Why a tiered engagement model?
Beverage projects don't all start in the same place. A first-time founder with a concept on a napkin needs different things than a CPG with a locked formula and a US 3PL. Most co-packers force everyone into the same engagement — the "send us your spec, we quote, we run, we ship." That works fine when your spec is locked and your supply chain is built. It's friction when it isn't.
Our four tiers exist so you can buy exactly the part of the chain that's load-bearing for you.
The six stages of the chain
Every beverage project — whether you start from a concept or a finished SKU — moves through some subset of these six stages:
1. Develop & formulate
You have an idea ("I want to launch a clean-label energy drink"). We turn it into a tested formulation: target ABV or caffeine, sweetener system, flavor profile, pH stability, shelf-life, mouthfeel. Output: a finalized formula with technical specs and a sample batch.
2. Design
Brand identity, can/bottle artwork, regulatory-compliant labels for each destination market. Output: print-ready files for cans or bottles, plus the surrounding marketing assets.
3. Legal
Regulatory approvals (COFEPRIS for Mexico, FDA for US, EU for Europe), trademark and IP review, contract structuring with downstream distributors. Output: filings submitted, clearances received, contracts signed.
4. Sourcing
Cans or PET bottles, ingredients (caffeine, taurine, B-vitamins, flavors, sweeteners), labels, secondary packaging (trays, cases, pallets). All under our SQF Ed.9 supplier-qualification program. Output: materials in our warehouse ready for the production run.
5. Manufacture
The actual production run on our Krones canning line, KHS canning line (Q4 2026), or PET cold-fill line. Anton Paar in-line and lab QC. Tunnel pasteurization for shelf-stable alcoholic beverages. Output: finished pallets palletized, labeled, and ready to ship.
6. Logistics
Cross-border export (USMCA paperwork to the US, EU paperwork to Europe), 3PL handoff, distributor delivery. Output: product in your distributor's warehouse or your retailer's DC.
Different brands need different combinations of these. That's where the tiers come in.
The four engagement tiers
| Tier | Stages | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Project | All six | Founders, influencers, restaurants new to beverages |
| Full Tolling | Sourcing + Manufacture | Brands with formula but no Mexico supply chain |
| Hybrid | Sourcing + Manufacture + Logistics | Brands needing export and distribution help |
| Soft Tolling | Manufacture only | Large CPG bringing own materials |
Full Project — all six stages
This is the deepest engagement. We handle everything from concept to delivery.
Who it's for:
- A founder with an idea but no formula, no design, no supply chain.
- An influencer or celebrity launching their own beverage line.
- A restaurant turning a signature drink into a retail SKU.
- A retailer launching a private-label house brand from scratch.
What we cover: All six stages — Develop, Design, Legal, Sourcing, Manufacture, Logistics.
What you bring: The concept and the brand vision. Sometimes a target customer profile. That's enough.
Typical timeline: 12–16 weeks from kickoff to first pallets shipped. The development and legal stages are what add time vs. the simpler tiers — formula iteration cycles, sample batches, regulatory submissions.
Engagement structure: Project fee for development + design + legal + sourcing setup, then per-can or per-bottle manufacturing rate, then logistics passed through at cost.
Full Tolling — Sourcing + Manufacture
You have a finished formula. You have a brand. You don't have a Mexico supply chain.
Who it's for:
- A brand with a tested formula and approved label, but no Mexican supplier relationships.
- A US brand entering the Mexican retail market for the first time.
- A brand looking for nearshore production capacity to add to their existing US co-packer.
What we cover: Sourcing + Manufacture. We source cans/bottles, ingredients, labels, secondary packaging through our supplier network. We run the production. You handle development, design, legal, and logistics on your side.
What you bring: Finalized formula, regulatory approvals (or we can support your filings), label artwork, target volumes.
Typical timeline: ~6 weeks from approved spec and materials to first pallets — our standard lead time.
Engagement structure: Per-can or per-bottle manufacturing rate, materials passed through at cost + handling fee.
Hybrid — Sourcing + Manufacture + Logistics
Like Full Tolling, plus the cross-border logistics piece.
Who it's for:
- US brands nearshoring production into Mexico who need help with the USMCA paperwork and cross-border movement back to the US.
- Mexican brands exporting to the US for the first time.
- Brands shipping into multiple LATAM markets that need someone to handle the regulatory and logistics complexity per country.
What we cover: Sourcing + Manufacture + Logistics. We add the export documentation, broker coordination, and 3PL handoff to the standard Full Tolling engagement.
What you bring: Finalized formula, label, regulatory approvals (we support the cross-border filings), receiving 3PL or distributor on your side.
Typical timeline: ~6–8 weeks from approved spec and materials to product in your US (or other-market) distributor's warehouse.
Engagement structure: Same as Full Tolling, plus logistics fee tied to volume and destination.
