The Breeze With Beverage Digest

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher bring Wall Street beverage analyst Kaumil Gajrawala of Jefferies into the room to separate consumer reality from consumer headlines. They pressure-test what “value” really means across today’s beverage aisle and dig into why energy drinks keep winning, how Coke’s price/mix strategy works, and where protein and no...

John Sicher turns the tables on Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford to interview him about Beverage Digest’s newly-released Fact Book  31st Edition. They trade notes on what the data says about where U.S. beverage demand is actually going. They dig into: • Why total LRB volume turns negative, why energy keeps winning, and why per capita CSD per capita consumption is the number th...

In today's episode of The Breeze, Duane Stanford and John Sicher bring in RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi to unpack why big beverage companies struggle to create disruptive innovation in-house. And when big companies acquire disruptive new brands, why are the results so mixed? Duane, John, and Nik use Coca-Cola's acquisitions of BodyArmor and Fairlife as case studies to explore dist...

In today's Episode, Duane Stanford (Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher) and John Sicher (Industry Expert, Consultant) take a data-driven look at how new SNAP restrictions on soda and energy drinks will alter consumer behavior, retailer dynamics, and beverage brand strategy in the coming year. They weigh the policy’s equity questions, the sweetener debate, and the near-term playbook for af...

Coca-Cola’s leadership change. PepsiCo’s post-activist playbook. KDP’s upcoming strategic re-organization. The commoditization of bottled and sparkling water. MAHA’s regulatory shakeup. Refocusing the consumer on sports drinks. As we start 2026, Duane Stanford and John Sicher dive into the hottest industry inflection points. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher are joined by Tim Harms, CEO of fountain soft drink deal negotiator Enliven , to break down the mystery behind exclusive beverage supply deals at restaurants. How are these deals constructed? How do brand portfolios influence decision making? They also explore what drives consumers in the fountain and food servic...

Alcohol is under pressure—from shifting consumption trends and rising health concerns to a loss of marketing relevance. In today's Episode, RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi joins Duane Stanford (Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher) and John Sicher (Industry Expert, Consultant) to unpack the causes behind the persistent sales decline across beer, wine, and spirits. Are the problems cycl...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss the avalanche of news from the past few weeks – from PepsiCo's and Keurig Dr Pepper’s strategic shifts to Coca-Cola's potential sale of Costa Coffee. This episode unpacks the strategies at play that could create new focus within the U.S. beverage industry. Disco...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher tackle three big topics today. Duane and John ponder new sugary Coke innovation coaxed by President Donald Trump. They also assess convenience store traffic and what it means for the seemingly unstoppable rise of the U.S. energy drink category. And finally, Pepsi announced a new...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher are joined by Ross Colbert - Managing Director of food & beverage investment banking for Carter Morse & Goodrich. They discuss M&A strategy, acquisitions, and changing business models for 2025 and beyond. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Beverage industry veterans Duane Stanford and John Sicher analyze the latest trends revealed in the Beverage Digest Fact Book, discussing the surprising rise of Sprite over Pepsi and the continued dominance of functional beverages. • Non-alcoholic beers gaining mainstream acceptance as daytime alternatives to diet sodas • THC beverages operating in regulatory "Wild West" environment like...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss Rodney Sacks’ announced retirement as CEO of Monster Beverage. When Rodney Sacks and Hilton Schlosberg spotted the emerging energy drink trend in the early 2000s, few could have predicted they'd build a $53 billion global empire. Yet that's exactly what they did...

Today, Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss the remarkable journey of Dr Pepper – a brand that has thrived in today's demanding carbonated soft drink landscape. Through strategic marketing, innovation, and understanding consumer trends, Dr Pepper has positioned itself as a key player in the category. Du...

To kick off the new year, Duane and John talk beverage industry trends and expectations for 2025 - including pricing power, the energy category, and the US beverage bottling landscape.  Duane Stanford is the Editor & Publisher of Beverage Digest, the leading beverage industry news and data publication. John Sicher is the former editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, who has since consulted f...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher discuss a wild October in the energy drinks sector. Bang founder and former CEO Jack Owoc announced he is getting back into the energy game following the collapse of Bang. His new product is called Ai Energy. Then, Keurig Dr Pepper announced it was buying Ghost Energy and taking...

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert & regular podcast contributor John Sicher dive into the most recent beverage category performance data to see what it tells them about brands, consumers, and the retail environment. Will promotions need to be ramped up to spur volume sales? Is product diversification cannibalizing core brands? Drop in on their conversati...

After the rapid sales decline of Congo Brands' influencer-driven Prime Hydration this year, Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher dig into the brand's boom-splat storyline to assess what this means for a slumping U.S. sports drink category. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford chats with industry expert & The Breeze contributor John Sicher about the future of prebiotic sodas, how health and wellness soft drinks fit into the broader packaged beverage sector, and whether these products present a growth opportunity for soda makers like Coke, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic sugges...

Is the energy drink market truly slowing down? In Episode 15 of The Breeze, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to analyze recent performance data showing rocky performance this year for the energy drink category at retail, as well as Monster Beverage's recent leadership transition announcement. Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestion...

Beverage Digest’s Duane Stanford and The Breeze contributor John Sicher hash through the strategy and consequences behind Keurig Dr Pepper’s decision to take back Dr Pepper franchise territory from Reyes Coca-Cola in California and Nevada. Will KDP take more Dr Pepper territory from Coke, or even Pepsi? Are there implications for the nagging question of whether PepsiCo should refranchise its U.S....

In today's episode, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to explore the recent shift in Coca-Cola's and PepsiCo's soft drink marketing strategies, exemplified by platforms like Coke Creations. What's going on and will it work? Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

In today's episode, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to explore the evolution of the purified bottled water category. As Coke and Pepsi shift their casepack water strategies away from DSD at Walmart, what lies ahead for the category? Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

In today's episode, Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher tackle five predictions for the upcoming year that range from alcohol to acquisitions. They dive into some of the year's most intriguing themes and, as always, ask the most important question: what does this mean? Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Duane Stanford and John Sicher recap and analyze the most intriguing and unexpected developments in beverages from 2023, including the great alcohol crossover, cannabis regulation, the creator economy, BodyArmor’s journey, Bang Energy's fall and rebirth, surprising soda pricing results, and more. Companies covered include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper,  Athletic Brewing, Bang Energy, P...

In today's episode, industry expert John Sicher joins Beverage Digest Editor and Publisher Duane Stanford to break down Tuesday's Coca-Cola earnings report, and PepsiCo's results earlier this month. Industry insiders have been surprised by the resilience of soft drink volume sales given the fast pace of rising prices. As pricing returns to normal, what does this mean for beverage ma...