Videos

As soccer has edged closer to the kind of mainstream acceptance that – in the U.S. – has been elusive for so many decades, Golazo, a line of all-natural energy and sports drinks targeted to the soccer community, is hoping to tap into growing interest and enthusiasm for the sport.

In celebration of their 20 year anniversary, AriZona is offering the chance for their fans to vote — via Facebook — on one of three new flavor concepts that they’ve created. Since it would be impossible to have every fan that votes try the flavor samples (and what fun would it really be to just vote based on the name of a flavor?), AriZona asked a variety of people, including food writers, celebrity chefs, random consumers on the streets of New York, and yours truly, to work as “Flavor Panelists.”

When Coco Café first appeared on store shelves last September, it would’ve been easy to assume that the coconut water/latte blend already had some sort of relationship with Vita Coco; the name, design, and packaging of both brands were – for certain – quite similar. Coco Café founders Brian McCaslin and Elan Eifer admittedly admired Vita Coco and its branding, though, at the time, the two companies had no affiliation, a fact that quickly changed following a chance meeting at BevNET Live.

It’s been a quite a successful run for Mamma Chia during its first year and a half. The first to market chia drink went national with UNFI only eight months after its initial launch and quickly established a solid footing in major natural retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts and Wegmans. With a deep and wide presence within the natural channel – and chia on the verge of mainstream acceptance – Mamma Chia is setting its sights on crossover into hybrid and conventional grocery stores in 2012.

By any account, Harmless Harvest was one of the most talked about brands at Expo West 2012, and it certainly wasn’t for a lack of influential enthusiasts. From Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent declaration that she is “obsessed” with Harmless Harvest and that “it puts all other coconut water to shame,” to a feature story in Vogue that called the beverage one of “the new health kicks of the season,” the brand has – intentionally or not – cultivated a well-heeled (or at least high-heeled) following.

The latest Expo West show turned out to be the biggest on record with more than 60,000 attendees and over 160 beverage-related exhibitors packing the event. Marching through the vast halls of the Anaheim Convention Center, BevNET’s John Craven and Andrew Guard examine new and continuing trends seen at the show including new uses for coconut water, the growth of alkalized waters, natural energy, “refined” refreshment, and the increasing use of chia and oats in wellness drinks.

It’s been a few months since Hoby Buppert took the stage at BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown; there, the Bawls co-founder dazzled the judges panel with 82Go, a simple and innovative 8 oz. plastic pouch of water. 82Go has gained some traction since then, receiving industry wide praise for the product’s innovative packaging, and inroads to distribution in South Florida, a coveted and influential market for entrepreneurial beverages.