Whether you’re looking for ways to fund your beverage business or getting the right team to help you achieve your brand goals, scaling your beverage brand takes work, which is why contract beverage and bottling companies are such an important part of drink production.
Putting your beverage business in the hands of a trusted co-packing and production company can be the best thing you could do for yourself and your business if your business is ready to take that step.
That’s why we created PartnerSlate: to help brands get to their first production run in half the time it takes without help. PartnerSlate is the leading discovery platform in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry connecting brands with manufacturing and packaging partners. We match you to the best food co-manufacturers in the business based on capabilities and capacity, so you can spend your time tasting, testing, and designing the best products for your customers.
What are contract beverage bottling and production companies?
Contract beverage bottling and production companies are companies that specialize in helping new and growing brands to complete their bottling and production phase. These companies own capable bottling and packaging plants that can cater to one or more businesses at a time.
Oftentimes, they may even take care of every aspect of your beverage brand production from start to finish, and all you may have brought is just an idea.
While they are not limited to this, here’s a general list of services contract beverage bottling and production companies offer;
- Beverage Bottling, Canning, and Packaging
- Beverage Manufacturing and Production
- Product Research and Development
- Product Testing and Quality Assurance
- Warehousing, Storage, and Shipping Fulfillment
Finding a perfect beverage bottling and production company requires more than just a Google search. Between the researching, outreach, cold calls, and follow up, even just getting to a site visit can take months. Want to cut that time in half? Use PartnerSlate.
PartnerSlate removes the stress of research and investigation from your schedule. We bring you solutions for effective production, while also connecting you to the most custom-fit co-packer for your beverages–because every drink is different!
Ultimately, you’re looking for a long-term relationship with a co-packer, and PartnerSlate can help see that it happens…and more importantly, it’ll happen more efficiently so you can focus your time on continuing to develop your product and brand.
Top Beverage Bottling and Production Companies You Should Know
There are many names in beverage bottling, as well as many more incredible options. This list is just a select few of some of the greatest bottling and product companies looking for product matches on PartnerSlate.
And at the end of the day, no drink production company is “best” for everyone–it’s all about the best fit.
California Natural Products
California Natural Products was founded in 1980 and is focused on improving consumer health and well-being through its natural and organic beverage line. Valuing respect for others, teamwork, safety, and continuous progress, California Natural Products is a preeminent manufacturer of natural and organic food ingredients and contract manufacturer.
California Natural Products has stayed on top of the industry and consumer trends in this space for a long time now. As a result, they now have three facilities in California, making them among the leading manufacturers in the state. Each of them is equipped with a selection of aseptic processors, packaging lines, production lines, and automated warehouses.
Services:
- Aseptic processing
- Quality assurance and food safety
- Tetra Pak packaging
- Product development
- Private label and contract manufacturer
Product Types:
- Flavored and organic milk
- Half & half and flavored creamers
- Soy, nut, hemp, and rice milk
- Coconut milk and coconut water
- High-protein shakes and smoothies
- Single-serve tea and coffee
- Wine, spirits, sake, and mixed cocktails
- Soups and broths
Specialty product capabilities:
- Non-dairy products
Location: 1250 E Lathrop Rd, Lathrop, CA 95330, United States
Green Mountain Beverage
Beverage co-packing and drink manufacturing are the main services offered at Green Mountain Beverage, along with reasonable pricing and years of expertise. It is conveniently located near the ports of New York, New Jersey, Boston, and Montreal.
The quality service they provide is accomplished by stringent compliance, third-party certifications, quality control, and assurance methods, and validated sanitation programs. As one of the more dedicated contract manufacturers, they have the production capacity for beverages that are canned, bottled, or even kegged, and have the space to accommodate large quantities of these, too.
Furthermore, Green Mountain Beverage also has the facilities for bonded warehousing for raw materials and finished goods, as well as a vast international network of brands that work with them.
Services:
- High-speed canning and bottling
- Kegging and cellaring
- Cold block and tunnel processing
- Supply chains
- Product development
- Storage
- QA/QC and laboratory services
Product Types:
- Beer, wine, and cider
- Ready to drink beverages
- Flavored malt beverages
Specialty product capabilities:
- Organic
- Gluten-free
Location: 1321 Exchange St., Middlebury, VT 05753
Lion Beverage
With over 100 years of successful brewing expertise, Lion Beverage continues to produce beverages of outstanding quality. This company is operated by The Lion Brewery and they are always creating novel ways to help keep their customers satisfied.
