Billed as an “organic beet performance supplement,” Red Ace is -- as you’ve probably guessed by now -- made with beet juice concentrate. Packaged in a 2 oz. glass bottle, the product contains added guayusa, water, lemon juice and other flavors. All in all, we're quite impressed with the formulation, flavor and branding.
Watermelon and aloe are just about as perfect of a flavor pairing as there is, so it’s no surprise that ALO Comfort tastes as good as it does. Overall, it’s one that definitely lives up to the standard set by the other flavors.
As winds of change sweep through the beverage industry, more and more CSD companies are realizing that they must adapt to a society ever more focused on health and wellness. Jones Soda is one such outfit and recently introduced a new line of natural sodas made with a proprietary blend of sweeteners. The drinks are quite good, although the packaging could use a bit more emphasis on their low-calorie formulation.
Traders Point Brewhouse’s Cold Brew Coffee comes in two varieties, Kenyan and Sumatra, based on the type of beans that are used in each product. Which one consumers prefer is ultimately a matter of personal preference, but both were made to the same standard. That said, both are top notch, with a thoughtfully crafted formulation and package.
Merging two fast-growing beverage trends - iced coffee and almond milk - Califia Farms' new line of iced coffee products is well-timed, and very well-executed. The formulation of the drinks is excellent, and with a unique carafe-style package, the company takes an approach that is fresh and unique, which is something that seems to be lacking in the dairy and dairy alternative categories.
POM Wonderful entering the coconut water category is sure to get some buzz, and this product was the starting point for our sampling of its three newest flavors. Overall, it's a very solid product in both formulation and packaging.
Evolve is Muscle Milk’s new “naturally flavored protein shake” that is geared towards female consumers. All in all, what they’ve put inside the carton is a credible and enjoyable formulation, with 12g of protein, 20 vitamins and minerals, 5g of fiber, and Tonalin, an ingredient that is marketed as helping reduce body fat. We think they’ve got a nice start that, with a few packaging tweaks, could certainly be a formidable offering.
Motto is a new brand of sparkling matcha teas made with honey, agave nectar, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. The brand has done well to hit the ground running with an excellent flavor profile and a minimalist, yet striking, label and bottle.
Natural and organic energy drinks are becoming an increasingly familiar sight these days with a number of new entrants hitting the market following debuts at the 2013 Natural Products Expo West show. One of the companies throwing its hat into the ring is Runa, which markets a range of Amazonian guayusa tea products, and recently launched Runa Clean Energy.
Revive has launched two new line extensions to its brand of kombucha drinks. The company, which is based in Sonoma County, Calif., has introduced Revive Kombucha Gold, a blend of kombucha and coffee, and Revive Kombucha Red, which is made with a hibiscus flower kombucha culture. Aside from a few adjustments to its labels, we think Revive has done an outstanding job with the two new varieties.
Blue Monkey’s Coconut Coffee Drink is a certified organic blend of coconut cream, sugar, coffee and added emulsifiers/stabilizers. It’s billed as a dairy- and soy-free coffee drink, and it features a somewhat light-bodied coffee flavor. Overall, it’s good, but we honestly feel as though more could be done with this product, starting with cutting the calories and offering more variety in flavors.
INGO has introduced a new watermelon variety to its brand of cucumber-flavored drinks. For a zero-calorie product, INGO Cucumber-Watermelon has, much like the flagship beverage, an extremely refreshing flavor without the use of any added sweeteners.
These days, it seems like there are an endless number of new raw juice brands landing on store shelves with many - if not most - offering an extremely high level of quality in terms of formulation. However, the branding and packaging for some of these products often falls short of matching what's inside the bottle; this is our most significant issue with o2living and its line of raw juice blends.
Go Energy is a new energy drink that attempts to differentiate itself from competing products via the addition of coconut water and resveratrol (a popular anti-aging ingredient). Unfortunately, the product is pretty underwhelming from a flavor and visual perspective.
