Get out your day-glo body paint and fuzzy boots because festival season is about to start with Coachella’s two-weekend-long party – and this year the adult non-alcoholic (ANA) category is coming out in force.

In the latest edition of A Round With … – a weekly Q&A with industry leaders exclusively for Insiders – Tilray Brands North America president Ty Gilmore talked with Brewbound’s sibling publication BevNET about how the company intends to leverage its scale to go deep in hemp-derived delta-9 drinks and how it is navigating the evolving regulatory landscape for hemp products in the U.S.

Dealing with droughts is part of life in California, but an extension to the state’s self-imposed ban on hemp-derived THC drinks looks set to further stress an already reeling industry. Prior to their scheduled expiration this month, California’s Department of Public Health extended a six-month ban on “intoxicating hemp products” imposed in September for another three months. Now set to expire on June 24, the emergency measure can be readopted only one more time, according to California law.

From micro-dosed to macro-dosed, many intoxicating hemp beverage brands are expanding into stronger payloads, offering more THC per dollar.

Sake is a staple of drinking culture in Japan, but in the U.S. bringing the category to new consumers takes a variety of approaches. Arkansas-based Origami Sake is attempting to make the traditional rice wine more approachable to American drinkers by pairing its premium-positioned products with transparent packaging callouts and a new non-alc variety that caters to moderating consumers.

If brands can be founders’ children, then Brett Berish has taken a very hands-on approach to fatherhood becoming the focal point for his spirits company Sovereign Brands.

What was it like for CPG businesses to bear the brunt of a once-in-a-thousand-year hurricane? In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact in September, we spoke with a handful of brands from North Carolina to hear how they are rebuilding from loss through communal support and entrepreneurial resilience.

As Sober October kicks into gear, adult non-alcoholic (ANA) beverages are expected to have another strong month. But that popularity has shifted the competitive retail landscape as bigger players enter the space and price-conscious consumers hold back on expensive purchases.

Citing concerns over public health, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed heavy restrictions Friday on “intoxicating hemp products.” Through an emergency regulation, Newsom proposed removing food and beverage products containing hemp extract from stores within the Golden State.

Five months removed from its abrupt closure, next-gen convenience chain Foxtrot Market is preparing to reopen its doors tomorrow.

While brewery menus are littered with near beer options and non-alcoholic spirits are making their way onto bar menus as the fastest growing category in the zero-proof set, wine remains one of the most difficult bev-alc formats to bridge the gap between fully dry consumers and the sober-curious drinkers driving category growth.

Music festival season is in full swing, and this year it’s seeing more than just psychedelic costumes and light shows. The music industry is nothing if not eager to tap into youth trends; in this case, it’s the rising popularity of non-alcoholic beverages from across categories that’s manifesting at concert venues nationwide.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is preparing a lawsuit against Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the nation’s largest alcohol distributor, over its pricing practices, according to a Politico report published yesterday.

Ask any THC or non-alcoholic alternative beverage founder about their biggest obstacle to breaking into widespread distribution and the answer is almost always the same: education.