During the first six months of 2013, American craft beer dollar sales rose 15 percent and volume grew 13 percent, according to the Brewers Association (BA), Boulder, Colo.

Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, named Richard Hurst to the newly created position of practice leader of IRI’s beer, wine, spirits and tobacco vertical. Hurst will report directly to Piyush Chaudhari, president of the Americas for IRI.

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo announced that its organic net revenue for the second quarter of 2013 increased 4.2 percent to $16.8 billion, with volume of its beverages increasing 1.5 percent organically.

Chefs and restaurants came out to share their culinary expertise at Green City Market Chef’s BBQ Benefit on July 18 in Chicago. Long-time sponsor and participant Wirtz Beverage Illinois, Cicero, Ill., presented its Green City Cocktails tent, enlisting the city’s mixologists to create one-of-a-kind craft cocktails. Drinks were made up of seasonal Green City Market farmers’ produce and Wirtz Beverage Illinois’ local and organic beverage brands including Casa Noble, Death’s Door, Templeton Rye and Greenbush Brewing, the company says.

Now officially on store shelves, Santa Monica, Calif.-based Red Bull North America Inc.’s limited-edition Red Bull Flugtag four-pack celebrates the first-ever National Red Bull Flugtag, a homemade, human-powered flying machine competition taking flight in Chicago; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Long Beach, Calif.; Miami; and Washington, D.C., on the same day —  Sept. 21.

Dallas-based Koa Organic Beverages launched a Kickstarter campaign July 23 that will run for 28 days. This fundraising initiative is designed to help produce Koa Organic Water locally in towns all across America using seasonal and sustainable vegetation.

Bethesda, Md.-based Honest Tea, an independent operating unit of The Coca-Cola Co., put consumers’ honesty to the test with experiments in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

CytoSport, Benicia, Calif., announced that its board of directors elected Rob King as chief executive officer of the corporation, effective immediately.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, reported its second quarter and year-to-date 2013 results. Globally, the company reported volume growth of 1 percent in the second quarter and 3 percent year-to-date as well as global volume and value share growth in total non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages as well as in both sparkling and still beverages.

Dallas-based Glazer’s Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the majority control of Memphis, Tenn.-based Star Distributing Co., which distributes wine, spirits and specialty items in Memphis for national companies including Diageo North America, Bacardi U.S.A. Inc., Sazerac Co. Inc., Treasury Wine Estates, Möet Hennessy USA, Brown-Forman Corp., Constellation Brands Inc., Beam Inc., Imperial Brands Inc., Luxco, Freixenet USA, Aveniu Brands, Jordan, and Vineyard Brands.