Among next bev-related events on horizon is Beer Insights Seminar, less than 1 month away at Convene event space in midtown NYC. That event put on by BBI parent Beer Marketer's Insights offers info, insights and networking opportunities for those in beer and adjacent categories, starting with opening reception on evening of Sun, Nov 13, and all-day meeting on Mon, Nov 14. Sign up here to reserve a spot.

At Natl Beer Wholesalers' Assn conference earlier this week, several key speakers inveighed vs risks of NA player PepsiCo entering alc segment via brands like Hard MTN Dew and its own distribution system, Blue Cloud (BBI, Oct 13). Retail promotions don't always make clear distinction between the alc and NA items, some warned. Here's a case in point: big ad in weekly circular for at least some Tenn stores in Food City chain included all manner of Mountain Dew: Mountain Dew case for $8.99, Mountain Dew Kickstart energy extension at 5 for $5, Hard MTN Dew 12-pack for $16.99 and more. Ad made no mention at all that Hard MTN Dew contains alcohol. Weirdly, just below the Mountain Dew ad, Food City's School Buck$ Challenge appears for the only time in lengthy circular. "Link your value card online at Foodcity.com/Schoolbuck$ to start earning cash for your school." Hmmm. We don't think Pepsi or Food City mean to be linking Hard Mountain Dew with School Buck$. But it can be confusing what's alcohol and what's not, as those speakers noted at NBWA. Should there be clearer lines between a soft drink and an alcoholic variant? (A version of this article ran in sibling INSIGHTS Express newsletter earlier today.)

Las Vegas-based Ghost Energy continues to build out local partnerships as brand scores encouraging results moving thru beer wholesaler network of its partner and minority investor Anheuser-Busch. After partnering with Life Is Beautiful music fest in downtown Vegas, brand has signed on as exclusive energy drink partner for When We Were Young fest at Vegas fairgrounds, including sampling effort, relaxation lounge for attendees and limited-edition Orange Cream flavor with fest graphics. Fest will feature acts like My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Avril Lavigne. Drilling further down into key metro, it's also signed multi-year deal to serve as official energy drink of Las Vegas Knights hockey team, including via dashboard signage at The Fortress, a VGK Knight Club feature on Knight Tron during home games and cameo in NHL's new broadcast ad campaign. It also will get naming rights at team's training facility, Rink B at City National Arena. Brand has roots in both Chicago and Vegas . . . Rockstar Energy has enlisted actor/influencer Angus Cloud as new face of brand, which will ride Euphoria star's presence in acting, fashion, art and other realms. Partnership will kick off tomorrow at Formula Drift Finals in LA, riding Rockstar's role as official energy drink of fast-growing motorsport . . . Another PepsiCo brand, the female-targeted Lipton Pure Leaf RTD tea brand, has tied to author Eve Rodsky and her Fair Play method for balancing roles and responsibilities within couples' relationships. Lipton drinkers will be invited to sign up for hour-long virtual sessions running from Oct 17-28. What's the Pure Leaf connection? Premise is that an iced tea that says no to artificial flavors, concentrates or tea powders via "No is beautiful" campaign is suited to inspire women "to say no to the things that don't matter to them so they can say yes to the things that do," including slurping Pure Leaf, of course.

