Final Boss Sour Grabs Another $4M 🫐

GM and Happy Thursday, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

• Loch Lomond buys NYDC 🥃

• Levi Strauss sells Dockers 👖

• Tractor Beverage raises $15M 🥤

• New from Yo Mama’s Foods 🍝

• Creatine sales skyrocket 📈

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

• Scottish spirits firm Loch Lomond Group is betting on American whiskey by acquiring New York Distilling Company (NYDC) for an undisclosed sum. NYDC owns a handful of brands including Jaywalk Heirloom Rye Whiskey, Dorothy Parker New York Gin, and Mister Katz’s. For Loch Lomond Group, which focuses almost exclusively on Scotch whisky, the acquisition offers exposure to the desirable American whiskey category. The Spirits Business

• SaltWise, a purveyor of plant-based salt alternatives, has acquired Green Salt for an undisclosed sum. Green Salt produces a plant-based salt that contains 50% less sodium than regular salt. The global salt substitute market is expected to reach $2.3B by 2030. PR Newswire

• Levi Strauss is selling Dockers for $311M in cash plus a potential earnout. The buyer, unsurprisingly, is brand management firm Authentic Brands Group (ABG). Levi Strauss is divesting Dockers in order to focus on its namesake brand and Beyond Yoga. CNBC

Fundraising

• Sour snack brand Final Boss Sour secured another $4M in seed funding. The round was led by Science Inc. A number of other investors like Melitas Ventures, Simple Food Ventures, GFR Fund, and Uncommon Denominator also participated in the round. Final Boss Sour was developed in-house by Science Inc. and James Hicks is the CEO. Food Business News

• Tractor Beverage Company, an organic, non-GMO beverage brand crafted for the foodservice channel, secured $15M in fresh funding. Earlier this year, Tractor appointed Califia Farms alum Brian Barbara as Chief Revenue Officer. BevNET

What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

• Oscar Hedegaard, a 17-year-old perfumer from Switzerland, launched a new fragrance brand called Oscar Emil. The company launched with six different scents that retail for £125 each. The Industry

• Revlon inked a long-term fragrance licensing agreement with Palm Angels, the luxury streetwear brand that Bluestar Alliance acquired earlier this year. Revlon also signed a fragrance licensing agreement with Ice Spice last week as it seeks to revive its fragrance unit. Happi

• Vital Proteins launched a limited edition Collagen Peptides flavor — Ice Pop. Instagram

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

• DTC snack company Nuts.com launched its first retail-ready brand in Pop & Sol. Pop & Sol offers a variety of sweet & savory nuts and is launching at Target, ShopRite, and The Fresh Market. The brand is named after Poppy Sol who launched the business in New Jersey in 1929. NOSH

• Phorm Energy, the energy drink partnership between supplements brand 1st Phorm and brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, is preparing for its nationwide retail rollout. I tried the energy drink at Sweets & Snacks earlier this month and was really impressed. Sleek branding, 200mg of caffeine, and a massive distribution edge by partnering with Anheuser-Busch. Dana White is also involved which ought to help with awareness. Stack3d

• Trace Alexander, a food influencer and distance runner, launched a high-protein overnight oats brand called Trace’s Oats. Each serving contains 15g of protein and no added sugar. The brand launched with three fun flavors: Strawberry Milk, Brownie Batter, and Maple Vanilla Walnut. Trace’s Oats

• LesserEvil Snacks released two new popcorn flavors for summer — Watermelon Hibiscus and Pink Lemonade. The new flavors are available exclusively at Thrive Market and on LesserEvil’s site. Instagram

• Protein shot brand Genius Shot added a few new flavors: Apple Melon and Peach Rings. Twitter

• Yo Mama’s Foods, a clean pasta sauce and salad dressing brand, just launched a high-protein pasta line. Each serving contains 18g of protein and an impressive 10.5g of fiber. The new line is available now at Harris Teeter. Big fan of the branding. Instagram

• American-made Oishii Sake released a canned sake spritz line with four flavors: Lychee Lemon, Mango Yuzu, Coconut Lemongrass, and Watermelon Lime. The 6% ABV cocktails contain less than 3g of carbs and zero added sugar. Trend Hunter

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Data 🖥️

• According to Grand View Research, the creatine market is expected to exceed $4.2B by 2030 thanks to fast-growing brands like Create, Bloom Nutrition, and Arrae. Instagram

Distribution News 🚚

• Bloom Sparkling Energy launched at 7-Eleven in New York.

• Protein Pints launched at select Target stores.

• BUBLUV Bubble Tea launched at Target in 8 states.

• YSE Beauty is launching at 360+ Sephora stores.

• Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode is launching at Sephora.