Today's roundup covers a major leadership appointment at Hershey, new canned cocktail lines from Sazerac, layoffs at Diageo, a non-alc acquisition, and a fresh product push from Owl's Brew.
Hershey has named Heather Hoytink as president of its U.S. business, effective July 8. Hoytink comes from PepsiCo, where she built a track record across its food and beverage portfolio. The appointment puts a seasoned operator in charge of Hershey's confection, salty snacks, and protein lineup at a time when the company is navigating commodity pressures and shifting consumer snacking habits. Her cross-category experience at one of the largest CPG companies in the world signals that Hershey wants a leader capable of managing a diversified portfolio, not just the chocolate business the brand has long been known for.
Sazerac is entering the ready-to-drink canned cocktail market with three new brands: two whiskey lemonade lines and a hard cream soda, all targeting younger legal-drinking-age consumers. The Fireball and BuzzBallz parent is making a deliberate push into spirit-based RTDs, a segment that has been gaining shelf space at the expense of malt-based alternatives. By launching multiple distinct brands rather than line extensions under existing names, Sazerac is testing different flavor profiles and brand identities simultaneously. The hard cream soda entry in particular positions the company to compete in a nostalgia-driven flavor lane that has shown real traction in convenience and grocery channels.
Diageo is cutting jobs across its North American business unit as CEO Dave Lewis pushes through a broader reorganization of the company. The restructuring affects one of the largest spirits portfolios in the world, spanning Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, and Casamigos. Diageo has faced sustained pressure from slowing spirits demand and shifting consumer preferences toward beer and non-alc alternatives. For CPG professionals in sales, marketing, and trade roles tied to the alcohol category, this round of cuts is a signal that even the most established portfolios are not immune to category-level headwinds and cost-reduction mandates.
Owl's Brew is extending its portfolio with a new line of functional non-alcoholic mixers, arriving just months after the brand launched its Spiked Pop hard soda in February. The back-to-back releases show a company moving quickly to occupy multiple occasions simultaneously, from the alcohol-adjacent hard soda space to the growing non-alc and functional beverage market. Non-alc mixers have attracted serious retail and on-premise interest as consumers moderate alcohol intake without abandoning the ritual of a crafted drink. Owl's Brew is betting that a brand with roots in tea-based cocktail mixers has the credibility to compete in a functional NA segment that is getting more crowded by the quarter.
The Zero Proof, a platform focused on alcohol-free and non-alc beverages, has acquired The New Bar, a West Coast hospitality and discovery program that works directly with on-premise accounts. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal gives The Zero Proof a direct line into bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues at a moment when non-alc menu placement has become a real competitive priority for the category. The New Bar has operated as a curator and educator in the on-premise space, which means the acquisition brings relationships and channel expertise rather than just a brand asset. On-premise distribution remains one of the harder problems for non-alc brands to crack, making this a strategically clear move.
Sources: Food Dive · Food Dive · BevNet · BevNet · BevNet
More on CPG Careers
- All roles at Hershey
- All roles at Sazerac
- All roles at Diageo
- All roles at Owl's Brew
- All roles at The Zero Proof
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