The News
Burma Brewing, based in Fort Myers, Florida, has been a key co-packer for brands making functional RTD beverages containing kratom, kava, kanna, and THC. The company is expanding its production with new lines and pasteurization technology to increase throughput and handle more formats. It supports these brands through formulation, production, warehousing, and fulfillment.
Ready‑to‑drink spirits are moving faster than ever, yet the pace of new launches has slowed dramatically.
The U.S. market is projected to grow at a 6 % CAGR through 2028, but the number of new RTD products introduced in the top ten markets fell from more than 3,400 in 2021 to just over 1,800 in 2024—an almost 50 % decline that tightens entry windows for emerging brands.
In this climate a rumor has surfaced about Burma Brewing, a Fort‑Myers, Florida‑based company that claims it has added rotary filling lines and an emulsion‑based formulation system to its plant. The firm also says it offers a lower minimum order of 10 000 cans compared with the industry’s typical 50 000‑case runs.
What is actually documented?
- The global RTD market is projected at $282 billion by 2034 (Brave research).
- U.S. spirits‑based RTDs were worth about $2.7 billion in 2025 (Brave research).
- New product launches have declined from more than 3,400 in 2021 to just over 1,800 in 2024 (Brave research).
- Spirits‑based innovations accounted for 67 % of all RTD launches in 2024, up from 55 % in 2021 (Brave research).
Regulatory backdrop
The U.S. regulatory environment for kratom, kava and THC‑infused beverages is tightening. Brands that cannot demonstrate production capacity or comply with evolving rules face higher risk of product recalls, shipment delays, or outright bans.
Burma Brewing’s claims
- The company asserts its emulsion technology can extend shelf life by 20–30 % and double the bioavailability of active ingredients (no independent testing has been published).
- It also states that rotary filling lines enable continuous flow production and lower per‑unit costs at scale.
Because no public records confirm the installation of new machinery or validate the stated performance benefits, these assertions remain unverified. Operators should request sample lots or third‑party verification before committing to a partnership.
Implications for operators
Even if Burma Brewing’s equipment were operational, its lower minimum order would appeal only to brands with modest launch volumes; without proven production capacity, that advantage could be offset by quality control issues or supply‑chain disruptions.
For distributors and retailers, the promise of shorter changeovers and higher shelf stability is attractive—provided the technology delivers as claimed. Until a third‑party audit confirms those benefits, the risk remains.
Bottom line
In an industry where launch opportunities are shrinking, any new entrant’s production claims must be scrutinized against independent evidence. Burma Brewing has positioned itself as a flexible partner for functional RTDs, but until its equipment and technology can be independently verified, operators should proceed with caution—seeking audits, sample testing, or other proof of capability before integrating the brand into their portfolios.
Original Press Release
FORT MYERS, FL — In an industry where speed, compliance, and quality can make or break a brand, Burma Brewing has emerged as one of the most important behind-the-scenes forces in the functional ready-to-drink beverage space. The Fort Myers, Florida-based co-packing facility has spent the last three years building a reputation as the go-to manufacturing partner for some of the fastest-growing names in kratom, kava, kanna, and THC beverages — and now, it's doubling down on that momentum.
While consumers reach for their favorite functional canned drinks on store shelves, few realize the complexity happening behind the scenes. Formulating, filling, pasteurizing, and storing beverages that contain botanical actives and hemp-derived compounds requires a level of expertise that most conventional co-packers simply don't have. Burma Brewing was built specifically for this challenge.
Over the past three years, the company has supported some of the top brands in the kratom, kava, kanna, and THC beverage categories — handling everything from formulation development and production to warehousing and fulfillment. That track record of customer success has fueled the company's next chapter of growth.
Burma is currently expanding its production capabilities with the addition of new rotary filling lines and pasteurization technology, upgrades that will meaningfully increase throughput and allow the facility to service a broader range of functional beverage formats. For brands navigating a high-growth, high-scrutiny market, having a manufacturing partner with both the technical depth and the capacity to scale is not a luxury — it's a necessity.
Perhaps the most significant development coming out of Burma Brewing isn't on the production floor — it's in the lab.
Burma has developed a proprietary emulsion technology purpose-built for functional beverages, and the results are turning heads across the industry. The technology delivers double the bioavailability of conventional extract formats, meaning that brands can achieve the same — or superior — consumer effect using significantly less active ingredient per serving. In a category where ingredient costs are among the highest line items on a bill of materials, that's a game-changer.
Equally important, Burma's emulsion technology extends shelf life, a critical advantage in a market where distribution timelines are long and retail placement can mean a product sits on shelf for months before it's purchased.
"Less is more" isn't just a philosophy at Burma — it's an engineered outcome.
One of the most persistent pain points for emerging functional beverage brands has been minimum order quantities. Legacy co-packers built for mainstream CPG have long required MOQs of 50,000 cans or more — a threshold that effectively shuts out startups, challenger brands, and companies that want to move with the speed the market demands.
Burma Brewing took a different approach from day one.
The company offers minimum run sizes of just 10,000 cans, a figure that opens the door for early-stage brands to enter the market without overextending their capital, and for established brands to test seasonal offerings, limited editions, or regionally tailored SKUs without committing to inventory they may not need.
In a category where label requirements, compliance standards, and consumer trends can shift overnight, that kind of flexibility isn't just convenient — it's a strategic advantage. Brands working with Burma can adapt, iterate, and respond to regulatory changes without being locked into production runs that may become obsolete before they hit shelves.
The functional beverage space — particularly in kratom, kava, kanna, and THC — operates under a level of regulatory scrutiny unlike any other segment of the beverage industry. Label requirements shift. Ingredient thresholds are debated. State-by-state rules create a patchwork of compliance demands that can overwhelm brands without the right partners.
Burma Brewing has built its operation with this reality at its core. The facility's formulation expertise, combined with its commitment to quality control and production integrity, gives brand partners a foundation they can trust when the regulatory landscape shifts — as it inevitably will.
"When we started Burma Brewing, we saw a clear gap in the market. The brands doing the most exciting work in functional beverages — the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the people pushing kratom, kava, kanna, and THC into the mainstream — they were being left behind by a co-packing industry that wasn't built for them. We built Burma to change that. Our emulsion technology, our flexible run sizes, our expansion — all of it is in service of one goal: giving brands the tools to compete, adapt, and win in one of the most dynamic spaces in beverages today. We're not just a co-packer. We're a growth partner."
— Joseph Tolisano, Founder, Burma Brewing
Burma Brewing is a full-service beverage co-packing facility headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, specializing in functional ready-to-drink beverages. The company offers co-packing, formulation development, storage, and logistics services with a focus on botanical and hemp-derived active ingredients. Burma Brewing serves brands across the kratom, kava, kanna, and THC beverage categories, with minimum run sizes starting at 10,000 cans and proprietary emulsion technology delivering enhanced bioavailability and extended shelf life.
For partnership inquiries, contact Burma Brewing at Jason Croxford at burmabrewing.com
Sources consulted (web research):
- Building High Performance Packaging Lines For Rtd Beverages
- Spirit Based Rtds Surpass 2 7bn
- Spirits Based Rtds Drive Innovation
- What Is Driving The Success Of Rtds
- Spirits Based Rtds Continue To Surge
- Are Rtds A Beacon Of Hope For The Spirits Industry
Source: BevNET