{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"A Front-Row Seat To One Of CPG\u2019s Hottest Cities","description":"Chicago\u2019s CPG scene is thriving, and we got a taste of it firsthand. Fresh off our latest Taste Radio meetup, we spotlight the city\u2019s vibrant brand community and sample a fascinating lineup of products discovered at the highly touted, unceremoniously shuttered and ultimately resurrected Foxtrot Market. The haul includes a wildly complex salted lemonade, a Mexican-inspired sparkling tonic, a soda-meets-sparkling-water brand, a caffeine-plus-protein bar and a \u201cchai baby.\u201d Along the way, we unpack what these products reveal about flavor, functionality, packaging and the increasingly unconventional ways brands are competing for consumers\u2019 attention. Show notes: 0:20: A First For Us. Chi Fourth. Pilots, Battlers, Angels. A Trot For A Haul. Eye-Popping Innovation. \u2013 Ray\u2019s hotel room becomes a temporary studio as the hosts recap Taste Radio\u2019s Chicago Meetup at Pilot Project Brewing in Logan Square, which drew about 120 founders, operators and CPG professionals. They reflect on Chicago\u2019s vibrant and increasingly influential CPG scene, including a visit to the revamped Foxtrot Market, rebuilt after its collapse in 2024. The hosts sample and discuss emerging beverage brands including Five Corners Beverage Company, Aire, Ruby and Barbet, highlighting a growing appetite for complex, distinctive flavors and unconventional combinations, particularly among brands positioned as non-alcoholic cocktails. They also explore Beanies\u2019 coated soybeans, Freeman House\u2019s microbrew chai made with Oatly and Jilly\u2019s Jerky. The conversation then turns to Hall Pass, the new better-for-you chocolate brand from RXBAR founder Peter Rahal, which is launching exclusively at Walmart and reflects his broader strategy of creating lower-calorie, lower-sugar versions of familiar foods. The episode closes with a look ahead to upcoming Taste Radio meetups in San Diego, San Francisco and London. Brands in this episode: Five Corners Beverage Company, Aire, Ruby, Barbet, Beanies, Unhinged, Honey Mama\u2019s, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Freeman House, Oatly, Jilly\u2019s Jerky, Hall Pass, RXBAR, David Protein, Pilot Project Brewing, Battle Bars, Ghia, Spindrift, Biena Snacks, TalkBack ","author_name":"Taste Radio","author_url":"http:\/\/tasteradio.com","html":"