All their years of experience have formed a rich brewing tradition which they combine with state-of-the-art facilities to improve their capabilities. Lion Beverage also boasts of top talent that pools the knowledge and experience to bring every client’s dream to reality.
Services:
- Product design, engineering, and development
- Contract brewing and packaging
- Custom-size can, bottle, and keg packaging
- Yeast propagation programs
- Warehousing
- Repacking
- Shrink wrap options
- Erector/Stuffers
- Filter and centrifuge capable
Product Types:
- Beers, ale, and lager
- Maltas
- Soft drinks
- Energy drinks
- Seltzers
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Not Specified
Location: 700 N Pennsylvania Ave Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705
Motherlode Co-Packing
Motherlode Co-Packing is a food and beverage manufacturing company conveniently situated in Hudson, Colorado. As the 2021 winner of the Colorado manufacturing award, FDA/HACCP/SQF-approved production room, and supply chain control, they are completely fitted out to help ensure your brand expansion.
Motherlode offers you a variety of packaging formats. From bottles and jars to cans and pouches, your sauces and condiments will have so many functional and effective packaging options when you choose this co-packing company.
Services:
- Hot fill, piston, and overflow filling
- Product R&D, testing, and packaging
- Glass, plastic, and pouch options
- Liquid blending
- Warehousing and fulfillment
- Food service and retail sizes
Product Types:
- Non-carbonated beverages
- Coffee and tea
- Sauces and spreads
- Food dressings, marinades, and salsa
- Syrups, CBD, and THC infused products.
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Gluten-free
- Organic
Location: 560 Dahlia Street, Hudson, CO 80642
Pack Labs
Pack Labs excels at small-batch beverage co-packing and drink manufacturing and has been guiding fledgling brands to commercial success. Their primary focus is on wellness and wellness-based products, which use functional and responsible ingredients.
Through this contract manufacturer, small and large businesses will be able to develop wellness-based goods that revolutionize and redefine categories at their custom facility. Apart from small-batch co-packing and manufacturing, Pack Labs also shines at product development and brand strategizing, making them a go-to for newer companies looking to put their best foot forward in the beverage business.
Services:
- Canning, bottling, and boxing
- Warehousing
- Product development
- Supply chains
Product Types:
- Beer, wine, and cider
- Ready-to-drink beverages
- Flavored malt beverages
Specialty product capabilities: Not specified
Location: 456 Acorn Ln., Downingtown, PA 19335, United States
Son Beverage Company
Owning a 14,700 square foot facility, the woman-owned certified Son Beverage Company is poised with a high-speed line to fulfill all of your bottling needs. As a private label and co-packing beverage manufacturer Son Beverage Company focuses product quality control and top-tier customer service to bring your products from concept to shelf.
As proud owners of the Jell-Craft label, they pull from collective knowledge and experience that spans over 50 years. Therefore, they leave every client more than satisfied with their services and are more than happy to go above and beyond to link new startups with the right resources.
Services:
- Private label and co-packing
- High-pressure processing
- Bag-in-box (BIB) packaging
- Product quality control
- Ingredient sourcing
- Bottling
- Palletizing
- Shipping preparation
- Ingredient sourcing
- Pressure-sensitive, clear, and double-sided labels
- HPP facility access
Product Types:
- Ready-to-drink beverages
- Non-carbonated drinks
- Cocktail and michelada mixes
- Concentrates
- Coffee flavorings
- Snow cone syrups
- Slush/granita
- Aguas frescas
- Lemonades
- Beer additives
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Not specified
Location: 6896 Fairgrounds Pkwy., San Antonio, Texas 78238
Rocky Mountain Cultures
Formerly known as High Country Kombucha, Rocky Mountain Cultures has quickly risen from the kombucha brand to big-time co-packing. The company is located in Gypsum, Colorado, where they source spring water from the mountains and ferment it with crisp and clean Rocky mountain air solely.
Specializing in RTD packaged beverages, kombucha, and jun, Rocky Mountain Cultures doesn’t just stop at co-packing: they are co-manufacturers, offer private label, and provide product development. They have capacities to support national and regional brands and are currently shipping all over the United States and Canada.
