Rise Brewing Co.

After highlighting a handful of new drinks in our show preview last week, check out the following gallery for a look at some of the other new and forthcoming innovations we saw at Natural Products Expo East 2018.

With the announcement of its new three-SKU line of nitrogen-infused cold brew lattes, two of which are made with oat milk, Rise Brewing Co. is aiming to bring one of the hottest trends in coffee out from behind the espresso bar and into shelf-stable RTD coffee category.

For non-alcoholic beverages in particular, the rise of craft beer had a huge impact in that it brought a perception of premium back to cans.

Rise Brewing Co. launches in the Pacific Northwest and announces a new taproom; FitWhey enters Arizona Sprouts stores; Xing Tea finds placements in 3,000 CVS stores

Often described as less acidic and smoother to the palate than traditionally brewed coffee, cold brew has become a top area for experimentation; high-profile coffee producers like Stumptown and, most recently, Chameleon have introduced sparkling varieties with citrus and ginger flavors.

As expected, Expo East 2017 was a key showcase for innovative and on-trend product launches in both nascent and established beverage categories. Sorting through the nearly 200 drink exhibitors at the event, BevNET’s John Craven and Ray Latif offer their take on the most notable and impactful new products for the industry in the above video.

Natural product brands and manufacturers of all sizes and types came from across the country to Baltimore, Md., last week for Natural Products Expo East 2017. From subtle product updates to category-disrupting innovations, this year’s expo, held Sept. 13-16 at the Baltimore Convention Center, gave attendees a chance to see and experience the latest developments in beverage firsthand

As nitro cold brew moves out of boutique coffee houses and into the mainstream, brands are staking out footholds in this emerging market for both on-premise service and packaged products, and keeping the door open for as-yet-unexplored possibilities for infusing nitrogen into other beverages.

Given the investments into a cohort of cold brew companies and the pervasiveness of the new style, it’s likely that stores and distributors are going to need to find room for both clean and sweet cold brew styles. Thus far, it’s been left to individual companies to carve out their own philosophy towards indulgence.