[00:00:00] John Craven: BevNET Live, the premier event for beverage industry executives, is coming up fast on June 10th and 11th in New York City. Hundreds of beverage founders, investors, and retailers are already confirmed. Don't miss your chance to build momentum mid-year and set yourself up for a strong finish. Early registration pricing ends Friday, April 24th. Register now and save $100 at bevnetlive.com.
[00:00:39] Ray Latif: Hello, and thanks for tuning into Taste Radio, the number one podcast for the food and beverage industry. I'm Ray Latif, the editor and producer of Taste Radio. And with my co-host for this episode, John Craven, Jacqui Brugliera, and Mike Schneider. Mike Schneider, who I just woke up with my spirited intro.
[00:00:58] Jacqui Brugliera: That was very spirited. I was just picturing everyone in a podcast. You know, if you're driving late Late Night, Ray Latif can keep you awake.
[00:01:05] Ray Latif: That's a good idea. Late Night Taste Radio. Late Night Taste Radio. I remember growing up actually and listening to some of those Late Night broadcasts because I couldn't go to sleep for some reason. Like those nights where you stay up because you're worried about a, I don't know, high school assignment or something like that. You Need up staying up till two in the morning listening to all these like weird radio talk shows. That was me.
[00:01:23] Jacqui Brugliera: That explains a lot.
[00:01:25] Mike Schneider: Did you ever listen to Sleepy Magic? It was this man that was just, you know, his voice was just so soothing. And then he would have like very slow jams playing. I'd have that playing as I slept.
[00:01:35] Jacqui Brugliera: Let's listen to some slow jam.
[00:01:37] Ray Latif: No, this is straight up talk radio where people would call in to this guy. It was actually called TalkNet. You can look it up on YouTube because I looked this up and it's this guy who was apparently this just, I don't know, everyday genius or expert when it came to everything. So he was like, if you had a financial question, he could answer a financial question. You had a question about, I don't know, raising your kids. He could answer these questions. It was just such a weird situation. You weren't staying up because of high school stress.
[00:02:03] Jacqui Brugliera: You were staying up because this was your hero. Because I wanted to be an adult exactly this is what you wanted to do with your life.
[00:02:08] Ray Latif: Yeah, look you were probably watching some WWF It's possible, but you know actually talk about throwback this morning for some reason you wake up sometimes And there's like a song stuck in your head mm-hmm and the right stuff from New Kids on the Block, stuck in my head. You ever think about that? And that just, you know, oh, oh, oh.
[00:02:28] Jacqui Brugliera: Rio, what's in the middle? The white stuff. What the hell are you talking about?
[00:02:35] Mike Schneider: Bring it back to food.
[00:02:39] Ray Latif: Always, always. Trying to keep it, you know, on brand. What I wasn't thinking about this morning was whether or not I wanted an RTD Sprite and vodka in my life. And I was pretty surprised to see this in the news came out yesterday The Coca-Cola aligning with Absolut Vodka to create a new RTD product. I didn't even know Sprite and vodka was a thing. Is it?
[00:03:03] Mike Schneider: Yeah, it's definitely a thing. I feel like it's kind of like Jack and Coke, especially in college or people that are looking for a simple mixer. It's really easy for people. So I think it's very common.
[00:03:14] Ray Latif: Is this like a millennial thing? Because I've never had that in my life. You can put anything in Sprite. So they do.
[00:03:21] Mike Schneider: Yeah, people do Mountain Dew, Fanta, you know, anything that's a soda product could go with vodka.
[00:03:27] Ray Latif: Just the most simple mixer they can find, like Sprite, Mountain Dew. Okay, I get it.
[00:03:31] Jacqui Brugliera: You could also mix the Mountain Dew and the Sprite. It would probably still taste good.
[00:03:35] Ray Latif: Okay. Maybe, you know, maybe it's the European thing.
[00:03:37] Jacqui Brugliera: I mean, you're more of a vodka rocks guy, right?
[00:03:39] Ray Latif: I'm not a, no.
[00:03:40] Jacqui Brugliera: Well, I mean, it is, it is a product that I don't know. I hate when they do like announcements like this. It's like next year in Europe. Yeah.
