Bang Energy’s parent company Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX) has initiated mass layoffs in preparation for its anticipated acquisition by Monster Beverage Corp., according to an internal memo viewed by BevNET. 

All employees at VPX’s facility in Weston, Florida have received a 60-day notice of permanent termination, which is expected to be completed between September 3 and September 10, according to a company-wide letter sent yesterday evening by Lourdes Barsky, VPX’s VP of employee services. No recall, transfer or bumping rights exist. The layoffs do not extend to VPX’s production facility in Phoenix, which is included as an asset in Monster’s purchase agreement for Bang. 

The letter confirmed that VPX has been marketing its assets and that a sale "is anticipated to be completed shortly," but does not reference Monster by name.

“We thank you for your contributions to VPX and appreciate your focus in the days ahead,” the letter reads. 

Sources with knowledge of the proceedings told BevNET the letter was sent just a few hours after an all-hands VPX company meeting via Zoom attended by multiple executives of Monster Beverage Corp., including co-CEOs Hilton Schlosberg and Rodney Sacks, who reportedly congratulated employees for their work in building the brand. Representatives of Boston-based Huron Consulting Group, which has been helping manage the company’s post-bankruptcy transition, then informed employees to expect a letter outlining further steps.

The layoffs leave the company's ability to do business in question, as the cuts reportedly extend from regional and national key account directors all the way to Gene Bukovi, chief operating officer and longtime partner of founder and former CEO Jack Owoc. 

Monster’s $362 million acquisition of VPX is expected to be finalized at a hearing on July 12. 

This story will be updated as more information is available. 

Independent soda company Boylan Bottling is the latest beverage maker to embrace cans as an environmentally-motivated necessity, announcing that it has relaunched its “cult favorite” sparkling fruit drink brand MASH with a four SKU line of 12 oz. slim cans.

• The original line, largely sold in New York City delicatessens and bodegas, is known for its proprietary, stout 16 oz. plastic bottle format, however the company said that bottle has limited its ability to expand in conventional accounts and is now taking a “calculated risk” with the new look to grow the brand's footprint.
• The rebranded offerings have been reformulated to remove coloring agents for a cleaner label and the line has been reduced from six flavors to four.
• Besides boosting its sustainability bonafides, Boylan said the new format was also motivated by “the rise of non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails,” and the cans will help to position MASH as a mixer or “exceptional mocktail base” in addition to a standalone drink.
• The MASH relaunch will be supported by New York DSD house Big Geyser, which will work to expand the MASH brand throughout the region this summer. The company has also partnered with DSD distributors outside of New York, launching the brand for the first time into new regions.

Check for the full story today on BevNET.

Two big announcements coming from at-home boba kit BOBABAM: the company has a new full-time CEO -- former Lenny & Larry's CEO and longtime strategic advisor/investor Apu Mody -- and is now a founding-level donor with Project Potluck, a nonprofit organization helping people of color (POC) build successful companies and careers in the CPG industry.

• According to a press release, BOBABAM’s three founders, over half of its leadership team and nearly 75% of its employees self-identify as POC.
• The company’s donation to Project Potluck will help “fund and facilitate the connection of members to mentors and promote the growth of diversity, equity and inclusion-minded companies.” 
• The news comes on the heels of BOBABAM’s recent rebrand showcased at Expo West 2023, trading in its playful, purple and magenta polka dot packaging for a more refined and modern aesthetic featuring a black background behind brighter, bolder colors and a more prominent updated logo.
• The redesign was completed to help the boba maker expand its retail footprint with mainstream grocery stores nationwide. 

Summer campaigns continue with hip-hop tribute parties, piña coladas, and Brooklyn art shows. Competition between tequila RTDs is also heating up at the golf course. 

• Tequila seltzers are competing for the green: High Noon’s new campaign teams up with golf apparel brand TravisMathew and Tequila Azul announced a new celebrity partnership: U.S. Women’s Open Champion Michelle Wie West. 
• Hennessy taps Nas to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary. 
• Malibu remixes 80s karaoke hit, "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)."

Read the full story on BevNET

Though still a nascent category, cannabis mixers and infusions have yielded some occasionally amazing products — but one brand are already moving on to the next frontier of THC innovation: enter Highdration Kitchen, makers of a brand of cannabis-infused ice cubes appropriately dubbed melt. Sold in Massachusetts in liquid form as pre-packaged 10-cube ice trays ($20 each), each cube contains 5mg of THC and are made with natural fruit juice, preservatives and distilled water. Highdration, indeed. 

This special edition of the podcast features actionable insights and advice from interviews with six founders, creators and leaders who joined us on the show during the first half of 2023. Our guests include SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch; Poppi co-founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth; Cann co-founder and CEO Jake Bullock; Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali; Afia co-founders Farrah and Yassin Sibai; and culinary icon Padma Lakshmi.

Listen to the full episode on BevNET

This month, we’ll discuss a range of topics such as winning on shelf with line extensions, the non-alc beverage revolution, and community marketing as a crucial part of brand strategy. Read the story.