Team of ag and bev innovators has taken seemingly novel tack in launching oat-based RTD: using regeneratively grown oats from Maine as basis for canned sports drink called Smootch Oat Powered Hydration that's laden with sea salt, potassium, immunity-building zinc and with organic honey as a sweetener. At core of efforts are founder/ceo Matt Peterson, youthful sustainable-ag expert, and Ian Pasquarelli, who's operated food consultancy in Boston called The Kitchen Network. Rather than entering crowded oatmilk space, they sought value-added space, using oats grown in Maine area where Pasquarelli grew up, reaching out to Nobl Coffee in NH as copacker and trickling out to handful of stores in NJ and Penn ahead of debut at Expo East in Philadelphia today. Line currently is offered in Black Currant Elderberry, Blood Orange Grapefruit, Guava Hibiscus and Lemon Lime, priced at $2.99. Team is aiming to build DTC presence while seeking retail distribution selectively in New England and Mid-Atlanti

Bill Lange, the Zico and Bolthouse Farms vet installed as prexy of Roar Organic just a few weeks ago (BBI, Sep 7), said he can't take credit for the newfound momentum being enjoyed by functional brand that, since its reformulation by owner The Factory, has been positioning itself as "complete hydration," thanks to recipe's contingent of B-vitamins, electrolytes and antioxidants. After rebuilding national presence in Whole Foods, brand just launched in Kroger nationally as well as in Sprouts natural food chain. At Safeway/Albertsons, it's adding cold-box presence to its existing perch on warm shelf. Wegmans is in mix too out east. With sales team humming, Lange has set as a key priority for 2023 to figure out the marketing messaging, given the plethora of benefits the brand offers - a "benefit soup," as he called it. Marketing vet said that rather than enlist high-powered agencies, as under past management teams, Roar team will be working closely with in-house creative team at The Factory to suss out the right themes to strike with shoppers. The Factory is Bethlehem, Penn-based investor in food, bev & pet brands that's amassed seasoned exec team to support holdings that include Honey Stinger, Mikey's, Pipcorn and Partake cookies. It moved in as controlling shareholder last year, dropping heavy emphasis on electrolyte content in favor of "complete hydration" message targeting women that was developed under leadership of Red Bull and Hain vet Alex Galindez as ceo (BBI, Apr 9 2021). She moved on earlier this year and Lange was recruited to take helm.

Molson Coors and Coca-Cola are jointly entering spirits-based RTD space with Topo Chico Spirited this upcoming spring 2023, MC shared at its distrib meeting last week, per report in sister publication INSIGHTS Express. Topo Chico Spirited is a lineup of RTD cocktails, "not hard seltzer," sold in 4pk 12oz standard cans with cocktail "packaging cues," innovation veep Jamie Wideman underscored. "We think this will be absolutely huge" as "a premium way to complement the portfolio," added MC hard seltzer veep Matt Escalante.

This week in 1970, INSIGHTS reported on what was first of many legal challenges ahead for famed Philadelphia area wholesaler Billy Pflaumer. At time he was biggest wholesaler in city, selling well over 200K bbls when he was arrested for allegedly having sold Ballantine beer in barrels labeled as Piel's. There were rumors labels for Schaefer were "also misused." Billy got out from under those claims and went on to buy Schmidt Brewing in 1976. Schmidt was shipping more than 3 mil bbls a yr by 1983 and was 9th largest brewer in US. Billy got around self-distributing laws by selling trucking co to his wife and sons. In May 2010 obituary, NY Times reminded that "after more than a decade of criminal investigations" Billy was eventually convicted of false billing and evading taxes in 3 states. He sold the brewery in 1986 as he began to serve a 3-yr prison term.

Over 3/4 of states posted shipments growth in Aug, per Beer Inst state shipments report. Compare that to just 18 outta 50 states + DC growing yr-to-date thru Aug. Yet big states like CA and OH still declined for the mo, BI estimates. TX and NC stand out as the only top-10 states posting strong shipments gains YTD thru Aug; TX up 3% and NC up 4%. GA is back to flattish, BI figures. But Calif, IL, OH and MI shipments each still down about 4%, PA down 3%, FL down 2% and NY -1.5%, per report.

NBWA just issued its beer purchaser's index (indicating whether distrib orders growing or contracting vs same mo last year) and it stayed under 50 again, at 45.5. Under 50 means segment or category orders contracting. This is 4th month in a row that BPI below 50. At risk inventory right at 50, slightly lower than Aug (54). Sep data "marks a shift to a lower 'at risk' inventory measure," wrote NBWA chief economist Lester Jones. The only segment in expansion territory once again imports, "with a reading of 61." Compare to craft, all the way down to 26 (at 44 in Sep 2021). Seltzer fell even further to 24. Premium lights and below premiums each at 47, while premium regular at 36. Despite low BPI scores in recent mos, BI estimates domestic shipments to wholesalers were still up in Aug vs 2021 and goin' against easy comps in Sep.

Molson Coors and Coca-Cola are jointly entering spirits-based RTD space with Topo Chico Spirited this upcoming spring 2023, MC shared at its distrib meeting last week. Topo Chico Spirited is a lineup of RTD cocktails, "not hard seltzer," sold in 4pk 12oz standard cans with cocktail "packaging cues," innovation veep Jamie Wideman underscored. "We think this will be absolutely huge" as "a premium way to complement the portfolio," added MC hard seltzer veep Matt Escalante.

Goldman Sachs' Bonnie Herzog again reiterated her buy rating on STZ, sell rating on SAM and relative positivity on TAP following the bank's latest Bev Bytes survey representing "~45 distributors or ~445k retail outlets/~75% of total US outlets that sell alcohol." But while overarching sentiment remained steady, several interesting shifts emerged. Namely, the "worst of the out-of-stock situation appears behind us," tho pressures could persist thru 2023, Bonnie noted. Labor Day sales were "broadly in line" with distrib expectations while respondents "broadly positive" on Monster's Q4 launch of The Beast Unleashed. And distribs now expect total beer category sales to decline 1% next yr, vs previously flat expectations from last survey in Jun. (Respondents still predict a 1% decline in 2022.)