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Sprecher Expands Into Energy Drink Category With Juvee

Sprecher Brewing Company has expanded into the energy drink category with the purchase of Juvee from global gaming and lifestyle brand, 100 Thieves, CEO Sharad Chadha said.

Short for rejuvenation, the brand was launched in 2022 by 100 Thieves CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag and co-founder Sam Keene, after being expertly formulated to boost energy, elevate mood, increase focus and improve overall well-being.

Over the past year, Juvee has grown revenues by 400 percent, driven mostly by the dedicated community they’ve built online.

According to Chadha, “This is another exciting step for our company, which started in 1985 as a craft-brewery, expanded into an award-winning soda producer, and since 2020, has added five other soda brands and an all-natural category.

“It continues our company’s aggressive growth strategy. The energy drink category is hugely popular, and when we connected with Juvee’s co-founders, it quickly became apparent that this was the perfect brand for us to enter into this competitive space.”

Juvee’s current employees will also become part of the Sprecher team. Co-founder, Sam Keene, will assume the position of chief marketing officer for the entire family of Sprecher beverages including all of its craft beers and craft sodas, Green River soda, Black Bear soda, Caruso soda, Olde Brooklyn soda, WBC soda, Juvee, and the Ooh La Lemin Lemonade brand, which Sprecher acquired in October 2023.

Keene says, “We’ve experienced incredible growth since Juvee’s launch and this acquisition will help the brand reach more of our passionate consumers, while also introducing them to the full family of Sprecher beverages. I’m thrilled for Juvee to find a new home at Sprecher and ready to bring the same energy to the company’s marketing team.”

John Robinson, 100 Thieves president and COO, said, “Juvee had an incredible first year as a part of 100 Thieves and we’re excited that they’ve found a new home and partner in Sprecher that will enable them to reach new heights.”

As part of the acquisition, Juvee’s production, bottling, and warehousing will be moved to Sprecher’s headquarters in Greater Milwaukee.

Since 2020, Sprecher’s craft sodas have exploded in popularity and have increased 300% in sales and expanded distribution nationally. The award-winning sodas are currently available in over 25,000 stores in 49 states.

Sprecher’s sodas are made with superior, locally sourced ingredients, including pure raw honey, that is uniquely fire-brewed in small batch kettles to deliver its “Best in Class” bold flavor.

This fire-brewing process, which is common for beers but almost unheard of for sodas, caramelizes the sugars inside the fire-brewed kettle, combining and releasing the high-quality ingredients that ultimately create its superior taste experience.

Nationally, Sprecher’s Root Beer was recognized by the New York Times as the “No.1 Root Beer,” citing it as “A wonderfully balanced and complex brew.”

In 2022, Tasting Table, a trendy cultural blog also rated Sprecher Root Beer number one; Uproxxx, a national culture digital magazine, named Sprecher’s Cherry Cola number one; and Sporked, the internet’s source for the best food rankings, ranked Sprecher’s Ginger Ale number two. Sprecher also recently won eight awards including a double gold, gold and six silver medals from the 2023 Tasting Alliance Beer Competition. All impressive honors.

For more information visit https://sprecherbrewery.com/.

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Yerbaé Energy Beverages, Costco Expand Partnership

Yerbaé Brands Corp., a plant-based energy beverage company, has expanded and deepened its strategic partnership with Costco, building upon the success from calendar year 2023 that led Yerbaé to become a top performing brand in many of the club store’s locations in the U.S. marketplace. Yerbaé is set to continue its growth, providing consumers with a diverse range of innovative, health-conscious beverages through one of the strongest retailers in North America.

“We are committed to delivering member value and have witnessed robust consumer retention from existing Yerbaé consumers in club store locations across the country so far. This new expansion not only expands the reach of Yerbaé but also allows us to offer new and exciting options to consumers at an attractive price. At Yerbaé, we believe that health shouldn’t come at cost, and this collaboration is a significant step towards making that a reality for a broader audience,” said Todd Gibson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Yerbaé.

