Constellation Brands, Coca-Cola enter agreement for FRESCA brand

Constellation Brands Inc., Victor, N.Y., entered into a brand authorization agreement with The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, in the United States to bring the FRESCA brand into beverage alcohol through the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and launch of FRESCA Mixed, a new line of spirit-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails that are well-aligned to a number of emerging consumer trends, it says.

“The Coca-Cola Co.’s FRESCA brand is not only trusted by consumers, but also directly delivers on consumer preferences for refreshment, flavor, and convenience ― attributes that also play well within beverage alcohol and where we can leverage our expertise,” said Bill Newlands, Constellation’s president and CEO, in a statement.

Adult alternative beverages, including RTD cocktails, represents nearly an $8 billion segment projected to grow at a 15-17% compound annual growth rate during the next three years, with trusted consumer brands commanding a significant share of the market, according to Constellation Brands’ market research.

Leveraging its credentials as a popular mixer that lifts all spirits it’s paired with, FRESCA Mixed cocktails will balance the FRESCA flavor consumers expect with quality spirit bases rooted in Constellation’s expertise. The new FRESCA Mixed will be a distinctive and intriguing brand that delivers consumers fuller-flavored, convenient RTD cocktails using real spirits that are great tasting and high quality, the companies say.

“One of the core tenets of our innovation strategy is a belief in the power of extending strong and trusted brands in thoughtful ways to bring to market unique products that resonate with consumers,” said Mallika Monteiro, Constellation’s chief growth, strategy and digital officer, in a statement. “This is an exciting agreement that allows us to continue expanding our premium portfolio in ways that deliver distinctive consumer value propositions that include things like more flavor, different alcohol bases, and functional benefits.”

Dan White, chief of new revenue streams for Coca-Cola North America Operating Unit, added: “The Coca-Cola Co. and Constellation Brands have a shared passion for building some of the world’s most loved brands and for building best-in-class beverage experiences. Our new relationship with Constellation Brands is ideal due to their consumer-focused approach to brand building, expansive distribution network, and distilled distribution expertise. With the launch of FRESCA Mixed by Constellation, people will have an entirely new way to enjoy the taste of FRESCA, now mixed with real spirits.”

FRESCA Mixed is expected to launch this year, starting with cocktails using real spirits and inspired by recipes created by FRESCA fans from around the globe. The products will be produced and marketed by Constellation and distributed through Constellation’s three-tier distribution networks, leveraging the company’s consumer knowledge, brand-building capabilities, beverage alcohol expertise, and strong retail and trade relationships to secure national distribution, it says. BI

Spindrift, San Diego, has joined the Speakeasy Co. (Speakeasy) platform to sell its newest beverage alcohol innovation: Spindrift Spiked. Speakeasy streamlines direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and makes it as simple as possible for all types of beverage brands to sell directly on their website, it says. Since launching, Speakeasy has on-boarded hundreds of brands to the platform. “As we continue to grow, it’s important to partner with companies like Speakeasy that offer a convenient way for our loyal community of drifters to try our latest innovations online,” said Melissa Shum, digital marketing at Spindrift, in a statement. “We also love that the whole goal is to get our products to customers in the easiest, simplest way possible.”

San Francisco-based Sunwink, a female-founded plant-powered wellness company, announced a brick and mortar retail expansion with Target, as its line of Superfood Powders enters more than 1,800 Target stores across the United States. This announcement comes on the heels of the brand’s largest growth year to-date where it expanded to more than 3,000 retail stores across the country and experienced 500% year-over-year revenue growth from 2020.

Golden Grail Tech, Weston, Fla., entered in to a distribution agreement for Spider Energy Drink with Cayman International Foods Group (CIFG).CIFG will launch Spider Energy in the international market of the Cayman Islands. CIFG services all the major supermarkets and is the primary supplier of the products they represent to 80% of the convenience stores in Cayman Islands, the company says.

Breakthru Beverage Group signs agreement to buy Major Brands

Castle & Key Distillery, Frankfort, Ky., has expanded distribution to Florida, Louisiana and Oklahoma through distributor Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC). The Castle & Key portfolio, including its Sacred Spring Vodka, Roots of Ruin Gin and Restoration Rye, will be available for purchase at local retailers and restaurants, including Gaspar’s Patio & Grille in Tampa, Byron’s in Oklahoma City, and Parkhills Warehouse in Tulsa. “On behalf of Castle & Key, we are proud to see consumers responding so positively to our Kentucky spirits and we’re excited to enter these new markets,” says Will Arvin, Co-founder of Castle & Key. “Our partnership with RNDC represents a huge leap forward toward our goals, and we look forward to the new year to continue growth.”

Freixenet set a record on Dec. 15, 2021, when it crossed the 100 million bottle sales threshold for the first time in its more than 150-year history. In fact, Freixenet is expecting to report another increase to 105 million bottles by the end of the year.

Breakthru Beverage Group, New York, announced they have a signed agreement to purchase Missouri-based Major Brands, further expanding the company’s North American footprint. Once the deal is completed, which is expected this spring, Major Brands will join the Breakthru Beverage family and begin to deploy the company’s extensive suite of capabilities to help suppliers and customers better reach their target consumers and drive results, it says.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Breakthru to further solidify our standing in the Midwest. We have an ambitious growth agenda, and this move marks another step forward as we continue to seek opportunities across North America,” said Tom Bené, Breakthru Beverage Group president and CEO, in a statement. “We intend to align our family-led businesses, embrace opportunities for innovation and build on Major Brands’ strong service, community and people-oriented culture to expand our relationships in Missouri.”

Under the leadership of new CEO Bené, Breakthru aims to strengthen its position in current markets while seeking organic and inorganic geographic growth opportunities and new business ventures to expand beyond their Total Beverage Alcohol portfolio of wines, spirits, beer and emerging beverages.

Sue McCollum, Major Brands CEO, added: “Major Brands always has been about its people and the relationships we have built with our customers, suppliers and the communities we have served. We have aggressively defended the responsibilities with which the state has entrusted us. Breakthru’s acquisition of Major Brands now gives one of Missouri’s largest wholesale premium beverage alcohol distributors the added resources and capabilities of Breakthru’s outstanding team. It will strengthen our position in the industry, while maintaining our values and commitment to community and culture.”

Breakthru intends to expand its customer and consumer-focused strategies all with the goal of strengthening its position as the distributor of choice, it states. It will remain business as usual at Major Brands, with the transaction expected to close this spring, subject to usual and customary closing conditions. BI