Review: Gravity Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

Gravity Apple Cider Vinegar Drink is a blend of 30 percent apple juice and two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. The product, which is also sweetened with xylitol and honey and enhanced with vitamins, tastes very much like apple juice. This is a different approach than other apple cider vinegar drinks that we’ve sampled (yes, there are a few out there), which tend to be much more forward in their vinegar flavor.

BevNET FBU Boston is One Week Away! Don’t Miss Your Opportunity, Register NOW.

There are only a few days left to register for BevNET FBU Boston, a one-of-kind business education and networking event designed for early-stage entrepreneurs and newcomers to the food and beverage industry. If you are not yet signed up, NOW is the time to register. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from the best in the business and position your brand for a quick start and sustained growth.

Video: Expo West 2014 Profile — Garden of Flavor

When we’ve seen companies fuse disparate categories into one beverage, it’s the consumers who often inspire the innovation. It’s the same story with Cleveland-based Garden of Flavor, which blends cold-pressed juice with probiotics.

Review: Organic Gemini Guarana Energy

The premise of Organic Gemini’s Guarana Energy is seemingly straightforward and simple: blend coconut water (from concentrate) with a caffeinated punch of guarana extract. The resulting product has the flavor and hydrating abilities of a traditional coconut water and the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee. To that end, this USDA Organic beverage is enjoyable and fills what seems like a logical niche in the coconut water category.

Video: Expo West 2014 – Health-Ade Adds Kombucha Vet as Operations Chief, Ramps Up Production

In this video, filmed at Heath-Ade’s booth at Natural Products Expo West 2014, BevNET CEO John Craven speaks with co-founder Daina Trout about the company’s frugal deployment of capital, its production strategy and why an increase in manufacturing requires a slow and steady approach. Trout also discusses the target market for Health-Ade, why the kombucha category can pull from other beverage segments and new distribution of its beverages.

Video: Expo West 2014 Profile — Arty Water

Think maple and birch tree water companies have lots of work to do before persuading consumers? Think the same for cactus water? From a matter of association, and the arduous steps of building a contiguous category, the challenges could be next to nothing when compared to those of artichoke water.

B&G Foods Promotes Former Snapple Executive

The bond between the food and beverage CPG industries continues to strengthen. Last week, B&G Foods, Inc., a conglomeration of food brands such as Cream of Wheat and Ortega, announced that Michael Sands has been promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president of snacks, according to a company release.

VEB’s Larsen to Run ZICO

A recent announcement from new Coke VEB President Scott Uzzell has answered the succession question for portfolio brand ZICO. Tom Larsen, who has been the general manager of VEB’s Illy RTD coffee business, will take over as President and GM of ZICO. Larsen, a long-time Coke veteran, will be moving from Atlanta to run ZICO from its El Segundo, Calif. base.

Video: Expo West 2014 Profile — Caliwater

In the embedded video, which was filmed at the Caliwater booth at Natural Products Expo West 2014, founder Matt McKee goes into greater detail about the product’s chief benefits, such as skin revitalization and bodily detoxification. Among other effects, he said that the betalains can reduce under-eye puffiness and add a glow to skin.

Expo West 2014 Photo Gallery: New Brands, Products & Packaging

While established beverage brands took advantage of the high-profile event to announce line extensions, updated formulations and packaging revamps, a significant number of early-stage companies utilized Expo West to introduce their products to swarms of distributors, retailers and media personnel walking the show floor. Covering every new product introduction or revamp at Expo West was no easy task, but our team was up for the challenge.

Review: Happy Tree Maple Water

Happy Tree Maple Water is a high pressure processed (HPP) beverage that, as the name might suggest, is made using water sourced from maple trees. While this is one of several products that are coming to market as part of what appears to be an emerging trend, Happy Tree is definitely the best maple water that we’ve had to date.

Video: Expo West 2014 Profile – The Essential Challenge

For Essentia Water, the challenge is clear: taking the same giant strides that have made it a natural and specialty channel leader and crossing the tracks into conventional channels. The ways the company intends to do so are outlined in the following video, taken from Natural Products Expo West last week.

Peltz Slams PepsiCo Management, “Power of One” Strategy in New Letter

Two weeks after PepsiCo’s board of directors roundly rejected a proposal from Peltz’s Trian Fund Management, in which the investment firm repeated its call for the cola giant to split its snack and beverage divisions into two separate companies, Trian yesterday sent a letter to PepsiCo’s board calling into question the credibility of company management and asking it to provide shareholders with analytical support for its continued reliance on the “Power of One” strategy.