BevNET.com Staff

Posts by BevNET.com Staff

Review: Hiball Ginger Ale

Hiball’s latest addition to its for its line of organic energy drinks comes in the form of a new ginger ale flavor. We can't say that we've had too many ginger ale-flavored energy drinks, but we really like that Hiball has taken a classic flavor and successfully made it feel new and enjoyable in a way that hasn’t been done in the past.

Review: BLK+

blk Beverages has introduced a new flavored line extension to its brand of fulvic trace mineral infused waters. blk+ contains the same black-colored liquid as blk's primary line along with citric acid, natural flavors and stevia, which keeps the calorie count at zero. All in all, blk has done a good job in creating a mainstream-oriented offering, although the company still needs to do a bit more in terms of educating consumers about the functional benefits of the products.

Review: Fire Blade Energy

Making its debut in the U.S. market. Fire Blade is a Austrian-based brand that markets an energy drink and shot. The products are not bad, but with a formulation, flavor and design that feels very much that of typical energy brands, we're concerned that Fire Blade could easily be forgotten amongst the sea of similar products that have come before it.

Review: IBEX Drinkable Yogurt

IBEX is a line of drinkable yogurt products that are sweetened with cane sugar and come in four varieties. While yogurt is often associated with probiotic functionality, three of the SKUs feature an added function -- including recovery and "brain-boosting" -- that is specific to the variety. On the whole, we like the brand and formulation of the beverages, however, some minor changes will be needed to better explain the extra benefits in some of the flavors.

Huber’s Starlight Distillery Announces Expansion

STARLIGHT, Indiana – Huber’s Starlight Distillery is excited about Indiana’s new state law changes which will now allow them to produce other spirits such as whiskey, bourbon, vodka, and gin.…

Super Early Bird Specials for BevNET Live 2014 Events: Register NOW and Save a Bundle!

For a limited time only, we’re offering $250 off the full registration price for our BevNET Live Summer ’14 and Winter ’14 shows. As the premier business conference for the non-alcoholic beverage industry, BevNET Live events have consistently sold out, and NOW is the time to reserve your spot and save hundreds!

Review: Kombucha Brooklyn

Kombucha Brooklyn recently updated its packaging and added a few new flavors to its line of kombucha drinks. Moving from a round 16 oz. bottle to a stock 12 oz. soda-style glass package, it's clear that the company is attempting to reach a broader, more mainstream audience. Whether that strategy will work out in the long run is unclear, but Kombucha Brooklyn has done well to create a clean and polished look along with a variety of well-executed flavors.

Review: Lumi Juice

As the market for new cold-pressed, high pressure processed juice brands continues to blossom, Lumi, which stands for "LoveUMeanIt," has made a solid debut in the emerging category. With a number of unique formulations, and stand-out packaging, Lumi has done well to differentiate itself from the typical line of cold-pressed juices.

BevNET Announces its Best of 2013 Award Winners

With a spate of innovative, polished and well-executed products launching in 2013, judging this year's BevNET's Best of was perhaps the toughest task we've had in the 11 years of awards. Nevertheless, we are pleased to present what we believe are the top new brands in the beverage industry, and on a path to lead their respective categories for years to come.

BevNET Launches Food and Beverage University, a Video-Based Learning Site for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs and Industry Newcomers

BevNET.com, Inc., the beverage industry's leading source for news and reviews, has introduced BevNET Food and Beverage University (FBU), the next iteration of the company's highly successful BeverageSchool.com platform. Featuring a lineup of resources and media geared towards early-stage professionals, BevNET FBU covers a wide range of vital and relevant topics from which users will be able to get rapidly immersed in everything they'll need to know about the food and beverage industry.

Review: Daily Greens

Daily Greens is a new line of cold-pressed, high pressure processed green juices that come in six varieties. The beverages definitely skew towards the “not so sweet” end of the spectrum of green juices and at this stage of the cold-pressed juice category, that seems like a smart place to be — at least for green juice. And with branding that feels polished and professional, Daily Greens is off to a great start.

Review: PowerCrunch

Power Crunch Double Chocolate Blast is a whey protein drink that features, among other things, 20 g of protein per 12 oz. bottle. In terms of taste, it's definitely a very drinkable product (we’d say the same for the vanilla variety, which is very similar). On the packaging front, however, we wish that there were little more effort and originality in the design.

Spotlight Category: PET Still Water

It’s easy to disrespect the Coke purchase of Glaceau, but taken together, the company brands have sold $1.3 billion in IRI-tracked channels in the past year; that puts the whole Coke water system at $2.2 billion, well ahead of PepsiCo. Smartwater has nearly eclipsed Vitaminwater, it’s true – but that gives the red system a premium-priced alternative to Dasani and a brand architecture that many brands would only dream of.

Review: ALO Exposed Light

ALO Exposed “Light” is a reduced-calorie version of their flagship offering. Given that the high calorie content is one of the major grievances that people have with aloe vera beverages, getting the product down to only 30 calorie per 8 oz. serving (60 calories per bottle) is definitely a good move.