Global specialty beverage company with proven experience launching popular alcohol brands
Growing revenue stream underpinned by global distribution arrangements and an agreement with Coca-Cola Amatil
Preparing to bring new CBD/THC-infused beverages to market in North America
Differentiating technology that allows CBD beverages to act and function like alcohol
is betting big on cannabis-infused beverage products as it gets ready to launch a line of refreshments in the US this year.
Many investors anticipate CBD-infused beverages to be the next wave of products in the cannabis sector. Look no further than ’ () $4 billion investment into (NYSE:CGC) for proof.
The Los Angeles-based company already has experience in launching alcoholic beverages in Australia and North America and it is about to start selling a range of CBD- and THC-infused products into North America.
The company already has a growing revenue stream from its alcohol line, which is underpinned by global distribution relationships such as Loblaws, Krogers, Total Wine, The Ritz-Carlton and MGM Resorts, to name a few.
It recently announced its intention to acquire Australian Boutique Spirits Limited (ABS) through a reverse takeover agreement with CannHealth, a privately-owned Australian specialty beverage company with an alcohol and a CBD/THC beverage line. The deal is worth A$3.9 million in cash and A$7.2 million in shares.
ABS has a long term manufacturing agreement with Coca-Cola Amatil for its Australian Bitters brand, and distribution agreements with Southern Glaziers, National Importers of Canada and the UK’s Indie Brands.
In March 2019, the company executed an A$5.6 million seed capital raising to fund its expansion plans.
Inflection points
An immediate milestone for the company will come in the form of its listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange, which is expected to take place by the end of the second quarter 2019.
After the IPO, the management team sees growth in expanding ABS products into new markets in the Americas, the United Kingdom and Asia.
It will also launch new ABS innovations like Australis Gin, which is poised for the US market.
Lifestyle Global plans to leverage existing alcohol distribution partners for its new line of CBD products and put to use its industry marketing skills to launch new recreational THC beverage products.
It plans to begin sales in California this year, followed by further expansion throughout the US and into Canada by the end of the year.
What the founder says
It’s all in the family at – founder and managing director Raj Beri leads the strategic direction of the company while his brother, executive director Sahil Beri, handles much of the research and development thanks to his pharmaceutical background.
According to MD Beri, the company’s differentiating factor is its ability to develop CBD-infused beverages that act like alcohol when being consumed.
“When you consume an alcoholic beverage, you expect to feel the effects in a matter of minutes, but right now in CBD products that technology is not readily available,” he told Proactive in a recent interview. “We have access to technology that means that THC/CBD products where onset would be 10 minutes and rate of metabolism will be a couple of hours, so they’ll function in a similar manner to alcohol.”
The team behind Lifestyle Global has already launched a number of “world’s first” beverages out of Australia and scaled the products to multiple markets for distribution, said Beri.
“The company has great revenues and are EBIDTA positive on a consolidated basis,” he said. “Our alcohol division has been running for several years with great partnerships and exports to multiple markets around the world. We’re not a startup as such – our team has a lot of experience. We’re looking forward to launching products in the cannabis and hemp beverage industry.”
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