[00:03:49] Ray Latif: So, I mean, maybe it's a big thing in Europe. Maybe this combo is a bigger thing in Europe than it is in the U.S., because it is going to launch next year in Europe, including the U.K., the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. The global benchmark for ABV is 5%. It will vary depending on the market. And this follows, obviously, Coke's continued foray into our alcoholic beverages. They've launched a Jack and Coke where they've aligned with the Jack Daniels brand to create a Jack and Coke variety. They also have a Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, a Simply Spiked Lemonade, and a Fresca Mixed. And it's interesting because they're partnering with all different kinds of beverage alcohol companies on all these things. So the one with Absolut Vodka. Absolut Vodka is owned by Pernod Ricard. The one with Simply Spiked is a partnership with Molson Coors. And the Fresca product is a collaboration with Constellation Brands. So interesting that they're not putting all their eggs in one basket as it relates to their partnerships with beverage alcohol companies.
[00:04:50] Jacqui Brugliera: I am marking my calendar. I cannot wait to enjoy a Sprite and Absolute during the Arsenal Champions League Final.
[00:04:59] Ray Latif: I think that's a Heineken thing. I think Champions League is Heineken or bust.
[00:05:02] Jacqui Brugliera: I'm gonna be in Europe, so I'm gonna have my Absolute and Sprite.
[00:05:07] Ray Latif: What are you talking about? Did you already book a ticket to the Champions League final? Where is the Champions League final being held? Don't even know. I'm not looking that far. Okay. Yeah, you guys already, you already have a loss. That's trying to be sarcastic. Okay. I also saw this in the news. This was a little surprising. Actually, maybe not because, you know, no state on Coke, but they really try a lot of stuff as it relates to extending the Coke brand. And oftentimes it is out there and it's not there in a year. At the NAC show, the National Association of Convenience Stores show, Coke introduced a new spiced product. which apparently is a new permanent subline that will rotate flavors in and out, starting with raspberry. So I guess apparently it's a flavor that has more bite to it. So it's a raspberry Coke with a bit more bite derived from spice, which is, I don't know who's asking for that.
[00:06:01] Jacqui Brugliera: Did they go big at the next show? Did they have Baby Sporty, Scary, and Ginger? I mean, in case you weren't aware, Mike, the show was in Atlanta. Coke is based in Atlanta, so all signs point to yes. Pretty sure the tap water in the convention center is replaced The Coca-Cola was going to say Dasani, but The Coca-Cola.
[00:06:22] Ray Latif: Again, I mean, I get that they're doubling down or tripling down on their big time brands, obviously Coke being one of them, but I wonder if this innovation is just innovation for innovation's sake, or if it's actually going to move the needle if people are going to start reaching for a Coke Spiced. I think it's more the former. And I guess it just makes me wonder what defines innovation anymore and what kind of innovation is going to make an impact on the market.
[00:06:52] Mike Schneider: Yeah, I don't know. I feel like it's another PR hit. Do you really see true innovation coming from strategics? It's just something that goes into the market. They test it out. If it works, it sticks. If it doesn't, they go back to the drawing board. I also saw in that article that they have Sprite chill. Like what is that? They have something where it's just makes the back of your throat a little bit colder. Which I don't think that's innovation.
[00:07:17] Ray Latif: Is anyone asking for that? So in the story that Jackie is referencing, written by our managing editor Martín Caballero, it promises to be the coldest sprite ever thanks to a cooling agent, i.e. a chemical, that leaves a lingering cold sensation in the back of your throat.
[00:07:35] Jacqui Brugliera: What if it makes you permanently cold in the back of your throat? I don't know.
[00:07:39] Mike Schneider: I mean, it is like who wants more chemicals?
[00:07:42] Jacqui Brugliera: Maybe it's like liquid nitrogen chilled or something like that.
[00:07:46] Ray Latif: I can almost guarantee that it is not a natural cooling agent.
[00:07:52] Jacqui Brugliera: But, you know, back to what you were saying before about this sort of strategy for this, you know, I don't know. I like they've been doing these new flavor things for like a long time. And I feel like if you try one of them, and you don't like it, your sort of mind is like, I actually kind of just like regular Coke better. So it makes you think about regular Coke or Pepsi or whatever. And I don't know, maybe have a few of those. And it's like the house always wins. It drives you home every time. You try to leave home and then you come right back.
[00:08:21] Ray Latif: Well, I don't know. I mean, maybe just beverage innovation in general has kind of slowed a bit. I was in Wegmans a couple of days ago, and I remember when I went into that, so it was a Wegmans in Brookline, Mass, not too far from where I live. And I remember going in there about five years ago, and their beverage section was pretty robust with entrepreneurial brands, interesting products with novel ingredients and formulations. And I saw a lot less of that this time around.
