• 🥃 A Drink With Five Springs Bourbon
• 😷 Real Water Hit With Third Verdict
• 🥳 Angostura's 200-Year Anniversary Bitters
• 🏈 Marketing: A Sports Partnerships Parade
• 📈 How Biena’s ‘Risky Decisions’ Yielded Big Dividends

The popularity of flavored beers is on the rise. From fruity sour beers to barrel-aged stouts, the flavor choices are wide-ranging. And, if you have questions about creating a successful and delicious new brewery product, the Product Development team at Allen Flavors has the answers you need. Learn more

Coca Cola continues to grow organic revenue on the back of pricing increases, but a dip in unit case volume made for a mixed Q3 earnings report this morning.

• Pricing increased around 11% in the quarter, which helped drive organic revenue up 9%, but net revenue was down 1% to $11.9 billion.
• In consolidated performance, several key categories reported declines, including water (-6%), sports (-3%), and coffee (-6%), with the latter mainly due to the performance of Costa Coffee in the United Kingdom. 
• Sparkling soft drinks and trademark Coca Cola were flat, though Coca-Cola Zero Sugar grew 11% across geographies. 

In North America, unit case volume was also flat, with gains in trademark Coke, juice, value-added dairy and plant-based milks being offset by declines in water, sports, coffee and tea. Pricing was up 11% in the segment.

Topo Chico’s performance was singled out in a press statement, with innovations like Topo Chico Sabores leading to an over 20% increase in household penetration so far this year, according to the company.

CEO James Quincey was optimistic that pricing will normalize (and volume will rebound) next year, noting Coke will be “very choiceful about where we invest” to balance its value and premium offerings. 

Stay tuned to BevNET for more details later today.

Lisa Sawyer Derman held senior executive positions at top brands including Stoli and Macallan for over 30 years before launching her own company. Now, she’s applying that expertise to bourbon.  

🍊 Five Springs Infused Bourbon is trying a new approach to flavored whiskey: naturally infusing bourbon with flavors like Honey Sage, Blood Orange, and Vanilla Maple with the aim of recruiting new drinkers into the category. 

🗣️ We chatted with Derman about why she thinks this lightly flavored bourbon can leverage the same impetus and intent behind the RTD craze, what still trips her up in the industry (surprise, it’s keeping up with all the dang rules!) and where bourbon might find new opportunities. 

BevNET Insiders can access the full interview for all the insights.

BevNET’s annual “Best Of” Awards commend companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas and trends from across the ever-changing beverage industry landscape. The highly-anticipated awards show will take place in Marina del Rey, Calif., during BevNET Live Winter 2024 on December 8-10, 2024.

BevNET’s Best Of 2024 Awards are currently open for nominations and you may submit as many nominations as you’d like, either for your own company/product or a company/product you find deserving. 

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Nov. 1.

Click here for more information and to submit a nomination. 

Thanks to innovative technology from industry leader Alland & Robert, Farbest Brands now offers Beyond Acacia®! This exclusive, easy-to-use gum acacia has high-density granules that help optimize beverage production – with benefits like improved solubility and high dispersion. Learn more

Real Water – the defunct alkaline water brand that caused liver damage to numerous consumers due to presence of the toxic chemical hydrazine in its products – has been ordered to pay an additional $230 million to victims in another lawsuit filed by 15 plaintiffs.

🧑🏻‍⚖️ The jury decision follows two other trials since 2021 that have resulted in the company paying $3 billion and $129 million, respectively, to other classes of consumers.

🏥 This latest verdict awards damages to a group of consumers that includes UFC fighter Gray Maynard who claims the water caused to him losing a professional fight. Another plaintiff, Tiquionte Henry, required a liver transplant after drinking Real Water and now faces a shortened life expectancy.

👎 Real Water has previously admitted liability and that the water was contaminated. The company’s defense lawyer primarily sought to limit the damages, according to Law360. The company has previously filed for bankruptcy. 

The House of Angostura has released Angostura 200-Year Anniversary Limited Edition bitters in celebration of its two centuries of existence. The products are available at select national and regional liquor chains. 

👀 Bottled at 48% ABV, the new offering features distinctive notes of cardamom, orange and earthiness. The LTO carries a SRP of $59.99 per 200 mL bottle. 

⏪ The House of Angostura was founded in 1824 by Dr. Johann Siegert, who first produced aromatic bitters in the city of Angostura, Venezuela. Today, the company produces a broad portfolio of bitters and rum. 

💭 "This release is more than a nod to [the brand’s] rich history; it's about ushering in the next 200 years of inspiring bartenders, at-home mixologists and curious cocktails everywhere with a unique and differentiated flavor that will fuel their creativity for years to come,” said Katie Herrmann, brand director of Mizkan America, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Angostura bitters for North America, in a press release. 

The draft never ends for brands building an athlete ambassador roster. Here’s some of the latest marketing updates from around the beverage business:

🥛 University of Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart has got milk, joining The Dairy Alliance as a new ambassador for the nonprofit group’s Milk’s Got Game campaign.

🏀 Basketball’s back and organic sports drink Recover 180 is partnering with several NBA players, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Jared McCain, and the Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

🏒 Up North, Gatorade Canada is aligning with top Professional Women’s Hockey League rookie Sarah Fillier. Fillier was the number one overall draft pick this year, selected by the New York Sirens.

☕ It’s not all about sports this season! Westrock Coffee Company debuted a redesigned website this week, with pages to help highlight its sustainability and ethical sourcing programs for consumers.

Poorvia Patodia, the founder and CEO of pioneering chickpea snack brand Biena, talks about how a “build to win” philosophy influenced key decisions during a challenging period. She also defines and explains the value of “true differentiation” and shares her take on when founders should raise capital and how to identify distributors with aligned values.

Listen to the episode now.