A Natural Progression: Coconut Water Shuffles the Flavor Deck

In a category loaded with flavored line extensions, the original, or “natural,” format remains the best-selling variety for most brands. But as flavor innovation and blending techniques improve, the focus is on new products with mainstream and familiar flavors.

Review: CucuOne

CucuOne, which markets itself as an “English Cucumber Juice Drink,” is a USDA Organic and Non-GMO verified blend of water and cold-pressed English cucumber. This product, which is high pressure processed, comes in three varieties.

BevNET Live: Unified Grocers EVP Susan Klug on Drinks and Supermarkets

Ms. Klug’s background and current position leave her uniquely qualified to speak about how current retailing trends dovetail with the aims of beverage marketers, as her purview extends from those neighborhood, “up and down the street” markets to large, full-service, high-end supermarkets like Haggen, Gelson’s and Bristol Farms.

Spotlight Category: Canned Juice Drinks

The canned juice category has received a shot in the arm through innovation and crossover products. Mountain Dew and V8 have caffeinated the category with Kickstart and V-Fusion, Pellegrino has revamped its products in cans and broadened the line, and FOCO has brought coconut water.

Review: Purity Organic Superjuice – New Varieties

Purity Organic has extended its "Superjuice" line with two new varieties: Green Lemonade and Blackberry Apple Chia. Well-executed and polished looking, both products are worthy additions to the line.

Putting the Pea in Protein

While soy, long the go-to alternative to animal-based protein, is falling out of favor with many of today’s increasingly health-conscious consumers, peas have emerged as the trending plant-based protein source du jour.

Review: Project Juice – New Varieties

San Francisco-based Project Juice, which operates several retail storefronts in the Bay Area and Southern California, has extended its line of cold-pressed juices, smoothies and shots. The company has, once again, shown a knack for impressive formulations and created some of the best juice products we've reviewed this year.

Popkin Out at Vita Coco

Vita Coco today announced the news in a press release, which added that company co-founder and CEO Michael Kirban would take on Popkin's responsibilities and serve as interim president.

Review: Caribbean Rainforest Agua de Chia

Despite having a line of fruit-flavored beverages that’s focused on “natural,” there’s no juice in any of Caribbean Rainforest's Agua de Chia products. To compound matters, the company's selection of candy-like flavors is a bit of a head scratcher given that chia is a health-oriented product.

PepsiCo to Remove Aspartame from Diet Pepsi Products

The company announced the news today, revealing that the aspartame-free versions of Diet Pepsi, Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi, and Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi are slated to hit shelves in August.

Review: Hiball Energy Rich & Creamy Coffee

Hiball Energy made its first foray into the coffee category with the launch of its new three-SKU “Rich & Creamy” line. Formulated with organic and Fair Trade coffee beans that are cold brewed and blended with nonfat milk, cream, organic and Fair Trade cane sugar, the drinks are also infused with organic guarana, ginseng and B vitamins.