[00:08:49] Jacqui Brugliera: We have a whole beverage cooler. We have two or three actually full of brands that beg to differ with you.
[00:08:56] Ray Latif: I'm aware of that, but... Nootropics, Adaptogens, Mushrooms, CBD. Retailers buying into that as much as they had been in the past.
[00:09:02] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah, I mean look this is all it's part of the cycle for sure It's what happens. You know like we can't just have crazy new stuff all the time sometimes we just got to prove the stuff that's on the market that it works and Yes, that seems to be to some extent like what kind of part of the cycle We're in right now which is not to say yes the part of the proof cycle which is not to say that there's not new innovative stuff out there, it just is kind of okay to improve upon and, you know, win with good execution and something that's familiar. But who knows, you know, that canon has in the past changed very quickly in the beverage world, so.
[00:09:40] Mike Schneider: Yeah. And to what you were saying, I feel like there's been a huge swell of innovation and functionality, and there's just a lot of different messaging and ingredients that are out there. And to your point, consumers need to be educated and almost need to catch up on all of this. So it might be like micro innovation or small tweaks to packaging or additional, like small functional features, but there's not huge product categories that are, you know, being introduced right now.
[00:10:08] Jacqui Brugliera: I feel like a lot of it is just like you said, Jackie, the amount of it coming into the industry decides if it's innovation or not. Like it's happening, but it's all about, you know, how many new brands are coming into play and how much are we talking about the new ingredient versus trying to just, you know, see if consumers like it. Sitting on what we have, you know, having like a simple message.
[00:10:32] Ray Latif: I mean, I think this goes back to, you know, why do entrepreneurs start new brands versus why do conglomerates launch brand extensions or new products? I mean, I think the conglomerates are basing their innovation strategies on data, market research, surveys, et cetera, whereas entrepreneurs are trying to fill, and typically they always say this, typically trying to fill a hole in their own lives that they feel like others have as well. So the thing with Coke Spiced, I don't know, maybe the marketing team at Coke is saying, Oh, well, people like a little bit of heat or spice in their beverages. Let's see if it works with Coke. Apparently I was, I just Googled this and the spice in there is not even clear. They haven't revealed, I guess, what it is. Someone, someone actually did taste this and it said, It tasted like someone added a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a bottle of Coke. Once again, I don't know who's asking for these things. I don't know if that would fill a hole in my life.
[00:11:28] Jacqui Brugliera: It can't be the first time cinnamon Coke has been a thing. Could it, John Craven? I was gonna say, it sounds familiar, but who knows? There've been so many flavors. There's the Coke Freestyle that has like all those different wonky flavors that they don't sell RTD, so who knows?
[00:11:42] Ray Latif: Whereas, I did an episode of Elevator Talk, or hosted an episode of Elevator Talk yesterday, and I was talking to one of the founders of Twrl Milk Tea, which is a low sugar, low calorie, non-dairy tea latte product. that she described as creating its own category. Now, milk teas have been in the market for a long time. They're pretty ubiquitous in Asia. But in this country, we haven't seen too many of them and certainly not a low calorie, low sugar version. So whether or not she's really creating a new category, I think you could probably quibble with that. But, you know, she is definitely bringing something new to the market that I feel does fill a need. I love milk teas, but I always avoid them because they are high sugar and high calorie.
[00:12:26] Jacqui Brugliera: Want a Cinnamon Coke update?
[00:12:29] Ray Latif: That's going to be a reoccurring theme in this episode, I can tell. Specifically in 2019, Coke's gift to us was Coca-Cola Cinnamon.
[00:12:36] Jacqui Brugliera: The drink reappeared the following year in 2020, but for a limited time and has been MIA ever since.
[00:12:41] Mike Schneider: Interesting.
[00:12:41] Jacqui Brugliera: Like many products. There you go. But they, you know, they can just bring it back like, like you said, under a different, under a different label or it might not be even an innovative beverage. It might be something we've tasted before and just didn't work out. And under the previous name or packaging and they're just slightly bring it back. That happens. Yes. I don't know. They should just give us ghost pepper Coke. Ghost pepper Coke. Calm down. Just get it over with. Come on, do it.
[00:13:05] Mike Schneider: No, Jackie's like, stop. No spicy. Oh boy.
[00:13:09] Ray Latif: Yeah. Sorry, Jackie. Bringing up bad memories there. How about a flat coke? Ever had a flat coke? Yeah, but you just open it and leave it for a while.
[00:13:18] Mike Schneider: Yeah, and then you just toss it. Tastes terrible.
