• 💪🏽 Sports Hydration Brand Takes On Cancer Research
• ✈️ Flyers CEO Talks Seed Raise
• 🥤 Erewhon Debuts Kefir Soda
• 💅🏼 Review: Pretty, Tasty? Check, Check

Coco5 has partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Coaches vs. Cancer on a multi-year “Fuel The Fight” campaign. The hydration brand, founded by professional NBA players, will help fund cancer research and encourage early detection to reduce mortality rates among patients through the new partnership.

🤩 The initiative will donate $0.05 for every bottle of Coco5 sold; the ACS and the National Association of Basketball Coaches will also be paired for a series of events including coaching camps and sporting tournaments and educational programs.

🏀 Phoenix Suns’ star Devin Booker and venture capital firm Loop Capital acquired a majority stake in coconut-based drink brand in 2022. The brand also counts NBA players D’Angelo Russel and Derrick Rose and basketball commentators Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon as partners, among others.

🚚 Coco5 is also backed by Southern California beverage incubator L.A. Libations.

Hemp-based canned cocktail brand Flyers is “off the ground and cruising” after closing a Series Seed round last week.

🧑‍✈️ Flyers began with CBD drinks, but after testing an extension into Delta-9 hemp-derived THC drinks last spring, the new variety has become 80-90% of the business (and also brought a revenue spike of over 280%), said co-founder and CEO Craig “Lewie” Lewis

🍸 The 12 oz. drinks, each containing 5 mg of D9 THC, come in three non-alc cocktails-inspired formats – Sparkling Ol’ Fashioned, Sparkling Margarita and Sparkling Spritz – and are available at retailers like Total Wine & More.

🚚 The brand is on track to reach an estimated 2,000 doors by the end of the year, and is now looking to support its national growth with a few new hires and increased production.

Read the full story on BevNET.

Erewhon customers have long been able to order a fresh, probiotic-filled kefir soda at the premium specialty retailer’s in-store cafes. Now, it looks like consumers can take the drinks home with them in a new canned format.

📸 Last week on Twitter (sometimes called X), users began sharing photos of Erewhon branded kefir sodas in 12 oz. cans. One shot of a shelf display lists the price at $4.99 each and notes that the drink contains 24 strains of probiotics, cold-pressed juice, spring water and no added sugar.

💌 Deal Town reported that Erewhon sent an email to subscribers announcing the launch on Friday while also highlighting new Erewhon branded nut butter cups; the drinks are now listed for sale on the retailer’s website.

🍊 The line comes in several flavor options including Watermelon Lime, Ginger, Green Apple Jasmine and “POG” (made with passionfruit, orange and guava among other fruit flavors).

Functional tea is a rising category within RTD beverages, and Pretty Tasty is looking to stake its claim with a four-SKU line of sugar-free iced teas boosted with 10 grams of collagen protein and 60 mg of caffeine per 12 oz can. 

Read the full review to learn if the new drink lives up to its name.