☕ Who Is Winning In Specialty Coffee?

Consumer desire for mood nurturing consumption is sparking beverage innovation. Relaxation drinks, mood-enhancing teas, adaptogenic elixirs & nutrient-enriched waters are all evolving with novel ingredients and perception-shaping flavors for product healthfulness. Learn more

The Boston Celtics are the 2024 NBA Champions, and it seems safe to say Tom First must be feeling pretty good. Earlier this year, First’s brand Culture Pop brought on the Celtics’ breakout star guard Derrick White as a spokesman for its probiotic soda line, and he’s not the only local Boston beverage maker to net the Buffalo’s endorsement.

☘️ Although he isn’t as big of a name nationwide as Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Boston Globe reported last week that White had become a “go-to spokesman for Boston-area brands,” including Sam Adams brewer Boston Beer and Boston Metro-based Culture Pop.

🏙️ While Tatum may have a signature Ruffles flavor and an obligatory star-athlete/Gatorade partnership, White’s popularity in New England has made him a powerful ambassador for emerging brands in the region.

🥊 “We’re a bit of an underdog in the biggest category that exists, in soda,” First told the Globe. “We think, in terms of health and quality, we kind of outpunch our weight, which is the exact same thing that Derrick does.”

🆓 Reminder: BevNET is based in Newton, Mass., so if Derrick White wants to swing by the office, he is more than welcome to come raid the sample fridge.

Jean-Charles Boisset, the proprietor of globally renowned wine company Boisset Collection and co-founder of luxury tequila brand Casa Obsidiana, explains why taste, not trends, is at the heart of new business ventures and product development, and what drives consumer communication and marketing.

Listen to the episode now.

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Did you know postbiotics have been proven to be more stable, convenient, and easier to combine with other ingredients than live bacteria and yeasts? IMMUSE is the cutting-edge postbiotic for your next beverage product, providing year-round immune support at the cellular level. Learn more

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