The clubs will feature a variety pack of Yerbaé’s top-selling energy beverages flavors. This continued partnership reflects Yerbaé’s commitment to delivering exceptional value to members of the club store chain and meeting the evolving preferences of consumers across the United States.

To learn more, join Yerbaé’s mailing list https://investors.yerbae.com or follow us on social media @DrinkYerbae to see live updates from the in-store activities.

Yerbaé Brands Corp.,  makes great-tasting energy beverages with yerba mate and other premium, plant-based ingredients. All Yerbaé energy beverages are zero calorie, zero sugar, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, keto-friendly, paleo-approved, gluten free and diabetic-friendly. Founded in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2017, Yerbaé seeks to disrupt the energy beverage marketplace by offering a no-compromise energy solution, with input and support from its Yerbaé Advisory Board, Sports and Entertainment. Find us @DrinkYerbae on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X and TikTok, or online at https://yerbae.com.

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Partnership Creates AC Barbeque Lifestyle Brand on Campus

Sodexo, a leader in foodservice for campuses across North America, SodexoMagic, a joint venture between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Sodexo, Inc., and Jackson State University, a public historically black research university in Jackson, Miss., have partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts, the industry leader in the virtual dining space, to launch AC Barbeque on campus in Spring 2024. AC Barbeque is a new BBQ lifestyle brand created by friends, comedians and grilling enthusiasts, Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer.

“Students want fun, convenient, and unique food offers that enhance their feeling of belonging on campus. With that in mind, our partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts has allowed us to bring AC Barbeque to the Jackson State University campus,” said Raz Barnwell, vice president of digital innovation, Sodexo. “This community focused brand is an ideal fit for the campus and is an elevated dining experience made possible through our innovative partnerships.”

When Sodexo, SodexoMagic, and Virtual Dining Concepts offer AC Barbeque on campus in Spring 2024, students will be able to order their favorite dishes on the Sodexo Everyday app.

“We are very excited to team up with Virtual Dining Concepts and SodexoMagic to introduce our first AC Barbeque restaurant at the historic Jackson State University campus,” said Cedric The Entertainer and Anthony Anderson. “Our food is rooted in culture and fueled by community, and we couldn’t be more proud to bring that here to Jackson State. See y’all for a bite in Spring 2024! J.S.U. Thee I Love!!”

AC Barbeque is a new BBQ lifestyle brand created by beloved comedians and grilling enthusiasts, Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer. Founded on the principles of Black excellence, family tradition, and bringing people together, AC Barbeque aims to provide the tools, flavor, and community that’ll take grilling to the next level. When you need to up your BBQ game, just look to the AC Flame. Learn more at http://www.acbarbeque.com and follow @acbarbeque on Instagram.

Virtual Dining Concepts is the creator of virtual restaurant brands poised to expand the revenue of independent kitchens. The delivery-only infrastructure, exclusive online platform (with third-party delivery interface), and marketing strategy services guide existing restaurant operators from set-up to inception. Virtual Dining Concepts offers celebrity and non-celebrity backed brands with menus deriving from diverse cuisines.

Menus are available for order online through their individual websites, proprietary apps, and most major third-party delivery services. VDC is proud to launch its most recent brand, AC Barbeque, which is poised for national expansion.

Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 53 countries. Sodexo specializes in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. The company employs 94,000 people at thousands of sites in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, and indirectly supports more than 100,000 additional jobs through its annual purchases of $20B in goods and services from small to large businesses. Routinely recognized for the organization’s commitments to sustainability as well as diversity, equity and inclusion, Sodexo North America’s purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.

SodexoMagic is a joint venture between Sodexo and Magic Johnson Enterprises that provides food and facilities management services to corporate, education, healthcare, and government clients. SodexoMagic is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and has a proven track record of delivering high-quality services to its clients.

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