• 🌵 A Drink With El Tesoro's CEO and Master Distiller
• 👩🏼‍🎓 Non-Alc OG Opens Accelerator
• 🪴 Hemp Industry Updates
• 🔀 Monday Moves
• 🎙️ Now Streaming: Taste Radio

From the playful rise of #WaterTok to the wellness appeal of prebiotic sodas, consumers are reshaping what they expect from a simple sip. Flavored water is leading the charge, bridging fun, function, and flavor in ways brands can’t afford to ignore. See where innovation is headed next. Learn more

Yerba Madre is making more major marketing plays, just over a month after completely overhauling its 30-year-old brand. The California-based beverage maker is tripling down on sports partnerships with three new soccer-related initiatives announced in the past week, writes senior reporter Brad Avery.

Now as an official sponsor of this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, the yerba mate maker will own “Extra Time” with namedrops during live PA announcements and videoboard appearances. It also struck a multi-year partnership with fledgling Northeast soccer team Vermont Green FC. 

Here’s The Big Win: The brand launched a “cross-sport athlete collective” of individual brand ambassadors from across the world of sports, including NBA stars, pro skaters and surfers, and, yes, more soccer; Angel City FC players Madison Hammond and Casey Phair are among the inaugural class of athletes who will be promoting Yerba Madre this year.

Naturally, the focus on soccer is a continuation of the brand’s dedication to its origins as a traditional South American beverage (ICYMI: Soccer is the most popular pro sport in the region). 

• With the rebranding now rolled out, mission and tradition have been front and center in Yerba Madre’s messaging. 
• That approach is also now being reflected in its sports marketing campaigns.

As the ever-evolving sports marketing playbook catches up to modern times, this partnership once again proves being a “sports drink” is no longer a requirement to field a sports team’s support. Independent brands have increasingly built their own rosters of athlete partners, from Coco5 to Loom to, of all brands, STōK Cold Brew.

"As we bring the mate tradition into U.S. sports, we're partnering with organizations and athletes who care about more than just visibility. They want shared purpose, and that's exactly what we are building together,” said Yerba Madre CMO Emily Kortlang.

It’s also reflective of the way Yerba Madre CEO Ben Mand has approached his corporate growth strategy.

At BevNET Live Summer 2025 last week, Mand said he pays special attention to the “core principles” of the business – with sustainability and supporting farmers being chief among those – and getting out in the field to listen to suppliers, consumers and all partners in the company before making radical decisions… like changing the brand name of a nearly 30-year-old product.

Check out the full story on BevNET. Also: Catch up on Mand’s full presentation from BevNET Live.

Jenny Camerna is the youngest of nine children. She is also the one who has stepped up as CEO and master distiller for a family of historic tequila producers.

After departing her architecture career and joining El Tesoro in 2015 as master of operations and third generation tequila maker, Jenny Camarena has now taken over leadership from her brother Carlos Camarena, largely known as a pioneer in modern tequila production. 

Spirits editor Ferron Salniker chatted with Camarena about how El Tesoro is differentiating in the tequila boom, what expressions she’s planning (don’t expect a cristalino!) and why education is crucial for the brand at this moment.

Insiders can access the full interview on BevNET.

Regardless of your opinion on the products themselves, you can’t argue that longtime non-alcoholic spirits maker Arkay (founded in 2011) was ahead of the curve. 

🔑 Now that zero-proof has gone mainstream, founder Reynald Vito Grattagliano is hoping to stay on the cutting edge by offering turnkey beverage development services to aspiring entrepreneurs in the category. 

• For a one-time fee, Arkay will produce a custom beverage formulation, including ownership of production manuals and “exclusive flavor concentrates.”
• Initial samples are promised within 15 days of project launch, with 100 total samples of the finalized drink. 

Go Deeper: Hear from two startup CEOs on how they are supporting the ANA category’s growth.

Our premium watermelon water captures the essence of the juiciest fruit on earth, delicately preserved in a can for your convenience. Packed with naturally occurring electrolytes and antioxidants, every sip replenishes essential minerals, keeping you energized and refreshed throughout your day. Learn more

🤔 Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s vociferous battle to ban hemp products from the Lone Star State couldn’t have anything to do with the considerable financial support he’s received from the alcohol industry – could it? The connection has “prompted deeper questions” as Gov. Greg Abbott’s final approval (or veto) is awaited this week. 

🚨 California has managed to keep hemp-derived THC products off shelves through an emergency decree that can only be renewed one more time before expiration. That is, unless those rules are made permanent – a process which is currently in the initial stages, per a rule making notice issued on Friday by the state’s Department of Public Health. 

Go Deeper: Hemp Industry Responds To California ‘Readopting’ Emergency Ban

Here’s a taste of the people and products moving around the industry to start off your week.

🍋 Lemon Perfect named Mari Lee as CMO. Lee brings over two decades of CPG industry experience, most recently serving as SVP of commercial marketing at Nutrabolt. 

🥃 WhistlePig Whiskey tapped spirits industry veteran Charles Gibb as its new CEO, four months after the Vermont-based distillery announced that its former chief executive, Jeff Kozak, was stepping down. 

💰 Taylor Foxman is now a venture partner at Sandbox Studios, a $30 million seed stage fund exclusively focused on consumer brands founded or backed by A-list celebrities, per a LinkedIn post. 

🛒 Lifeway Foods’ landed its Organic Kefir Flavor Fusions in H Mart stores nationwide. The Asian-American grocery chain will stock all 10 flavors, including Pink Dragon Fruit, Passionfruit Lychee and Hot Honey. 

🍓 Superfruit energy drink brand Huxley is going on a Costco roadshow across the Midwest this summer, starting in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founder Simon Solis-Cohen called the event a “big chance to prove ourselves.” 

🍹 Parch Spirits Co. (winner of BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown 25) will now be distributed by New York-based Union Beer Distributors, according to a LinkedIn post by co-founder Ila Byrne. 

Insiders can check out additional distribution updates on BevNET.

Can a sober celebrity build a booming booze brand? The hosts dig into the paradox behind a high-profile actress and entrepreneur who doesn’t drink – but is betting big on alcohol. Plus, a tea company rooted in a 1930s family recipe is brewing something fresh with younger consumers. With a grassroots strategy and nostalgic appeal, could it be the next big thing for Gen Z and millennials?

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