Del Monte will sell all, or at least a “substantial” amount of its assets as part of the restructuring. 
• The news comes just months after the company underwent a major debt restructuring which sparked a lawsuit from lenders who claimed that the food giant defaulted on a $725 million financing agreement during that process.

Insiders can access the full story for all of the details.

Multinational food and beverage company Danone announced this week it has completed its acquisition of plant-based, organic nutrition company Kate Farms. The deal was announced in May and came on the heels of the brand’s nationwide expansion at Target stores.

Catch Up: Danone Agrees Deal for Plant-Based Nutrition Brand Kate Farms

It’s Hump Day! Here’s a taste of the new drops and activations from the first half of the week.

🇨🇦 Oh, Canada! Clearly Canadian has teamed up with singer-songwriter and Canadian icon Shania Twain for its first major ad campaign since 1991, called “Clearly Canadian is Back” to get the word out that the brand has returned in full force.

🍋 For those hot summer days when you need a lift, THC-infused beverage maker Nowadays has launched a new Lemonade flavor, available in multi-serve bottles and RTD 12 oz. cans, each containing 5 mg of hemp THC per serving.

🕺 Red Bull kept New Yorkers up late and boogieing with its “Dance Your Style” competition at Webster Hall on June 28, with dancers competing in one-on-one battles with the victor chosen by the crowd.

⚕️Fresh off its packaging rebrand, hydration brand BIOLYTE is introducing its powdered line to over 6,000 CVS and Walgreens stores nationwide.

🆓 Check out the latest new product news on BevNET.