• 🚚 Distribution: Clear Skies for Local Weather, Polar Brings A-Game
• 🏀 Barcode Ballin’ With BK Nets
• 🍋 Spindrift Vet Kimmel to Run Supply Chain at Lemon Perfect
• 🧑‍⚖️ Panera Lemonade Sparks Wrongful Death Suit
• ♾️ LOOP Grows Mission in U.S.

🌤️ We haven't heard a whole lot about next-gen hydration drink Local Weather since the launch of the brand -- backed by social media guru/investor Gary Vanyerchuck, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and an eye-catching aluminum bottle -- was announced last March. But the product has been on the move: according to a LinkedIn post from VP of sales Jordan Shulman, it's now available nationwide via online natural grocers Misfits Markets and Imperfect Foods. That comes on the heels of its nationwide debut at Whole Foods; when it rains, it pours, as they say in the weather biz. 

🥃 Premium mixer brand Top Note is partnering with Bourget Imports to bring its full range to stores in Minnesota, including sodas Cascara Cola and Sparkling Lemon-Limeade. The brand is currently on retail shelves in eight states, including Alaska, Nebraska, Nevada and Texas. The brand has also dabbled in the RTD cocktail space, collaborating with Marz Brewery in 2022 on a canned Gin and Tonic and Vodka Mule. 

🌱 MAKA's search for traction in a niche natural sub-category -- organic wheatgrass beverages -- appears to be finding some purchase, as this week the company announced that last month it entered coolers in all 161 locations of The Fresh Market. Available in four flavors (Coconut Pineapple, Mango, Lemon and Hibiscus Passionfruit), each 12 oz. can contains the equivalent of eight 1 oz wheatgrass shots, blended with Yerba mate and guayusa for 90mg of natural caffeine. 

The company partnered with brand accelerator Take Root by national sales agency Green Spoon, designed to "build strong foundations for MAKA" before moving into Green Spoon. Its retail footprint also includes Sprouts, Fresh Market, Gelson’s, Erewhon and Bristol Farms, among others.

And in other Fresh Market news, Vietnamese coffee RTD Sang is in there as of this week, too.

⚾ Remember one-time Boston Red Sox hero Johnny Damon? They do in Massachusetts, where Worcester-based Polar Beverages is taking on Damon's sports drink venture A-Game for distribution throughout New England, according to a release. The brand is attempting to jump in the evolving sports hydration space with a 16 oz. PET bottle that touts a formulation that boasts sea salt for natural electrolytes, no artificial flavors or sweeteners, and eight essential vitamins. A-Game in six flavors across sugar (20 grams) and zero-sugar (erythritol, stevia) versions. 

Polar is the latest Keurig Dr Pepper-affiliated bottler to take on the brand alongside Kalil Bottling in Arizona.  A-Game also signed a deal earlier this month to become the Official Sports Hydration Beverage of the Ballparks of America campus during the 2024 and 2025 baseball seasons.

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The deadline to submit nominations for the annual BevNET Best Of Awards is approaching quickly! Nominations will be accepted through this Friday, October 27. As an Insider, you can submit a nomination for just $99, which includes a $50 discount per submission. Winners will be announced during the award ceremony at BevNET Live, taking place Dec. 3-5 in Marina del Rey, CA. Learn more and nominate.

The Coca-Cola Company reported net revenue growth of 8% during Q3, leading the company to raise its full year topline and bottom-line guidance.

Here’s a quick look at the numbers:

• Organic revenue grew 11% during Q3 which Quincey said was largely driven by volume increases, pricing in the market and carry over price increases from last year
• Volumes grew 2%; the month of September saw the greatest volume growth during the quarter
• Price/mix increased 9% across operating segments and was impacted by “a few hyperinflationary markets”

Unit case volume for beverages in North America was flat during the quarter, with sparkling flavors, juice and value-added dairy beverages helping to offset declines in other categories.

Read the full story on BevNET

With the NBA season fast approaching, Brooklyn Nets fans will be seeing a new brand face at the team’s home games this year, as startup functional beverage brand Barcode announced it has been named the Nets’ Official Fitness Water – not to be confused with its Official Alkaline Water, Essentia.

🤩 The three-year deal will feature a hydration station for players at all Nets home games this year, as well as LED signage and logo placements throughout the Barclay Center in Brooklyn and other Nets media events. Barcode will also be allowed to use the Nets branding in marketing and promotions.

🗺️ Founded in 2020, Barcode has been quickly drafting a roster of star NBA players and building a distribution strategy around them. Besides brand co-founder Kyle Kuzma, the company has brought in first-round draft pick Victor Wembanyama (of the San Antonio Spurs) and the Lakers’ Carmelo Anthony as investors, among other pro athletes. In turn, Texas and Southern California have become some of the brand’s strongest retail markets.

🤝 Ahead of the announcement, Barcode partnered with New York DSD distributor Rainforest to grow its footprint in the city. The brand also has some distribution in the Nets old home state of New Jersey via 75 ShopRite locations.

Read the full story on BevNET

Lemon Perfect, the Beyoncé-backed enhanced water maker, has named experienced CPG operations specialist David Kimmel as its Chief Supply Chain Officer.

🌴 Kimmel comes to the brand from canned cocktail maker Onda, where he had served as COO since last year. Prior to that, he spent eight years as SVP Operations at Spindrift and has held roles at Food Should Taste Good and Tribe Mediterranean Foods as well.

🚪 Kimmel told BevNET his goal is to help the brand scale; Last year, founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel said the brand was on track to surpass 40,000 doors nationwide.

🙋‍♂️ The brand currently has seven full-time operations employees who now report to Kimmel and it’s seeking to grow the team. Areas for growth including roles servicing key customers like Publix and Costco, manufacturing and quality assurance.

Read the full story on BevNET

Panera Bread is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after a 21-year-old college student with a heart condition in Wisconsin died after unknowingly drinking a highly caffeinated lemonade at the cafe chain. 

Sarah Katz died of cardiac arrhythmia in September 2022 following a trip to Panera with friends during which she drank a "Charged Lemonade," a house-mixed menu item that contains about 390 mg of caffeine in a large-size 30 oz. cup. 

Katz had long QT syndrome (LQTS), a potentially life-threatening disorder that can cause fast and irregular heartbeats, for which she had been taking medication and limiting her caffeine consumption. 

Attorneys for Katz's family allege that Panera misleads consumers by not properly labeling “Charged Lemonade” as an energy drink in stores where the item is marketed as ‘Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast Coffee,' which they contend is vague and "unhelpful" as there is no direct size comparison for the two drinks. 

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. In a statement to CNN, the cafe chain stated “At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.”

Canadian cold-pressed juice producer LOOP Mission will be furthering its goal to reduce food waste by using rejected produce and other byproducts in its products via a new U.S. partnership with Offshoot Brands, a sales, marketing and growth group specializing in plant-based products.

🥖 Currently, only LOOP’s juices are sold in the U.S., but in Canada the brand has a wide array of products including beer made from day-old bread, gin distilled from potato cuttings from a potato chip producer, and hand soap made with rejected cooking oil.

🛒 In partnering with Offshoot, LOOP Mission joins a portfolio of brands that includes Love Beets, Genuine Coconut and Veggie Confetti. In addition to sales and marketing, Offshoot also helps brands with operations, R&D and financing.