[00:00:10] 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 it was my BevNET and Nosh colleagues John Craven, Jacqui Brugliera, and Mike Schneider. 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. Jackie, you recently celebrated a birthday. I hope it all went well.
[00:00:47] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah, turned the big 3-0, which is a big birthday. But I had a lot of great surprises, including a hot air balloon ride, which was terrifying.
[00:00:58] Mike Schneider: Hold on, hold on. We got to set this up. We got to set this up. I mean, Jackie's friends are like, we're going to go on some random adventure in the woods. And I'm like, oh, you're going to get eaten by wolves. Watch out. Be careful. All that stuff. Jackie's friends She's great friends, first of all. Second of all, they surprise her with hot air balloon adventure. And the next thing you know, you just see Jackie on Instagram in a hot air balloon.
[00:01:21] Jacqui Brugliera: And it's like, oh, Jackie, don't fall. Yeah, the woods, a.k.a. Temecula, which is wine country. So a little bit different. It was pretty amazing. You're just floating through the air. It's pretty peaceful as long as you don't look over the edge.
[00:01:38] Mike Schneider: The other alternative was falconing. They were going to falcon. That's how Jackie's friends think.
[00:01:45] Ray Latif: That's incredible.
[00:01:46] Jacqui Brugliera: That was more for their enjoyment, not mine.
[00:01:50] Ray Latif: Well, falconing sounds safer, and it sounds like Mike was a little nervous about you going on that hot air balloon ride. I can understand why. Jackie, you were recently promoted to Director of Marketing. We can't lose our Director of Marketing for BevNET. That would be really bad.
[00:02:04] Jacqui Brugliera: That would be pretty bad, just jumping over the edge. But no, stayed safe.
[00:02:10] Ray Latif: I'm here. A belated congratulations to Jackie for the promotion. Very well-deserved. As Mike explained in our Slack channel, it's a role you've already been doing for some time, so.
[00:02:22] Mike Schneider: Yeah, but Jackie, seriously, next time, just juggle flaming swords or something safe, okay? I mean, gosh.
[00:02:27] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah, I don't know if that's safer. We'll try. We'll give it a go.
[00:02:30] John Craven: Don't take advice from Mike. Do your own research.
[00:02:36] Ray Latif: Rules to live by. As of The Taste of the publication of this episode of Taste Radio, we're less than a month away from Natural Products Expo West 2022. Expo.
[00:02:48] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah. Going back.
[00:02:51] Ray Latif: Coming up fast. Yeah. And we're looking to support brands in any way we can as they exhibit at the show. Jackie, what are some of the ways we can help these folks amplify their presence at Expo West?
[00:03:06] Jacqui Brugliera: Our teams at BevNET and Nosh are prepping for coverage, interviews, articles, roundups at Expo West, and we want to know what your company has going on. So whether it's a new product launch, company update, anything newsworthy around Expo West, you can submit that to us at BevNET.com backslash Expo West. We're also taking booth numbers so we can best plan our coverage as well as our trek around the trade show floor. So submit those as well there. We also have a benefit for insiders. So if you are an insider, a BevNET and Nosh insider, you will be published within our insider only Expo West booth guide, which we'll be sharing and publishing on BevNET.com and Nosh.com. If you're not an insider, you still have time to become an insider and be included in that guide. And all of that can be found at fabnet.com backslash Expo West.
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[00:04:49] Ray Latif: Do we have any Star Trek fans here? Mike, I kind of, I don't know. I'm sorry if I'm- Wars, Ray. Wars.
[00:04:55] John Craven: I would stereotype Mike as a Star Trek fan.
[00:04:58] Mike Schneider: I don't like that. You guys have no idea.
[00:05:00] Ray Latif: Out of the four of us, I feel like Mike would be a Trekkie. The person that most people would feel like is the Trekkie.
[00:05:07] Mike Schneider: First of all, I would prefer you call me a Trekker, but I am not a Trekkie, nor am I a Trekker. I like Star Wars, Ray. Okay.
[00:05:16] Ray Latif: Jackie, did you ask what a Trekkie was?
[00:05:18] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah.
[00:05:19] Ray Latif: I'm obviously not one. Jackie, you can figure it out. Trekkie is a big fan of Star Trek.
[00:05:28] Jacqui Brugliera: Okay.
[00:05:28] Ray Latif: Yeah. Now, I mentioned Star Trek because in the news recently, and as reported by BevNET, is a new company that is creating a sort of build-your-own-beverage-at-home at the push of a button. The company is called Cana Technology, and the idea is that you can quote-unquote print any beverage you want anytime at home. Now, as the BevNET story notes, rather than using concentrates or single-use pods, Canna uses molecular technology to identify and mix over 500 compounds that can, according to the company, create or approximate nearly any beverage in the world. So this sounds pretty groundbreaking and very interesting if actually it works the way it says it does.
