Plant-based energy brand Yerbaé has raised over $4 million, closing out the “first tranche” of a celebrity-backed funding round, the Arizona-based company announced yesterday.

• Co-founder and CEO Todd Gibson told BevNET in an email that individual investors won’t be revealed until after the company’s Q2 earnings report next week. 
• On LinkedIn, Gibson noted that the round includes individuals from the NFL, MLB and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
• Yerbaé is also forming a new Sports & Entertainment Board, which will be “comprised of prominent celebrities and sports stars” who will “play a pivotal role in guiding Yerbaé’s strategic decisions, brand positioning, marketing campaigns and product innovation.”
• According to a release, the funding will primarily go towards new innovation, distribution growth and marketing.
• Yerbaé went public in February on the Toronto Stock Exchange following a reverse triangular merger. At the time the brand was already integrating its athlete partners into its strategy planning, naming brand ambassador and CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdotter to a board advisory group.

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Charging into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, alkaline water brand Jovē is “building logically and reasonably” to becoming a national brand. The brand is banking on expanding Jovē to new consumers on its story of “cellular hydration” paired with new formats and brand ambassadors.

• Initially launching in 2020 on Amazon, Jovē eventually moved into retail at Publix in its home market of Florida. Now the brand is in around 2,000 doors including Fresh Market, Kroger, Giant and Lowes.
• Jovē has begun experimenting with its format, expanding from 32-ounce plastic bottles to 16-ounce bottles with plans to also offer a 12-ounce can in the first quarter of 2024.
• The company has signed partnerships with champion boxer Seniesa Estrada and actor Samuel Arnold.
• With consumer demand for the functionality of alkaline water, Jovē is competing for shelf space in a crowded field that includes category leaders like Essentia and CORE Hydration as well as emerging brands like Waiākea, Flow and blk. 

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To mark the 10th anniversary of leading tequila Casamigos, we chatted with one of its co-founders, Rande Gerber. Since redefining the heights of celebrity spirits with its nearly billion dollar sale to Diageo, the George Clooney-founded brand has been slower to innovate than its competitors. Now it’s getting in on the cristalino buzz with a debut last month.

• On why the cristalino is the brand’s first release since 2018: “We have been talking about launching a cristalino for some time but wanted to make sure that what we were creating was the best. We are involved in every aspect of the brand and business, so it took many samples for us to create the perfect one.”
• On their success: “You can’t have a product that’s only a little bit better than others, because then people will go back to what they know.”
• On celebrity tequila: “Many of those celebrity names are just putting a label on a basic tequila from distilleries making 100 different labels.”

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Los Angeles-based Calexo appears to be staging a relaunch of its eponymous low-dose hemp-based drinks, now available for direct shipping via calexo.co.

• All three flavors — Cucumber Citron, Citrus Rose and SemiTropic — contain 5mg THC and 5mg CBD per 12 oz can. Each is also available in an un infused version, bringing the total SKU count to six. 
• Calexo was an early entrant to the low-dose cannabis-infused drink market with its line of sparkling, juice-sweetened drinks back in 2020. 
• Watercolors, a collection of cannabis-infused sparkling waters and an accompanying streetwear apparel line, was announced in 2022 but is no longer listed on the brand’s site. 

Last year, spirits editor Ferron Salniker took a look at a developing trend within the rising spirits-based RTD market: the coco-cocktail. Though built by indie brands like Sunboy and Osena, the category saw heavy hitter Vita Coco enter the space via a partnership with Diageo's Captain Morgan rum label. So has that potential turned into real market impact in the 12 months since?

• New brands like New York-based Mother's Milk and Island District have entered the mix, enhancing the brand's story with new ingredients and higher ABV.
• Sunboy's reputation continues to grow: after winning Brewbound's Pitch Competition last November, the brand has picked up new distribution in mainstream outlets like Trader Joe's.
• Vita Coco has backed its Spiked line with a Caribbean-themed national music tour featuring Sean Paul, Myke Towers and Shenseea.

Sketch comedian. Ghostbuster. Vodka entrepreneur. It’s all in a life’s work for Dan Aykroyd. The co-founder of iconic spirit brand Crystal Head Vodka, Aykroyd spoke about the company’s adherence to business fundamentals and premium positioning, what makes him an effective salesman and the limited impact of his celebrity on the brand’s success. He also explained what postal work has to do with the ownership team’s harmonious relationship and answered an infamous question with a “little g.”

Listen to the full episode on Taste Radio