[00:13:21] Jacqui Brugliera: Does it?
[00:13:22] Mike Schneider: Yeah. It just tastes like the syrup.
[00:13:24] Jacqui Brugliera: I'm certain you've had one at a restaurant at some point in your life where they accidentally ran out of gas. Yeah. So that's I think the only place I've ever had one.
[00:13:34] Ray Latif: I don't know, I think there's some appeal to a flat coke sometimes if you don't want too much carbonation. Hey, you do you, I guess. Well, if they do create a flat coke, you know what they should put it in? A Tetra Pak. Tetra Pak carton.
[00:13:48] Jacqui Brugliera: Man, I wanted one more comment. I was going to tell you to go drink some Diet Coke and eat some Mentos. Let us know how that works out.
[00:13:56] Ray Latif: Well illusion your comments it has been heard speaking of things that would explode in a Tetra pack I don't think that the folks at Tetra pack would advocate for anyone to use their cartons That way it would happen No, but in all seriousness, I do want to thank our presenting sponsor for this episode. That is Tetra Pak, the pioneering packaging solutions company that provides safe, innovative, and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Learn more at tetrapak.com. You know, actually, now that I think about it, and I'm being totally serious about this, A milk tea would work really well in Tetra Pak, because I think for me, a milk tea is more of a sipping kind of thing. And in a can, it's just going to, I'm probably going to sip it over the course of like a couple hours.
[00:14:44] Jacqui Brugliera: Whereas if it was in a Tetra Pak, on a front porch, on a rocking chair, on a hot day, with a straw.
[00:14:52] Ray Latif: Mike the marketing machine over here.
[00:14:53] Jacqui Brugliera: Nothing to do, just rocking back and forth.
[00:14:55] Late Night: Painting the picture for everyone.
[00:15:00] John Craven: Vibrant Ingredients is the natural ingredient partner powering food and beverage innovation, delivering flavor, function, and protection through a science-backed portfolio. Vibrant delivers purpose-driven solutions that help brands create extraordinary experiences. Discover what's possible with Vibrant today. Visit VibrantIngredients.com.
[00:15:27] Ray Latif: I saw this in our Slack the The Day and I got to bring it up. I didn't even know, okay, teen moms, I didn't realize this is still a thing, but people are obsessed with teen moms. Where are we going here? Yeah, we're totally obsessed, yes.
[00:15:38] Mike Schneider: The TV show, not actual teen moms?
[00:15:40] Ray Latif: We're totally obsessed, yes. To clarify, thanks, Jack. This was in the Newswire. Reality TV starlet Jenelle Evans announced the launch of a new brand, Time Of The Day, a functional Mushroom Coffee. They are available for pre-order exclusively at timeoftheday.shop. To teen moms only? What was that all about? I don't know. What was the transition there? No, the thing is, it's like, I mean, this just feels on all levels like it doesn't make any sense. And maybe it's just because I'm not a teen mom. I don't know. Where are we going with this?
[00:16:19] Mike Schneider: Like, you don't watch the TV show.
[00:16:20] Ray Latif: I'm not a teen mom fan. No, like, there's a TV show called Teen Mom.
[00:16:25] Mike Schneider: Yes.
[00:16:25] Ray Latif: And everyone who's Famous Celebrity, whether they're like an F-list celebrity or an A-list celebrity, seems to be getting into CPG. But just, come on, this just seems a little strange. Just so you guys know, Ray Latif is a D-list celebrity. I am an H-list celebrity, actually.
[00:16:39] Jacqui Brugliera: Is this the one point in time where you're going to recommend that they should have launched Famous Celebrity tequila?
[00:16:47] Ray Latif: I'm just trying to figure out how a, I don't know, complex and complicated idea like functional Mushroom Coffee
[00:16:56] Jacqui Brugliera: Applies to the fans of teen mom reality Let's let's let's give them the benefit of the doubt here Let's say they're just a normal person and they want to launch a what is it a Mushroom Coffee functional Mushroom Coffee So you're really passionate about that, but you also happen to be Famous Celebrity of whatever level of course You're gonna use that to your advantage and give it a try and Right? I mean, I guess maybe, maybe this is just, it's just a real product launch, but that's the PR. You're definitely not going to hide it. No.
[00:17:29] Mike Schneider: No. And she says that she does have health issues. So she's used functional mushrooms in her own life. We've got the story. So she has the story. She probably has an audience of other moms that drink coffee every morning. What's the promise?
