• Emma Chamberlain, Pinterest Debut Co-Branded Coffee
• Volumes Slump in May, Sales Decelerate
• Water Maker Flow Reports Up & Down Q2
• Breakthru On Strike
• CPG Vet Wants To Modernize Food Testing
• What Else Is New?

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

WhistlePig Whiskey and Liquid Death, two beverage disruptors known for their viral marketing stunts and unusual collaborations, are aiming to kill typical summer cocktail trends with a limited release launching today, writes spirits editor Ferron Salniker. 

GraveStock Wheat Whiskey is a high wheat whiskey aged in charred American oak caskets by Vermont-based WhistlePig and proofed with Liquid Death Mountain Water. 

Encouraging fans to continue the pairing beyond the bottle, the companies are promoting mixing GraveStock Wheat Whiskey with one of Liquid Death’s sparkling waters and teas for a “DeathBall” cocktail.

“WhistlePig and Liquid Death are both brands that fans get tattoos of,” said WhistlePig’s VP of  marketing. 

• Since it was founded in 2007, WhistlePig has been largely credited with modernizing a common cocktail base by experimenting and pushing boundaries in the category. 
• Liquid Death, founded ten years later, has done something similar with water, by turning its cans into a $1 billion cult brand through its edgy campaigns. 

For those reasons alone a collaboration seems like a no-brainer, but Liquid Death also has an especially strong following with the next generation of drinkers in Gen Z – an age demographic that’s been a concern for the bev-alc industry. 

So while past summer limited edition WhistlePig partners include Traeger Grills, Pit Viper Sunglasses, and Solo Stove, this one is a clear lasso to bring non-whiskey drinkers into the fold of a 4/20 friendly, young-feeling whiskey brand. 

The collaboration comes just a few days after WhistlePig named a new CEO with experience at Fever Tree and Belvedere Vodka, likely reflecting the company’s growth ambitions as it expands into a broader bourbon portfolio. 

Read the story on BevNET for the full scoop.

Pinterest has long been a prodigiously popular way for CPG brands and consumers to inspire each other – so much that we’re almost surprised it has taken this long to get an official co-branded product. 

That finally arrived this week, courtesy of another online force: Emma Chamberlain, whose eponymous coffee brand teamed with the platform on a new Sea Salt Toffee Flavored Blend.

• For Chamberlain Coffee, the collab is another in a string of targeted partnerships (see Swoon, Nutpods, Dove, 818 Tequila) that smartly align with her broad audience of fans outside of coffee. 
• For Pinterest, the deal signals stronger intent around its efforts to integrate in-app shopping into its platform, underscored by a new partnership that will make Pinterest ads directly shoppable via Instacart.

Check out the full article on BevNET.

Price hikes couldn’t make up for sliding volumes as non-alc beverage sales decelerated in the back half of May, according to a NielsenIQ data analysis by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

• Though dollar sales still grew 2% in the two-week period ending May 31, that reflected a deceleration from 3.4% growth in the four-week period.
• We’re used to hearing this refrain by now, aren’t we? Although weakening volume sales appeared to be decoupled from pricing: even categories that saw prices fall, like bottled water, still report sales slumps.
• CSDs reflected the trend too (up 2% overall) while energy drinks remained elevated (+13.8%) but likewise slowed down.

Get the full breakdown on BevNET.

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Is the glass of alkaline water half-full or half-empty at Flow? After the company’s latest quarterly earnings, you could read it either way.

A 17% drop in revenue – sparked in part by inventory issues for its branded drinks – was another hit to take.

But CAD$14.3 million in new investment and a healthy co-packing business (+28% net revenue) suggests the Tetra Pak water company’s “leaner and more focused operation” (per founder/CEO Nicholas Reichenbach) is starting to bear fruit. 

Interestingly, the brand’s forthcoming innovation – Flow Sparkling Mineral Spring Water, set for Q3 launch in four SKUs – will be in aluminum bottles, a format which it doesn’t manufacture itself. 

Insiders can read the full story for more earnings details and news of a new CFO. 

A strike at one of the biggest bev-alc distributors is spreading nationally. The Teamsters’ strike at Breakthru Beverage in Florida is extending to the alcohol distributor’s facilities in six other states: Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Pennsylvania, the labor union announced on Tuesday.

• The Teamsters said more than 700 members in those states won’t be crossing picket lines and consumers “should prepare for significant product shortages.”
• The issues flared up two weeks ago when more than 160 drivers at Breakthru facilities across Florida went on strike. 
• The Teamsters claimed the strike is due to illegal firings of workers for union activity and the company’s refusal to negotiate in good faith, including asking workers to take pay cuts of between $15,000 and $30,000 annually per worker and no improved benefits.

There is a growing push to hold the food industry to higher traceability and transparency standards, stemming both from consumer demands as well as from the Trump Administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign.

Light Labs, a “modern food testing” startup,” believes it can push the industry toward these objectives while creating a “virtuous cycle” that ties product transparency to increased revenue for brand operators.

Co-founded by Nick Mares (you may know from bone broth brand Kettle & Fire) and Vijay Manohar, the new upstart also aims to make product testing more efficient, accessible and cost effective.

They have built both a laboratory as well as proprietary software to scale up operations and rework food testing norms for the modern era.

Insiders can access the full story to understand the new operation and get a look at the CPG partners it already has on board.

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

⚽ C4 is committing $400,000 to local sports leagues and teams across the country as part of its new C4 Local Legends initiative, aligning with its “Made for Athletes. Certified for Sport.” campaign.

😷 Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hydration is launching an Amazon exclusive flavor, Blackberry Açai, available for $22.49 per 12-pack.

🍒 Slice Soda has introduced a Cherry Cola variety to its lineup of better-for-you CSDs. The launch is accompanied by an AI-powered internet radio station.

🍹 It’s been less than six months since hemp-derived THC brand Cann went after consumers seeking a “HI’ER” dosed drink with its 10mg variety. Now, it is targeting the on-premise opportunity and at-home cocktail drinker with a multiserve spirit alternative, Citrus Spritz.

Get more the full story on Cann’s new product on BevNET.