First Beverage Group

First Beverage Group, established in 2005 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, provides investment banking and private equity services specifically to the beverage industry. The firm focuses on advising and investing in innovative and transformational beverage brands, helping them navigate a competitive landscape. Additionally, it manages First Beverage Ventures, a private equity fund that targets investments in consumer and healthcare sectors across the United States. With additional offices in Boston and New York, First Beverage Group aims to support beverage companies in their growth and development through tailored financial solutions. As of 2018, it operates as a subsidiary of Cascadia Capital, LLC.

Joseph Angiuli

Senior Associate

Kristen Bareuther

Managing Director

Jack Belsito

Managing Partner

Chris Greco

Chief Financial Officer

Dan Grigorin

Associate, First Beverage Group

Bob Nakasone

Managing Director

Kyle Wheeler

Managing Partner

W. Townsend Ziebold

Managing Partner

Past deals in Beverages

Health-Ade

Venture Round in 2021
Health-Ade, LLC is a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in producing Kombucha, a fermented tea rich in probiotics and healthy acids. Founded in 2012, Health-Ade offers a variety of flavors, including original, apple, ginger lemon, plum, grape, cayenne cleanse, beet, carrot, and pomegranate. The company's products are distributed through various stores and restaurants. Health-Ade employs a dual fermentation process to transform sweet tea into Kombucha, significantly reducing its sugar content. The company has encountered challenges in meeting consumer demand, with estimates suggesting that it could potentially sell five times more product if it had the capacity to brew enough Kombucha.

MAD TASTY

Venture Round in 2021
MAD TASTY produces hydrating beverages intended to offer cannabis-based sparkling water. They use an effective dose of hemp extract that is low in calories and beneficial for inspiring creativity and supporting the body's endocannabinoid system, enabling customers to expand their bandwidth and keep the creative energy flowing. It was founded in 2018 and operates in Santa Monica, California.

Q Mixers

Venture Round in 2019
Q Mixers is a food and beverage company that makes carbonated mixers, beverages crafted from real ingredients. Its products are available in bars and restaurants, as well as in groceries and liquor stores. Flavors available: Ginger Beer, Tonic Water, Indian Tonic Water, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, Grapefruit, and Kola. It was established by Jordan Silbert and Ben Karlin in Brooklyn, New York in 2007.

VitaCup

Venture Round in 2018
VitaCup, LLC manufactures vitamin-infused coffee and tea. The company offers its products through online. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in San Diego, California.

Project Juice

Venture Round in 2017
Project Juice is a food and beverage company located in South San Francisco.

Juicero

Series B in 2016
Juicero, Inc. specializes in developing cold-press juicing systems designed to produce raw and organic fruit and vegetable juices. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, the company offers a unique juicing device that operates with the touch of a button, allowing users to easily prepare nutrient-rich juices at home. In addition to the juicing system, Juicero also provides an application that connects to the device, offering insights into the nutritional content of the juices, tracking user activity, and managing delivery of juice packs. The company’s product line includes various juice packs featuring ingredients such as sweet greens, spicy greens, carrots, beets, and other root vegetables, aiming to encourage consumers to incorporate more fresh produce into their daily diets.

Drizly

Series A in 2015
Drizly is an e-commerce alcohol marketplace and the best way to shop beer, wine, and spirits. With the speed and convenience of on-demand delivery and shipping, Drizly partners with retailers in 235 markets to offer consumers of legal drinking age unrivaled selection and a transparent, personalized shopping experience. Backed by world-class institutional investors, Drizly partners with retailers to bring their shelves online, helping them to reach new customers, tap into key market and customer insights, and diversify their business to grow sales.