DrinkUp Daily Industry Brief 1-1-26

Welcome to the DrinkUp Podcast , Daily Industry Brief, where we break down what’s happening in the beverage business and what it actually means for brands, distributors, and operators.”The headline today: regulators and consumers are teaming up, intentionally or not, to push the industry toward lower sugar, more moderation, and more direct connections with drinkers. California’s new spirits shipping pilot opens the DtC door for distilleries, while front-of-pack nutrition labels and sugar-driven price hikes make full-calorie soft drinks and heavy RTDs a tougher sell. Meanwhile, Gen Z’s “zebra striping” and Dry January momentum keep fueling non-alcoholic and functional beverage growth well into 2026. The move now is clear: trim the sugar, build a serious NA and functional bench, and treat direct consumer access as a strategic asset, not a side project.