Jocko Willink admits that he made mistakes during his time in the military. The retired Navy SEAL lieutenant commander, author and entrepreneur says that, in some cases, his errors led to circumstances in which “things went terribly wrong.” Certainly, it’s difficult to compare the experiences of leading soldiers on the battlefield and running a CPG company. But Jocko, who is the founder of better-for-you beverage and supplement brand Jocko Fuel, believes that in any situation when mistakes occur...
Jun 04, 2024•28 min
Have non-alcoholic cocktail menus gone the way of the BlackBerry? Milan Martin thinks so, and he has good reason to believe it. Milan is the founder and CEO of The Free Spirits Company, a brand of hand-crafted, non-alcoholic spirits and RTD cocktails. Founded in 2020, the company markets zero-proof bourbon, gin, tequila, amaro and vermouth, along with a canned margarita and Kentucky mule. Milan’s vision is not to replace spirits from consumers’ drinking occasions, but to empower them – and barte...
May 31, 2024•45 min
Despite major strides taken by a new generation of bold entrepreneurs and brands, Black-owned food and beverage companies still face persistent headwinds getting on the shelves of mainstream supermarkets, finding significant investment,and scaling long-term. From a consumer and an equity standpoint, this is untenable. A significant slice – 14% – of American consumers are Black. We know that there are Black founders out there but they are not necessarily making their way into our consciousness or...
May 30, 2024•51 min
If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a retail buyer or merchandiser, this episode, in which we sit down with key executives representing mass, specialty and natural grocery retail chains, is required listening. Will McDonald, the Vice President DMM - Beverages for Walmart; Kristin Alas, a Category Manager for Gelson's; and Brian Albert, a Sr. Category Manager for Sprouts, reveal how each retailer evaluates emerging brands, assesses innovation and trendy ingredients, and cultivates suc...
May 28, 2024•52 min
If you know Peloton, you probably know Kendall Toole. Kendall is one of the most recognizable and beloved trainers on the exercise platform, known for her upbeat personality and high-intensity cycling classes. She’s also a popular wellness and fitness influencer with 1.3 million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined and an ambassador for athletic apparel company Lululemon. In October 2023, Kendall entered the beverage industry as a partner with Don’t Quit, a sports nutrition brand that mark...
May 24, 2024•31 min
It’s no secret that Patrick Mahomes is one of the best players in the NFL. What is perhaps less known is his beverage of choice throughout the day: coffee. The three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback says he drinks at least five cups a day to stay energized. It’s only fitting that Patrick is the lead investor in Throne Sport Coffee, a better-for-you iced coffee brand developed for athletes and active consumers. Founded by former BodyArmor marketing chief Michael Fedele, Throne is made with sus...
May 21, 2024•20 min
Jacqui’s recap of the recently held Vegan Women’s Summit spurs a conversation about consumer perception of – and some resentment about – plant-based food and meat alternatives, in particular. The hosts also highlight a new high-test coffee brand that’s backed by a high-profile investor, note a new and valuable benefit for Insiders and sample prebiotic sodas, BFY cookies and a show-stopping non-alcoholic red wine. This episode also features a conversation with Dr. Farnoush Fadavi is the co-founde...
May 17, 2024•49 min
Twenty-three years, nine brands and four successful exits. Serial entrepreneur Lance Collins has seen it all. Yes, he sold Fuze and NOS to the Coca-Cola Co. and reaped a windfall return. Yes, Coke also paid billions to buy BodyArmor, while Keurig Dr Pepper acquired Core Hydration for $525 million. There’s no question that his wins are impressive. But Lance will tell you that he’s made nearly every mistake one can make in the beverage industry and has experienced raw and desperate times, includin...
May 14, 2024•21 min
Dates, consumed for millennia, are having a modern moment. But can the superfood maintain its momentum, particularly among mainstream consumers? And, while we’re asking: has “superfood” lost its luster? Taste Radio’s hosts have their say. We also sit down with MMA icon Quentin “Rampage” Jackson, who is a partner with upstart beverage brand F3 Energy. Show notes: 0:38: No ECL, Thank You. Don’t Sit Next To Ray. A Plurality of Cacao. Sounds Fishy. – Mike trolls Ray about a recent soccer game, it’s ...
May 10, 2024•46 min
Emma Chamberlain isn’t jaded by the ebb and flow of beverage entrepreneurship. Not yet, anyway. On the contrary, the 22-year-old, who rose to fame as a YouTube creator and has since become one of the most prominent influencers in the world, says that she revels in the daily lessons learned from building her coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee. Founded in 2020, Chamberlain Coffee sells whole beans, matcha and instant coffee direct-to-consumer and also markets ready-to-drink dairy-free lattes that ar...
