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The board of directors of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Bacardi Ltd. announced the departure of President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Shirley. Shirley expressed his plans to retire after his 36-year career, the company says.

Oxnard, Calif.-based KeVita Inc.’s same-named sparkling probiotic drinks brand announced its official sponsorship of the 2014 Buzz Bus Tour. Stopping in cities both big and small, the Buzz Bus Tour visits festivals, wellness centers, schools, farmers markets, parks and other locations to offer people access to healthy products, fitness classes and wellness education.

In response to the growth of iced coffee at foodservice establishments and at retail, Torrance, Calif.-based Farmer Bros. Co. introduced a new line of consumer-tested, ready-to-serve iced coffees that eliminates any prep work for operators.

Emeryville, Calif.-based coffee and tea chain Peet’s Coffee & Tea announced its first major retail launch in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The company opened its flagship Washington, D.C., location on April 7 and will open 22 more stores in a phased rollout across the market this year. The expansion will create approximately 350 local jobs and raise the chain’s total store count to 300 stores, the company says. Following the expansion, Washington, D.C., will be the company’s second-largest retail market, second to California, and its biggest East Coast retail footprint, it says.

Sparkling Drink Systems International (SDS), a New York-based at-home carbonation products company, has partnered with Pat's Backcountry Beverages Inc. (Pat’s BCB), Golden, Colo., to produce a range of beer concentrates exclusively for SDS.

After three years of planning, Ninkasi Brewing Co. opened its expanded Eugene, Ore., brewery and brewed its first batch of beer in the facility in late March. The brewery worked with ecoReal Solutions, Portland, Ore., to add numerous sustainability features to the brewery, setting it on the path to reach Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the company says.

Craft brewers joined together to create a commemorative beer for the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), taking place April 8-11 in Denver.

Amp Energy, a brand of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc., teamed up with professional racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to develop a new sour-grape-flavored energy drink called Dale Jr. Sour.

CytoSport, Benicia, Calif., recently expanded distribution of its Muscle Milk Protein ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes into select Boots and Sainsbury’s Locals locations in the United Kingdom. Available in 330-ml packages, the protein shakes contain 20 grams of dairy protein to boost athletic performance and promote healthy lifestyles, the company says. The drinks also are gluten-free and low in sugar, it adds.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co., Chicago, is celebrating its 15th anniversary by leveraging the equity it has built in its flagship flavored malt beverage brand and releasing two new flavors, a reformulated offering, a new category entrant and new packaging.