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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
POPwater is new line of 30-calorie, fruit-flavored sparkling beverages that are sweetened with a blend of sugar, erythritol and stevia. Packaged in 11.2 oz. aluminum bottles, POPwater has done quite well in terms of flavor and brand execution; it's a line that could certainly gain a loyal following in the low-calorie sparkling beverages segment.
Chiquita Tropicals is a new line of tropical fruit juice blends. The products come in four varieties -- Banana Strawberry, Mango, Pineapple, and Passion Fruit -- and contain no added sugar or preservatives. While Chiquita is certainly a brand that has some credibility and awareness as far as produce is concerned, the execution of it as a beverage feels like it's lacking something.
Aligning two emerging beverage trends — oat-based drinks and breakfast shakes — PepsiCo has launched Quaker Breakfast Shakes. However, while the concept, and use of the company-owned Quaker brand, makes…
Hop Soda is a unique soda that is made with natural hops extract. While this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen hops in a non-alcoholic beverage, it very well may be the most enjoyable one that we’ve had.
First introduced at the 2013 Summer Fancy Food Show, Honest Tea’s Unsweet Lemon Tea is the company first zero-calorie offering in its PET line of teas and juices. Unlike many…
Suja has added a few more varieties to its Elements line of juice smoothies. Like all Suja products, the new Elements flavors are cold-pressed and high-pressure processed, and while we have mixed feelings about some of the new varieties in terms of packaging and branding, the formulation and flavor of the products are excellent.
Amid rising demand for low-calorie and flavored sparkling waters, Rockstar has released a new “Sparkling” brand extension to its line of energy drinks. The beverages, which come in Cherry Citrus and Peach varieties, are zero-calorie seltzer-like products that are sweetened with Ace-K and sucralose. With a softer vibe than its primary line, both in terms of flavor and branding, the drinks are a nice addition to the Rockstar family.