May 07, 2024•38 min
When the world’s largest retailer launches a private label brand of better-for-you and affordable food and beverage staples, it stands to reason that their customers will benefit. But how will Walmart's new bettergoods brand impact its existing CPG suppliers? The Taste Radio crew weighs in. Show notes: 0:35: A Terrifying Chameleon. Tipping Protocol. BevNET Gandalf. It’s Yeah. – On location at The Beverage Forum in Manhattan Beach, California, Ray and John share a few highlights from the event, i...
May 03, 2024•29 min
A bold and carefree woman. A living embodiment of human adventure. A confident explorer known to travel the world atop a moose. Archer Roose, the fictional character that Marian Leitner created to represent her wine brand in name and label design, is all of those things. One could say the same (except for the moose part) about Elizabeth Banks, the Hollywood multi-hyphenate known for acting roles in the films “The Hunger Games” and “Love & Mercy” and as the director of comedies “Pitch Perfect...
Apr 30, 2024•47 min
In this feature of our sister show BevNET and Nosh's Community Call, seasoned angel investors Nicole Bruno and Gefen Skolnick, alongside Ruth Berhane-Williams, founder of Eritea, who is actively exploring the angel investment landscape. Hear tips for identifying angel investors, understanding their preferences, and nurturing successful partnerships.
Apr 29, 2024•54 min
Call it the millennial/Gen Z effect. A retro aesthetic is the defining characteristic of modern package design as new brands incorporate the vibe and culture of decades past into product labels. But has the trend made it more challenging for emerging brands to stand out? Show notes: 0:35: Surfing With Turtles. Zen & Coffee. Exceptional Bounce. Broadway Hell. RoWater. — Mike recalls a reptilian adventure from his vacation, John notes Mexico’s war on sugar and his subsistence on ceviche, Ray’s...
Apr 26, 2024•32 min
Venture capital firm BFG Partners invested in Mid-Day Squares when the brand’s founders were still hand crafting their functional chocolate bars in a Montreal apartment. BFG managing partners Tom Spier and Dayton Miller described their decision as “a leap of faith.” On the surface, it may seem like BFG, which has a track record of investing in high-growth companies, as a somewhat surprising move. But Tom and Dayton note that their evaluation of Mid-Day Squares was – as with every business they f...
Apr 23, 2024•35 min
As expected, commerce reigned at the annual Coachella music festival, but which food and beverage companies stood out? We have a report. This episode also features conversation with Laura Merritt, the CMO of Diageo Beer Company, who discusses how Guinness’ non-alcoholic Zero variety is helping the brand cultivate a new generation of consumers. 0:35: A Sordid Past. Cat’s Milk. The Bramins. Jacqui’s Spirits. Robin’s Egg Blue. TB12 In 0.5 Sec. – Jacqui chats about personal pub culture before diving...
Apr 19, 2024•51 min
After 15 years at the helm of one of the most admired better-for-you brands in the food industry, Elizabeth Stein is happy to share. The founder and CEO of Purely Elizabeth, which markets natural and organic granola, cereal and oatmeal, Elizabeth has long been at the forefront of incorporating ancient grains, such as chia seeds, quinoa and amaranth, into products that are designed for mainstream consumers. Since launching in 2009, Purely Elizabeth has gradually expanded beyond its roots in the n...
Apr 16, 2024•29 min
Momofuku built its reputation as a company that was always willing to stir the pot. It may, however, regret stirring this one. David Chang’s restaurant and consumer brand empire is under fire for sending cease-and-desist letters to brands using its trademarked term “chili crunch,” a move that has elicited rage among some in the food industry who feel that Momofuku is unfairly targeting small, women-owned and minority-led businesses. The hosts leap into the fray with their own takes on this hot a...
Apr 12, 2024•33 min
What role can bars and mixologists play in protecting Earth’s fragile environment? It’s a question that Juan Torres Master Distillers, the maker of Torres Brandy, has attempted to answer via an innovative competition. A highly regarded spirits brand based in the Penedès region of Spain, Torres Brandy is the creator of Zero Challenge, an annual international competition whose aim is to promote, identify and reward environmentally friendly solutions in the management of bars and crafting of cockta...
Apr 09, 2024•46 min
What happens when a small, but influential, retailer unexpectedly closes all of its stores? What’s the impact on suppliers? What does its closure say about the trends it embraced? The hosts share their thoughts on Boisson’s surprising shutdown. They also test out an innovative countertop machine that produces on-demand plant-based milk and highlight a motley crew of RTD beverages (including a tomato-flavored tea and pistachio milk latte) as well as an upstart brand of samosa inspired by Caribbea...
