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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 1 0 6 2018 Best of Show G OURMET N EWS ® Top Note Tonic Earns a sofi as Best New Product By Lorrie Baumann Top Note tonics are attracting attention among the fans of craft beverages, most re- cently with a sofi Award for Top Note Indian Tonic Water, named the best new product in the cold beverages category by the Specialty Food Association. The company's other products include a Ginger Beer as well as a range of other European-style tonics in Bitter Orange, Bitter Lemon and Gentian Lime fla- vors. Top Note tonics are produced by La Pavia Beverage, LLC, founded in 2014 by Mary Pellettieri and her husband and partner, Noah Swanson and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "We decided to go into this busi- ness because we were very intrigued by craft beer," Pellettieri says. "As I was concocting and crafting some syrups for that, using tra- ditional recipes, I found that I liked the syrups just with carbonated water." Pellettieri's interest in beer was long- standing. She began her career at the Siebel Institute of Technology, a research institute and school of brewing technology founded in Chicago in 1868, where she was a chemist and microbiologist and taught sen- sory management. Her career has taken her from there to Silliker Labs, Goose Island Beer Company and then MillerCoors be- fore she left the brewery giant to start her own company. After more than 20 years of working with craft beers, she was in an ideal position to recognize the potential of the beverage she'd created. "To me, it's more than just a mixer. It could be an herbal soft drink on its own," she said. "It's a radler [also known as a shandy] when mixed with beer." Pellettieri's experience had taught her to appreciate the tonics she'd tasted in Eu- rope, where the category was burgeoning with many more products and flavors than were being offered to the American market, where tonics tended to have harsher flavors that could mask the rasp of alcohol when they were mixed into cocktails based on mass-marketed spirits. But after distillers of craft spirits began producing smoother liquors, there was no longer as much need to hide the harsh taste of the alcohol. Pel- lettieri figured that created a gap in the market for mixers with bright, clean fla- vors, including the herbal elixirs that she loved. "We just saw that the category of sparkling beverage needing some innovation, some dusting up," she said. "I just thought: Why not someone who understands bitter, who understands beer? Why not me?" "The tonic category in the States has been sleepy," she added. "If you go to Europe you'll see that it's much more of a burgeon- ing category and much more diverse in its of- ferings." The Top Note product line started with mixable syrups that could be added to cock- tails, stirred into sparkling water to make a soda or drunk on their own. "It's still a tonic, and there's still some bitterness to it, so I al- ways warn people. Tonic lovers really love it," Pellettieri said. "It's still true to the tra- dition that a tonic is a bitter, sour and sweet beverage." The Top Note tonics pair well with the same kind of foods that complement other bitter beverages like an IPA beer or a dark espresso, and Pellettieri has recently ex- panded the line by packaging the tonics in four-packs of ready-to-serve bottles and adding a Ginger Beer that can be consumed either as a mixer or on its own. "We designed it with the idea that flavor is most impor- tant," Pellettieri said. "That's selling out faster than we can keep up with right now." Hilary's Secures Growth Capital from VG Growth Partners Hilary's, which makes plant-based foods that are free from common allergens, has re- ceived a significant growth capital invest- ment led by VG Growth Partners, a new fund created with the mission to advance the next generation of consumer brands. Founded by industry veterans Michael Caridi, Sanjeev Vinayak and Hitesh Hajarnavis, VG Growth Partners will serve dual roles as investment partners and strategic advisors to the brand. Hilary's is currently the No. 1 selling veggie burger brand as measured by SPINS, and is poised for tremendous growth in the free- from category, which is projected to reach $20 billion by 2020. "We're experiencing mounting demand for our foods within the allergen-free com- munity in addition to adding mainstream shoppers who want clean, healthy options that are easy to prepare," said Lydia Butler, President and Chief Financial Officer of Hi- lary's. "The astounding consumer response that has led to our current leadership in the market is a testament to the fact that people want delicious and nourishing cuisine, and we're grateful that our new investors, VG Growth Partners, share our vision for healing the American diet." The new round of funding will enable Hi- lary's to expand its internal sales and mar- keting teams, amplify expansion of its retail footprint, and accelerate innovation and new product development. Hilary's is the third in- vestment for VG Growth Partners in the al- lergen-friendly space. With more than 50 years combined experience leading natural food brands, the founders of VG Growth Partners not only see the market opportunity in the food allergy space, but are personally passionate about helping to increase the ac- cessibility of free-from foods across the country through brands families can trust. "Free-from is a booming category with tremendous potential for growth, and I know so many families – including my own – who are directly affected by food allergies," said Hitesh Hajarnavis, a founding Partner of VG Growth Partners. "Experiencing firsthand the daily challenges and emotional worry that I know other families affected by food allergies are dealing with, is part of what fuels our passion for this space. We're deter- mined to make a difference, and it's real deal brands like Hilary's that are charting a new future by creating great tasting foods that are not only safe for those with allergies but also enjoyed by all that will make it possible for us. It's thrilling to be part of this food revo- lution!" Hilary's is best known for its plant-based Veggie Burgers; however, its recent line ex- tensions and launches – including Millet Medleys and Veggie Sausages – have quickly climbed to the top of their respective categories as well. Hilary's investment from VG Growth Partners also follows new na- tional distribution gains for the brand, in- cluding placement at Kroger for its shelf-stable dressings and a partnership with frozen food e-commerce platform, Healthy Goodness. All Hilary's foods are free from common allergens, including wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, and corn, and are vegan, certified gluten free, Non-GMO Project Verified and certified organic. Hilary's products are avail- able at conventional and natural grocery stores nationwide, as well as online.

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