Reviews

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,…

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.…

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.

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.

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.

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.

Carbonated coffee is a concept that has been tried and - for a number of reasons - gained little traction in the marketplace. So we have to wonder about the viability of Perk!, a new zero-calorie sparkling iced coffee. While the taste of the product is fine, its branding and packaging need work, likely making the product an even tougher sell for consumers.

While most carbonated soft drinks face a decline in demand, a range of new and innovative of boutique and gourmet sodas has elicited renewed appeal in the category. One such brand is Brooklyn Soda Works, and in our review of two of its offerings, Root Beer and Apple and Ginger Carbonated Fresh Juice, we feel that the company has done an excellent job in formulation and packaging.

When the original Coco Cafe variety came out, we knew that we were witnessing something that could take the RTD coffee category by storm. The product was simple in flavor, but super timely and innovative in its use of coconut water. However, there was a big question mark: how would they add additional flavors to the line? The answer is finally here as the brand recently introduced Mocha and Vanilla varieties, one of which garnered a rare five-star rating...