The Breeze With Beverage Digest – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Breeze With Beverage Digest

Beverage Digest

News

Frequency: 1 episode/38d. Total Eps: 35

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford talks shop: news of the day, interesting competitive trends, new products and categories. He brings you into the kinds of conversations that we have here every day at Beverage Digest. To dissect what’s happening, connect dots, and ask the most important question: “What does this mean?”

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Data updated on 10/09/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2127755/fan_mail/new
35 shares
https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2127755/open_sms
26 shares

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hughes-04611b/
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 47%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

Episode 35: Future Proofing Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper

Season 1 · Episode 35

Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 49:46

What happens to the U.S. beverage industry when the big categories can’t count on easy growth, and pricing becomes the only lever left to pull? Are the major companies positioning themselves for future growth?

In this episode of The Breeze, Duane and John zoom out to a big strategic question for Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. If liquid refreshment beverages are flat to down, how do these companies avoid missing the next energy drink-style wave, whether it’s gut health, hemp-derived THC beverages, or something no one sees yet?

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 34: The Hidden Cost of SNAP Soda Cuts on Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper

Season 1 · Episode 34

Thursday, July 30, 2026 • Duration 36:30

Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford and industry expert John Sicher uncover the hidden impact of SNAP soda restrictions in the U.S. as these policies threaten consumer behavior across the carbonated soft drink market. From court challenges to SNAP eligibility cuts, they also explore what SNAP sales data reveals so far, why diet soda gets lumped in to restrictions, and how the industry is responding.

In this episode:

• Federal judge blocks SNAP soft drink restrictions in five states while other waivers stand
• Consumer survey signals potential pullback in carbonated soft drink purchasing
• CSD category vulnerability after decades of volume decline and reliance on pricing power
• Stigma risk as policy headlines shape how all shoppers think about soft drinks
• Industry response that treats the impact as quantifiable and politically sensitive
• Debate over paternalism, fairness, and selective targeting in public assistance rules
• Question of why diet and zero-sugar drinks are included in restrictions
• Circana read that CSD incidence drops in SNAP trips while sports and energy tick up
•Patchwork rollout across states, health improvement questions, and legal durability
• Compounding effect of fewer households qualifying for SNAP benefits.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 33: The Beverage Consumer Reality Check

Season 1 · Episode 33

Friday, June 12, 2026 • Duration 42:16

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 non-alcoholic beer could steal the next occasion.

Also:
• How Jefferies tracks consumer health using delinquencies, auto loans, and payment data
• Why “the consumer is weak” becomes an easy excuse for poor portfolio performance
• Value equation vs affordability, and why breaking trust on price is hard to fix
• The ladder behind energy drink growth: new consumers, new occasions, foodservice, and innovation
• Why energy looks cheaper versus coffee over the last five years
• Why carbonated soft drinks handle price-per-ounce variation better than most categories
• What revenue growth management changes mean for Coca-Cola and bottlers...and more.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 32: Less Volume, More Dollars: The Paradox Reshaping the Beverage Industry

Season 1 · Episode 32

Thursday, April 30, 2026 • Duration 45:44

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 that industry insiders should we watching most closely.
• How Fuze Tea’s staying power in Spain is a reminder that so-called “failed” U.S. brands can thrive globally
• Inflation, premium trade-offs, and why volume can fall while dollars rise
• The case for tap water and refillables as a hidden volume competitor
• Carbonated soft drink volume decline vs revenue growth management reality
• Zero sugar soda growth as a proxy for shifting artificial sweetener sentiment
• Why prebiotic soda and “modern soda” create a gateway back to fizz
• Energy drinks as a new, distinct use case in QSRs and why chains like McDonald’s want beverage traffic
• Cola share erosion, more options, and the challenge of rebuilding demand
• Sports drink growth stalling and the need to re-explain “better than water”

If you're interested in Beverage Digest’s newly-released statistical yearbook of the U.S. packaged beverage industry, visit https://www.beverage-digest.com/factbook to buy and download immediately.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 31: Can Big CPG Companies Close the Innovation Gap? The Case for Cultural Momentum Over Brand Equity

Season 1 · Episode 31

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 • Duration 41:21

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 distribution speed, culture, incentives, and how organizing around occasions can restore relevance.

• BodyArmor’s write-downs and sports drinks losing hero status
• The three pillars of deals and why manageability breaks
• Distribution pace versus market-by-market velocity
• Cultural momentum beats brand equity
• Founder retention and the Church & Dwight model
• Dual engines for core and emerging brands
• Organizing around occasions, not categories
• Fairlife’s independence, protein timing, and tech moat
• PepsiCo–Poppi risks and keeping operational fit
• AI, data, and faster concept-to-shelf cycles

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 30: Making Sense of State SNAP Soda Bans. How Should Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper Respond?

Season 1 · Episode 30

Tuesday, January 27, 2026 • Duration 33:56

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 affordability and channel shifts.

• States adopting waivers and their SNAP participation rates
• Inclusion of zero sugar and artificial sweeteners in bans
• Price inflation impact and equity concerns for low-income households
• RBC and Numerator data on cutbacks, switching, and store choice
• Channel exposure across grocery, mass, dollar, club, and convenience
• The Possible rise of private label and value packs
• Affordability tactics: smaller packages and sharper price points
• Policy test requirements and uncertain long-term outcomes

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 29: State of Play Going Into 2026

Season 1 · Episode 29

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 • Duration 38:34

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.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 28: Soft Drink Fountain Food Fight and What it Means for Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper

Season 1 · Episode 28

Thursday, November 13, 2025 • Duration 41:18

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 service channel: customization, modern beverages like Poppi, digital ordering, and more.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 27: Alcohol is in Crisis. RBC's Nik Modi Knows Why

Season 1 · Episode 27

Monday, October 6, 2025 • Duration 49:00

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 cyclical (the economy) or structural (people are simply drinking less)? What lessons can alcohol brands learn from soda’s decline and reckoning? What does this mean for companies like Coke and PepsiCo and their bottlers, which are looking for growth in the alcoholic beverage sector. And how will functionality, occasion-based marketing, and cross-category consolidation fit into the future? Modi makes a bold prediction on the latter.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

Episode 26: Serve & Volley - Focused Strategy Plays at Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and Coke

Season 1 · Episode 26

Friday, September 12, 2025 • Duration 52:15

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. Discover how these industry giants are navigating market changes and what it means for the future of beverages.

Text us thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions.

Read moreCollapse

The Breeze With Beverage Digest – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

The Breeze With Beverage Digest – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Buzzsprout2

Other5

LinkedIn1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Buzzsprout2

Other5

LinkedIn1

Apple Podcasts

Spotify