Reviews

Review: Opreme Energy Drinks

Miami-based Opreme Energy bills itself as a product that was "developed using only the finest ingredients with 50% less sugar than most energy drinks." While we applaud Opreme for using a lower calorie formulation, the brand - like many others in the jam-packed energy category - offers little in terms of true differentiation from competing products.

Review: Spartos

Spartos is a line of all-natural, protein-infused waters that recently underwent a packaging revamp. As the sports/nutrition beverage category continues to embrace protein as an added ingredient, the company has done a good job with formulation, although it might want to go back and take another shot at improving its labels if the brand is to have a chance at success on the market - which we think it does.

Review: Boylan’s Shirley Temple

Billed as a seasonal release, Boylan’s Shirley Temple is a great adaptation of the classic “mocktail.” They’ve really hit the nail on the head in terms of flavor, delivering a blend that has a nice dose of cherry flavor and a refreshing lemon lime base. Moreover, it’s a cleanly designed product that is easy to understand and certainly exudes quality.

Review: Mountain Dew Kickstart

As we reported a couple weeks ago, PepsiCo has launched Mountain Dew Kickstart, a new morning-oriented product that the company markets as a “flavored sparkling juice beverage from concentrate.” Overall,…

Review: Rage Aid

Rage Aid, a line of non-carbonated energy drinks from Canada, recently launched two new varieties: Lemonaid and Teabagger. While the overall execution of the drinks is good, it's the name Rage Aid that has us a bit confused about what the brand is trying to communicate.

Review: Runa Unsweetened

Runa, which markets a line of bottled teas made from Amazonian guayusa tea, has launched two new unsweetened varieties. Much like its other offerings, Runa, which was the Best of…

Review: Novo

Novo is a new line of organic sports drinks made with a blend of coconut water, grape juice concentrate, and electrolytes. While the packaging and positioning of the product are not the typical approach for sports drink brands, Novo is definitely off to a good start.

Review: Angels Aphroenergy

Angels Aphroenergy is new product that has dual functions as an aphrodisiac drink and energy supplement. While the company behind the product, which is based out of Las Vegas (natch), has done a fair job with its branding, we think that it has very limited marketability.

Review: Starbucks Iced Coffee

As reported last week by BevNET, Starbucks has launched a new four-SKU line of blended coffee and milk drinks. While we applaud the company for finally coming out with an…

Review: Life Support

As the hangover recovery category continues to expand, more companies are touting unique ingredients and packaging to attract new consumers to the space. Life Support is one of those companies.…

Review: Secret Squirrel Cold Brew

And the cold brew coffee train keeps a rollin' with the launch of Secret Squirrel. The company produces a cold brew coffee concentrate made with organic and Fair Trade coffee beans that are roasted and brewed in Los Angeles. From our perspective, the execution both inside and outside the bottle is top notch.

Review: Rock Melon

Rock Melon is a new all-natural cantaloupe juice beverage made with water, cantaloupe puree, sugar, and natural flavor. While the product is enjoyable from a taste perspective, but we have to wonder about the marketability of a cantaloupe drink, not to mention one with a rather high calorie and sugar count per serving.

Review: Urban Remedy

Based in Northern California, Urban Remedy is a company that produces a line of organic, handcrafted juice cleanses and meal replacement products. Billed as "nutrient-rich drinks and snacks to amplify health and mind," we sampled six varieties of Urban Remedy and had mixed reviews on the products, which ranged from excellent to not-so-great.

Review: Teas’ Tea Plus

Teas' Tea Plus is a line of "Half & Half" style teas that are made with a base of green tea. The drinks - sweetened with a blend of sugar and stevia - clock in 50 calories per serving (100 per bottle), and are quite enjoyable from a taste standpoint. However, in terms of branding and packaging, we feel like the brand should be further developed to make the product seem more exciting.