• 🔵 PBNA CEO Tanner to Retire, Krishnan Takes Over
• 💰 Petalfast Adds More Fuel to Capital Tank
• 🏼 CoreBev Reveals Details of Latest M&A Deal

Today is Friday and you all know what that means…it’s NPG time! We’ve rounded up the hottest new products for you and packaged them together in a gallery just for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:

🥤 Capitalizing on the popularity of its Pepsi drink mixes, SodaStream adopts another beloved soda brand: MTN DEW. Available in three varieties – MTN DEW, Diet MTN DEW and MTN DEW Zero Sugar – each bottle of drink mix makes the equivalent of approximately 24 12 oz. cans.

💥 First teased last year, functional beverage maker Odyssey unveils its latest innovation, the 222 line. As its name suggests, the new collection features 222mg of caffeine derived from green tea paired with the brand’s proprietary blend of Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps

🍹 Just as you’re really getting tired of Dry January, ready-to-drink mocktail brand Mockly releases its newest SKU, Madame L’Orange. The new elixir is the first launch in the brand’s new low-sugar, low-cal “Second Line.” 

Check out the full NPG on BevNET.

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) CEO Kirk Tanner will retire on February 2, ending a nearly 32 year long career with the company. Ram Krishnan, currently CEO of International Beverages and Chief Commercial Officer for PepsiCo, will take over for Tanner.

💻 Tanner has served as CEO of PBNA since 2019, during which time the division expanded its ecommerce presence and debuted a number of new innovations ranging from Pepsi Zero Sugar to Gen Z-targeted lemon lime soda brand Starry.

🌍 Krishnan first joined PepsiCo in 2006 and has served as CCO since 2019 and his current joint position since 2021. His responsibilities have included oversight of the company’s Global Concentrate group, Global Beverage group, SodaStream, Lipton and more.

🗣️ PepsiCo’s chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta, said in a press release that Krishnan’s experience in international beverages combined with “his roots in North America senior executive roles” made him an apt candidate for the role.

Delta-9 THC products may be all the rage at the moment, but there’s still room to grow in the licensed dispensary space, as evidenced by the news of cannabis brands accelerator Petalfast closing an $8 million funding round backed by a group of family offices as it seeks to build its business in new states.

🚛 Launched in 2020, Petalfast services the adult-use recreational dispensary channels in California, Arizona and Massachusetts and, according to CEO Jason Vegotsky, operates like a cross between the three tier alcohol distribution system and a CPG broker.

📈 Petalfast will be adding Michigan to its footprint in March and now hopes to target states where the vertical integration model among cannabis brands is in a “breakdown,” Vegotsky said.

Read the full story on BevNET.

Last May we reported that Connecticut-based spirits company CoreBev Group was gearing up for two launches including a Greek rum and a non-alcoholic ready-to-drink cocktail— in addition to buying its own distillery. But founder Stelio Stavrianos held back on the details of the distillery, until now:

🥃 CoreBev acquired Continuum Distilling, known for upcycling beer and turning it into whiskey and gin. Stavrianos raised $1 million for an all-cash deal, in which they’ll be keeping master distiller Brandon Collins on the team and growing the distillery’s footprint. 

🆕 A full rebrand of the distillery is coming within the next few weeks including a renovation, expanding the tasting room, and new equipment to help build up the company’s co-packing business.

🏆 Founded in 2017, CoreBev launched into the Northeast market with vodka brand Cylinder and has since added its own canned cocktail seltzer brand, Pasha’s, and the BevNET Award-winning Moonlight Barista, a canned espresso martini in collaboration with cold brew coffee brand RISE Brewing Co. In 2022 it acquired RTD cocktail brand The Cocktail Chemist for an undisclosed amount in its first M&A deal.

Trademarks are important. Just ask MrBeast. The hosts discussed the YouTuber’s recent legal dilemma as well as the impact of Uber’s decision to shut down Drizly. We also spoke with Ponyboy Slings co-founders Mike and Janell Bass, who shared insights and advice on how to win a pitch slam.

Listen to the latest episode at Taste Radio