The craft brewing business accounted for nearly $29 billion in beer sales last year, which is nearly one-quarter of the $120 billion beer industry revenue in the United States. But of the nearly 10,000 craft brewers in the country, only about 1% are Black individuals. A group of like-minded Black entrepreneurs now are setting out ― determined to change this dynamic.

PLEZi Nutrition, a public benefit company on a mission to create higher standards for how the U.S. makes and markets food and beverages for kids, leading with nutrition, taste, and truth, announced that former First Lady Michelle Obama has joined the company as a co-founder and strategic partner.

Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, a brand of Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., unveiled a surprise release of a new, limited-edition flavor: Twisted Tea Rocket Pop. A taste as big and as bright as fireworks on the Fourth of July, this limited-edition Twisted Tea combines the bold, iconic flavors of Rocket Pop — including lemon-lime, cherry and blue raspberry — with the smooth and delicious taste of America’s hard iced tea, the company says.

Spirit of Gallo, Modesto, Calif., has announced that it will acquire Fishers Island Lemonade, Mystic, Conn., a female-founded beverage brand. With a 9% ABV, Fishers Island Lemonade is positioned as a leader in the premium RTD category with its full-flavor taste profile of barrel-aged whiskey and premium vodka— its four-pack is offered at $15.99, the company notes. Today, the Fishers Island Lemonade family also includes Fishers Island Half and Half (7% ABV) and Fishers Island Pink Flamingo (7% ABV) line priced with a suggested retail price of $15.99 for a four-pack along with variety eight-pack offerings.

Absolut, a brand of New York-based Pernod Ricard USA, introduced the Absolut Vodka and Ocean Spray Vodka-Cranberry Range — a new ready-to-drink (RTD) line with Ocean Spray, Lakeville-Middleboro, Ma., building on the brands’ successful marketing partnership in the United States. Inspired by the classic combination of Absolut Vodka and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, this iconic collaboration will deliver one of America’s favorite serves with the new RTD line coming early 2024, the company says.

Vizzy Hard Seltzer, a brand of Chicago-based Molson Coors Beverage Co., is bringing the heat this summer with a new limited-edition summer flavor: Vizzy Orange Cream Pop Hard Seltzer and the debut of “Flavor For Every Vibe,” a fresh advertising campaign featuring bold, never-before-seen TV ads and a nationwide packaging glow-up.

Just in time for International Dance Day on April 29, Pepsi invites fans of Latin music to meet in the metaverse for the first-ever Muévelo con Pepsi Latin fusion dance master class led by celebrity creative director, choreographer and actor Beau Casper Smart, and featuring some of today’s most popular Latin music genres. 

Buddha Brands, Montreal, has launched Thirsty Buddha Soda, a new line of sodas that are low in sugar, fiber-rich, and made with plant-based prebiotics to support a healthy gut. The company’s new low sugar sodas come in a variety of nostalgic flavors and are made without anything artificial, the company says.

Los Angeles-based Chamberlain Coffee, a coffee lifestyle brand and brainchild of Emma Chamberlain, announced the launch of its new line of ready-to-drink (RTD) plant-based cold brew lattes. The highly anticipated release brings fans the same high-quality product they’ve come to expect in a new convenient format, it says. Through an exclusive collaboration with Walmart, fans will be able to shop the RTD lattes on shelves nationwide.

Made with real brewed Lipton tea, natural fruit flavors and a triple-filtered, premium malt base, Lipton Hard Iced Tea, produced by The Sunrise Brewing Co., Rochester, N.Y.,  takes the popular tea and reimagines it as a 5% ABV non-carbonated product, it says.  Launching in four flavors — Lemon, Peach, Strawberry and Half & Half — this hard iced tea lineup is inspired by Lipton tea fan favorites, it adds.