[00:06:24] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah, I thought it was also interesting that they're saying that they can do alcoholic beverages as well. Sparkling, like it's more than just the flavor profile. It's functional ingredients. They're trying to do everything with this machine. So I'll be curious to see, you know, how these things taste.
[00:06:42] Mike Schneider: I feel like we've seen it's challenging to make a beverage The Taste good and has all the function that you want. Are you going to be able to make delicious beverages at home across many different categories of beverage? I don't know, I'm skeptical.
[00:06:54] Ray Latif: The upside is that the variety that you can make at home is significantly better than with existing countertop machines, such as, you know, a Keurig, K-Cup, Coffee Maker, whatever they call it. You know, there'Flyers Cocktail machines like the Bartesian. You know, there's a cocktail machine that Keurig came out with called Drinkworks, which is now out of business, where the brand has been, uh, discontinued. So, you know, the variety sounds pretty incredible, although it remains to be seen, you know, how big this machine is, how much it costs, you know, whether it's really a scalable proposition, but there is a lot of money being invested in Tucana, $30 million, according to the article on BevNET.
[00:07:43] Mike Schneider: It's probably going to run into similar problems that Bartesian has, which is Bartesian makes tasty cocktails, but you really need to, you know, want to either make them quickly, or you just don't know how to make cocktails, which a lot of people know how to make cocktails at home.
[00:07:59] John Craven: I agree with you, Mike. I think one of the issues with these machines is that you have to be someone who's invested in these types of beverages enough to be willing to buy an appliance to do it, and to date, those appliances really have been built on the premise of a shortcut or saving money, not create best-in-class product. So I think those things are at odds. People just aren't going to... Cocktail connoisseurs aren't going to drop a lot of money to get a machine that doesn't make a drink as good as if you just make it yourself. So I think if Kenna can fix that and create something that makes top-notch products, then maybe it'll have a chance. But if not, yeah, I think it'll have the same challenges as the other guys. Canna or canna they not is the big question.
[00:08:59] Ray Latif: All right. I just gave the dad joke for the episode, Mike, so we don't need any more from you. So I'll probably slip another one in. Hopefully, Canon will be able to address demand in the space of probiotic sodas. We're seeing a lot of growth in that category, including that of Olipop, which just raised another $30 million in a Series B funding round. Congratulations to that company. They are expected to, or they're hoping to, achieve a run rate of $100 million by the end of this year. the brands in just under 10,000 stores nationwide. You know, I just, I'm still amazed by the growth of these soda brands. I'm like, I almost feel like they're not really replacing soda for a lot of folks as much as they are creating a new opportunity for a quality, slightly functional drinking experience for more consumers.
[00:09:57] John Craven: It definitely is doing that, especially for a younger generation that didn't grow up on soda the way some of us did. But look, I think the thing that will get investors really excited is the fact that there are still billions of dollars out there tied up in legacy CSD brands that I think at this point feel like they're for the taking with a brand like Olipop, especially if it can scale and continue to evolve. So I think they've got an opportunity on both ends of it.
[00:10:34] Ray Latif: Yeah, investors certainly believe so. As you mentioned, their investors in this round included some pretty big names, including former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, as well as some very familiar names on the celebrity front, including the Jonas Brothers. Got to love the Jonas Brothers. Gwyneth Paltrow and the rapper Logic. Also in the news, a couple acquisitions of some pretty familiar brands or ones that are familiar to folks listening to this podcast. Congratulations to Bella and Harrison Hughes, the founders of Shaka Tea, Kings Hawaiian, yes. That King's Hawaiian, it's known for their butter rolls, acquired the Brad Avery this past week. King's Hawaiian was already an investor in the company and made a full acquisition of the brand, which is known for their herbal teas, their herbal zero sugar teas. Just a fantastic company and a fantastic brand and I'm really happy for the founders. also acquired over The Taste week was 4505 Meats. They are known for their pork rinds, their high-quality artisanal pork rinds. That company or that brand was acquired by Benestar Brands. Congratulations to Ryan Farr, who is the founder of 4505. He launched the company in 2009. And 4505 not only makes fried pork rinds, they also make meat sticks, which we've covered quite a bit in The Taste episode of the podcast. And they're looking to expand beyond meat snacks, according to the article on Nosh. For more information about everything we just talked about, we have articles on DevNet and Nosh that give the full story behind these fundraisers and acquisitions. Check them out and you will learn more.
