Starbucks Launches New Iced Coffee Line

And the rich (hope to) get richer. Aiming to capitalize on growing year-round demand for iced coffee – and extend its domination of the ready to drink coffee category - Starbucks has launched a new line of bottled coffee drinks. Quietly and with very little fanfare, Starbucks has introduced Starbucks Iced Coffee, a four-SKU line of blended coffee and milk products, at select grocery retailers in Boston, Hartford, New York and Philadelphia.

Review: Brooklyn Soda Works

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.

Shaquille O’Neal Takes Ownership Position in BLUEO4 Water

The man who has been dubbed “The Big Aristotle,” “Shaq Fu,” and “The Diesel” can now add a new nickname to his unrivaled list: “Big Blue.” BLUE04, which markets an oxygenated water, announced today that Shaquille O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion and 15-time NBA All-Star, has taken an ownership position with the company.

Vita Coco Shuffles Marketing Team, Plans to Head West

Jane Prior, who joined the coconut water company in 2010 as director of consumer marketing, has been promoted to vice president of marketing for the U.S. Prior moves into the role vacated by Jeff Rubenstein, who is now the vice president of global strategy for Vita Coco, working from Miami. Rubenstein will work closely with CEO Michael Kirban on the company's endeavors in Europe and Asia.

Federal Legislators Respond to Critical Energy Drink Reports

In case the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wasn’t paying attention, Sens. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to the agency highlighting recent reports that emphasize the downsides of energy drinks.

Review: Coco Cafe’s New Flavors

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...

American Beverage Association Rips New Report on Teens and Energy Drinks

Responding to a recent article in the medical journal Pediatrics in Review titled “Energy Drinks: What Teenagers (and Their Doctors) Should Know,” the American Beverage Association (ABA) slammed the authors of the article for “perpetuating sensational untruths.”

PepsiCo’s In The Club… Store, that is, Capturing Costco Food Service Account

This $1.50 hot dog -- and about 99,999,999 more like it -- will now be served with Pepsi in the Costco food court. Costco foodservice locations will begin switching from Coke to Pepsi products at the retailer’s 400-plus U.S. locations beginning in April, and carried out globally over the next few years as vending contracts expire.

The Long Road for FRS

Raising money, buying factories, killing product lines, searching for distribution: The tale of a functional beverage company in disarray.

Review: Diet Double Cola

In a world where beverages are pretty much all about providing some sort of value add (in addition to flavor and refreshment), it’s always interesting to see a product that’s going in the other direction. And that’s how we’d sum up this product, Diet Double Cola, which, being a diet cola, is a product that’s about as pedestrian as it gets.

Texas Lawmaker Calls for Tax on “Sweetened Beverages and Ingredients”

A Texas state representative is calling for a new tax on the sale of sugary and high calorie beverages in order to fund new public health initiatives aimed at curbing rising obesity rates and related health problems. Rep. Joe Farias (D-San Antonio) filed a proposal that would add a $0.01 per ounce tax on “certain sweetened beverages and ingredients used to make certain sweetened beverages.”

AQUAhydrate Teams Up With L.A. Clippers

On stage at BevNET Live Winter 2012, actor, producer and former rapper Mark Wahlberg proudly sported a Los Angeles Clippers T-shirt as he discussed his investment in alkaline water brand AQUAhydrate. Sure, Wahlberg is from Boston and grew up a Celtics fan, but much like Hollywood, the beverage industry can really mess with your head.

Review: Slingshot Cold Brew Coffee

Slingshot Cold Brew is one of the few cold brewed coffee companies that market both ready to drink and concentrate products. Slingshot is also one of the only coffee brands that changes up its formulation from batch to batch with its use seasonally available coffee beans, making it difficult to offer a consistent review of what's inside the bottle. That being said, it is a high quality product with excellent branding.