While leadership may have been cautious in how much they revealed, investors and analysts were eager to learn more about Monster Energy’s plans for Bang during yesterday’s Q3 earnings call. 

Despite some mild impact on margin related to the costs of acquisition, Monster co-CEO Rodney Sacks cautioned that the Bang brand’s rollout into the Coke bottling system has only just begun: “This is not a real fair quarter for the capability of what Bang can bring to the portfolio,” he said on the call.

Monster reported net sales for Q3 up 14.3% to $1.86 billion, of which about $1.71 billion is the Monster Energy brand portfolio which includes the core namesake brand, Reign and Bang. 

Some analysts have been bullish on the acquisition’s ability to contribute to Monster’s overall growth strategy, especially as the company looks to adapt to a rapidly changing energy drink category that has faced tighter competition from strategic-aligned brands like Celsius (PepsiCo), C4 (Keurig Dr Pepper) and Ghost (Anheuser-Busch InBev) as well as Congo Brands’ Alani Nu and PRIME lines. That’s also not to forget the Phoenix production facility Monster picked up in the deal, which is expected to greatly increase the company’s West Coast capabilities and reduce production costs in the long run.

BevNET contributor and CPG industry strategist Joshua Schall said the call suggested a “relatively quick rebound” in door count for Bang, after it lost significant shelf-space over the past year. However, he cautioned that even the most optimistic outlook for the brand’s recovery is unlikely to meet the heights Bang achieved around 2019.

“This is a different energy-plus competitive landscape now and Monster has drastically rationalized a great deal of the Bang Energy flavors,” Schall said. “I expect the long-term rebuild (if successful) to be authentic, because Monster leadership has instructed the sales teams to not compromise any of the company's existing shelf space to incorporate the Bang brand.”

Read the full story on BevNET

Shoppers are adjusting to the cost-of-living crisis, and your brand should too. Learn 9 strategies to stay top-of-mind for price-conscious consumers designed by live consumer intelligence platform, ProQuo AI. Learn more

The final deadline to submit nominations for the annual BevNET Best Of Awards is TODAY Friday, November 3! 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.

Forget Thanksgiving, countless beverage brands are already rolling out their limited edition winter ho, ho, holiday offerings. This week’s new products gallery features festive launches from brands like ZOA, Red Bull, Chobani and more. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside: 

🎅🏾 Energy drink maker ZOA launches its newest LTO, Dwanta’s Holiday Punch. As the name suggests, the new variety is inspired by co-founder Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s holiday alter ego, Dwanta. 

🥤 Milk Bar teams up with Got Milk? to create its Holiday Milk Collection, which features all of the materials needed to create a trio of festive milk flavors – Apple Cider Donut, Pumpkin Cinnamon and Sugar Cookie – alongside six classic Milk Bar cookies.

💄 To celebrate the launch of its Cranberry Fizz flavor, Poppi partners with INNBEAUTY to create a limited edition lip oil set. The Sips & Lips duo will be available for $34 on Sephora’s website beginning November 7.

Check out the full NPG on BevNET.

Got… clarified milk? That’s the new question at upscale bars, where clarified milk punch cocktails have enjoyed a resurgence. Translating a historic technique into ready-to-drink cocktails is a whole other story, but we asked California-based New Alchemy to tell us the tale.

For starters, milk clarification is a historic alchemy that was used to strip a spirit or punch's rougher edges: milk is curdled, binding certain particles in the punch which are strained away, leaving a translucent liquid with a different mouthfeel and flavor— now a fancy magic trick for mixologists.

There aren’t many people up to the technical challenge of replicating the process while canning alcohol and citrus without stabilizers or artificial flavors, but these scientists-turned-distillers went for it. And after five years of testing, their Michelin bar-inspired gin fizz is now ready to milk the market (let us have our puns, it’s Friday).

But what might be most interesting about Spilt, the 19% ABV cocktail, is how using the unusual ingredient gave the brand a boost. The distillery joined a Shark Tank-like California dairy-based accelerator offering financial, marketing and sales support. They also upcycled whey byproduct from one of California’s most well known artisanal cheesemakers, adding a sustainability component that cut down on costs.

Read the full story on BevNET to learn how the brand is educating consumers and how artisanal cheese makers play a pivotal part in production

There’s never been a better time to talk to BevSource about your Can needs! We’ve leveraged our purchasing power to give you unbeatable 2024 rates and supply assurance while providing the support beverage brands have come to expect from us. Net 60 terms, no dunnage fees and hassle-free transitions. Learn more

The Shirley Temple is all grown up. 

After the spiked Shirley Temple gained traction at bars last summer (even dubbed the "new espresso martini" by the New York Times), industry veteran Adam Kost hopped on the opportunity to build a brand around a cocktail that hasn’t yet hit the mainstream, aiming to follow the footsteps of The Finnish Long Drink or Lone River Ranch Water. 

But Kost stumbled on the inspiration for the brand almost by accident, realizing that the cocktail flavor wasn’t a fit for his other RTD brand.  

Now, Dirty Shirley, a ready-to-drink cocktail spiked with vodka and organic cherry juice is expanding into new territories and flavors this week.

Read the full story on BevNET

It’s time to reveal the finalists for BevNET’s Cocktail Showdown, our business pitch competition for RTD cocktail brands taking place during BevNET Live Winter 2023 in Marina del Rey, CA. Read the story.