How big is the non-alcoholic booze category these days? Big enough that many NA brands have stars in their eyes looking at the opportunity in large music venues and some of the biggest festivals of the summer. The majority of the category has not punched its ticket to stardom; yet, with increasing traction in pop-ups, smaller live events and music clubs, the sober curious community is building momentum. Coachella might be the biggest name but regional festivals are seeing that offering more inclusive adult beverages is more economically advantageous than just having water and soda for alcohol-free customers.

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The Sweetensify™ Collection’s flavors for taste modulation, debut Sweegen’s sweet protein Brazzein, offer multidimensional benefits for brands creating better-for-everyone products. Elevate flavor tonalities. Block bitterness. Eliminate aftertastes. Cut Sugar. Get More Flavor. Learn more

Can BodyArmor’s new rapid hydration product help the Coke-owned sports drink maker find its stride again? That’s the question surrounding the launch of Flash I.V., the brand’s first new product innovation since the introduction of BodyArmor EDGE in 2021. 

• Flash I.V.’s primary selling point is heavy electrolyte payload: 2200 mg per 20 oz square bottle. The line comes in four flavors: Grape, Strawberry Kiwi, Orange, and Tropical Punch. SRP $3.29.
• Product availability is currently limited to select states; wide release is scheduled for 2024 in 7-Eleven, QT, Circle K, AMPM, Walmart, Kroger, Safeway/Albertsons, Meijer, Walgreens, HyVee, Sprouts, Public, HEB, and Amazon.
• The new line is part of a growing crop of science-backed, non-medical rapid hydration drinks that includes Gatorlyte and Hoist plus non-RTDs Liquid I.V., Waterdrop, SOS and others.

Pineapple Paradise sounds like the name of a beach bar you’d find somewhere in the Caribbean and that's exactly the appeal Wildwonder is looking to tap with its latest flavor. The brand recently launched its newest formulation – Pineapple Paradise – exclusively with Sprouts following consistent, impressive sales velocity since securing shelf space nationwide in October. The move marked a strategy shift for the brand, which focused on growing regionally in the past. Check out the full story on BevNET to hear why CEO Rosa Li believes in today’s world, diversifying every part of the business, including strategy, is essential.

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Summer campaigns are in full swing, complete with margarita recipes, new fashion collabs and tropical-themed concerts. In digital campaigns White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza makes margs for Cointreau, a familiar ingredient in America’s top cocktail. The French spirits company has found a niche with rising comedic TV actors following last year’s campaign with Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy. Also coming across your screens this month is Smirnoff’s yearly inclusivity campaign timed with Pride, this one focused on the power of the collective. Meanwhile, adding to the growing fashion and spirit collabs, Jameson dropped a capsule collection with workwear manufacturer, Dickies. Vita Coco is also teaming up with big names—in music— for its Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan Tropical Takeover Tour featuring Caribbean artists like Sean Paul. Read about how more spirit companies are approaching their summer campaigns.

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It’s not quite Shakespeare with kefir, but the palace intrigue at Lifeway continues to unfold like a prestige drama. Last week we noted that the company’s proposed slate of eight new board nominees was being challenged by Edward and Ludmila Smolyansky, the brother and mother of CEO Julie Smolyansky, backed by activist investor Kanen Wealth Management (KWM), which accused Lifeway’s chief executive of failing to increase profits, among other things. Here’s what happened at last week’s annual meeting of the company’s board

• Stockholders voted to push through the slate of eight nominees to the board, rejecting KWM’s attempt to block them. 
• The company disputed KVM’s claims, describing the group’s objection letter as “riddled with inaccuracies, mischaracterizations and blatantly false statements that demonstrate its ignorance of our business.”
• Lifeway management made one concession: hiring financial advisory Kroll Securities to explore “strategic alternatives that might be in the best interests of all shareholders.”

As the ‘zero-proof’ movement continues to flourish, alcohol-free ‘sangria soda’ maker Señorial is add some more curb appeal with its latest design and branding makeover. The Novamex-owned drink, which has been sold in the U.S. since 1987, has updated its logo and label with “modernized, sleek revisions to the lettering, font and design,” per PR, and will be backed by a marketing campaign called “Explore Every Moment” that will feature paid media, influencer partnerships, events and in-store signage through the end of 2023.

We teased this one a few months ago, but it’s finally here: Dad Water, a four-SKU line of non-carbonated, fruit-infused Ranch Water (5.25% ABV), has officially debuted in 8-packs (SRP $19.99) at select retailers in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Missouri. Three of the flavors are named for the dads of the founders, with the fourth inspired by the brand’s social media community.

Sweetgreen co-founder Nicolas Jammet spoke about how the mission-driven restaurant chain curates its offerings and designs new meals, how he evaluates CPG brands before adding them to the menu, utilizing technology to enhance productivity without compromising culture and lessons for new and emerging entrepreneurs about how to build a sustainable business. Read the story.