Services:
- Product formulation & development
- Pressure-sensitive labeling
- Label design and supply
- Ingredient sourcing
- Lab, shelf life, and nutritional testing
- Storage (dry and refrigeration)
- Warehousing and fulfillment
- Glass bottles and aluminum can packaging
- Carbonation
- R.O. water filtration
Product Types:
- Kombucha (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
- Kefir
- Jun
- Isolate
- Probiotic drinks
- Prebiotic drinks
- Flavored/carbonated spring water
- Functional beverages
- Hard teas and sodas
- Beer and cider
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Kosher
- Organic
Location: 770 Lindbergh Drive, Gypsum, Colorado, 81637
West Coast Copacker
Whether you are a new brand just starting out, or you are outgrowing your current co-packing manufacturer, West Coast Copacker is suitable for one and all. At West Coast Co-packer, there are multiple production lines, each having different capacities and packaging configuration options suitable for all kinds of products, but in particular organic, gourmet, and all-natural products.
From their R&D team to their sourcing and procurement experts, West Coast Co-packer provides your brand with everything you require to scale your beverages and products without difficulty.
Services:
- Hot and cold filling
- Product R&D
- Ingredient sourcing & procurement
- In-house lab
- Product quality control
- Plastic and glass bottles, jars, sachets
- Contract manufacturing
- Contract packaging
- Private labeling
- Small and large batches
- Costing analysis
- Nutritional paneling
- Regulatory and compliance assistance
- Product certifications
- FDA registrations
Product Types:
- Energy drinks
- Juices and lemonades
- Non-carbonated beverages
- Teas
- Still water
- Sauces, salas, marinades, spreads, and dips
- Syrups and honey products
- CBD infused products
- Cocktail mixes
Speciality Product Capabilities:
- Organic
- Halal
- Gluten-free
Location: 2755 Commercial Street Suite, 101-196 Salem, Oregon 97302
How to pick the best contract beverage bottling & production company for your product
While we did a lot of the first step already, here is how you can find and choose the best beverage co-packer for your drink product.
- What ingredients are in your beverage?
What is included in your beverage? The ingredients in your product will narrow down which co-packers you can use, since certain facilities have limitations to what ingredients they can work with and package.
- What type of processing is required for your beverage?
Specific ingredients and drinks require certain processing capabilities. If you’re looking for a manufacturer as well as a co-packer, you might need to find one that can..
- Pasteurization (Aseptic, retort, tunnel, etc.)
- Carbonation or nitrogenation
- Cold brewing or hot brewing
- Distilling
- Fermentation (dairy, fruit, vegetable, liquid)
- Juicing/pulping
- Homogenization
- Dehydration and rehydration
- In-line filtration
- In-tank mixing
- Hot fill or cold fill
- Allergen-free handling
If right now you’re at the concept stage and you don’t know exactly what processing your drink needs, that’s okay. Finding the right co-packer and manufacturer means they’ll be the right one for exactly your stage of the process, whether you’re still tweaking your recipe, expanding to new flavors, or ready to ramp up production.
- How will your beverage be packaged?
Now that you know your ingredients and what processing your product needs, it’s time to determine the packaging. What packaging do you want for your drink–or what packaging does your drink need? Does it need to withstand cold temperatures? Hot temperatures? Should it be microwavable, recyclable, or aseptic?
Packaging options include:
- Aluminum
- Plastics
- Glass
- Aseptic cartons
- Cans
- Bottles
- Bag-in-a-box
- Kegs
Plus, you might want a partner that provides labels, design, and marketing services.
- Get a warm introduction to a Beverage Co-packer
PartnerSlate is a co-packing industry expert, and understands how all of these options can feel overwhelming fast. That’s why we’ve streamlined the process to provide transparency and guidance to both the product owners and manufacturers.
Most co-packers are bogged down with inbound requests that are ill-informed and a waste of their time. Here at PartnerSlate, we have a trusted relationship with co-packers who know we’ll introduce them to the right products for their facility. Instead of each side having to compare and contrast needs and capabilities, Parternslate uses a matching process to narrow down options that will be the best fit–saving the months (or years) it can take to find a partner. And all without paying exorbitant consultant fees.
Once you find your perfect fit? Use the secure platform to e-sign NDA’s, share documents, and schedule an introductory call–all while accessing content to help guide them through the process.
Conclusion: What is the top contract bottling & product company?
Now that you’ve taken a look at just some of the greatest contract beverage and production companies, it’s time to get started with the match process right now. When it comes to co-packing, PartnerSlate understands that it’s not always about finding the biggest name, but rather, the most suitable fit for your company’s needs.
The top contract company for your business is whichever solves all your bottling and production challenges, and even offers you more success while still at it. This is all we aim for at PartnerSlate, that your business gets the right support it needs to succeed.
