CPG Connect // Vol. 7: Creatine Crunch, High-Voltage Hydration & Fancy Fry Guys
From creatine-loaded cereal and THC-spiked seltzers to frozen fries that actually deserve the freezer space, this week’s lineup is stacked. We’ve got new funding rounds fueling category leaders, bold flavor drops from some of the biggest names in wellness, and a few products I got to try IRL that more than lived up to the hype. Whether you’re here for the innovation, the branding moves, or just to know what’s about to hit shelves, let’s get into it.
Events:
RSVP - BeaUtahful Invitational 8/20 (Slc)
RSVP - Retail Summit SLC 8/21 (Slc)
RSVP - Coffee Meetup @ Newtopia Now 8/22 (Den)
RSVP - DTC Brand Dinner 8/27 (Nyc)
RSVP - RESET: Health & Wellness Event 8/28 (La)
RSVP - Nyc Commerce Mixer 9/9 (Nyc)
RSVP - End Of Summer Party 9/13 (Slc)
RSVP - Q4 Summit 9/16 (Nyc)
RSVP - Ultimate Casino Night 9/17 (Chi)
RSVP - Magic Show 9/17 (Chi)
RSVP - A Taste Of Chicago 9/18 (Chi)
RSVP - Pre-Grow Coffee + DJ 9/26 (Nyc)
News:
AG1 Finally Gets Some FlavorAfter more than a decade of sticking to one “OG” flavor, AG1 is mixing things up, literally. The greens giant just dropped three new options: Citrus, Tropical, and Berry. The move is all about boosting daily consistency and giving customers more ways to personalize their routines.
It’s the latest in a run of big moves: earlier this year AG1 rolled out its Next Gen formula, fortified with new probiotics, vitamins, and minerals and made its first brick-and-mortar debut in over 600 Costco stores.
From a CPG lens, this checks three boxes: new product innovation, formula upgrade, and expanded distribution. It’s a play to keep current subscribers happy while grabbing new customers who want better taste, more choice, and the ability to grab it in-store.
Uncle Arnie’s Secures $7.5M to Fuel THC Beverage GrowthTHC and hemp-infused beverage leader Uncle Arnie’s just closed a $7.5M Series A, co-led by Mindset Capital and Delta Emerald Ventures, with Boston Beer Company co-founder Harry Rubin joining the board.
Founded in 2020 by Ave Miller and Theo Terris, Uncle Arnie’s has built a stronghold as California’s #1 cannabis beverage brand and is now active in 16 markets, with 3 more on deck. The raise will nearly double the team, expand distribution, and level up national sales and marketing infrastructure.
With nearly 100% YoY growth and a growing hemp-derived THC line in mainstream retail, Uncle Arnie’s is positioning itself as a category leader in the fast-emerging functional cannabis beverage space.
Jesse & Ben’s Secures Seven-Figure Seed to Reinvent Frozen FriesBetter-for-you frozen fries are getting their moment. Jesse & Ben’s, launched in June 2024 by Jesse Konig and Ben Johnson, just closed a seven-figure seed round with backing from Willow Growth Partners, Midnight Venture Partners, Siddhi Capital, BrandProject, and more.
Born out of the founders’ “Swizzler” food truck and restaurant days, the brand is bringing real ingredients and healthier cooking fats like avocado oil and tallow to a freezer aisle long dominated by canola and mystery blends. In under a year, they’ve landed in Whole Foods, MOM’s Organic Market, and hundreds of independents. Plus food service giants like Sysco and U.S. Foods, with velocities hitting nearly 4× the category average in some accounts.
I got to try these at Fancy Foods and they’re absolutely worth the hype. Excited to see where Jesse & Ben’s takes this next.
Not Beer Vibed Joins the THC Seltzer PartyThe cheeky sparkling water brand Not Beer, already known for poking fun at Liquid Death, has entered the cannabis space with Not Beer Vibed, a hemp-derived THC seltzer that might actually be a better use of the name than their regular seltzer line.
Each 12oz can packs 10mg THC + 10mg CBD in a 1:1 ratio, with real fruit juice, no added sugar, and flavors like Rosy Raspberry, Ruby Grapefruit, and Golden Pineapple. Using nanoemulsion tech for a quick 10–15 minute onset, Vibed is positioned as a flavor-forward, fast-acting alcohol alternative, minus the hangover.
In a crowded (and still legally patchy) THC beverage market, Not Beer Vibed stands out with bold branding and a product that leans all the way into the “fun” side of functional beverages.
Man Cereal: Creatine Meets the Breakfast BowlCereal is a $10B+ category, but for a lot of men, it’s been left in the dust. Man Cereal is here to change that. Launching this fall at eatmancereal.com, the brand claims the title of world’s first creatine cereal, packing functional performance into a craveable format.
