Taste Radio BevNET Inc.

On the heels of BevNET Live Summer 2024, the hosts revisit the final round of the New Beverage Showdown and explain why evaluating emerging brands at different stages of development can be challenging. They also highlight a handful of new products and talk about the influx of saucy condiments.
Show notes:
0:25: Five-Zero. Zig Zag. Candy Toilets. Melissa x Guy Fieri. Hot & Saucy. — Melissa recounts her visit to one of NYC‘s most recognized landmarks, Mike talks about why an upcoming trade show allows attendees to zig while others are zagging, and Ray rips on a childhood treat that dentists surely love. The hosts collectively praise BevNET Live’s retail partners, and congratulate the winner of its pitch slam before sharing some behind-the-scenes information about the judging process. Melissa shares a guilty pleasure while on the road, Ray heaps praise on a hot honey brand and wonders why everyone seems to be feeling a little saucy.
Brands in this episode: Behave, Now and Later, Pretty Tasty, Lily, OK Energy, Explorer Cold Brew, Holy Water, Ready Protein Water, Jas, Healtea, Pop & Bottle, Momenpop, Savoia, Astraeus Gin, Fords Gin, Local Hive, Maazah, Primal Kitchen, Haven’s Kitchen, Louisa’s Latin Kitchen

Forbes once described Jean-Charles Boisset as “The James Bond of Wine,” a title befitting of the Frenchman, who embodies elegance and sophistication. But at his core, Jean-Charles is fond of nourishing others and sharing his passion for high-quality beverage and food with anyone he encounters.
Jean-Charles and his sister Nathalie lead the current generation of his family’s business, Boisset Collection, a global company that owns dozens of wineries across the world, including in California, France, England and India. According to Forbes, Boisset Collection generates annual sales of around $200 million and has an estimated value of $450 million.
While his primary business is wine, Jean-Charles is also a spirits entrepreneur whose latest project has reunited him with The Beckmann Gonzalez family, known for their extensive history in tequila, in particular as the creators of Jose Cuervo. 
The partnership yielded Casa Obsidiana, an ultra-premium tequila brand that unites the collective expertise of its founding team. Created using estate-grown, 100% Blue Weber agave, the tequila is aged in French Oak wine barrels that once contained Chardonnay from a Boisset Collection winery in Napa Valley. Available in Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo expressions, the tequilas are bottled in Mexican-made hand-crafted ceramic bottles and feature the brand’s namesake obsidian stone.
In this episode, Jean-Charles speaks about how he identifies opportunities to innovate and why he emphasizes taste, not trends, when planning new business ventures and developing new products. He also discusses lessons from prior experience in the spirits industry and how historical context is at the heart of the company’s communication strategy.
Show notes:
0:35: Interview: Jean-Charles Boisset, Co-Founder, Casa Obsidiana – Jean-Charles talks about his childhood dream to become a professional soccer player and why he chose to join the family business instead and why he doesn’t live with regret. He also shares his observations on the current market for beverage alcohol and state of drinking culture, how premiumization impacts innovation, how to create “extraordinary” products and why he stresses the importance of affordability and accessibility. He also explains how the history of the Beckmann Gonzalez family is at the core of Casa Obsidiana’s brand story, the impact of/influence on finishing the tequila in wine barrels and why he and his team thought the artisanally-inspired bottles would be “a wild success or abject failure.”
Brands in this episode: Casa Obsidiana, Lunazul, Jose Cuervo

Frank Sinatra famously crooned "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." The "there," of course, is New York City. 
The Big Apple was the backdrop for BevNET Live Summer 2024, held on June 12 and 13. Taste Radio's hosts met with founders and executives from dozens of emerging and innovative beverage brands represented at the annual event, including those that participated in BevNET's signature pitch competition, the New Beverage Showdown.
In this episode, the hosts discuss their conversations with attendees, reflect on presentations in the semifinal round of the Showdown and how founders piqued the interest of the competition’s judges, and identify what retail buyers want to hear in pitch meetings.
Show notes:
0:25: Gravelly Voices. Two-Minute Sprint. Simplify! A Little Different. Jadakiss. Two Ingredients. – The hosts chat about Ray’s “latestagramming,” the challenge of 120-second pitches and why Mike talks about why “liquid, packaging and me” are the keys to successful semifinal round Showdown presentations. They also explain how brands can bring value to retailers, the excitement of seeing a hip-hop icon on stage and the brands that quenched their thirst and filled them up during a busy first day of the event.
Brands in this episode: Poppi, Hal’s New York, Remedy Organics, Barcode, Once Upon A Coconut, Mela Water, WTRMLN WTR, GNGR Labs, Rockaway Soda

