🍍 Reimagining Sessionable Moments with Crooked Owl Hard Tepache

Brewbound Insiders are learning about hard tepache and the challenges of competing in a still emerging segment in a Q&A with Crooked Owl co-founder Camillia Bailey, as part of this week’s Insider-exclusive A Round With feature. Bailey dishes on what whitespace hard tepache fills, and which markets Crooked Owl is focused on as it only continues to educate consumers on what hard tepache is.

In today’s newsletter, Insiders are also:

• Getting an update on the Anchor auction and new ownership (newsletter exclusive);
• Reading about the latest celebrity to invest in The Finnish Long Drink;
• Learning about new releases from Bell’s and AriZona (newsletter exclusive);
• And checking out the latest lager to hit Justin’s doorstep (newsletter exclusive).

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

Become a Brewbound Insider today!

Or, be in the know on all food and beverage news from Brewbound, BevNET and NOSH with Insider All Access.

Married duo Camillia and Dave Bailey fell in love with tepache, a beverage made from fermented pineapple, while traveling in Mexico City in 2018. Fast forward to 2022, and the pair launched Crooked Owl Hard Tepache, a 5% ABV version of the beloved beverage that is “naturally probiotic,” shelf stable, gluten free and 100 calories per can.

Available in three flavors – Original Piña, Jalapiña and Pasión – Crooked Owl has expanded from being available solely direct-to-consumer, to now distributed in California, New York and Georgia. Crooked Owl was also a finalist in the 2023 Brewbound Live Pitch Slam (replay available in the link above, with Crooked Owl’s pitch starting at the 13-minute mark). 

The latest Insider-exclusive A Round With features a Q&A with Camillia to get an update on the company since the Pitch Slam in December, and what it’s like working in a segment that is still finding its place in bev-alc.

Insiders can read the full Q&A, including recent wins for Crooked Owl, the company’s biggest challenges and what the founders learned from participating in Pitch Slam.

Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners is the latest group to invest in ready-to-drink brand The Finnish Long Drink, the company announced yesterday.

Marcy Venture Partners – the firm co-founded by rapper/mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, CEO of RocNation Jay Brown, and Larry Marus – has made a “significant investment in the brand to support the Finnish Long Drink’s continued momentum within the U.S. market.”

Now his firm joins a roster of other celebrities, with actor Miles Teller, DJ Kygo and professional golfer Rickie Fowler all backing one of the highest-selling RTD brands, inspired by a Finnish gin cocktail. 

Insiders can read more, including a refresher on other recent investments by Marcy Venture Partners.

Donn Bichsel Jr. and Mary Mills, leaders from beverage consultancy 3 Tier Beverages, share why data with the top 15 brewers removed can reveal true market opportunities and pitfalls, why brewers should also have a total-beverage alcohol perspective and which packages are trending. 

Then, New Belgium Brewing lead research and development brewer Kelly McKnight explains the Voodoo Ranger maker’s strategy for new products, why new IPAs flow under the Voodoo umbrella and much more.

Plus, Justin and Zoe review the latest headlines, including people moves at Sierra Nevada, BrewDog and Great Lakes. They also discuss how Wisconsin Brewing is carving a niche within the non-alcoholic beer space with a Harley-Davidson branded beer. 

Listen here or on your podcast platform of choice.

Sharing your news & press releases is now easier and quicker than ever.

With our new self-service press release portal, you can get your press release/news posted more quickly with increased control over formatting AND the ability to make changes after publishing.

🍷 Expanded Coverage: Wine, Supplier & Service Provider News, & More

We’ve expanded our coverage to include wine, suppliers, service providers, and more. Press releases on BevNET.com, Brewbound.com, and Nosh.com cover non-alcoholic beverages (RTDs, powders, mixes), beverage alcohol (spirits, wine, RTDs), cannabis beverages, beer and related (FMBs, hard seltzers, cider, sake), and packaged food products.

Additionally, we now cover industry-related supply chain topics and service providers. This includes co-packers, flavor and ingredient companies, industry related software companies, and retail and distribution related topics.

Learn more and submit a press release now.

The Brewbound Live business conference returns December 11 and 12 in Marina del Rey, California.

Brewbound Live will feature beverage-alcohol industry leaders taking part in business-focused conversations, data presentations, networking and much more across two days at the Marina del Rey Marriott.

Brewbound announced the first speakers for this year’s conference. They include:

• Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo;
• Deschutes Brewery CEO Peter Skrbek;
• National Beer Wholesalers Association chief economist and VP of analytics Lester Jones;
• Draftline Technologies founder and president Jennifer Hauke.

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Register for Brewbound Live 2024.

At Brewbound Live in Marina del Rey, CA on December 11 + 12, beer and beverage-alcohol brands can participate in retailer one-to-ones. Leaders from Whole Foods Market will be available for private, pre-scheduled meetings. Brands will be selected at each retailers’ discretion.

As the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with a vast network spanning over 500 stores, Whole Foods holds substantial influence in the market. These meetings present a unique opportunity for beer and beverage-alcohol brands aspiring to excel in retail channels focusing on natural and organic products. 

Participating brands can gain invaluable insights and strategic guidance tailored towards facilitating growth within these specialized retail environments.

You must be registered for Brewbound Live to be considered for a retailer meeting. Once you register for the event, you will receive an email with instructions for signing up.

Register for Brewbound Live Winter 2024.