Reviews

Although consumption of mainstream CSDs continues to slide, natural and specialty soda brands are finding some opportunity in the space with the launch of innovative flavors and packaging options. DRY…

Something Natural, a line of flavored sparkling waters that are sweetened with stevia and cane sugar, recently underwent a visual refresh. While the product still uses the same chic 11 oz. blue glass bottle, the brand features more approachable graphics and imagery.

Now in its production ready format, Harmless Harvest’s 100% Raw Tea has been refined and given a packaging update. The beverages are still made with raw tea leaves and are USDA Organic certified and high pressure processed, and the labels have been given an upgrade. But how could the company improve on something that we already reviewed as being exceptional...?

Sambazon’s Peppermint + Mocha Energy is a limited release product for the 2013 holiday season. The product blends acai, soy, coffee, yerba mate, vanilla, mint and a few other ingredients, and is packaged with a playful seasonal-themed label. As far as holiday-themed beverages go, this one is pretty good.

Popeye Energy is an energy drink that is made with 75 percent juice and labeled as an energy supplement. While juice-heavy energy drinks have been tried before without much success, it seems like something that fits well with the Popeye brand.

IQ Energy is a liquid supplement that is marketed as one that will boost energy and enhance memory capabilities. Formulated with caffeine and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + hydrogen, which the company promotes as a “NASA tested” ingredient, the product is, in our opinion, likely to face the same stumbles as others that touted "memory-enhancing" functionality.

Phancy’s “Soda Chanh” is a packaged version of the classic Vietnamese drink of the same name. Unlike the original, which is made with salted, pickled limes, this product appears to be a fairly run-of-the-mill lemon-lime soda (with perhaps a bit more lime flavor than usual).

Belvoir (pronounced BEE-ver) Fruit Farms' Organic Elderflower Presse is a beverage that has been around for a while, but is only now making a push in the U.S. It’s a very straightforward and enjoyable product, with sugar, elderflower and lemon providing the primary flavors. It's definitely a product that will stand out in the super premium CSD space.

Alova is a brand of aloe-infused, sugar-sweetened sparkling beverages marketed by Mexican beverage company Novamex. Ultimately, we feel as though the products are in a slightly odd spot. They looks very much like something that’s going to be healthier and more exotic tasting than a standard soda, but the flavor is, well, just like a standard soda.

Unveiled at the 2012 NACS show, Rockstar Energy Water is the company’s first foray into enhanced waters. The products, which come in three varieties, are zero-calorie and formulated with 200mg…

LifeAID, a company that markets a variety of beverages designed for a specific use occasion, recently launched PartyAID, a hangover a recovery drink, and FitAID, which is advertised as "a functional fitness beverage." While we understand the company’s approach to innovation, the lack of anything that ties its products (which includes GolferAID, its first product) together is a big issue.

Looking to broaden its base of consumers, Suja has introduced Elements, a new line of 12 oz. cold-pressed, HPP and organic juice blends that bridge the gap between the company's flagship line and the bottled smoothie category. The new line comes in three flavors -- each with a more mainstream-focused price of $4.99 -- and from our perspective, Suja has done an excellent job with the formulation and branding of the products.

Marketed as “100% Natural Greek Mountain Tea,” Tuvunu is a product is made with sideritis tea, wild blossom honey and not-from-concentrate lemon juice. Despite the exotic-sounding tagline, the beverage tastes nearly identical to a standard sweetened black tea with lemon. Figuring out some way to make this drink’s flavor memorable -- while maintaining the enjoyment of the beverage -- is the obvious next step.

Sipp, which produces a line of organic sodas, recently revamped its packaging and is now marketed as “sparkling organics.” The new look, which moves the Sipp into a 12 oz. longneck bottle and features new label design, definitely makes a good brand even better.