From large producers like WhiteWave and Califia Farms to tiny upstarts, including Pop & Bottle, Malk and Three Trees, BevNET’s John Craven and Ray Latif discuss the role that innovation and branding has played in the development of each and the overall segment.
Described as a yogurt beverage “made with only natural ingredients including real fruit and probiotics,” Drink Chobani will join the drinkable yogurt category where brands like Lifeway Kefir, B’More Organic, Wallaby Yogurt Company and Karoun Dairies’ Blue Isle reside.
As for how the brands will leverage its relationship with Coca-Cola, Jeremy Faa, senior vice president and general manager for craft beverages at Coca-Cola North America, said that while operating independently, the company will “tap into Coca-Cola in terms of synergies, supply chain innovation and key account relationships.”
Newly added speakers include Jeremy Halpern and Bob Stringer, investors with the Edible Ventures angel network, Debbie Wildrick of MetaBrand, and DrinkMaple founders Kate Weiler and Jeff Rose. Beyond the speakers, however, a special two-hour networking session at the end of the day will give attendees the chance to direct their questions to even more experts curated from across even more disciplines.
From the maturation and evolution of established beverage trends and brands to the emergence of entirely new ones, Expo West 2016 offered further proof of the emphasis on innovation for natural and/or organically inclined beverages.
BluePrint, which helped pioneer the category of high pressure processed, cold-pressed juices, is attempting to pivot away from its roots in detoxifying cleanses with new branding and products designed to appeal to a broader set of consumers.
In the following video, BevNET CEO John Craven and BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif sifted through the dozens of new beverages that debuted at Expo West and offer their take on the most notable and impactful for the industry.
The deal was unanimously approved by the company’s board of directors, with the exception of The Fresh Market founder and chairman Ray Berry, who recused himself from negotiations pertaining to the deal.
Here is part two of our photo gallery from Natural Products Expo West 2016, featuring new products, notable innovation, brand updates and more as displayed by beverage companies exhibiting at the event.
Made with water, coffee, cacao and stevia, Steamm’s Organic Raw Cacao shot is a simple, yet intense tasting, product. Steamm is certainly not the first to do a bottled coffee shot, but it is the first that we’ve seen focus on quality ingredients.
As far as packaged iced coffee beverages go, La Colombe has definitely succeeded in creating something that’s unique and innovative with its Draft Latte.
The launch of Hint’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform in 2014 proved to be a turning point for the company.
In the following gallery, culled from our social media coverage of Natural Products Expo West 2016, we look at notable innovation, brand updates and new products from beverage companies exhibiting at the event.
Traditionally made from shade-grown green tea, matcha is having its moment in the sun.