SunOpta, which has been doubling down on its plantmilk biz, said it's sold its sunflower biz to Pacific Avenue Capital Partners for $16 mil, in deal that closed on Tues. "This divestiture of a non-core business represents further progress against our strategic imperative of portfolio transformation," said ceo Joe Ennen. Unit was housed within SunOpta's Plant-Based Foods & Beverages segment, which now is fully focused on plant-based bevs using oat, almond, rice, soy, coconut, hemp and other bases, along with broths, teas, nutritional bevs, and liquid and powder ingredients. Co expects to record estimated after-tax loss on sale of $16 mil . . . Copacking giant Refresco Group said it's entered into deal to acquire Tru Blu Beverages, major Australian copacker on non-alc side. Refresco ceo Hans Roelofs said acquisition makes good on Rotterdam co's promise to expand into a 3d continent, after expansion from Europe to US began in 2016. He promised further moves, saying Tru Blu's "3 strategically located manufacturing sites are the starting point for our future footprint in the region." Tru Blu employs over 400 at its plants in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, supported by network of warehouses throughout Oz. Deal is subject to regulatory approval. Terms weren't disclosed . . . Beyond Meat said it would slash 200 jobs - about 19% of its workforce - and cut its annual revenue forecast for 2d time this year, citing slowing demand for its altmeats as shoppers seek cheaper options in inflationary environment. Among departures as co aims to get cash-flow-positive in coming months are its cfo as well as coo who was involved in alleged road rage incident. The all-hands-on-deck stance amid sliding share values suggests we won't be hearing much soon about bevs planned for launch in alliance with PepsiCo forged in early 2021 (BBI, Jan 26 2021). Partners began their collab with jerky last spring (BBI, Mar 23) but bevs were to be in pipeline after Beyond Meat filed for trademarks in milk and other bev categories (BBI, Aug 18 2021) . . . French dairy & water giant Danone will shed control of its dairy/altmilk biz in Russia in deal that could lead to writeoff of up to 1 bil euros ($978 mil), co announced today. That biz represents about 90% of its operations in Russia, tho it's hanging onto infant nutrition unit on humanitarian grounds. The Russian part of co's Essential Dairy & Plant-based (EDP) segment accounted for 5% of co's total sales but had "dilutive" effect on sales growth and margins, it said . . . Did private-equity firm's greed and mismanagement drive Tops grocery chain into bankruptcy? Bankruptcy judge in US District Court for Southern District of NY has ruled that lawsuit filed in 2020 by litigation trustee for upstate NY grocer can proceed vs Morgan Stanley, which is accused of leaving chain reeling after piling on debt while paying "a series of massive, illegal dividends" to itself and other PE investors, as Grocery Dive reported. Suit was filed in Feb 2020. Morgan Stanley, which controlled Tops from 2007 to 2013, had sought dismissal of suit, which Tops would like to see go to jury trial. It's among numerous retailers, including NY's Fairway chain, whose bouts with PE ownership proved disastrous.

Houston-based Sunny Sky Products, which makes dispensed beverage gear for convenience and foodservice channels, said it's set definitive deal to acquire GoodWest Industries, which produces low-acid aseptic bev solutions including shelf-stable and bag-in-box coffee creamers, cold-brews and iced coffees. Seller is Palladium Equity Partners, a minority-owned PE shop that acquired GoodWest in 2015 and said it will retain Jordan's Skinny Mixes div. Under continued stewardship of its founder Jordan Engelhard, that unit markets zero-sugar coffee syrups and flavorings, cocktail mixes and other items under Jordan's Skinny Mixes and related brands. Sunny Sky is controlled by The Jordan Company LP. Deal terms weren't released. Following acquisition, GoodWest will operate as wholly owned subsidiary of Sunny Sky under its existing leadership, including prexy/ceo Quenten Wentworth.

Beverage inflation came to nearly 13% for 12 months ended in Sep, per Consumer Price Index data released by feds yesterday. Food consumed at home surged 13% over that period. Among its sub-categories, non-alc "beverages & beverage materials" surged 12.9% in the data, which is not adjusted for seasonal variation. Dairy & related products nearly 15.9%. Food consumed away from home rose 8.5%. Alc bevs rose mere 4.1%.

It's unusual, perhaps unprecedented, situation: as speculation about health of Red Bull's inspiring cofounder and leader Dietrich Mateschitz moves into 2d week with no comment from co, we're seeing initial European media reports assessing likely path forward should 78-year-old Austrian entrepreneur prove to be out of the picture. Central to discussion is Didi's only son Mark, who proved to be deft bev exec in turning Thalheimer beer into a hip brand but may face challenge winning approval from estate of deceased Thai cofounder that controls 51% of Red Bull shares. At issue, of course, is not just global energy drink power but Mateschitz's extensive involvements in soccer, auto racing and media, not to mention the extreme sports Red Bull sponsors.

Kroger Co officially announced its rumored buyout of rival Albertsons is happening. Deal for $24.6 bil ($34.10 per share) is "one of biggest deals in the history of the grocery industry," noted Wall Street Journal, but "could face a long road ahead, as antitrust enforcers have challenged some mergers under the Biden administration." Kroger has more than 2,700 stores, including Fred Meyer and Ralph's chains, while Albertsons has ~2,300 locations including Safeway and Vons chains. Newly combined co would have ~13 share of food retail sales in US, trailing Walmart at 22 share, per JP Morgan.