Remaking its team after departure of several Voss Water vets and pivot in strategy, Nirvana Water Sciences has named Candice St Pierre as vp of nutrition sales, adding an exec who's familiar with nutrition and wellness outlets that are now a key focus. St. Pierre brings experience from Twinlab, Skinnygirl, Performix and Atkins Nutritionals as marketer of recovery bevs and supplements infused with HMB (βeta-hydroxy βeta-methylbutyrate) prioritize nutrition aisle. However, she'll also be responsible for managing push into traditional retailers. As reported, co has backed off from earlier push into traditional DSD targeting broader retail channels that was stock in trade of prior sales team (BBI, Nov 22) . . . Iris Nova/Dirty Lemon vet Mac McAvoy has signed on as coo of Barcode, the adaptogen-infused hydration brand. After leaving Iris Nova, which had scored funding round from Coca-Cola and embarked on expansion of its "conversational commerce" premise with its Dirty Lemon and various outside brands before seeming to run out of steam, Mac spent a year as ops vp at cannabis player West Coast Cure.

On eve of tennis ace's first game at Australian Open today, water cube marketer Waterdrop said it's enlisted Novak Djokovic as investor and global brand ambassador. Deal, forged with help of sports marketing agency WWP Group, included "significant 7-figure investment" from star, not long after Vienna-based water enhancer co reeled in €60 mil capital round. "I believe that by working together we can make a real contribution and eliminate all plastic bottles on the [ATP World] Tour," per statement from Djokovic. Waterdrop already sponsors US tennis players Danielle Collins and Taylor Fritz.

Remedy Organics, known for uncompromising stance on its ingredients and recipes of its nutritional shakes and immunity shots, has figured out a way to transform the refrigerated shots into shelf-stable item, opening wide range of retail opportunities. Move offers key differentiator vs other nutritional shots like Kor and Vive, tho a few players like Ethan's have previously ventured into shelf-stable realm. Whether their presence at checkout counters might pry away any 5-Hour Energy drinkers remains to be seen - organic espresso shot Forto never succeeded in doing that on significant scale - but it offers far greater visibility to brand, and category.

Stefan Freeman would seem to know everything about managing bev operations at scale, after career that's taken him thru senior posts at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Dean Foods, Coca-Cola Refreshments and then, for 3 years, the smaller Reed's Inc. These days, tho, he's operating at smaller scale supporting Venice Beach Beverages platform launched by his bev neophyte wife Michele, a former singer and voiceover actress whose homemade juices had proved perennial crowd-pleasers among friends and family. That doesn't mean he's not pursuing integrated approach, with company self-producing in Huntington Park, Calif, using its own can line and self-distributing into c-stores and other indie outlets around LA for now. Brand might be new but Michele had procured the Venice Beach trademark in 2008, Stefan noted, attesting to her longstanding desire to get in game.

Java Trading, also going by Distant Lands Coffee, pushed the first RTD coffees to go out under its own brand name at Fancy Food show. And on core ground and pod coffee side, it was clear that Renton, Wash-based unit had quietly scored a bit of a coup: back in the fold is Panera Bread CPG biz, former customer lost to Panera's owner, JAB, which controls massive coffee roasting operations on several continents. So Panera's in-store coffee offerings - which Distant Lands never lost - and its at-home offerings now are unified once more.

Chicago-based Milkadamia has moved its macadamia-based plantmilk brand into a higher value tier with the release at Fancy Food of Milk Tea and Coffee Latte extensions. Milk Tea uses black-tea base while the Coffee Latte uses Arabica espresso extraction. They're packed in same 32-oz resealable carton as core line but priced at $8.99 vs $5.49. They've edged out into Chicago market lately and broadline distributor KeHe is due to come aboard next month, staffer at booth told us.

Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but the campaign to convince people to drink less continues to gather steam. A front-page NY Times story over the weekend opens by apologizing for letting folks know that a "nightly glass or two of wine is not improving your health." It's a remarkably confident assertion for an article headlining that "Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health"; explaining that "even small amounts of alcohol can have health consequences" and "health risks from drinking can come from moderate consumption as well"; and concluding that "none of the experts we spoke to called for abstaining completely" (our emphasis in all cases).

Michelob Ultra has returned its special Limited Edition Golf Pack which prominently features a large golf ball on 24 can pkg just as "fans demanded," co announced on website. On top of that, Mich Ultra, which is official beer sponsor of PGA tour, has produced its second "Caddyshack" ad parody, this time with current broadcaster, Tony Romo, who besides his NFL career is known for being a talented golfer. Romo recreates famous scene with Bill Murray's character Carl Spackler fantasizing about his "Cinderella Story" win at the Masters. In 2020 version, first parody put Peyton Manning's face on character of Judge Smalls when he delivered his infamous, "Well, we're waiting" line, recalled Auralcrave. "This February, Michelob Ultra is taking over the big game," voiceover proclaims in new ad, seemingly hinting at more Super Bowl