• 🆕 Hot New Spirits
• 🔴 Coke’s Cautious Optimism
• 🧢 No Cap! Turns Sweet 16 (Oz)
• 🏈 Who Won the Superbowl?
• 💉 Danone Enters The GLP-1 Chat
• 🍸 ‘Cream Will Rise To The Top.’ How Emily Heintz Is Raising The Bar With Sèchey.

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It may be making a killing in the U.S., but Liquid Death turned up DOA across the pond. 

Questions arose as soon as the chaos-loving canned water said it would exit the U.K. market last week: How did the brand – currently inescapable in the U.S. – flop overseas? Certainly the country that gave us Black Sabbath and Judas Priest can’t be too afraid of some heavy metal packaging.

The company claimed the pullback was due to limited production capabilities, but U.K. publication The Grocer noted that while the product didn’t make a big splash, with just £2 million ($2.48 million) in retail dollar sales in the 52 week period ending September 7, 2024 and discount retailers offering cans at 3-for-£1 steals, per NeilsenIQ data.

Everyone’s got a theory, of course. While supply certainly played a role, some food and beverage industry stalwarts mused this weekend about what got lost in translation. 

Food scientist Harpreet Sangha argued that Liquid Death’s “loud branding” doesn’t resonate with U.K. consumers the way it does with Americans, while Ross Allmark, founder of advisory firm Creative Grid, suggested that U.K. supermarkets are “an unforgiving landscape” with a tendency to “put the newer niche brands in the big out-of-town stores in provincial markets”.

U.K.-based marketer Harry Lang told International Business Times that some of the faults do appear to be struggles navigating the terrain: “They missed out on prime real estate like Tesco Meal Deals or Boots, which could have boosted sales.” 

It also didn’t help that some consumers apparently thought it was an energy drink.

But it wouldn’t be the first time a U.S. business has run into a wall elsewhere. The Harvard Business Review notes that when going overseas, brands must take care to adapt to local culture and forge close relationships with local partners. 

We don’t have an exact count on how Liquid Death made those moves in the U.K., but nevertheless something appears to have been lost in translation.

Go Deeper: Liquid Death Withdraws from U.K. Amid Supply, Sales Challenges

Dry January is in the rear-view! Now it's time to celebrate the new year with the latest ready-to-drink, spirit-based cocktail drops. From fresh twists on a tee-time classic to limited edition cocktail capsules, here’s an overview of the latest releases: 

🍋 On The Rocks Cocktails expanded its ready-to-serve line with The Lemon Drop Martini. The new offering is crafted with Effen Vodka and elderflower liqueur and features notes of basil and vanilla. 

⛳ Craftwell Cocktails has teed up its first seasonal release, the Transfusion. Canned at 8.5% ABV, the new cocktail pays homage to a “19th hole staple” and is made with Washington Concord grapes, Mexican key lime juice and fresh ginger.  

🤝 Mezcalum, the Mezcal brand created by “Real Housewives of New York” star Erin Lichy, teamed up with cocktail machine Bartesian to create a limited edition Mezcalita cocktail capsule.

Check out the full roundup on BevNET.

Coca-Cola’s organic revenue rose double digits in both the fourth quarter and FY2024 as pricing went up 9% in Q4 and operating margin elevated to 23.5%, per its earnings release this morning. Volume growth moderated, up 2% in the quarter and 1% for the year across its segments.

• Fourth quarter comparable EPS grew 12% to $0.55 while FY2024 EPS increased 7% to $2.88. 
• Coke raised price/mix 12% in North America in the quarter. 
• Organic revenue growth is forecast at between 5% to 6% for FY2025.

Coke’s localized network of bottlers hedged against tariffs and macroeconomic trends, said Chairman and CEO James Quincey, while “consumers were responding well to value messaging in away from home channels” in North America.

Stay tuned to BevNET for more details later today.

As “modern soda” goes into overdrive, are consumers still attracted to the category’s functional benefits? Not so much, said former Bang and Congo Brands sales lead Steve Wilson. His young CSD venture No Cap! is making moves to adapt in the red-hot space by dropping fiber and upgrading to a larger 16 oz. can. 

🔀 The change reflects an evolving category, Wilson noted, in which “everybody is doing things the same way.”

• By moving from a 12 oz. to a 16 oz. and ditching fiber, but keeping immunity callouts and post-biotics, he believes No Cap! is creating some separation from the pack. 

🛹 Developing traction within action sports is also a key focus for the brand. The area has been typically dominated by energy drinks but No Cap! has been a welcome non-caffineated option for parents, Wilson said. 

🔭 Others are also looking beyond gut-health: Poppi, itself facing a lawsuit over its functional claims, has its own 16 oz. line, while OLIPOP introduced 12 oz. slim cans specifically for c-stores last year. 

Stay tuned to BevNET for more.   

If you ask us, Serena Williams is the true Super Bowl champion after crip walking at her ex-boyfriend’s homegoing, but fresh data from Total Wine & More reveals a few brands that also took victory laps on Sunday. 

👑 Local brands reigned in Kansas City and Philadelphia-area stores, with Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City-made) and Surfside (Philly-made) claiming the top spots, respectively.

• On a national level, ready-to-drink and canned cocktails took four of the top 10 spots – a big shift from last year, when only Cutwater cracked the list.
• Purchases of non-alcoholic beverages also increased this year compared to the same weekend last year. 
• Among the RTDs were BuzzBallz, earning the top purchase nationally, followed by Cutwater in 2nd place, Surfside in 5th and competitor Sun Cruiser in 8th. 
• The preference for RTDs pushed down last year’s favorites – Jack Daniel’s, Tito’s and Crown Royal – however newcomer Don Julio popped in at number four. 
• Contrary to last year’s mostly evenly split list, beer and wine only claimed two top spots – Modelo and Josh Cellars at 9 and 10, respectively.

GLP-1 drugs have entered the Danone North America chat. The company partnered with registered dietitians to offer nutrition advice and education on the medications during a live, five-hour chat on Instagram today.

🥣 The yogurt maker said it tracked a spike in searches around the weight loss medications during the Super Bowl. It also launched a GLP-1 nutrition website promoting its Oikos, Too Good and Dannon Light + Fit Greek yogurt products.

📈 As interest in GLP-1 weight loss medications continues to rise, packaged food manufacturers including Nestle and Conagra Brands are finding ways to capitalize on the trend – while staying top of mind for consumers with a shrinking share of stomach.

Go Deeper: Innovating in the ‘Ozempic Era’

Emily Heintz, the founder of dynamic non-alcoholic beverage platform Sèchey, joins us for a deep dive into her vision for the company, including how Gen Z and millennial lifestyles are shaping awareness and trial, and why the founder’s voice is the most essential tool in connecting with customers.

Listen to the episode now. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.