The Weekly Sip is Food Dive’s column focused on the latest news in the rapidly changing and growing beverage sector. From inaugural product lines to big investments and controversial topics, this column aims to quench the thirst for developments in the category.
Nonalcoholic beer gets a lift from Spider-Man star
Fans of Marvel’s web-slinging superhero have a new entry point into nonalcoholic brews.
Actor Tom Holland — known best as Peter Parker in the three most recent Spider-Man films — has debuted Bero, a nonalcoholic beer brand, targeted at consumers who want a more “balanced lifestyle,” the brand said.
Bero is launching with three beverages: Kingston Golden Pils, Noon Wheat and Edge Hill Hazy IPA, each of which contain less than 0.5% alcohol-by-volume. The brand, made in collaboration with a team of American brewers, draws inspiration from British brews, a nod to Holland’s home country.
Holland said in a statement that he was inspired to create the drinks after two years of sobriety.
“This beer isn’t just for those on a similar path, but for everyone who appreciates quality, craftsmanship and living life to the fullest,” Holland said. “BERO delivers the taste and experience of a great brew, and never asks you to settle for less.”
The brand’s drinks are now available online, and will debut in Target stores early next year.
Bero is led by CEO John Herman, a CPG industry veteran who was most recently the president of Nutrabolt, the maker of C4 energy drinks and protein powders. Other partners of the brand include Imaginary Ventures and talent agency WME.
The brand will compete with other prominent nonalcoholic beers that have gained steam in recent years, including category leader Athletic Brewing, and zero-proof varieties of mainstream beers like Corona, Heineken and Stella Artois. Nonalcoholic beer is projected to be worth $24.2 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5%, according to Statista data.
— Chris Casey
Optional Caption
Christopher Doering/Food Dive
Bottled water demand overflowing
More consumers consider water their favorite beverage, according to data from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA).
The trade group said 89% of Americans said water is among their most preferred beverages, a 6 percentage point increase from 2022.
The national survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of IBWA found nearly nine in 10 Americans consume bottled water and roughly the same have a positive opinion of the liquid as a beverage choice.
Sixty nine percent of respondents said bottled water was among their most preferred non-alcoholic beverage (up from 65% in 2022), compared to soda (regular and/or diet) at 61% and coffee at 60%.
“Drinking water—whether it’s tap, bottled, or filtered—should always be encouraged,” Jill Culora, IBWA’s vice president of communications, said in a statement. “With the high rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in our on-the-go society, bottled water provides a safe, healthy, and … convenient beverage choice.”
Bottled water has been the top selling beverage, by volume, for eight consecutive years after overtaking soda. The beverage has become more attractive to Americans as they look to curtail sugar consumption and eat and drink healthier. It’s portability and convenience also have been major attributes, with people turning to it on the go.
— Christopher Doering
Optional Caption
Courtesy of Cann
Cannabis beverage makers join forces to push policy
As cannabis beverages currently reside in an in-between space where they can only be sold in select states, brands are partnering in an attempt to influence the federal government.
The Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives (CABA) launched this week, with a plan to affect change in legislation by prioritizing consumer safety with a “clear code of operating conduct” for the industry, the group said in a press release. It has hired two Washington, D.C.-based lobbying groups to assist in its efforts.
The founding membership of the trade group includes a variety of THC-infused beverage producers including Cann, Tilray, Wynk, Pamos and Vertosa. According to CABA, the cannabis beverage industry is poised to be worth $2.8 billion by 2030.
Diana Eberlein, chair of the coalition and vice president of marketing at cannabis ingredients maker Sōrse Technology, said in the press release the coalition is focused on working with Congress on “sensible regulation” that gives adult consumers more choice of safe alternatives.
“CABA is united in establishing clear regulatory pathways to ensure product safety, transparency, and responsible marketing practices for these products. We have comprehensive standards for low-dose THC beverages with a focus on consumer health and safety,” said Eberlein.
The group said that a lack of regulations in the space has allowed “bad actors” to take advantage of the category by selling highly-potent drinks to kids, made with synthetic cannabinoids.
“Our goal is to educate lawmakers on the safety and positive impact of low-dose THC beverages in adult Americans’ lives and to demonstrate how different these drinks are from risky, highly intoxicating products marketed to children by bad actors today,” said Jake Bullock, CEO of Cann, in a statement. “Adults expect and should be allowed to buy safe, low-dose THC beverages in the same places that alcohol is sold, with a strict 21+ age restriction.”
The future of cannabis beverages hangs in the balance years after many brands hit the market, but some in the industry are hopeful either outcome of next month’s presidential election will provide a path to legalization, including Irwin D. Simon, CEO of Tilray.
— Chris Casey