The New York Times recently hailed Graza’s “sizzle” variety as “the best all around olive oil that you can buy in a store.” It’s the latest high-profile praise for the brand, which launched in 2022 and is beloved for its chef-inspired, squeezable green bottles. While acclaim for Graza has become commonplace, its popularity among influencers has led some to mock it as “the Instagram olive oil.” 
Occasional derision, however, is fine with co-founder and CEO Andrew Benin. Being aligned with one of the world’s most popular social media platforms is a good thing, he says, and should be celebrated.
Since its debut, Graza, which markets extra virgin olive oil sold in “sizzle” and “drizzle” varieties, has been a constant presence in the pantries and kitchens of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok influencers. Virality has helped the brand generate millions of dollars in direct-to-consumer sales and supported its presence at national retailers, including Whole Foods, Target and Walmart. According to a recent CNBC report, Graza expects to bring in over $48 million in gross sales by the end of 2024.
We sat down with Andrew for a conversation about how Graza has inspired authentic and fervent enthusiasm for its products on social media, how the company has maintained relationships with influencers “at scale” and how taking a bet on the upside has guided its demand planning strategy. He also explains why he describes Graza as an “early team-led company” versus a founder-led one and shares his nuanced perspective on profitability.
Show notes:
0:35: Interview: Andrew Benin, Co-Founder & CEO, Graza —Andrew and Taste Radio editor Ray Latif recall their first conversation as part of an episode of BevNET & NOSH’s Elevator Talk and discuss The New York Times’ coverage of Graza. Andrew talks about the impact of creating a “memorable action,” how his lightbulb moment occurred in the shower, why he describes working for other entrepreneurs as part appreciation and part envy, and why he views Graza as a “best supporting actor.” He also explains why social media needs to be “a part of your brand’s DNA at inception, how the company’s social media strategy and team have evolved, the importance of hiring people that are motivated and nimble, why the development of Graza’s refill cans addressed several consumer and operational challenges, and his belief that “ you shouldn't get too much credit for being profitable and not knocked for being unprofitable.”
Brands in this episode: Graza, Dr. Bronner’s, Magic Spoon 

It’s rare for a five-month-old CPG brand to be featured in the checkout aisles of one of the world’s largest retailers. But Katie Lefkowitz, the founder and CEO of Harken Sweets, an upstart brand of plant-based, better-for-you candy bars, made it happen.
Prior to launching Harken, Katie was the chief operating officer of Caulipower, helping the cauliflower-centric brand generate $100 million in sales annually within four years of its launch.
In 2022, she set her sights on the confectionery space with the goal of creating a brand that rivaled legacy players like Snickers in terms of taste and texture, but made with significantly less calories and sugar and enhanced with functional ingredients. Harken was the result. The brand debuted earlier this year and comes in three varieties: the Crunchy One, the Gooey One and the Nutty One. 
Last month, Walmart added Harken’s Crunchy and Nutty varieties to 3,500 of its locations across the U.S. The retailer merchandises the candy bars in the cash register aisles of its stores next to category stalwarts like Twix and Payday.
In this episode, we speak with Katie about how a personal crisis led her to create Harken, how she drew upon her professional experience to develop the candy bars, and how she secured and prepared for a pitch meeting with Walmart. She also explains why the category buyer said “yes” almost immediately, balancing a healthy margin with a reasonable everyday price and how the company is supporting sales growth at Walmart.
Show notes:
0:42: Is That My Daughter In There? CPG Heroine (Check The Spelling). Aye, Poppi. – A local brand feeds the beast(s) just before the staff lunch, which, for some, becomes unnecessary. The hosts reveal their favorite moments of BevNET Live (the pen of judgment!) and discuss the ramifications of a high-profile class-action lawsuit. They also binge on boba (not popping) pearls.
22:43: Interview: Katie Lefkowitz, Founder & CEO, Harken Sweets – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif professes his passion for Harken; Katie talks about how cancer impacted her dietary habits and her perspective of “food as medicine.” She also discusses the challenges of developing a candy bar that can compare to ones like Snickers, why it’s imperative for entrepreneurs to be honest with themselves about taste and how package design influences retail strategy. Katie also talks about how Walmart buyers are empowered to “own their sets,” why understanding how the retailer operates was valuable information, how the popularity of GLP-1 drugs factored into Walmart’s decision and how a minor degree in consumer psychology helps guide her assessment of the CPG landscape.
Brands in this episode: Dumpling Daughter, Poppi, Twrl Milk Tea, Heath-Ade, Bai, Harken Sweets, Caulipower

Jocko Willink admits that he made mistakes during his time in the military. The retired Navy SEAL lieutenant commander, author and entrepreneur says that, in some cases, his errors led to circumstances in which “things went terribly wrong.”
Certainly, it’s difficult to compare the experiences of leading soldiers on the battlefield and running a CPG company. But Jocko, who is the founder of better-for-you beverage and supplement brand Jocko Fuel, believes that in any situation when mistakes occur, it’s important for the person in charge to take ownership, figure out a solution and find a way to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
That perspective is a core tenet of Jocko’s leadership style, which guides Jocko Fuel. Born as Jocko Tea in 2018, the brand has evolved into a CPG platform that markets several product lines, including energy drinks, protein shakes, greens powder and hydration beverages. Jocko Fuel has a nationwide retail footprint and is carried at grocery chains H-E-B, Meijer and Wegmans along with GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe and 7-Eleven.
We sat down with Jocko for a conversation about the development of Jocko Fuel, including why having a “military mindset” means more than you might think and how his personality and beliefs are embedded into every aspect of the brand. He also talks about empowering his team to navigate the complexities of running a modern consumer brand and its alignment with private equity firm Goode Partners, which invested $30 million in Jocko Fuel in 2022.
Show notes:
0:35: Interview: Jocko Willink, Founder, Jocko Fuel – Jocko explains his daily reading habit, why he wakes at 4:30 AM each morning and how that routine has benefited him as a soldier and entrepreneur. He also explains how his military experience taught him to approach every situation with an open mind and to listen to feedback, the reason that Jocko Fuel energy drinks contain less caffeine than competing products, and why he isn’t managing the brand’s retail strategy. Jocko also explains what he means by “extreme ownership,” why he believes that the buck always stops with him, his perspective on competition, the influence of company investors on management decisions,his role in the promotion of Jocko Fuel, and the brand’s pricing strategy.
Brands in this episode: Jocko Fuel