Having recently tweaked the formulation in its line of organic fruit drinks, we decided to give Wild Poppy, which we first reviewed in 2011, a second look. And while we were fans of the brand back then, we think that the updates have elevated Wild Poppy's flavor profile; the products taste (and look) really great.
Suja has released two new varieties to its recently launched Suja Elements line: Mango Fuego and Blutrients. As with the first round of Elements, the products are organic, cold-pressed and high-pressured processed, and, in our opinion, very well-executed in formulation and packaging.
A couple days ago, we reviewed a couple products from Found Beverage Co.'s line of juice drinks. Today, we take a the a few of the brand's sparkling water varieties. Packaged in the same sleek-looking 11.2 oz. glass bottles as its juice products, we like the attractive and polished look of the brand, although we wonder about the positioning of the drinks as “infused sparkling waters."
When it comes to brands introducing reduced and low-calorie line-extensions, ginger is one of those flavors that often struggles to make the transition. For Bruce Cost, a line of beverages that is exclusively ginger-based, that makes the stakes even higher.
Based in Australia, Found Beverage Co. made its U.S. debut earlier this year at the Summer Fancy Foods Show and drew crowds with its sleekly designed, slim glass bottles. The company markets a range of natural juices and flavored sparkling waters, and in our review of two of the juices, we like what we see, but wonder about the marketability of the liquid inside the bottle.
Vita ICE is a 17 oz. zero-calorie sparkling beverage that comes in a variety of fruit flavors. Sound familiar? It’s a clear play on Sparkling ICE in terms of branding, flavor and formulation. Not that there’s anything wrong with (at least in theory) emulating a larger, more successful brand... except that there's a lot to fix in this case...
Harmless Harvest’s Cinnamon & Clove 100% Raw Coconut Water is a new “seasonal” product that is being introduced for the 2013 holiday season (it’s launching in early November in Whole Foods nationwide). As far as flavor goes, it’s definitely something that’s unique and creative, almost to a fault (at least from a natural appeal perspective).
Building on the same elderflower base that’s in the company's Elderflower Presse flavor, this variety adds lemon and rose extracts to the mix. While lemon juice and rose petal extract are definitely complimentary flavors, rose seems to be one of those “love it or hate it” type of flavors. Nevertheless, Belvoir Fruit Farms has created a well-executed and sophisticated product that will likely do well with its customer base.
Compared with the other varieties that make up the TumericALIVE brand, this product is definitely the most unique tasting and has the lightest turmeric flavor of the line. And while the product is being marketed as a turmeric drink, it definitely feels like it could contend as an iced tea alternative as well.
Unlike most “lite” or diet energy drinks out there, many of which are formulated with a zero-calorie sweetener, Scheckter’s OrganicEnergy Lite is simply a lighter version of the original version. The product has 70 calories and 18 grams of sugar per 8 oz. can, and the company seems to be betting that consumers will accept a few more calories to get something that is USDA Organic and that doesn’t contain stevia. Will that work?
Beat Juice, whose tagline is “a truly functional beverage,” is a blend of 80 percent juice, including pomegranate, concord grape juice, and beet juice, with added hibiscus and grape seed extract. Yes, all of the ingredients included in the product have health benefits, but describing them in the way the company has is definitely cause for concern in terms of both the anticipated flavor and the overall credibility of the drink.
Gutz Energy Drink, which is the flagship flavor of the company’s line of shots and energy drinks, is one of those unfortunate brands that, as is so often the case in the energy category, has put the cart before the horse.
Reed's has in recent months seen quite bit of traction with its Culture Club Kombucha line having gained new distribution for the products in several mainstream and natural retailers, including Kroger. With steadily increasing sales, the company recently rolled out two new varieties -- Lemon Ginger Raspberry and Passion Mango Ginger -- for the brand, and both are excellent additions to an already solid line-up.
L.I.F.E. (aka “Let It Fly Energy”) Fruit Punch is a “vitamin enhanced energy drink” that is sweetened with sucralose and stevia. For the most part, we enjoyed the formulation of the beverage, but the design of its package and the branding of the product (beginning with the name itself) are both causes for concern.