Soft Tolling — Manufacture only
You bring your own materials. We run our line on them.
Who it's for:
- Large CPG with established supplier relationships who just need additional capacity.
- Brands whose existing material contracts are better than what we can negotiate.
- Brands with proprietary ingredients or packaging we can't easily source.
What we cover: Manufacture only. You ship your own cans, ingredients, labels, secondary packaging to our warehouse. We run the production and palletize for your handoff.
What you bring: Everything except the line itself.
Typical timeline: Production run scheduled within 3–4 weeks of materials arriving in our warehouse.
Engagement structure: Per-can or per-bottle manufacturing rate. Lower than the other tiers because we're not handling sourcing markup.
How to choose the right tier — a decision framework
Three questions answer it:
1. Do you have a finalized formula?
- No → Full Project (we develop it).
- Yes → next question.
2. Do you have a Mexico supply chain (or do you want to build one)?
- No, and we'd rather not → Full Tolling or Hybrid (we source).
- Yes, we have it → Soft Tolling (you ship us materials).
3. Do you need help getting product across the border to the US (or other markets)?
- Yes → Hybrid (we handle logistics).
- No, our 3PL has it → Full Tolling.
That's the whole framework. If you're between two tiers, lean toward the lighter engagement first; you can always add scope on the next run.
Pricing — how it actually works
We don't publish a price list because beverage manufacturing pricing is a function of too many variables: format (can vs. PET, which size), volume (180k vs. 5M units), formula complexity (water vs. caffeinated functional), materials lead-time risk, decoration (printed cans cost differently than shrink-sleeved), and destination market.
What we do commit to:
- Quote within 48 hours of a real RFQ (you tell us format, volume, and formula complexity).
- Per-unit transparency. Every quote breaks out manufacturing rate, materials cost, sourcing markup, and (for Hybrid) logistics — so you can see what each tier is actually costing.
- No surprise minimum charges. MOQ is published: 180,000 cans per SKU, 100,000 PET bottles per SKU. We don't add fee floors on top.
- First-run vs. repeat-run pricing. First runs cost more (formula development, materials qualification, line setup). Repeat runs drop in price once everything is in standing supply.
The fastest way to get a real pricing band: talk to our AI strategist for two minutes, then a human follows up with the formal quote.
What we don't do — even for clients
It matters as much what's not in the menu:
- HPP tolling (high-pressure preservation) — not offered.
- Cold-pressed juice — not offered.
- Glass bottling — not offered.
- Anything in PET that isn't water-based — not offered. Juice, dairy, sparkling: not on PET.
- Aseptic / hot-fill — not offered. Cold-fill only on PET.
- Ground transportation in the US — we hand off to your 3PL or use a partner; we don't operate trucks ourselves.
If your project needs any of these, we're not the right fit. Saying so up front saves everyone a month of meetings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch tiers between runs?
Yes — and most brands do. A common pattern: start with Full Project for the launch run (we build the formula, source materials, and produce the first 180,000 cans). Then drop to Full Tolling on repeat runs once the formula and materials are locked in. The formula development cost is amortized in the first run.
What's the difference between Full Project and white-label?
White-label usually means picking from a co-packer's pre-existing formulas and slapping your brand on them. Full Project is the opposite: we build a formula custom to your brief. There's no shared formula library — every Full Project SKU is unique.
How does sourcing markup work?
For Full Project, Full Tolling, and Hybrid, we source materials through our supplier network and add a sourcing markup that covers our procurement, qualification, and inventory carry. The markup is published in the quote. For Soft Tolling, you skip the markup entirely by shipping your own materials.
Do you have minimum total annual commitments?
No. We quote per-run, not per-year. Most established CPG clients run quarterly, but there's no contractual minimum tying you to a volume commitment.
Can BEV handle multiple SKUs in one engagement?
Yes — and most projects do. A typical first-run engagement might cover three SKUs (e.g., three flavors of an energy line). Each SKU is a separate run at MOQ, but the development, design, legal, and sourcing setup is shared across them.
What's the engagement style — strict project plan, or flexible?
Both, depending on what you need. For Full Project we run a structured project plan (kickoff, weekly checkpoints, sample reviews, production scheduling, shipping confirmation). For Soft Tolling, it's more transactional — you ship materials, we run the line, you receive pallets.
Can I visit the plant?
Yes. Plant visits are encouraged — most clients visit once during development (to align on formulation) and again before the first production run. We're 45 minutes northwest of Mexico City, easy day-trip from the city.
How do you handle confidentiality?
NDAs are standard for every engagement before formula details are exchanged. We don't publish client lists or use logos in marketing. Period.
The fastest way to know which tier fits your project is to talk to our AI strategist. Two minutes of conversation produces a recommended tier, a project brief, and a quote band. Or read about the formats and categories: Beverage co-packing in cans, Spring water bottling in Mexico.