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[00:13:13] Ray Latif: Another story on Nosh that was pretty eye-opening was that of a new brand called Feastables. Now, Feastables was created by a YouTube, quote-unquote, superstar. I want to be a YouTube superstar. What do you have to be to be a YouTube superstar? You have to get like, what, 10 million? You're well on your way, Ray. Don't worry.
[00:13:32] John Craven: That's what I was going to say, Ray. I mean, more so than the rest of us, at least, I guess.
[00:13:37] Mike Schneider: Yeah. I think if we just took a few of the outtakes from the show, we'd be a YouTube superstar, right?
[00:13:44] Ray Latif: You mean we'd make people sick, Jackie?
[00:13:46] Mike Schneider: As in we would go viral? Because I think that's probably... Oh, man, two dad jokes from you, Ray. Leave them to me, Ray.
[00:13:53] Ray Latif: So, yes, this YouTube star is known as Mr. Beast. His real name is Jimmy Donaldson. Apparently, he regularly attracts over 100 million views of his stunt-based videos. What is this, like Jackass? Does he do, like, that kind of stuff?
[00:14:09] Jacqui Brugliera: He does a lot of things with prizes and using other YouTubers. The one I was sucked into was Hide and Seek. So that was entertaining for five minutes.
[00:14:17] Ray Latif: This is an adult?
[00:14:19] Jacqui Brugliera: Yeah, this is an adult.
[00:14:20] John Craven: You should at least watch his squid game, which is I found more enjoyable than the real squid game show. So.
[00:14:27] Mike Schneider: So, Ray, there's this thing called YouTube, and these people go on and do ridiculous things and make shows and get all kinds of clout and raise it home on his couch, screaming, which VHS tape is YouTube on?
[00:14:40] Ray Latif: I'm a beta guy, sir.
[00:14:42] Mike Schneider: I don't know, sorry. Beta Max is coming up. Ray likes the giant DVDs, the laser discs.
[00:14:48] Ray Latif: Yes. Anyway, so Feastables, they market cleaned up chocolate bars. They have three varieties currently. One's an original chocolate, an almond chocolate, and a quinoa chocolate. The brand is sold on their website $50 for an 18-pack or $3.20, $3.50 for a single bar at Walmart or on GoPuff. They've got a pretty solid leadership team. RxBar president, former RxBar president, Jim Murray is their CEO, and former RxBar chief supply chain officer, Tom Melcher is their COO. But the thing about Feastables that really struck me was the branding. Now, they're called Mr. Beast Bars. The company name or the brand name, I guess, is Feastable, but the bars are called Mr. Beast Bars, and it's got this guy, Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, His stamp seems to be all over the packaging, which is a bright pink with sploshes of chocolate all over the place. Interesting stuff. I don't know who this appeals to. I mean, who is this for? Who is the Mr. Beast Bar for? Jackie, would you buy this?
[00:15:57] Jacqui Brugliera: I probably wouldn't buy it, but I'm also not regularly watching Mr. Beast videos. I mean, the fact that there's millions of subscribers, I think they're going after that consumer, the one that's on the YouTube channel. I saw that they do the plug at the end of the video. And then also you go on the website and they're gamifying everything. So a lot of Mr. Beast videos are based around competitions and games and award prize money. And that's prominent all over the website. So you're going in because you want to win a prize. So I think they're gamifying it for the younger generation.
[00:16:31] Mike Schneider: Yeah. And they're probably thinking Merck's link in bio has, you know, limited utility. There's only so many t-shirts you can, Mr. Beast t-shirts one person can wear. So, but here's the question for that younger generation that watches Mr.
[00:16:46] Ray Latif: Beast videos, are they really going to pay $3 or $3.50 for a single bar? That's a lot. Probably.
[00:16:52] Jacqui Brugliera: If it could get them something in the future, like it's an investment into potential prize, I think they would buy into it.
[00:17:00] John Craven: I think what's really also clever about what they've done with this product, or I guess other influencers that are launching their own product is if this were, I don't know, let's say a Hershey bar and every single video that this guy does ends with a plug for Hershey, people are like, alright, enough already. Whereas you can just plug your own product for forever. I don't think anyone's going to call you a sellout or anything like that. Although maybe they'll get sick of your chocolate. I think it's pretty damn clever, so.
