Outgunned and outspent: How independent RTD brands are gaining a foothold in the US

The odds are stacked against them. They have less money, less influence with distributors, and fewer R&D resources to alchemize the perfect drink, yet smaller RTD brands are going toe-to-toe and often winning the race to capture the fastest-growing space in the beverage alcohol business. In this episode, Evan Burns, CEO at The Finnish Long Drink, and Clement Pappas, cofounder and CEO of Stateside Brands – the company that owns Surfside – explain how, against all odds, they built successful brands in the face of powerful competition. They share some of the hidden advantages that independent brands have over the powerful yet lumbering incumbents. Want to sign up for our written research? Have a question, qualm, or story to tell, reach out via email: Bourcard.Nesin@Rabobank.com Check out the rest of our written research: rabobank.com/knowledge. Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast.

You can listen to Outgunned and outspent: How independent RTD brands are gaining a foothold in the US online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Outgunned and outspent: How independent RTD brands are gaining a foothold in the US is an episode from Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast by Julio Pijnappel.

This episode is 01:00:47 long.

This episode was published on Oct 30, 2025.

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