Samuel AndersonManaging Partner, BevAssets, LLC · Just Pick Up The Phone 📞 | Joy 🦋 | Empowering individuals through meaningful connections, one person at a time.

Manage the Mix. #beverageindustry #business #winning

4 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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In this episode of the Drink Up Podcast’s Daily Industry Brief, the host outlines the evolving landscape of the beverage market for 2026. Capital is flowing toward premium, functional, and low‑sugar brands that can sustain price increases, while generic “look‑alike” labels are being pruned. The non‑alcoholic sector is maturing into a mainstream category, and THC‑infused drinks are moving from niche to real shelf space. Conversely, traditional alcohol can no longer assume dominance; it must now earn its place in the market. The host advises distributors to streamline their portfolios to a smaller set of stronger brands and tells suppliers they are being evaluated on three metrics—velocity, margin, and story. The overarching message is that 2026 is not about choosing one beverage category but about building a multi‑occasion portfolio that serves premium, low‑sugar, non‑alcoholic, THC, and alcohol occasions.

Chapters

Welcome to the Drink Up Podcast's Daily Industry Brief. This is where we'll break down what's happening in the beverage business and what it actually means for brands, distributors, and operators. Today's theme: the mix is getting rewritten. Capital is chasing premium and low sugar. Non-alch is growing up. THC drinks are getting real space. And alcohol, alcohol has to earn its place instead of assuming it. 2026 is not about picking a side. It's about building a portfolio that serves all 3 occasions. Let's start Start with the money. Big deals are clustering around premium, functional, and brands that can take a price increase without losing shoppers. The slow lookalike labels are getting cut. If you're a distributor, this is your cue to clean up your own book and show up with a fewer, better brands story. If you're a supplier, assume you're being graded by the following 3 things: velocity, margin, and story right now. On alcohol, this is a remix.