This audio is generated automatically. Please let me know if you have any comments.
Weekly Sip is Food Dive's column focusing on the latest news from the fast-changing and growing beverage sector. From the first product lines to major investments and controversial topics, this column aims to quench your thirst for development in the category.
From the field to the beer fridge, the Kelce brothers are looking to score
Last year, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce won another Super Bowl ring and became a tabloid fixture thanks to his romance with superstar Taylor Swift. Now Kelce and his brother Jason, a newly retired Philadelphia Eagles center, hope to translate their star power into success for their emerging beer brand.
The Kelce brothers have joined microbrewery Garage Beer as “significant investors, partners, owners and operators,” the brand announced in a press release, with no financial strings attached. The company said the footballers would participate in “brewing, distribution, sales, marketing and national expansion efforts.”
Garage Beer first launched in January 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio, also home to NFL stars, and is sold throughout the Midwest and Northeast, with plans to expand into dozens of states later this year.
Jason Kelce said he and his brothers are both light beer drinkers, and Garage serves high quality and has a small-batch, neighborhood feel. The brothers will appear on Garage Beer retail store displays, billboards and other advertising this year.
“There’s nothing better than an ice-cold beer to bring people together,” Travis Kelce said in a statement. “For Jason and me, beer means friends, family and fun.” “I have worked with Andy for many years and I really trust the team and their approach to running the business. We look forward to taking Garage Beer to the next level.”
Garage Beer has expanded significantly since its launch. Last year, the beer was identified as the fastest-growing beer brand in the U.S., quickly becoming the best-selling light beer in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, according to IRI data cited by Forbes.
Since winning their last three Super Bowls, other Chiefs players have also ventured into entrepreneurial endeavors, including in the beverage space. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes became a major investor in Throne Sport Coffee, a functional RTD coffee, helping shape the brand identity for the fledgling beverage maker.
— Chris Casey
optional captions
Provided by DAVIDsTEA
DavidsTea adds a little sparkle to RTD drinks.
DavidsTea is giving the tea category a premium boost with its ready-to-drink cold brew sparkling beverages.
The drink is based on DavidsTea's bestseller and comes in three flavours: Organic Cream of Earl Grey, Organic Queen of Tarts and Magic Potion.
“We’re making premium teas more accessible than ever before,” Sarah Segal, CEO and chief brand officer of DavidsTEA, said in a statement. She says, “Everyone loves the ritual of making a cup of tea leaf tea, but the reality is that there are times when you need an easy, on-the-go solution.”
Segal said customers are asking for their favorite flavors in a ready-to-drink format. The new clean label beverage is made with natural ingredients rather than artificial ingredients.
The DavidsTea cold brew sparkling drink has been launched as sales in the category heat up. Future Market Insight predicts that the ready-to-drink tea market will more than double to $73 billion by 2033. This is an average annual growth rate of 8% over the past 10 years.
According to Statista, PureLeaf was the best-selling ready-to-drink (RTD) tea brand in the United States. Sales of the beverage, which is part of a joint venture between Unilever and PepsiCo, reached nearly $1 billion. Competitors Arizona and Lipton recorded sales of $956 million and $561 million, respectively.
— Christopher Doering
AI-IPA from Asbury Park Brewery.
Provided by Asbury Park Brewery
New Jersey brewery uses AI
Distilleries with musical heritage are turning to new technology for their latest products.
Asbury Park Brewery has released its latest beer made using AI, containing 6% ABV with notes of citrus, mango, and pine.
Music executive Bob McLynn, co-founder of Asbury Park Brewery, said head brewer Chris Vaughn asked the AI chatbot on his new computer, Microsoft Copilot, to develop the best hazy IPA recipe. After making a few modifications, Vaughn was impressed with the results.
“I gave a different answer. This is actually a collaboration between Chris and the AI program. The results were so good that it is now being rolled out,” said McLynn. “Our other IPAs are less hazy and a little more East Coast-ish. “It’s a hazy New England style, so it’s not too similar to the others, but it still fits into our portfolio.”
AI-IPA is available exclusively from the brewery in Asbury Park, New Jersey, best known as the hometown of legendary musician Bruce Springsteen. First operating in 2016, it opened a new location last month: a 3,180-square-foot brewery and tasting room filled with musician-related memorabilia, including vinyl records, concert tickets and photo collages.
A veteran of the New Jersey punk scene, McLynn co-founded Crush Mangement, which now manages the careers of stars such as Miley Cyrus, Green Day and Lorde.
The craft beer scene has been on the rise since the late 2010s, with the category crowded with a number of new entrants over the past decade. Earlier this month, Chobani owner and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya acquired San Francisco's Anchor Brewing, the nation's oldest craft beer brewery, after it closed last year due to fierce competition.
McLynn believes local breweries have the most to benefit from the current environment.
“What these big brands are trying to do is take brands that are doing well locally and make them more national,” McLynn said. I don’t think there’s really a national appetite for another beer brand,” McLynn said. “If people want a new brand, they’ll try what’s in their backyard.”
— Chris Casey
