• 🤝 Chobani Acquires Daily Harvest
• 🆕 This Week’s New Products
• 🫚 Reed Claims It Is Reliably In Stock
• ✂️ Cutwater Drops RNDC
• 🪙 Heritage Begins Accepting Crypto
• 🍖 Is There A Future For Plant-Based Meat? 

Like pretty much everything else on the market these days, today’s top story is packed with protein.

The protein-in-everything trend has flared up at times over the past decade, but current conditions – with tailwinds from health and wellness now supercharged by the arrival of Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs – only seem to be growing more favorable. We’re not in the forecasting business per se, but here’s a few things to watch for:

🏭 The category’s leading brands are still driving overall growth in protein drinks (+12.8%, per Circa data through March 21), and there’s still room to spare: 

• BellRing Brands’ Premier Protein brand grew 22% ($588 million in net sales) in Q1, with shake consumption up 25% in that time. 
• Elsewhere Simply Good Food is still riding big numbers from Quest (+13%) and OWYN ($66 million through current fiscal year) to offset a dip by Atkins.

🍬 Category innovation may be finally breaking away from the traditional flavors and use occasions: Danone’s introduction this week of new shelf-stable Oikos Protein Shakes (30 grams per 12 oz bottle) seems to be an acknowledgement that the brand can (and should) compete outside of refrigerated coolers. Releases like this and other new indulgent products that align more with lifestyle than fitness could drive incremental consumption.

💪 How will the proliferation of protein throughout the day impact platforms built around specific concepts like Slate and Huel? In the former’s case, competition has already yielded accusations of trade theft, but may also be adding pressure to innovate into other categories. 

Read the full story on BevNET for all of the details.

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Plant-based smoothie and meal maker Daily Harvest has been acquired by Greek yogurt category leader Chobani. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• The deal marks Chobani’s second major acquisition in less than two years, following its acquisition of coffee company La Colombe for $900 million in 2023. 
• Per a press release, Chobani said it aims to bring Daily Harvest to “every home in America” with the support of its growing “manufacturing, distribution, and retail expertise.”
• The news also comes as Daily Harvest has been making major moves of its own. Founded in 2015, Daily Harvest has evolved from a DTC, better-for-you meal delivery brand into a growing retail operation. 

However, unlike the La Colombe deal, which brought a natural and complimentary product assortment under Chobani’s wing, the Daily Harvest deal will push the parent organization into a slew of new cold-chain categories. 

🆓 Read the full story for a deeper understanding of the deal.

New beverage launches include a slate of NA cocktails from new brands and old vanguard liquor companies alike, as well as a big refresh from Vitaminwater and some summer-timed launches from brands like Milo’s. Here’s just a taste of the latest.

💊 Coke’s Vitaminwater brand is getting a big refresh with a new visual design across the product line, as well as two new flavors: Elevate Blue Raspberry Limeade and Re-Hydrate Zero Sugar Pineapple Dragonfruit.

🍹 Legacy liqueur producer Campari is embracing the NA trend with its Crodino Spritz launch, a zero-proof RTD bitter soda made with aromatics of clove, cardamom, nutmeg, and coriander seeds, along with more than 10 other herbs and spices. 

🍋 Southern sweet tea and lemonade producer Milo’s has two new flavors out ahead of the coming summer heat: Strawberry Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade. Each flavor will be available in 20 oz. and half-gallon bottles and began rolling out to select Southeast grocers on May 12.

Check out the full gallery on BevNET.

Is Reed’s years-long supply crisis behind the business? It seems so as CEO Cyril Wallace declared during the soda brand’s Q1 2025 earnings this week that “for the first time in years, production is keeping pace with sales.”

📈 Reed’s net sales were up 4.5% to $10 million in Q1 as its constant on-again off-again inventory has at long last stabilized.

🚚 Wallace, who joined the brand last month after two decades at PepsiCo, also touted big distribution gains in the quarter with its new multifunctional soda line leading growth.

📊 While net sales grew, so did expenses as operating losses rose to $1.7 million, up from $0.7 million in the period last year. But the company is still in a transitional phase as it looks to reduce input costs.

Insiders can read the full report on BevNET.

Another major brand is ditching RNDC in California – and beyond. Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) has removed its Cutwater brand, the second-largest spirits-based RTD, from Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) in California, Hawaii, and 13 control states. 

⏩ Cutwater will be making the move to competitor Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits (SGWS). 

❌ The loss of the top-selling spirits-based RTD is another big hit for RNDC following the exits of High Noon, the Brown-Forman portfolio and top-selling spirit brand, Tito’s Vodka this year.

🚚 Other spirits suppliers have jumped ship to traditional beer distributors, such as Reyes Beverage Group, for their connection to the convenience channel and command over cold boxes. 

💭 But Reyes operates a partnership with A-B competitor, Molson Coors, and the switch to SGWS may have to do with the distributor's capacity to move products in control states, where liquor placements are more regulated to state stores anyway. 

Go Deeper: RNDC CEO Out After Losing Major Suppliers in California

Heritage Distilling is putting its digital money where its mouth is. The publicly traded spirits producer has approved a plan to begin accepting payment in cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and so-called “meme coin” Dogecoin.

• After the company floated the idea months ago, DTC customers can now pay with the approved cryptos online from the brand’s website.

🔉 Heritage said it believes that “Bitcoin is positioned as a strategic asset to hold long-term,” while Dogecoin – a favorite of Elon Musk – is “emerging as the digital coin of choice for paying for goods and services given the following of its fanbase.”

Go Deeper: Heritage Distilling Reaches Deeper into Regional Growth

Is the plant-based meat boom going bust? Despite early excitement and big investments, some brands are in the midst of turbulent times and an uncertain future. The hosts weigh in. Plus, Babak Bina, co-founder of BCB3 Hospitality Group, shares how a deep commitment to guest experience and a love for cultural cuisine helped him develop some of the city's most acclaimed restaurants.

Tune into the episode now. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.