[00:17:44] Jacqui Brugliera: Do they have a promise to go with the story? Everyone has our story, our promise.
[00:17:49] Mike Schneider: I don't know her promise yet, but I think what she's trying to sell is just you can, you know, heal your body. You can have the energy and moms are busy. So, you know, if she has an audience that is interested in buying that product, it might not be something that has super wide reach, but if her audience wants to buy it, why not?
[00:18:09] Jacqui Brugliera: We should have just let Jackie set this whole thing up. We just did. Excellent. Now look, I think anytime You Need someone launching a product in a gold rush category, a la tequila, you sort of question like, you know, is there some real authenticity? Also, it's kind of like, you can't be like, I had health problems, so I launched a tequila, right? It's not like some life thing, right? So that is the only reason right off the bat, I was like, maybe this is like legit. I have not read this press release, but your description. I tried to, I tried to make some sense of it.
[00:18:45] Mike Schneider: It just makes more sense than like, you know, celebrities co-signing, like you said, on a spirits brand, even if they don't drink, you know, we've seen so many celebrities that say that they do not drink alcohol, but they're still promoting alcohol. So I think this is more authentic than that.
[00:19:02] Ray Latif: That's a good point, Jackie. And maybe we should try this. It's apparently it's a rich instant coffee with a touch of nature's mushroom magic reishi and turkey tail for energy and recovery. Seven super fruit blend for immunity and overall wellness and lines made in cordyceps for memory support and stamina. I am sure all the buzzwords that Janelle and her team at Time Of The Day are ecstatic that we're talking about this on the podcast.
[00:19:24] Jacqui Brugliera: Coffee and mushrooms. I want to try it.
[00:19:26] Ray Latif: Okay, and to note John didn't read the press release you didn't read my show notes that I sent at 1030 a.m.. Half-hour before we started the show that's I take pride in deleting that message Okay You know I saw this as well another now this guy is a bit more of Famous Celebrity He's probably I would call him maybe a b-plus celebrity Cole Hauser who was the star of the hit TV show Yellowstone Hold on what are these celebrity rankings?
[00:19:53] Jacqui Brugliera: I don't know.
[00:19:54] Ray Latif: I mean like a Cole Hauser.
[00:19:55] Jacqui Brugliera: I know you're very specific. It's like a plus, but maybe it's a B-minus.
[00:20:00] Mike Schneider: He has a whole list of all the celebrities and he's ranked them.
[00:20:03] Ray Latif: George Clooney, A-list celebrity. Okay, Cole Hauser, star of Yellowstone, a hit TV show, which I've never watched to be fair. I'm going to give him a B-plus, but he should probably be an A because Yellowstone's such a big hit. Kevin Costner, who's actually the biggest star in Yellowstone, A-list.
[00:20:17] Jacqui Brugliera: Ray's tracking his own ascension on the list or descent.
[00:20:21] Ray Latif: I have no... First you have to be on the list, Mike. He's like, if I could just take out Cole Hauser, I'll be a, I'll be a B plus. Okay. So you may know Cole Hauser from a couple of movies, Good Will Hunting. He was not the Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck or Matt Damon. He was the other friend in the group of four friends. Yup. They had another friend.
[00:20:41] Mike Schneider: Yes, didn't we talk about him in the last episode?
[00:20:43] Ray Latif: No, we were going to and then we didn't He was also in days and confused he was one of the football players who was doing the yeah, yes he was doing the hazing and Anyway, he has officially launched Free Rein Coffee, which is a, according to the press release, a new coffee brand that draws its spirit from the open promise of the American dream. The cowboy coffee. Yes. Paying tribute to the hardworking cowboys that he grew up on and off set. We have bags of it.
[00:21:17] Jacqui Brugliera: When I think about coffee, I think about Cowboys.
[00:21:20] Ray Latif: Uh, yeah.
[00:21:20] Jacqui Brugliera: We're going to brew some up after this.
[00:21:22] Ray Latif: So once again, um, you know, interesting that, uh, this guy's trying to sell coffee and his fans, I don't know, is this an authentic, do we, is this as authentic as a Time Of The Day, Jackie? I don't know.
[00:21:35] Mike Schneider: I don't know. I mean, he is on Yellowstone. He's. Hanging out with cowboys on set.
[00:21:43] Jacqui Brugliera: I guess this makes sense for him. I'm going to bring a lasso to the cafe moving forward.
