2026 BEVERAGE INDUSTRY WEEK
The 2026
Women ' s Leadership Breakfast.
Mark Mozier, founder of Mark ' s Mocktails, won the 2026 Beverage Incubator contest.
THC drinks brand Looner Sodas. He discussed the ominous November 12 deadline, when the federal Farm Bill loophole is schedule to close, which would cripple the burgeoning industry.
“ We’ re moving forward that we’ re going to get saved from the November 12 bill, but others are winding down now,” Maxwell said.“ We hedged our bets with adult-use THC. If low-dose gets turned off for a few months, we can restart it up.”
During the same panel, Paul Kaspszak, Executive Director of the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association( MMBA), observed how his state has become among the most progressive in retail cannabis sales. Liquor stores have moved beyond just beverages.
“ Liquid can be on the floor in in Minnesota, but gummies have to be behind the case,” he said.
Social media remains critical for retailers, especially during a period when attracting sales has become tougher. The Changing Landscape delved into this subject, led by Nadine Babu, CEO of Babu Social Networks. She urged attendees to use social media to connect with Gen Z.
“ TikTok is huge with the new generation,” she said.“ You have to create content that appeals to them, that’ s on trend.”
Nadine urged retailers to experiment and see what works on their social media channels.“ Don’ t be discouraged,” she said.“ Social media very emotional related. You never know what will hit.”
As for financial costs,“ A social media budget is about $ 2,000 for an agency,” she said. Or, for a
www. beveragedynamics. com 2026 Top 100 Issue • Beverage Dynamics 21