Lots of shakeup here in the tea category as AriZona and Lipton’s core brands seem to have cooled a bit while Lipton’s PureLeaf is soaking up share. Even the vaunted Arnold Palmer has begun to slow, with small declines registering for the first time. Is it just a seasonal issue?
As we expand our beverage reviews to include more non-RTD products, including cocktail mixers, Owl’s Brew, which markets a line of teas that are crafted for use in cocktails, is a great place to start. From a flavor perspective, the products are very enjoyable; whether we drink it straight or use it as a mixer, the enjoyment factor is the same. Add to the mix some standout packaging, and you've got a great recipe for success.
Often marketed as tea drinks, RTD hibiscus-brewed beverages have been popping up with greater frequency in recent years. A relatively new brand is Bissap Breeze, which sells a line of hibiscus drinks and concentrates. In our review of its RTD products, we think the company has done a good job with the formulation and branding of the drinks, but could use a bit of tweaking, and, perhaps, a trimming of its line up.
It's often the first question when launching a new company: "How will I fund this endeavor?" While traditional routes, including angel investment and bank loans, are common sources of financing, a relatively new option exists: crowdfunding.
While the flavor of Go Ape Energy Drink is definitely one that we’ve had before, the company wisely chose NOT to use the classic Red Bull-style flavor that so many upstart brands use. Unfortunately, however, the taste isn't overly memorable or substantially better than what’s out there. And while the ape theme is certainly something that will catch eyes, it does, at least in our opinion, undermine its credibility as a functional product.
With each new variety that Bai adds to its Bai5 line of coffeefruit-infused drinks, the flavor has gotten better and better. Bai's latest introduction, Tanzania Lemonade Tea, is no exception, with the stevia and erythritol providing a level of sweetness that is about as sugar-like as we’ve seen from any drink that has used these sweeteners.
Marketed as "Nature's Recovery Fuel," Whey Coco is a powdered coconut water based-protein drink that contains 15g of protein per serving. The product combines whey protein isolate, freeze-dried coconut water, cocoa, evaporated cane juice, non-fat milk powder, natural flavor and monk fruit extract. Although the product's target consumers are fitness buffs and active individuals, the blend is so enjoyable that we could see ourselves consuming it simply for the taste alone.
Introduced at the recently held Winter Fancy Food Show, Califia Farms’ Protein Almondmilk is one of the company’s more unique offerings, starting with the fact that it contains added milk…
True Nopal Cactus Water is a brand of prickly pear “water” that seeks to position itself alongside coconut water products. Compared with coconut water, it has fewer calories and sugar, however, it also lacks electrolytes, a key selling point of coconut water. Asking coconut water drinkers to forgo a key benefit to simply cut calories is a big mistake. Beyond that, the biggest thing that this -- or any other brand of cactus water -- is missing is an answer to “why am I drinking this?”
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Based in New York City, Love Grace produces a line of cold-pressed, HPP organic juices and smoothies. The company has done an excellent job with the formulation of the beverages, often packing a wide variety of ingredients into very approachable and drinkable products. The one thing we would might tweak: packaging. But that's just nit-picking...
Tumeric Alive’s Mineral Green Elixir is a nice riff on green juice, blending its core turmeric base with spirulina, barley grass, chlorella, cardamom and spearmint in a high-pressure processed formulation. From a flavor perspective, the turmeric is still very much a dominant flavor and aroma (it’s pretty hard stuff to overpower).
Healthy Mama “Boost-It-Up!” is an all-natural protein drink that was designed for pregnant women and nursing mothers. With a flavor that is much cleaner than other protein drinks out there, this product seems like something that could be more broadly applied than it currently is. As it stands right now, the target consumer is extremely narrow.
Flash-pasteurized and aseptically-filled, Juiceology is a four-SKU line of juice blends that have been blended with whole grain extracts, including oats, barley and brown rice. While the beverages are pleasant to drink, the branding and packaging seem at odds with the name Juiceology. That said, will consumers look at Juiceology as simply another me-too super-premium juice brand?