[00:21:49] Ray Latif: It does have this chill picture of him. It has this close up of him with a mug of coffee with the Free Rein logo. And it's close up to his face and he's got these, he looks like a cowboy that's just waking up in the morning, waking up in the morning, ready to go onto the ranch and, you know, rassle up some, I don't know what they do with the cowboy actually.
[00:22:12] Jacqui Brugliera: Does the press release actually mention Yellowstone? Yeah, it says actor Koolhauser star of Yellowstone. I thought they're not supposed to be doing that.
[00:22:21] Ray Latif: I don't think they're supposed to doing that.
[00:22:22] Jacqui Brugliera: Oh, I was gonna say he's got he's on. I mean, I assume he's a SAG member and he's on strike. So oh, he can launch a coffee company. But I don't think he's supposed to be mentioning he should be like from that cowboy show.
[00:22:35] Ray Latif: You know, they probably already sent us like we're getting a cease and desist emails being like, you can't mention Yellowstone, but here it is still on BevNET.com. Yeah. Cut that. Read all about it.
[00:22:45] Jacqui Brugliera: Well, we have not tried his coffee either. We have it sitting in the next room. Okay. So the package does look nice. I will give him credit for that. I'll give him credit. We have to try it. Let's try it.
[00:22:55] Mike Schneider: Yeah. Everyone needs coffee, including Cowboys.
[00:22:57] Ray Latif: So why not? Cowboys definitely need coffee. Next episode. Jon Landis doesn't need coffee. He doesn't drink coffee. He's the one person who doesn't need coffee. I always use a neuroboosting agent before these shows. Okay, so when I say neuro, like a brain support, I don't know, supplement. See, I guess it doesn't work because I can't speak. The one I always take is a brand called Nutri, N-U-T-R-I, by Nature Fusions. I actually got this from like Expo West. They had this in the media lounge and, uh, I love it. I don't know exactly what's in it, but it feels like it does something for me, or maybe it's a placebo effect kind of thing.
[00:23:36] Mike Schneider: How far before the episode do you have to take it?
[00:23:38] Ray Latif: I don't know. It's not working.
[00:23:40] Jacqui Brugliera: The Day you just showed that, I feel like it should end with go to tastereader.com forward slash whatever for 30% off your first order of whatever that stuff was called. Raise affiliate link. Use coupon code ray likes it. It got very Joe Rogan. Yeah, it got a little weird. Yeah, he's got a little just like your brain expanding Yeah, this is what he uses instead of professional medical care.
[00:24:04] Ray Latif: Well, I guess The active ingredients in this thing are selenium moly, but the denim and glycine and Those are the things. Oh, and there's actually, no, the key ingredient is N-A-C-E-T, which is, I can't read it. Thanks, Dr. Ray. Here I am talking about how important it is to have ingredients that people can understand and easily learn about. And now you're pitching affiliate links and crazy sublinks. I mentioned that, no, because I got sent a cognitive switch shot or a cognitive boosting shot from Juvenessence. It's actually called Cognitive Switch. This is a tropical flavor. It supports a healthy brain using ketones. It says that ketones are an efficient energy source that promote mental performance. I'm going to go for one. Now, you're supposed to drink this half an hour before you want the boost, which I obviously didn't. Oh, lucky us. Is it just crap on Ray Day or what the heck's going on today?
[00:25:02] Jacqui Brugliera: He'll be boosted 30 minutes after this tripe is over with. The thing is, Ray, we've seen where we rank on the celebrity list. It's far below you. Hold on.
[00:25:11] Ray Latif: I want to show my neuro product here. Okay, go ahead. While I'm opening my juvenescence bottle, which is actually rather challenging to open. John's going to talk about it. Do you want a screwdriver? No. I'm not gonna lie.
[00:25:32] Jacqui Brugliera: I wanted to open this package of cookies and the first thing I found that would probably Tiny little screwdriver you do realize our studio director is gonna be looking for that Anyway, this is not for neuro support. It's just super tasty. This is the St. Aguris this phony mezcal Negroni it is a non-alcoholic cocktails bright red liquid Crack one of these. Is it cold? No, Ray, no Time Of that. This might be one of the best RTD cocktails I've had so far. It's not elk.
[00:26:07] Ray Latif: It's not elk, yeah. How come we didn't have cups for this? You always bring cups. I have one upstairs.
[00:26:15] Jacqui Brugliera: He has 16 more at least. They sent him a box. Does it taste just like an iguana? No, I actually bought these. Did you? Yeah. I was like, they Instagrammed it. I'm like, I don't want to waste time asking for free samples.
[00:26:27] Mike Schneider: I just want to order.
