• 818 Tequila Secures New Investment & CEO
• Costco Upgrades Soda in Latest Rotation
• Pepsi Culls SKU Counts
• What's New? Health-Ade to Jumex
• Nombase Podcast: Is Wegmans On Your Radar?

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Kentucky senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell might be sparring over language around hemp regulation in the upcoming Farm Bill and conservative Texas lawmakers are relitigating the state’s approach to intoxicating cannabis derivatives, but one GOP congressman is laying the early groundwork for formal, federal hemp legalization.

This week, we got an early look at a draft copy of a federal bill sponsored by long-time CBD and hemp advocate Rep. Morgan Griffith – serving Virginia’s 9th district in his eighth term. 

• The legislation would put guardrails around consumable hemp products, including intoxicating hemp-derived THC offerings. 
• It would also allow hemp food and beverages to be sold to individuals 21 and older.
• The draft places regulation of consumable hemp under the FDA while Health and Human Services would determine acceptable milligram dosages and provide a list of permissible cannabinoids.
• “Adulterated” hemp products like those formulated with alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, nicotine or melatonin would be prohibited

In order to address safety and compliance issues, the prospective bill requires standardized manufacturing and testing, tamper-resistant packaging and outlaws marketing to children.

While the bill satisfies many of the concerns of wary legislators and formalizes practices by many hemp beverage operators, there remains a little uncertainty. 

As currently written, the legislation could limit hemp-derived THC (like delta-9) products to a default dosage of 0.2mg per serving and 1mg per package or container if the FDA doesn’t set a different standard within a three-year rulemaking window.

Read how the hemp beverage industry is responding to Rep. Griffith’s draft bill on BevNET.

We're keeping up with the Kardashians, and Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila has some news. 

The tequila brand’s parent company, Calabasas Beverage Company, received a strategic investment from the Pérez family, owners of Grupo Solave, the company in Jalisco, Mexico that produces 818 Tequila. 

The announcement comes as Calabasas Beverage (also the parent company of Kylie Jenner’s Sprinter) appoints a new CEO.

The latest update from the brand arrives on the heels of its new Minis line – 50 mL bottles of its Reposado and Blanco expressions, worn like charms on purses in its social campaigns, fitting squarely into collectable, customizable trinket trends led by Gen Z. 

Would we expect anything less from the reality TV star-turned entrepreneur? 

Read the full article for all of the details.

Costco has completed its end of summer rotations and consumers around the country will find an upgrade in its craft soda selection with at least two new brands entering the club chain.

🥤 Jones Soda is rolling out a variety 12-pack to Southeast Costco stores and in Puerto Rico, with its top selling Orange & Cream, Cream Soda, Green Apple and Berry Lemonade flavors.

🫧 Up in the Northeast, probiotic soda maker Culture Pop is adding 99 locations with its own 15-count variety packs of 12 oz. cans, featuring Orange Mango & Lime, Strawberry Rhubarb and Black Cherry flavors.

💧 Not feeling a soda? Leisure Hydration also announced its expansion into Costco with SoCal and Hawaii locations featuring a new multipack design.

Interested in even more distribution news? Check out the full roundup on BevNET.

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BevNET’s Natural Beverage Guide is your essential resource for navigating the fast-growing world of natural, functional, and better-for-you beverages.

Inside you’ll find innovative and established brands across juice, kombucha, functional waters, energy, coffee, tea, plant-based and more. The guide also features suppliers and service providers fueling the ecosystem, along with insights into the latest trends shaping 2025 and beyond.

Download the 2025 Natural Beverage Guide

PepsiCo is doing some housecleaning it seems as it’s announced nearly two dozen SKUs are now only available with “limited time left.” As The Street notes, it’s fair to assume that production on these products has ceased.

Nine Mountain Dew flavors appear on the chopping block, including Caffeine Free, White Out, Major Melon and Spark (as well as the Zero Sugar versions of the last two) and three Kickstart flavors.

Bubly and Gatorade also seem to be dropping some products, with Lemon, Apple and Cranberry Bubly leaving as well as three Bubly Bounce varieties.

On Gatorade, Cherry Lime and Tangerine Orange varieties of the Gatorade Fit line and four Gatorade Zero with Protein flavors are getting the axe.

Go Deeper: Pepsi: Formulation, Infrastructure Changes Afoot After Q2 Volume Drop

It’s Hump Day! Here’s a taste of the new drops and activations from the first half of the week.

🪴 Hemp THC drink maker Delta Beverages is getting its name out there with a new marketing campaign “There’s a Delta for That” promoting the drink as an answer to “life’s lows (and highs)”.

🏈 Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is the latest athlete to join Monster Energy’s pro team, enlisting as a brand ambassador.

🍊 Vilore Foods has aligned its Jumex hydration brand with the University of Texas at San Antonio’s athletic program, marking the first Mexican brand to sponsor an NCAA Division I program.

🥤 Health-Ade’s better-for-you soda line SunSip is introducing a Classic Cola flavor, made with prebiotics and available online this week with a Whole Foods launch beginning September 3.

Summer is drawing to a close and Spindrift is preparing for the fall with a new Cranberry Punch seasonal flavor, alongside the return of its Cranberry Raspberry fan favorite flavor.

🆓 Check out even more new beverage launches in our latest gallery.

Is Wegmans on your radar? For many emerging CPG brands, cracking Wegmans is a dream, but timing, trends, and execution often decide who makes it. 

In this episode, Isabel Washington of Laurel’s Coffee and Alexander Harik of Zesty Z share the real stories behind getting on Wegmans’ shelves, from navigating distributors to building velocity without demos or promos. They’re joined by Josh Cannon of Cultivate CPG, who brings years of experience guiding brands through the Wegmans process. Find out what buyers really want, how to pitch with confidence, and the strategies that turn “maybe” into yes.

Tune into the episode here. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.