As we head into spring, we’re looking to chill: no shortage of that here, luckily, in the guise of La Colombe’s indulgent draft latte, revamped Halfday’s take on an Arnold Palmer, or Starbucks’ return to energy drinks (again). To submit your beverage product to BevNET for review, click here. And to browse past reviews, check the archive here.
Iced tea maker Halfday has released a new Classic Half & Half flavor (iced tea & lemonade) in conjunction with its branding and labeling revamp.
Things we liked
- New labels are clean and inviting, with clear callouts and nice contrast in colors; extra points for the sly golf reference on the back (re: Arnold Palmer).
- Strong formulation that maintains that classic, familiar flavor of Half & Half with a nice balance of cane sugar (5 grams) and stevia extract.
Things to consider
- “New Era Iced Tea” may be a callout that is less effective over time.
- At 40 calories and 5 grams of sugar, Halfday may be undercut by brands going zero for both, though that may be offset by its added benefit of prebiotic
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Starbucks is making another play for the energy drink set, this time with Starbucks Iced Energy, a line of zero sugar, 12 oz. canned beverages available in Blueberry Lemonade, Watermelon Twist and Tropical Peach flavors. Each can contains 160 mg of caffeine and promotes hydration and mental clarity benefits.
Things That Stand Out
- Functional benefits and zero-sugar position puts this product right in line with the popular direction of the energy category.
- Branding is strong with good label design; the Starbucks logo is more prominent here than even on some of their coffee CPG offerings.
Things to Consider
- The drinks are sweetened with sucralose and are intensely sweet with an artificial candy taste. Although this may not necessarily be a negative for a mainstream energy consumer.
- In a crowded category, we’re not sure if this is doing enough to differentiate from the competition as the flavor selection is par for the course in this set and the functional benefits are not unique to this product.
- While the presentation aims to be as clear as possible about the liquid inside, we still have to wonder if consumers will assume this is a coffee product based on the prominence of the Starbucks name and logo.
Rating: 
Philadelphia-based coffee roaster La Colombe is paying homage to a classic campfire treat with its latest LTO: S’mores Draft Latte. Each 11 oz. can contains 120mg of caffeine and is crafted with 100% Arabica single origin cold brew coffee.
Things that stand out:
- The can design stays true to La Colombe’s signature branding while paying homage to s’mores with its golden brown color and illustrations of roasted marshmallows.
- The liquid goes down smooth with the use of cane sugar (versus an alternative sweetener) and reduced fat dairy milk. The drink is unapologetically sweet, with 16 grams of sugar per serving.
Things to consider:
- The balance between the key flavors (graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate) could be improved, as the latte leans a bit much into graham cracker.
- The inclusion of gums and natural flavors may turn off some consumers.
Rating: 