[00:17:32] Ray Latif: There remains to be seen, I guess, whether or not this does become a middling internet brand or something that can actually stand on its own two legs. Again, selling direct to consumer makes sense. Sales on Walmart or sales at Walmart and on GoPuff, I'd be interested to see if that's actually going to work out. But I'm just being a hater. Congratulations, Beastables, Mr. Beast, you guys deserve all the accolades. You know what else deserves some accolades? Spudsy. Spudsy recently launched these new sweet potato fries. Now if you recall, older folks that is, you know those Andy Capp fries? Those ones that you would snack on like as kids and they're like these really thin crispy potato sticks? These are very reminiscent of that.
[00:18:18] Mike Schneider: At the time that was like the spiciest thing I'd ever had.
[00:18:20] Ray Latif: Yes. But Spudgy has cleaned all that up. They make these sweet potato fries. They come in several varieties, I believe four varieties. The one I'm holding in my hand is their hot fry. These are really good. The Taste so delicious. They're crispy, but they're not like break your tooth crispy. Jackie and I were having this conversation before we started recording. You know what I mean? Some crispy stuff can actually, they feel like they're gonna chip a tooth. These are not that. So don't worry, folks, if you're concerned about chipping your teeth on snacks. This is not the snack for that. There's about 140 calories per serving. There's four servings per bag. I'm really happy that I have these, because they are quite delicious. Also, appreciate the folks from Cloudwater, including founder Mark Seiden, for sending over a couple new varieties of their Cloudwater, their hemp-infused Cloudwater varieties, that is. They have a new half tea, half lemonade, and a new watermelon and ginger, both part of, as I mentioned, their hemp line. Each product is infused with 25 milligrams of hemp extract and sweetened with wildflower honey. I have not fried either of these yet. I'm going to do so right now. They're watermelon and ginger.
[00:19:37] The Taste: And that is the steel bottle.
[00:19:43] Ray Latif: Yeah, these are really delicious. Every Cloud Water variety I've ever tried, the flavor is so outstanding. They do such a good job. I agree. They nailed The Taste.
[00:19:54] Jacqui Brugliera: Speaking of refreshing beverages. I am currently drinking Preston's Ginger Beer, which is a local brand, San Diego brand of Ginger Beer. They recently went into cans, have some new packaging. I know the recipe is based on a traditional South African recipe. I'm a big fan of this Ginger Beer. It has the bite that I like. I like very ginger forward drinks. And I know they're coming out with a variety of different flavors as well. So starting to scale a bit in the San Diego area.
[00:20:26] John Craven: John Craven, what are you Well, Ray, since you ask just still every single d This week sampled, let's see here, it's the Flyers Cocktail Company. They make CBD-enhanced, alcohol-free cocktails. There's a, I guess, kind of a whiskey highball take, and then another one that's like a spicy margarita. Quite good. Also got some non-alcoholic gin spritzes from Romeo Gin, who also makes canned cocktails. Both are quite good. And then finally, we'll go with a non-cocktail here. And I've been drinking a ton of the Sanzo Yuzu with Ginger. Basically, took a page out of Ray's playbook and didn't share The Taste with anyone here. Quite good. Maybe his best flavor yet.
[00:21:21] Mike Schneider: He put a can on my desk and then took it back.
[00:21:25] John Craven: I don't think that was me.
[00:21:27] Ray Latif: I've never done that. That's hardcore right there. There was a can on my desk and it disappeared.
[00:21:34] Mike Schneider: You know what else came along this week, Ray, is chocolate cake Honey Mama. There you go.
[00:21:44] Ray Latif: Nice. Did you try it? No words. I did. If you could only see Mike's face, listeners.
[00:21:51] John Craven: Cue your Cookie Monster animation.
[00:21:57] Ray Latif: Going back to Sanzo for a sec, very excited for that brand and its growth. Interestingly enough, actually, I didn't realize this, but Kat Cole, who is the president and COO of Athletic Greens, I did an interview with her recently. It will be published in an upcoming episode of Taste Radio. She's a super angel investor, and about a third of her portfolio is in CPG brands, or food and beverage brands. And one of her investments is in Sanzo. I didn't realize that, actually. Yeah, she'll be talking about that brand, or briefly about that brand, and about her angel investment strategy, all as part of a very expansive interview soon to be published on Taste Radio. Look for it soon. As always, we love to try new products. We love The Taste, crunch, feel all of the above. Please send us samples. You can do so to BevNET headquarters at 65 Chapel Street, Newton, Mass 02458. Jackie, the San Diego office or the mailing address for San Diego is drumroll please.
[00:23:01] Jacqui Brugliera: The San Diego office is located at 2645 Financial Court, Suite D, San Diego, California, 92117.
[00:23:10] Ray Latif: Outstanding. And thanks so much to everyone who has sent us samples. We really, really appreciate it. All right, on that note, thank you so much for listening to this episode of Taste Radio. 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.
