PepsiCo is continuing its wild flavor experimentation behind its flagship cola brand, but this time it's playing hard-to-get. It's breaking limited-time Pepsi S'mores Collection in in 7.5-oz minicans in Toasty Marshmallow, Graham Cracker and Chocolate versions, but only to 2,000 consumers who're willing to share an image or description of how they s'more on Instagram or Twitter with hashtags #PepsiSmores and #Sweepstakes and follow @Pepsi. New entries are sailing in the wake of concoctions like Maple Syrup Cola, Pepsi X Peeps, Pepsi Apple Pie and Pepsi X Cracker Jack, as co reminded.

When Starbucks reported that its cold bevs accounted for 75% of sales in its latest qtr (Apr-Jun), that caught lotsa folks by surprise. Had hot coffee sales really declined that much? News led NY Times to headline a recent piece: "Does Anyone Drink Hot Coffee Anymore?" Compiling comments from cold brew fans, article noted that, "iced coffee in 2022 has come to represent much more than the sugary caffeinated drinks themselves. Affection for it has become a personality trait; memes of people running late to class or work with an iced coffee in tow are a long-running joke on social media. Many use iced coffee to symbolize that they lead very busy lives, ambitiously striving to make every hour of the day count." Besides Gen Z driving consumption, Times also points out how iced coffee "is also used as an amusing identifier" among LGBTQ consumers. "It's sort of like my gay Gatorade," said Sam Striker, a 31-yr old copywriter and competitive swimmer based in LA. "Iced coffee tastes like jet fuel to me," he added, noting he meant that in "a really positive way." Shift in preference from hot to cold quite evident on TikTok too, as Times shares that #hotcoffee hashtag "has more than 60 million views," while #icedcoffee "has about 6 billion" on popular app.

NY-based Cloud Water Brands, CBD player that's diversified into non-infused items too, said it's closed on $5 mil capital round led by Don Lockton of The Lockton Companies insurance brokerage, as part of ongoing Series A raise that will resume next year. The money will support expansion as co enters 7-Eleven, CVS, GoPuff, Mother's Market, Sprouts and Walmart. As with other CBD players, sluggish rate of deregulation has fostered move into ancillary categories, in Cloud Water's case Cloud Water + Immunity line to augment Cloud Water + CBD line. It counts as distributors Big Geyser in NY and wine & spirits house Breakthru in multiple states. Among prior investors have been NY Rangers' Adam Fox, actor/director Malik Yoba, actor/director Liev Schrieber, former Vitaminwater board member Bruce Nierenberg and retired NHL star Scott Mellanby.

New owner Zico Rising has kept low-key about its plans to resuscitate Zico coconut Water brand that was killed by its original acquirer Coca-Cola, but sign of one direction it intends to take has popped up on Amazon ecomm site: a Tetra Pak line called Zico Hydrate that offers hydration benefits associated with coconut water but in format calculated to please those whose palates are alienated by purer forms of that plantwater. "The coconut water for those who don't like the taste of coconut water but want the benefits," as one tagline puts it.

First Beverage Group has promoted 5-year vet Joe Angiuli to principal. Joe came out of commercial real estate biz to join co's investment banking unit, where he worked on sale of craft brewers Hop Valley and Terrapin to Molson Coors, Brooklyn Brewery's minority investment from Kirin, 21st Amendment's minority investment from Brooklyn and Avery's minority investment from Mahou San Miguel. Since then he's been working with private-equity team on deal origination on both alc and non-alc sides. Its NA portfolio includes Health-Ade Kombucha, Mad Tasty CBD drinks, Essentia Water and Project Juice . . . John Hardesty has ended 4-year run as cmo of Nutrabolt, the Austin-based marketer of C4 Energy and other brands. In social media post, John cited pandemic-driven desire to move back home to Idaho to be closer to family as his 2d child arrived. He's pondering next step.

Continuing to build out its distribution and retail footprint after conversion to shelf-stable format (BBI, Jan 16), LA-based Lemon Perfect has recruited Classic Beverage in LA and John Lenore in San Diego, fortifying network that earlier this year added Big Geyser in NY. On retail side, brand has entered Publix, Ralphs and Stew Leonard's chains. Brand founder Yanni Hufnagel lauded new DSD signings as "key wins for the company, especially on the heels of an almost implausibly successful launch in Big Geyser's system amidst the dislocation caused by Covid-19 in the New York metropolitan area." Thanks to pivot, hydrator now is able to go out at accessible $1.99 per bottle in Just Lemon, Blueberry Açaí, Dragon Fruit Mango and Peach Raspberry flavors. Heading onto Amazon platform shortly is 12-unit variety pack at $27.48 . . . Natural hydration brand ShineWater has cracked Publix' 1,270 stores, which are picking up all 4 flavors. Southeastern grocer joins retailer roster that includes Kroger as well as c-store chains Circle K, Wesco and Sunrise . . . Electrolit, hydration brand birthed in Mexico by Pisa Pharmaceuticals, is claiming to have added nearly 7K new c-store accounts to US base, including Circle K, United Pacific, RaceTrac, Quick Trip, Pilot Flying J, Han-Dee Hugo's, United Dairy Farmers and Love's Travel Stops . . . Bhoomi Cane Water, Austin-based brand bringing Indian street-bev staple to US (BBI, Jan 16), has cracked Whole Foods' Northeast region this summer, rolling into 23 NY/NJ stores this summer. Chain also will be picking up brand's 100% plant-based bottle made from sugarcane this Aug.

Central American Pepsi bottler CBC has moved into plant-based energy segment in US with pair of lower-sugar entries devised by its Beliv nutrition arm in alliance with media co of Latin music superstar Marc Anthony. Beliv and Anthony's Magnus Media are teaming on yerba-mate-powered Azu and tapioca-powered Oca brands, which have entered LA-based brand accelerator Critical Mass Group and are targeting regional and specialty chains in Southern Calif with future expansion plans for Fla, NY, Oregon, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Last week in discussing gnarly transition of Bang Energy brand from beer houses to Pepsi system we alluded to suits that have bubbled up from Bang Energy distributors in Wis (BBI, Jul 10), joining roster of aggrieved houses that have included Lakeshore in Chicago and others. What's up with those? Those houses, including Bill's, Dean, Fabiano and 4 others, filed in Wis state court claiming VPX termination notices sent in late Apr and mid-May to consolidate distribution with Pepsi system violate Wisconsin Fair Dealing Law. What's more, VPX, PepsiCo and replacement distribs tortiously interfered with their contracts by moving too early to make switch, those distribs charge. They seek order declaring that VPX terminations and planned consolidations are without cause and are "void and unenforceable." They also want temporary restraining order maintaining status quo. Turns out, as our sibling newsletter Insights Express reported today, that Bang owner VPX had filed its own suit in US Dist Ct in Fla days before distribs sued in Wis. The Weston, Fla-based co seeks declaration that distrib agreements are governed by Fla law, not Wis law, that terminations legit and distribs not due "any compensation from VPX for termination without cause beyond the contractually defined buyout" set forth in their agreements. Wis distribs have already filed request with US Dist Ct to dismiss VPX's "late night anticipatory" action there and keep the beef in Wis.