Apr 05, 2024•27 min
Marguerite Zabar Mariscal is rarely satisfied. It’s not in her DNA, she says, nor that of the companies she helms: Momofuku, the admired restaurant group founded by David Chang, and Momofuku Goods, a brand of restaurant-quality pantry items inspired by modern Asian cuisine. Marguerite, who took the reins of Momofuku in 2019 and co-founded its consumer brand the same year, describes the companies’ opposition to complacency as “a conscientious objection” that has fueled constant improvement. That ...
Apr 02, 2024•38 min
In this special presentation of our sister show, CPG Week by BevNET and Nosh, host and Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tests reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard to see if they can tell the difference between real CPG items and prank products that have shown up in marketing campaigns over the years and the group discusses how allulose is being talked about as “nature’s GLP-1.”
Apr 01, 2024•15 min
Five years ago, seemingly every food and beverage brand was incorporating CBD into its innovation strategy. Of course, that’s no longer the case. What generated the hype, and what lessons can be drawn from CBD’s rapid rise? The hosts discuss. They also sip and snack their way through an unusual mix of products, including hot dog water (!), crispy beef jerky, candy-flavored coffee and “lox in a box.” Show notes: 0:35: Build A Birdhouse. No Habla Anything. Jacqui Got NIL. Leprechauns Are Bad. WTF ...
Mar 29, 2024•36 min
It’s not everyday that you get an opportunity to sit down with the CEO of one of the most influential companies in the world, so when given the chance to speak with Ryan Gellert, who has helmed pioneering outdoor apparel and gear company Patagonia since 2020, we jumped at it. We met Ryan at Natural Products Expo West 2024, where he was on hand to help promote and speak about Patagonia Provisions, a company division formed in 2012 that markets responsibly-sourced food and beverages, including a v...
Mar 26, 2024•16 min
Expo West 2024 remains top of mind for the hosts, who discuss how attendees’ perception of innovation and their evaluation of new products has evolved in recent editions of the annual event. They also speak about how a confluence of global flavors and convenient, clean label foods and beverages is a positive sign for the industry as a whole. Show notes: 0:35: Cognitive Jamon. Expo Trollin’. Call Congress. MENA-Licious. Taco Bell Coffee? Paneer Pops. - On location in Barcelona, Ray chats about a ...
Mar 22, 2024•29 min
When RIND Snacks debuted in 2018, founder and CEO Matt Weiss won plaudits for creating an innovative and eye-catching brand of upcycled fruit snacks. Six years later, the New York-based entrepreneur is being lauded for transforming RIND into a vertically integrated healthy snack platform. Industry acclaim is nice, but Matt will say that his primary focus is to create lasting value for his company, shareholders and consumers. Last month, RIND, which markets dried fruit snacks and fruit and nut mi...
Mar 19, 2024•35 min
And, breathe... having combed the cavernous halls of a gargantuan Natural Products Expo West 2024, the hosts had plenty to discuss. From innovative new products and fast-growing categories, to trendy ingredients and exhibitor enthusiasm, this episode provides their first recap of an incredible event. 0:35: We’re By The Pool, But Never Touch The Water – The BevNET Airbnb is a fine, if imperfect, venue for the recording. The hosts resist close talkers and agree that Ray sounds like Sting (well, ma...
Mar 16, 2024•30 min
The cultural relevance of reality TV stars is typically short-lived. Kyle Cooke, however, is playing the long game. Best known as a cast member on Bravo's popular television series "Summer House," Kyle is also the founder of Loverboy, a fast-growing brand of premium sparkling hard teas, spritzes and canned cocktails launched in 2018. Loverboy is prominently featured on “Summer House” as it has throughout the show’s past five seasons during which Kyle has given viewers an inside look into the bra...
Mar 12, 2024•33 min
A recent Forbes article sparks the hosts’ passionate discussion about the role that food and beverage conglomerates should play in the health and wellness of American consumers, both now and in the future. They also opine on whether JuneShine’s acquisition of Flying Embers is good for the hard kombucha category, chat about Expo West preparation and highlight a handful of new spicy, sweet and savory snacks and libations. Show notes: 0:35: Super Random. Unofficially Ready. A Majority Stake. What T...
Mar 08, 2024•34 min
Former monk. Wellness influencer. Podcaster. Beverage entrepreneur. Jay Shetty, who is one of the most well-known and respected names in the field of self-improvement, is all of those things. But it’s an emphasis on purpose – in everything he does – that best defines him. Jay is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, including “Think Like a Monk,” and host of On Purpose, one of the most popular podcasts in the U.S. He’s known as a life coach to the stars, praised by the likes of Gwe...
Mar 05, 2024•44 min
