Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha in Boulder, Colorado has expanded its national distribution. More details are below via press release.

BOULDER, Colo.– Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha, a beverage company producing crisp and refreshing, function-forward kombucha today announced a national partnership with Green Spoon Sales. Green Spoon Sales is a Boulder-based brokerage firm with a national footprint, representing the most disruptive and emerging consumer packaged goods in the natural food and beverage industry. This expanded partnership will accelerate growth to virtually every region in the U.S., including the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, allowing the team to keep pace with a growing demand for the full lineup of Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha products.

This announcement comes alongside an expanded distribution launch with UNFI, a leader in premier wholesale food and beverage distribution, to include nine distribution centers to support key retailers like Natural Grocers, The Fresh Market and Market of Choice.  Rowdy Mermaid has also begun distribution with the KeHE network on the West Coast, opening doors to thousands of new accounts in additional focus geographies.

GT's Living Foods in Los Angeles, California has announced the release of a limited-edition Kombucha in honor of its 25th anniversary. Full details are below via press release.

LOS ANGELES– GT’s Living Foods, the most loved and #1 selling Kombucha brand in the U.S., enters the new year in celebration of its 25th anniversary and its continued mission to share the gift of Kombucha with the world. In honor of the brand’s history and the ancient tradition of Kombucha that dates back to 221 B.C. GT’s Living Foods will introduce Sacred Life, a special and limited-edition Kombucha that will only be available during GT’s Living Foods 25th anniversary year.

Founder and CEO, GT Dave pioneered the Kombucha category in 1995 bringing the traditional Eastern drink to the U.S. market. The journey began when GT and his family were gifted a Kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and experienced first-hand the positive impact Kombucha had on his mother’s battle with breast cancer at the time. What started out of his home kitchen is now the largest producer of Kombucha in the world, leading what is expected to become a multi-billion-dollar category by 2025.

Ficklewood Ciderworks has announced its grand opening in Long Beach, California. More details are below via press release.

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Ficklewood Ciderworks is excited to announce the grand opening of Long Beach’s first and only cidery, on Saturday, January 25, at 11 a.m. The newest addition to the East Village, formerly known as a Department of Motor Vehicles in Long Beach during the 1930-40s, has undergone an extensive transformation and is soon to be a town favorite known as Ficklewood Ciderworks.

At Ficklewood, guests will find a diverse collection of dry ciders brought together by two Long Beach families, carefully sourced ingredients, and mouthwatering collaborations. Long Beach residents and best friends, Stefano Enjem and Joe Farrier, have dreamed of this moment since the two began climbing the ladder that bridges their backyards almost every night geeking out over the perfect cider creation. The opening weekend flavors will consist of Soft Opening crowd favorites and new, never before seen flavors that won’t be revealed until the 25th.

World-famous rapper Flo Rida has announced the launch of his own Vodka line with local entrepreneur Victor Harvey called VG Vodka. More details are below.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – VICTOR GEORGE SPIRITS announced today international music star FLO RIDA (Tramar Dillard) will partner with Victor G. Harvey Sr to create South Florida’s largest craft vodka – Victor George Vodka (VG Vodka). The two will also build a 13,000-square foot facility to house a 4,500-square foot distillery on historic Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale along with a cigar bar, wine bar, lounge and restaurant.

VG an ultra-premium, gluten free vodka, quickly becoming one of the most popular and most requested vodkas in South Florida, will debut this newly formed partnership through a series of events throughout Super Bowl week. Flo Rida is not just a celebrity endorser; he is also an equity partner in VG Vodka and the distillery coming in late 2020 or early 2021.

“Super excited to join the VG Family as an equity owner and brand ambassador,” said Flo Rida. “I have known Mr. Harvey for years and I’ve seen his grind, hard work and enthusiasm in building his brand. I look forward to introducing VG Vodka to the world, developing new products through the construction of a distillery in historic Sistrunk and empowering the community.”

Marz Community Brewing in Chicago, Illinois has announced the release of a beer called Techno Noir, which features an extremely interesting label. By partnering with M1 Interactive, a new smartphone app called SamplAR, which will allow drinkers to create electronic music in-app by scanning the Techno Noir beer label. More details from the brewery and M1 are below via press release.

Chicago​, Illinois. -- January 16, 2020:  M1 Interactive, Inc. and Marz Community Brewing Company announced the ​release of the Augmented Reality Beer Can mobile app, named ​SamplAR​ ​to accompany the launch of Tech Noir India Pale Ale. The new brew will be released as a four-pack of 12-ounce cans with four separate interactive AR labels designed by M1 for iOS devices.

M1 Interactive has entered the world of interactive craft beer, through a partnership with Chicago’s renowned Marz Community Brewing Company. M1 is lending their unique talents with AR technology to offer craft beer and music aficionados something special with the launch of Marz’s Tech Noir India Pale Ale. See the video of SamplAR in action ​HERE​.

Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan has been acquired by Tenth and Blake Beer Co., the U.S. craft division of Miller Coors Beverage Co. More details on the acquisition are below via press release.

CHICAGO & DETROIT-- Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the U.S. craft division of Molson Coors Beverage Company (TAP), announced today an agreement to acquire Detroit-based Atwater Brewery. Atwater Brewery is highly regarded in the Michigan craft beer community for its traditional German-style lagers and unique ales.

"The agreement with Tenth and Blake is both the culmination of our past and the catapult to our future," said Mark Rieth, Atwater Brewery owner. "For Atwater to continue to grow, it will require both capital and brewing expertise. Tenth and Blake brings both, which makes them the ideal strategic partner to help us continue to live our mantra 'Born in Detroit. Raised Everywhere.'"