• Deeper Into GamerSupps RTD Play
• Data Dive: BevNET Insider Reports
• Chobani Talks Staying Disruptive At Any Size
• Liquid Death x Fruity Pebbles
• Now Streaming: CPG Week

New regulations and rising demand for clean, quality packaging have made glass a key advantage in spirits-based RTDs. This free guide offers expert insights from the Glass Packaging Institute, Via Carota Craft Cocktails, and Sandstrom Partners to help you assess glass’s role in your beverage company’s future. Learn more

Lionel Messi has an energy drink – but you can’t buy it in stores. 

No, we’re not talking about some new extension from Mas+ by Messi, but rather yerba mate. For Messi, his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez and hundreds of soccer players around the planet, the hot herbal infusion – traditionally consumed through a metal straw in a gourd – is a daily (sometimes all-day) essential that they’re rarely seen without. 

Could tapping into that story – rather than sourcing or health benefits – help yerba mate go mainstream? 

It’s an idea New York-based startup Pablo’s Mate has been quietly testing, with the biggest experiment coming this weekend as it calls together independent bodegas from across the five boroughs for a little Saturday five-on-five at Brooklyn’s McCarren Park. 

Dubbed the Chopped Cheese Classic, the morning-long soccer tournament (and subsequent afternoon-long block party) for bodega owners, workers and their loved ones is a microcosm of what Pablo’s Mate co-founders Danny Rose and Maggie Hogan say their brand represents. 

In a global city like New York City, the young brand’s focus on soccer has unlocked access to already thriving groups and communities. 

• The Chopped Cheese Classic brings it all together, combining support for independent stores, the local soccer community and CPG; friends like Best Day Brewing, Pa’lante Rum and Bronx Brewing will be served on-site, plus plenty of free Pablo’s Mate.
• In an ironic twist, local MLS club the New York Red Bulls will also make an appearance; “They approached us, and we’re happy to have them,” Hogan said.

Supporting c-stores and bodegas is part of Rose and Hogan’s vision for a mass market yerba mate brand that “doesn’t alienate millions of Americans who might be intimidated or not feel that the health food aisle is for them.” 

They have been self-distributing to those independent accounts thus far, but are set to gain significant support next week when Pablo’s Mate joins DSD house Gold Coast. 

BevNET Live heads to Marina del Rey, CA on December 7-9, and the official hotel room block at the Marriott is now available. Rooms always go fast. Staying on-site means you’re just steps away from networking opportunities, product sampling, and every moment of the event.

Register now to unlock access to the room block and save $100 with early registration.

Register Now for BevNET Live »

We caught up with GamerSupps this week to get more details on the brand’s move into energy RTDs and learned how it aims to leverage deep connections within the gaming and anime communities to drive awareness. 

How big is that reach? Gamer Supps scored the second-highest Earned Media Value (EMV) – a metric estimating the value of social engagement with digital content – of any non-alcoholic beverage, behind Red Bull, according to a May report from market research group CreatorIQ.

• The company generated over 479 million impressions during the month.
• The launch will also test how far GamerSupps can take its creator-focused approach. 
• The company said it has raised just under $2 million from “20 of our most popular and profitable content creators,” all of whom market the product organically and at no additional cost. 

💡 Amongst the brand’s larger network of over 3,000 creators, expect internet-friendly tactics like content drops, meme marketing, exclusive first tastes during live streams, and a product trailer to drive buzz.

Read the full story for more on GamerSupps hybrid retail approach and how the brand has built a personality around being ‘authentic, chaotic, and entertaining.

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BevNET Insiders got access to a data bonanza this week. Here’s a taste of the insights…

⚡ Consumers are expecting more than a caffeine kick from their energy drinks these days; they’re seeking ingredients that support clarity, balance and hydration, according to Brightfield Group’s “Energy Reimagined” report.  

🥤 SPINS’ latest insider report explores the driving forces behind the “modern soda” category boom, including how sugar content and sweetener choices are reshaping buyer behavior. 

🥃 From tequila overtaking whiskey as the top-performing spirits category to RTDs dominating growth charts, the U.S. on-premise BevAlc market is shifting. Our exclusive CGA by NIQ report reveals where the momentum is heading. 

Check out the Nombase Data Hub for complete access.

How can a company scale as a robust CPG platform through M&A while maintaining an edge in the market? 

As we learned in conversation from John Frost, Chobani’s Chief Customer Officer, during BevNET Live Summer 2025, achieving that chemistry within an organization is a considerable challenge in itself, but it’s well worth the effort. Frost walked attendees through Chobani’s challenger mindset and the methods it employs to avoid sliding into complacency. 

Insiders can watch the full discussion on BevNET.

Have you ever found yourself longing for an RTD version of Fruity Pebbles cereal? Well, now’s your chance. 

• Liquid Death teamed up with Post Consumer Brands to launch “Cereal Criminal” sparkling water, which “tastes like the cereal milk at the bottom of your Fruity Pebbles bowl,” a company spokesperson told KTLA 5. 
• Unlike your cereal milk, however, the sparkling water has just 15 calories, 3 grams of sugar and is free from artificial sweeteners. 
• Cereal Criminal is currently available at Walmart and will launch on Amazon later this month. 

On the CPG Week podcast, the hosts discuss the rise of Khloé Kardashian’s protein popcorn brand and the downfall of a co-manufacturer. 

Monster Beverage execs have scooped up Rite Aid’s Thrifty Ice Cream brand in bankruptcy proceedings. What does this mean for the future of the business?

Joe Tea is expanding beyond tea and showcased its new snack and beverage launches at the Summer Fancy Food Show this month.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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