As he seeks to initiate a mass scaling plan, Lemon Perfect’s new CEO Jeff Popkin believes the enhanced water brand has the rare ability to “go anywhere,” from c-stores to golf shops.

Popkin was named as chief executive of the seven-year-old business earlier this month, taking over the role from founder Yanni Hufnagel, who has now stepped into the position of executive chairman. Hufnagel will continue to “be the face of the brand” and “push the innovation engine,” Popkin told BevNET this morning.

Now 30 days into the job, Popkin – a seasoned beverage executive with past roles at Vita Coco, Mast-Jägermeister US and Red Bull Distribution Company – said he was brought into Lemon Perfect to help “divide and conquer” as the brand aims to firmly establish itself as an omnichannel competitor.

“It was really Yanni's decision to bring in someone, an operator – which would be me – to come in and scale this business in the right way and with strength in terms of how we build it out in what order,” Popkin said. “How we build out DSD, how we build out route-to-market, to be able to access small format and immediate consumption, all those type things, together with the marketing message that's inspiring and compelling for consumers.”

So just where do the opportunities to scale Lemon Perfect lie? 

• The brand has significant white space to grow in convenience stores, gas accounts and other “cold channel” grab-and-go accounts. Popkin wants to expand Lemon Perfect’s DSD network branch out further beyond mainstream conventional and mass accounts where it already has a large footprint.
• Foodservice and On-Premise (FSOP) is another target, with office accounts and restaurants being another opportunity for the brand. Popkin noted that Lemon Perfect makes a canned version of its drinks for foodservice already, which could be extended into other channels as well, as a sustainable alternative to its standard PET packaging.
• Popkin wouldn’t give up any details on the pipeline, but did say innovation will be an important pillar in attracting new consumers. That strategy will involve focusing on Gen Z and “progressing up the ladder.”

It's been a big year for the Simply Good Foods Company (SGFC) with the acquisition of protein shake brand OWYN in April. On Thursday, the company had its first earnings call since incorporating OWYN into the portfolio and reported positive net sales along with an optimistic message for FY 2025 to investors. Here is a peek at the numbers:

• In Q4, net sales were $375.7 million, a 17.2% increase over $320.4 million in Q4 FY 2023.
• Gross margin in Q4 was 38.8%.
• For FY 2024, net sales were $1.3 billion, a 7.1% rise over last year.
• Net income was $139.3 million for the year compared to $133.6 million in 2023.
• Forecasting for FY 2025, SGFC expects net sales to increase from 8.5% to 10.5% with adjusted EBITDA in the range of 4% to 6%.

📈 SGFC president and CEO Geoff Tanner said OWYN point-of-sale growth is expected to go up “20% to 30%” with a focus in the near term on “driving the core, expanding the number of doors and adding larger packs.”

Insiders can read the full story to dig deeper into the company's financial performance.

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One of American whiskey’s biggest names, Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver, has taken to Instagram to encourage consumers to grab whiskey over tequila. Her gripe is focused on additives like sugar-based syrup and glycerin being added to the “foreign import” spirit. The goal appears to be trying to drive consumers back to buying whiskey, which has steadily lost share to tequila in recent years.

🌵 Additive-free tequila has become a trend among agave spirit producers like Polanco and Madre Tequila.

😯 Demand for additive-free brands has also spawned a battle between Mexican regulators and the Tequila Matchmaker’s Additive-Free Alliance that included a raid on a Matchmaker property earlier this year.

🤔 The posts from Weaver (who oddly has hinted that tequila may be in the company’s future) come as Mexican regulators reasserted last month that no tequila brands are allowed to use the term additive-free on their labels, leaving consumers with even less transparency about what’s in the bottle. 

Learn more about additive-free spirits on BevNET

Merchandisers at the Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits distribution facility in Farmers Branch, Texas, last week voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 745. The news comes as the workers prepare to bargain for a pay bump.

🍷 Founded in 1968, privately-owned Southern Glazer’s handles more than 50% of all domestic wine and spirits distribution. This year, workers at the company have rapidly organized, with facilities in Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico and Tennessee all voting to join the union. 

Hydration beverage HOIST has announced Gerry David will be the new chairman of the board of directors. David comes to HOIST with over 40 years of experience in consumer products including over five years as president and CEO of Celsius.

💬 “As consumers increasingly prioritize hydration and health benefits, HOIST is in a unique position to deliver just that. HOIST’s affiliation with the U.S. Military, being one of three electrolyte sources approved for use by the U.S. Department of Defense, sets them apart in the hydration market,” David said in a statement.

👋 The Ohio-based brand recently announced its CEO Kevin Klock was departing to focus on his 4 Guys Beverage Co.

The Dwell Dripper is a silicone pour-over dripper that enables a “free-flowing brewing process” using a unique bottomless design. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company’s device can make a pour-over cup in less than three minutes and each kit comes with a brewer and a precise measuring scoop.

3️⃣ The pour-over device uses a three-by-three process developed by Verve where three scoops of ground coffee are paired with water poured to the designated line on the dripper three times.

🫰🏽 The dripper is available on Verve’s website and Amazon for SRP $24.99 and is offered in seven colors.

The hosts chat about actor Tom Holland’s foray into CPG with NA beer Bero, before riffing on an enlightening collaboration between an up-and-coming wine company and personal care brand. We also feature an interview with Megan Klein, the founder and CEO of Little Saints, an innovative brand of non-alcoholic cocktails infused with functional mushrooms, who recently appeared on “Shark Tank.”

Listen to the episode now.