Expo East

New beverage launches at Expo East, held from Sept. 26 to 28 in Baltimore, perhaps more than in recent memory, pushed the boundaries of innovation and novelty. Some came from overseas; others owe their roots to Yankee innovation. Among the many new drinks, we discovered a new fruit juice, a beer-like carbonated drink, drinks with billions of bacteria in them , a smoothie made from a grain whose name begins with a “Q”, and soda made from a cactus.

Among the new products:

Bionade – This popular non-alcoholic, organic, carbonated beverage from Germany is now available in the United States.

Frutzzo – Introduced its new line-up of Yumberry drinks.

Cell-Nique – Introduced a new line-up of nutritionally-fortified juice blends: Emerge (Pomegranate), Evolve (Tropical Fruits), Enlight (Apple), Embody (Citrus Vanilla) and Lau-Tzu (Kukicha Tea).

Apple & Eve – Rolled out Fizz Ed, 8.4 oz. canned 70 percent juices made specifically for the kids market.

Zola Açai – Introduced its new shrink-sleeve 12 oz. PET packaging.

Vita Coco – Provided a glimpse of its soon-to-be-released tangerine flavor.

Flavor Brazil – Showed off a new acai juice blend in 10 oz. glass bottles.

Maine Root – Will soon be introducing soda made from wild-harvested prickly pear cactus juice.

Pro.bio.MAX – This is a new line of dairy-based probiotic smoothies from LacPro

Verb Good Belly – This shot-sized, juice-based probiotic product is from NextFoods.

Quinoa Gold – New line of quinoa-based, agave-sweetened drinks. Packaged in 16 oz. bottles, the drinks have a smoothie-like texture with the ground quinoa grain in suspension.

Ayala Herbal Water – A new herbal water lineup, it’s available in six flavors.

Hansen Naturals – Introduced a new line-up of flavored sparkling waters, sweetened with cane sugar and contain 90 calories per can.

Eldorado – This is a new line-up of vitamin-charged natural spring waters from Eldorado Springs, CO.

Steaz – Had a new line-up of four diet green tea sodas in 12 oz. glass bottles.

Tradewinds – Presented its line-up of PET bottled teas and is also offering a gallon size organic black tea.

Nuture by Nature – These new, shrink-wrapped yerba mate teas come in 16 oz. bottles in four flavors.

Sweet Leaf – Introduced its Pomegranate Green tea in a 16 oz. glass bottle.

Cricket – Introduced two new sparkling green tea beverages: Mandarin Orange and Pomegranate Raspberry.