Founded by Emily Straus and N, the cereal is formulated with 2.5g creatine monohydrate, 15–16g protein from whey isolate, just 5g carbs, and 0–1g sugar, with no seed oils, sugar alcohols, or artificial junk. It’s also third-party tested to ensure the creatine stays pure and stable over time.
The design, from Day Job, is direct, minimal, and a little tongue-in-cheek—leaning into the name Man Cereal as both a wink and a statement. Three flavors will roll out at launch, with more details to follow.
Serious nutrition, un-serious branding, and a clean ingredient list? This one’s worth watching.
Holy! Water Expands Lineup with 4 New FlavorsFunctional beverage brand Holy! Water, known for its zero-sugar, electrolyte-packed sparkling waters has rolled out four bold new flavors: Tropical Citrus, Classic Cola, Lemon Lime, and Blackberry Lemonade.
Positioned as a cleaner alternative to soda and energy drinks, Holy! Water delivers hydration with no artificial sweeteners and a crisp, carbonated kick. The new lineup broadens its flavor appeal, giving consumers more ways to swap traditional sugary beverages for something functional and refreshing.
With flavor variety often driving repeat purchase in the functional beverage category, this move could help Holy! Water compete for fridge space against established better-for-you drink players.
Founder Clips W/ Jack from Blow It Gum
What inspired you to start this brand, and what were the first steps you took to bring it to life?Jack told me the spark came on the first day of his junior year of high school. He’d been fascinated by branding and disruption, inspired by companies like Liquid Death. Looking at the $9B gum market, he realized the category hadn’t felt “cool” since Five Gum’s heyday 15 years ago. At first, he envisioned an aspartame-free, xylitol-based stick gum with fun, disruptive branding. But after struggling to find a manufacturer, he pivoted toward caffeinated gum after noticing brands like NeuroGum and Rev Gum. The concept made sense, but he saw an opportunity to market it more like an energy drink brand… fun, youthful, tied to action sports, instead of the wellness-focused approach competitors were taking. He built the brand in just a few months, hustling between classes, often working from a converted van in his school parking lot.
What sets your product apart in a crowded market?Jack said the gum itself is a big differentiator. It’s made in Denver, Colorado, and uses a “liquid core” technology, think a gusher-style filling that delivers caffeine directly through the gums for faster absorption. That liquid core also helps the flavor last up to an hour. The product is larger than typical functional gums, with a premium feel, and the branding leans into retro, nostalgic energy drink vibes rather than wellness minimalism. He wanted something that catches your eye in-store and makes you want to grab it instantly.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome it?The hardest part, Jack admitted, was building credibility as a 17-year-old with no track record. Manufacturers were hesitant, and early on he nearly settled for a product he didn’t love. Persistence and a timely introduction from his dad to a gum industry veteran led him to his current manufacturing partner. That relationship not only unlocked production but ensured the product quality matched the boldness of the brand.
How are you approaching growth in these early stages—what channels or strategies are most important to you?Right now, Blow It Gum is mostly DTC: Facebook and Instagram ads, TikTok Shop, and a recent Amazon launch. Jack and his small team, including his uncle August and a college friend, run ads in-house. Retail is the big next step, with 7-Eleven as the dream first major account. He’s clear-eyed about the fact that gum is more of a retail impulse buy than an online replenishment product, so the brand was designed to pop off a gas station shelf.
One year from now, what does success look like for you and the brand?Jack’s top priorities are breaking into retail, launching a non-caffeinated gum line, and locking in consistent sales. The timeline is extra urgent because he’s planning to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints later this year, so he’s working to set the business up for success while he’s away, likely by bringing on an additional investor to help scale partnerships and sponsorships. For him, “success” would mean having the right retail placement, expanded product offerings, and the team in place to keep momentum going during his absence.
Shoutouts -
Food: sunnyfoods.us - Sunny Fine Foods makes clean, plant-based tahini dips and dressings with bold flavors, no junk ingredients, and a silky texture that works as a dip, spread, or drizzle.
Tech: foam.io - Foam.io is an AI-powered operating system for talent managers that centralizes discovery, analytics, pitching, and deal-making. All in one platform eliminating spreadsheets and giving real-time metrics across social channels.
That’s it for this week.Whether you're launching your first SKU, scaling into Whole Foods, or trying to stay ahead of what’s breaking through, CPG Connect is here to help you keep pace.
See you next week✌️
— Zach
P.S. If this was helpful, feel free to pass it along to a friend, teammate, or founder in your orbit. And hit reply anytime, I read every note.