[00:26:27] Jacqui Brugliera: I thought those were samples. No, I'll share them. I have more. No you've been spreading the wealth. I am that thing is tasty, but yeah, these are super good I mean, I think it's nice and smoky there have been some attempts to create Mezcal in a non-alcoholic form, but this is like the first one that I think Really nails it. It's a beautiful bottle. Yeah, and they also nailed the Negroni Yeah, they also have a phony Negroni. They make a regular Negroni, and they have these nice sort of tapered. I don't know what you would call this shape bottle.
[00:26:56] Ray Latif: Definitely not a Boston round. No, but anyway, it reminds Time Of the bottle. You know that water company called found? Oh yeah, yeah.
[00:27:06] Latest Cocktail: Do you want more repeat buyers on Amazon? Well, this free resource in collaboration with Straight Up Growth will help your brand turn first-time buyers into long-term subscribers. Download Winning the Repeat Purchase Game on Amazon now at Taste Radio.com slash SUG. That's Taste Radio.com slash S-U-G to start building retention-driven growth for your brand on Amazon. Scaling a beverage brand into major retail comes down to operational readiness. From packaging lead Time Of co-manufacturing strategy, the details can make or break a launch. In a new ebook in collaboration with Octopi and Asahi Beer USA, industry leaders share what they've learned in helping brands scale. Download it now at Taste Radio.com slash octopi.
[00:27:56] Ray Latif: Alright, so I was managed to open up the juvenile sense the cognitive switch. I should call it that and. The shot actually looks like a milkshake inside is I'm not going to last scaring me, but I'm just going to take just a quick. Oh, looks like it actually does have the consistency of a milkshake.
[00:28:21] Jacqui Brugliera: You know the thing about shots is you're supposed to just take them back because they're gonna have some kind of Don't taste that great, or they have some kind of you know effect that you're not really used to and you are the only person I know who sips their shots I'm a sipper do are you yeah, I I take three three three sips, okay, I Now I know two people.
[00:28:45] Mike Schneider: I shoot it. Usually they're very bitter or, you know, there's something in there, some functional ingredient that doesn't taste good. Is that one tasty though?
[00:28:54] Ray Latif: It's not bad. It does have the consistency of like a milkshake, which is actually quite strange for a shot. Usually it is a pretty thin liquid. Is it yogurt-y? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
[00:29:06] Late Night: Okay.
[00:29:06] Ray Latif: So there's high fat whey protein concentrate in here, which I didn't know. I probably should have read the ingredient panel beforehand, but you know, it tastes good. I'll let you know next episode if it actually does the trick, so to speak. Also got sent from the fine folks at Little Sesame the re-release of their limited time offering. This is their Fly By Jing collaboration, which is a pumpkin chili crisp hummus. John Craven, I know is a huge fan, but oops, sorry, I didn't mean to throw the cover at you there.
[00:29:38] Mike Schneider: And with it, I brought
[00:29:43] Ray Latif: some crackers to have with this hummus. And this is from the folks from Real Food from the Ground Up. They have a brand called You Need This, which is a two skew line of almond flour crackers. They have a sea salt variety and a cheddar variety. I have had these before and they are delicious. So if anyone would like some yeah miss hook us up You Need this on the box and with it they got You Need this snack calm and at You Need this snack on Instagram John Craven was gonna use the screwdriver to open up the mess what you got to do While we're munching on hummus and crackers Jackie. What do you got over there? Oh?
[00:30:27] Mike Schneider: I have a product that I found that is really interesting to me, which is a line of plant-based sushi and it is in the freezer aisle. It is called Conscious and this is a plant-based tuna avocado roll. They also have onigiri and the back you can see there's like a little opening so you can actually see the product that's frozen. I tried it. It tastes really good. It tastes like tasty sushi. I know like Mike and I love going to sunny blue whenever we're in LA getting on Musubi. And this is a Korean barbecue mushroom onigiri, which is very similar, really, really delicious and very convenient. Like all you do is you just microwave it. And I feel like sometimes I haven't really seen many plant-based sushi options. I'm seeing more like plant-based seafood options, like Current Foods has plant-based tuna. So something interesting that I found on the shelves. And the only thing that I would say though, is that the price point is a little high, like the plant-based tuna avocado roll is like $10. And someone could say, you know, you can just make that at home for like a dollar or two if you're just using vegetables. But I think if you want that fake tuna experience, then it's worth it.
[00:31:41] Jacqui Brugliera: So they're trying to sell sushi at sushi prices.
