Clearly Canadian has made its first major foray into drug channel since its restage a few years ago with move into close to 2,900 CVS stores across US, the co said today. The pharma chain is picking up the brand's recognizable blue glass bottles in flavors that include Mountain Blackberry, Summer Strawberry and Wild Cherry . . . Jones Soda is claiming broad retailer takeup of its new Pop Jones gut-pop entry, saying it's entered 1,500 doors since its debut last Sep. Tally released by Seattle-based co listed 683 Albertsons/Safeway stores in 6 divs (Seattle, Haggen, Intermountain, Southern, Mid-Atlantic and Shaw's) carrying up to 4 sku's as well as 196 stores in Kroger's Fred Meyer and QFC banners and 87 Market Basket stores in Northeast. Raley's has onboarded 4 sku's at 120 stores spanning Calif, Nev, Ariz and NM, while Hy-Vee has taken 5 sku's into 100 stores. Also on roster are Lunds/Byerly's, Spartan Nash, Nugget Markets and Save Mart.

Primo Brands has revamped its Splash Blast flavored water brand, renaming it Splash Refresher and putting a new sparkling version at the heart of reinvigorated marketing effort built around the besties Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson.

Cary, North Carolina-based Brueprint Brewing filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month after closing last May, per ct filings first covered by Triangle Biz Jnl. Brueprint owes $1.78 mil against nearly $108k in assets, more than $1 mil of which to Tod Schild, who won a lawsuit against co for breach of contract in December. The second-largest listed creditor was the US Small Business Administration, which is owed more than $257K. Brueprint's 2023 revenue was $244K and fell to just $63K in 2024 before shutting down.

As craft fortunes have seesawed, TX brewers have inverted the traditional brewery model, reports Texas Monthly, emphasizing family friendly environments to get butts (of all sizes) in the door. This means disc golf courses, soccer fields, volleyball courts, dog parks and even playgrounds - anything to combat soft recent trends. While this doesn't please everyone - one Yelper complained that kids were "literally racing each other through the space" at Lubbock's Good Line - it was named Brewery of the Year in its class at the Texas Craft Brewers Guild awards, so something must be right. As cofounder Chris Troutman sez, the brewery formula has been flipped: "We have to see our experience and sell our community as our product, so that we can then have careers making beer."

The number of NA beers produced in Vermont has doubled, with Switchback's launch of an NA version of its flagship beer bringing the statewide total to 2, local rag Seven Days reports. Was arduous process, co-founder and prexy Bill Cherry sez, but worth it. Cherry was skeptical any NA beer could taste sufficiently good but was convinced after trying NA Black Butte Porter from Deschutes. Traveled to Sustainable Beverage Technologies in CO to see the BrewVo NA process used to create the Deschutes brew and made test batches of Switchback NA until satisfied with result. Tight-lipped about process as NA techniques are increasingly valuable trade secret. Local retailer Beverage Warehouse's Marc Gelsomino is happy with sales and calls brew a "little different" from other NA beers (complimentary) with "more hoppiness and depth." Sold 12 cases in first month, which he called "pretty strong number." Only other VT NA beer tracked by article is Zero Gravity's Rescue Club Brewing brand, launched in 2021, which also keeps cards close to vest, with website boasting "no one else in the world knows" production secrets.

About 2.5 yrs after announcing plans for a new standalone taproom, Allagash is set to open its outpost in Scarborough, ME this July, just minutes from its Portland HQ. Spot will be situated within The Downs, state's largest mixed use development, where Allagash purchased 7 acres back in late 2022. But "opening this new tasting room inside an existing space directly across from the purchased land proved to be a better fit for now," co announced late last wk, with founder/CEO Rob Tod citing "building costs and current market realities."

US Beverage's unique and increasingly diverse platform sells approximately 2.5 mil cases/yr in the US, spanning imports/international brands, craft beers, FMBs, hard ciders and spirits servicing all 50 states and ~350 distribs. Co's actively looking to build its portfolio with brands that complement the mix as its biz capabilities enhanced from a sales & mktg platform to "full-service," US Beverage veep of biz development Kris Sjolander told CBN. It "could have a portfolio three times the size tomorrow" with many suppliers lookin' for partners, but that "doesn't make sense" for its platform, Kris underscored. Co thinks of itself as "brand builders" with exec team chock full of distrib-side experience that knows the ins and outs of the biz, sales team of ~40 reps across the country, and a willingness to invest as the portfolio continues to change.

Molson Coors alliance with Fevertree mixer brand has been openin' doors for its 135-yr-old rival Franklin & Sons, both by exiting some non-MC houses and by highlighting segment potential. Latest aboard are flock of Sheehan operations including Craft Beer Guild in Mass, TJ Sheehan in upstate NY and Beechwood in Wis. Empire, a Fevertree house in both its NC and Tenn territories, also has picked up Franklin & Sons, we've been informed by Bob Sipper at Cascadia Brands consultants, which have been helping UK firm find its footing in US. We'd previously noted that Empire Distributors had picked up brand for its Georgia and Colo ops (BBI, Feb 11).