Drink Labs

Report: Index Ranks U.S. Food Giants on Access to Nutrition The 10 largest U.S. food and beverage companies need to step up efforts to improve the nutritional content and accessibility of their highest-selling products, according to the first-ever U.S. Access to Nutrition Index. The Index, produced by the Access to Nutrition Foundation (ATNF), an independent non-profit organization based in the Netherlands, assigns a numerical score on a scale of one to 10 based on an evaluat...Continue reading

LaCroix is facing a lawsuit over the mysterious ingredient that has made it a huge hit here's what we know about it LaCroix's ingredients have sparked questions. Facebook/La Croix LaCroix is facing a lawsuit arguing that the sparkling-beverage brand contains artificial ingredients, a claim LaCroix categorically denies. LaCroix's use of "natural essences" has sparked questions and confusion for years....Continue reading

Keurig Dr Pepper to Acquire CORE for $525 million. One of a growing set of insurgent premium water brands was taken off the table this morning when Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced that it had agreed to buy CORE Nutrition, the maker of CORE Hydration and CORE Organics, for $525 million. Wholesale sales for CORE were between $70 and $80 million, according to a source close to the deal; retail sales were close to $200 million according to the brand. According to the announcemen...t, KDP expects to realize $90 million in tax benefits in the deal. KDP has been an outstanding partner for CORE and I am certain that, under its ownership, CORE will continue to see tremendous long-term success, said founder Lance Collins in a press release. I am a strong supporter of the KDP strategy and business model and am looking forward to being a shareholder in the company. Core was founded in 2015 by Collins, a serial beverage entrepreneur known for starting brands like Fuze and Body Armor, in partnership with music producer Lukasz Gottwald, also known as Dr Luke. Other investors included celebrities like Katy Perry, Juicy J. and Diplo, as well as a variety of Hollywood executives. One company that benefited from the sale, albeit indirectly, was KDP rival Coca-Cola Co., which owned a stake in Core via incubator L.A. Libations. An early investor and distributor of Core, L.A. Libations is partially owned by Coke. Retailer 7-Eleven was also an investor, along with food and beverage entrepreneur Jason Cohen. Last year, the company raised nearly $40 million. The deal comes amid a reshuffling of the allied, independent brands distributed by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which was taken over by Keurig earlier this year. Pressure increased on KDP to buy Core when Fiji, another premium water company in the allied brand portfolio, cut ties with KDP from a distribution standpoint. Another allied brand, Body Armor, is also leaving the fold, having agreed to a minority investment from the Coca-Cola Co. in August. The company purchased Bai in 2016 and owns a stake in High Brew coffee as well. Vita Coco remains independent but is widely distributed by KDP. The transaction leaves independent water brand Essentia Water as an increasingly likely takeover target. -Article courtesy of BevNet

Even Coca Cola is getting into the CBD game! Coca-Cola says it’s monitoring the nascent industry and is interested in drinks infused with CBD -- the non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that treats pain but doesn’t get you high. The Atlanta-based soft drinks maker is in talks with Canadian marijuana producer Aurora Cannabis to develop the beverages, according to a report from BNN Bloomberg Television. We are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingre...dient in functional wellness beverages around the world, Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg News. The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time. Landers declined to comment on Aurora. Coke’s possible foray into the marijuana sector comes as beverage makers are trying to add cannabis as a trendy ingredient while their traditional businesses slow. -Article courtesy of Bloomberg

Soda Tax May Be Coming For California The California Medical Association and California Dental Association are leading the charge for a statewide soda tax, according to a story on CNBC. To get onto the ballot in 2020, the proposal will need to get 585,407 signatures by March 2019. If successful, the tax could raise between $2-$3 billion to pay for public health programs that would address childhood obesity and dental disease. Diet soda, milk, juice, instant formula and medica...l beverages would be exempt from the tax. In June, California’s state legislature banned local soda taxes until 2031, though that measure did not rule out a statewide tax. -courtesy of BevNet 9/14/2018

Drink Labs was founded with entrepreneurs in mind. We are dedicated to helping start-up brands fast track the process of developing a beverage. We’ve created a process, refined over years of experience in the industry, that takes you from concept to shelf. Our state-of-the art in house lab is located in sunny Southern California, in close proximity to some of the best ingredient vendors and packaging suppliers globally. Innovation is our expertise. We don’t just know trends..., we trail blaze. Each client is provided with the support, attention, and consulting that they need to efficiently launch a beverage brand that shines in the market. Developing a beverage is hard, we get it. Let us help you maker it easier because teamwork makes the dreamwork!