This isn’t the Minute Maid you grew up with. 

The Coca-Cola-owned juice brand is the latest legacy IP to be revamped by the soda giant as a beverage alcohol play and another spoke in its Red Tree Beverages subsidiary. Meet Minute Maid Spiked Flavored Wine Cocktails, a three-SKU line in 1.5 liter ready-to-serve bottles that pack 13.9% ABV each, or about the same as a bottle of wine. 

The three flavors – Lime Margarita, Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada – are due to hit stores in 2024 via established distributors in the three-tier system, as emphasized by Coca-Cola in a press release. 

Minute Maid joins Simply, Fresca and Topo Chico in the list of Coke-owned brands to dabble in beverage alcohol innovations, described as “deliberate and disciplined experimentation.” And don’t forget – an Absolut Vodka-Sprite RTD cocktail is due for next year, too.

Check back for more coverage today on BevNET

ROAR Organics is closing out one its most successful years for fundraising. At the beginning of the month, the hydration brand submitted a new SEC filing announcing $6 million from existing investors. This new capital comes after a similar $6 million was announced in February and $4 million add-on in April. Where’s it all going? Predominantly, its fueling the brand’s marketing efforts and the recent launch ROAR+, the brand’s immunity-focused powder stick innovation.

🥤 ROAR+ is the brand’s second try at powders with the first attempt launching in 2019 and discontinued two years later. The new hydration sticks are slow rolling into retail with distribution currently only DTC and on ecommerce sites as well as some corporate foodservice accounts.

📈 Despite the powdered innovation, ROAR is prioritizing its line of 18 oz. RTDs, where there is a lot of “upside” and “momentum” for the company, CEO BIll Lange told BevNET last week.

Read the full story on BevNET.

Nearly one-fifth of new consumers, around 17%, entering the no-alcohol beverage category in 2023 were new to the category, with 16% proving incremental to the low-alcohol space, according to a new report from data firm IWSR.

📊 The report highlights the growth in the no- and low-alcohol categories, pointing to 5% volume growth in the top 10 global markets for the sector (which combined account for 70% of all no/low-alc sales). The U.S. and Canada were standouts for growth.

👶🏼 The growing trend – expected to reach nearly 4% of the total alcohol market by 2027 – is young: Gen Z and millennials made up the bulk of new consumers entering the category, while few Boomers showed interest.

🍸 Just as plant-based has benefited from omnivorous consumers who are merely cutting back on meat – rather than cutting it out entirely – the same is true here. Around 43% of no/low consumers are “Substituters” who will still drink full-strength alcoholic beverages in addition to alternatives, up from 41% last year.

🤷🏼‍♂️ Meanwhile, Abstainers, those who have given up alcohol entirely, fell from 19% of the category’s consumers in 2022 to 17%.

Pop rocker Olivia Rodrigo is the latest celeb to release a pricey smoothie with L.A.’s trendiest grocery store, Erewhon. The launch follows the wild success of Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie.

🎤 Aptly named the “good 4 ur GUTS” Smoothie – a reference to the singer’s song “good 4 u” and her sophomore album GUTS – the nutrient-packed beverage features Health Ade’s Pomegranate Kombucha as its hero ingredient. 

🍓 Available now through January 14, the gut health-focused treat also blends up strawberries, mango, blueberries, acai, avocado, Minor Figures Oatmilk and a touch of Nature Nate’s Organic Honey and Dates.

💕 A portion of all proceeds will go to Rodrigo’s non-profit, Fund 4 Good, raising awareness for various groups championing women’s issues and empowerment.

You can now get a good ol’ cup of mud in person in Santa Monica, California. Functional powdered beverage brand MUD\WTR announced a soft opening of its first cafe and community space last week, marking the CPG’s company’s jump into brick-and-mortar operations.

☕ Officially called “MUD\WTR :gather” the cafe’s menu features the brand’s cacao, matcha, turmeric and “rest” blended drinks, as well as lattes, smoothies and specialty drinks.

🧘🏼‍♂️ The cafe also includes a co-working space and a “mindfulness studio.” But during this soft opening period, MUD\WTR :gather is only open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m Pacific time Wednesday through Sunday.

PRIME is a phenomenon. The brand has risen to become a major player in the sports drink category and is generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. What makes it so special? The hosts unpacked PRIME’s appeal and remarkable success. They also highlighted a viral Doritos-flavored spirit, key details to include in investor pitches and a new Girl Scout cookie-inspired snack.

Listen to the full episode of Taste Radio