[00:31:45] Mike Schneider: Yeah. Sushi at sushi prices.
[00:31:47] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah.
[00:31:48] Ray Latif: Where'd you buy that?
[00:31:49] Mike Schneider: I bought it at my local sprouts.
[00:31:50] Ray Latif: Okay.
[00:31:51] Mike Schneider: Yeah.
[00:31:52] Ray Latif: And it's spelled conscious with a K. Yes.
[00:31:56] Mike Schneider: Really tasty and very, um, like traditional style. So I appreciated it.
[00:32:02] Ray Latif: Nice. Interesting. Is that a can of something that you have to wash that plant-based sushi down with?
[00:32:07] Mike Schneider: Yes, this is a canned caffeine-free herbal tea. The name is Mabi and this is their Strawberry Breeze Skew. And their main thing is that they have a functional ingredient in it called Mabi Bark, which is supposed to help improve blood circulation and help with hypertension. This is also like a Caribbean style tea and all the proceeds go to support people in Haiti. So I haven't seen many Caribbean tea blends. I know that herbal teas are on the rise, canned caffeine free teas are on the rise. So it's cool to see another entrant into that space and something that's supporting people in Haiti.
[00:32:52] Ray Latif: And it's spelled M-A-B-I. Is that right? Yep.
[00:32:54] Mike Schneider: Yes, that's correct.
[00:32:55] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah. There's one other mobby bark based beverage out there that I think we saw earlier this year, but yeah, new concept, something definitely unfamiliar to the American palate, but pretty tasty. Nice.
[00:33:10] Ray Latif: Last but not least, I brought this from Mike because he is a coffee aficionado. Maxwell House has launched a new line of iced lattes with foam. This is an all-in-one drink mix. I brought the hazelnut variety, which is artificially flavored. I saw a press release about these and they sent us some here at the office. I'm very curious as to what so does it have no hazelnut in it now. I need the screwdriver You want to borrow the screwdriver now? I want to borrow the screwdriver. We might need to call an ambulance. Oh there. We go. I got it without killing myself Okay, yeah, so I guess you pour the contents of this Drink mix packet into a glass. You fill the glass with eight ounces of cold water. Didn't realize that. Stir and create foam and enjoy. Stir to create foam and enjoy. Add ice last, if desired. What could go wrong? Why would you not add ice if it's called an ice latte foam? They don't call it a room temperature latte foam.
[00:34:05] Jacqui Brugliera: Well, it's not an ice latte if you don't add ice. So there you go. You would definitely need to add the ice. And I'm surprised they can call it an ice latte when it's not. Why do you look so disappointed? I thought you would like this. I got this specifically for you. Thanks, Ray. Thanks. Thanks for thinking of me. Thanks for thinking of me. You said last but not least, but this is, this is last-er and least-er and not least-er. It didn't make it to the office, but I got to try the The Coconut Cult Limited Edition Jelly Donut, which was made in collaboration with a former guest of the show Shut the Kale Up. And it has a meet the source like donut ball in the bottom. So it basically has a full donut in the bottom and it's got like jelly flavored coconut cult. And it is one of the most decadent things I've ever eaten.
[00:34:56] Ray Latif: I'm wondering why Mike, you didn't make it to the office. Well, I, because I, I was double dipping.
[00:35:04] Jacqui Brugliera: It was there and I opened it and I had to go for it right right then and there I mean it was coconut called jelly donut did they send that to you, or did you buy that they sent it to me, right, okay?
[00:35:15] Ray Latif: That is actually the property of Bev net.com incorporated Mike and you owe us a Jar Ray's getting me back for all the times, but I do have The Coconut cult, please share bullshit Did you hear? John, please share. I'll share. That brings us to the end of this episode of Taste Radio. Thank you so much for listening. Taste Radio is a production of BevNET.com Incorporated. Our audio engineer for Taste Radio is Joe Cracci. Our technical director is Joshua Pratt, and our video editor is Ryan Galang. Our social marketing manager is Amanda Smerlinski, and our designer is Amanda Huang. Just a reminder, if you like what you hear on Taste Radio, please share the podcast with friends and colleagues. And of course, we would love it if you could review us on the Apple Podcasts app or your listening platform of choice. Check us out on Instagram. Our handle is BevNetTasteRadio. As always, for questions, comments, ideas for future podcasts, please send us an email to ask at Taste Radio.com. On behalf of the entire Taste Radio team, thank you for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.
[00:36:25] Late Night: you
