A few weeks ago, a couple of us here at the BevNET.com office were talking about our favorite BBQ foods…burgers….dogs….beer can chicken. So, being in the soft drink industry, we wondered if we could create our own variation: energy drink can chicken. Read the rest of this entry »

And you thought a soda machine was dangerous in OUR hands? Cereal giant General Mills is planning to sell carbonated yogurt.

Apparently, there’s a newspaper reporter in Norwalk who once drank a lot of Diet Coke, but doesn’t anymore.

Read the rest of this entry »

As if Cocaine Energy Drink wasn’t dumb enough, here comes some fellow named Logan Gola advertising a powdered energy drink mix called “Blow.” Read the rest of this entry »

I had a chance to try Diet Pepsi Max, Pepsi’s latest entry into the cola category.  While the name “Max” isn’t necessarily synonymous with energy, it seems like they hit the nail on the head with this entry. 

Read the rest of this entry »

(by John Craven and Jeff Klineman)

We’ve tried a lot of energy drinks, but prior to today, we’ve never made our own.    So, when SodaClub.com offered to send us one of their soda club units and their new energy drink mix, we jumped at the chance.

Read the rest of this entry »

I recently tried a product called GojiLania, which I picked up at my local Whole Foods.   Goji (aka wolfberry) is, in the manufacturer’s words, something that has been “a secret of Chinese and Tibetan medicine for centuries”.  In this particular product, they’ve packed in 65% goji berry juice imported from China resulting in a formula that is supposedly very rich in antioxidants, protein, potassium, and vitamin C.   

On the surface, this seems like the next innovation in the race for “antioxidant supremacy”…It’s a race that has been occupying beverage marketers over the past couple of years.  First we had blueberry, then pomegranate, then acai and noni…and now, goji?  Unfortunately, this goji entry isn’t ready for prime time.

In my opinion, Goji Lania has broken the unofficial rule of functional beverages:  perceived short term functionality justifies taste.  To put that into simpler terms, Goji Lania’s taste, which is very difficult on the palate (think sour tomato juice or a bad bloody Mary), isn’t going to work given that the consumer feels nothing from drinking the product (which is, in essence, the intended functionality…).   Consumers are not going to force Goji Lania down their throat when there’s no effect from the unpleasant taste.

Plus, there’s another issue:  it retails for about $9 per 17 fl oz bottle.  That’s an unheard of price in RTD single serve beverages.  Even if you’re looking to be loaded up with antioxidants, there are better ways to spend $9….perhaps three bottles of Sambazon or two pints of organic blueberries from the produce aisle.  

Perhaps Goji Lania will attract some niche consumer, but I think that this is a product that’s going to show that consumers are willing to go only so far for products that make claims that can’t be felt from consuming the product.

As reported by the Seattle P-I and Beverage Business Insights, Jones Soda’s relationship with Starbucks is ending at the end of June.  This means that Jones Soda will no longer be available nationwide at Starbucks coffee retail locations…a position that it has held since 2004 in the USA after starting in Canada in 1999. 

The official reason is that Starbucks is making room for its expanded food offerings, which the company has publicly said is part of its long term growth strategy.  However, people in the beverage industry wonder whether this has something to do with a stronger partnership with Pepsi, with whom Starbucks already has several beverage partnerships and/or distribution agreements. 

In any event, it’s not great PR for Jones Soda…losing a retailer as dominant as Starbucks can’t possibly be spun as a positive….but then again what does it really mean for Jones?  It was always questionable how big of an impact this relationship actually had on Jones’ sales…I couldn’t find an earnings release that actually put a dollar amount on it.  Common sense makes me wonder how good the pull through for CSDs is at a Starbucks….after all, people go to Starbucks to buy Starbucks’ coffee.  The intangible, which is arguably the bigger loss, is that Jones Soda was positioned as a premium brand simply for being under the same roof as a brand as powerful as Starbucks….Anyway, I think this ends up being a short term hit, but longer term it’s a distraction that Jones can live without.

After my recent post about Full Throttle Slurpee, the folks at RF Binder (PR for Dunkin Donuts) contacted me about the new SoBe Energy Coolatta.    Unfortunately (note to PR folks), they sent a press kit that included a fancy messenger bag, a t-shirt, some SoBe stickers, and a press release….but no gift cards or anything that would allow me to purchase one of the drinks that they are promoting.  We’re not off to a good start here.

Anyway, after schlepping down to the Harvard Square Dunkin Donuts (one of 3 within walking distance, I might add) I finally obtained a SoBe Energy Coolatta.  Here’s my unofficial review:

• It’s green…Grotesquely green.
• I didn’t get the SoBe Energy cup that was advertised.  Bummer.
• The flavor…it’s a flat, syrupy lemon lime flavor.  Almost like Mountain Dew with a splash of energy.
• The slush….It’s like Slush Puppy slush with a gritty ice consistency as opposed to the smooth consistency.

Overall, Full Throttle Slurpee beats SoBe Energy Coolatta.  Sorry, guys.

What I really want to know is why energy slush is the hot crossover of the moment….I can only theorize that these brands are hot and licensing them out to convenience stores, QSRs, and donut chains creates new branding opportunities rather than meaningful revenue for the brand….especially since these formats seem to cheapen the overall experience and quality of product.

PS — Also pictured above is the Key Lime donut, a true wonder of food science.  It’s quite possibly the most disgusting thing I’ve even seen at a Dunkin Donuts (well, most disgusting thing being sold behind the counter)….

The Associated Press (read the story in the Washington Post) is covering a story about a new CSD being launched in Japan called “Pepsi Ice Cucumber”.  It doesn’t actually contain cucumber, but thanks to the magic of flavorings, it supposedly tastes like “fresh cucumber”.

Having personally tried all of Pepsi’s carbonated soft drink intros to hit US market in recent years, I’m intrigued by this product.  I must say, it actually sounds good to me….Much better, in fact, than the thought of Pepsi Jazz and some of the other varieties they’ve come out with. Heck, at least it’s an original concept, even if it’s formulated for the Japanese palate.

If anyone out there has a way to get their hands on this product, we’d sure love to try it