The original cap dispensing brand, which is now majority-owned by Indian conglomerate Tata, is planning a major functional innovation push in the late spring, according to Reza Mizra, who became president of the company in October.
Premier Protein is a line of flavored protein drinks that come in both Tetra-Pak and PET packaging. In our review of its PET bottles, we were impressed with both the formulation and branding of the drinks, which despite skewing toward the technical end of the protein category, are a solid entry into the space.
Drawing on an increasingly visible packaging format and the wave of demand for new health and wellness drinks, AhhMIGO is a new line of cap-activated natural drinks. Launched earlier this year, the New York City-based company boasts of a proprietary cap that keeps the brand’s “life-enhancing ingredients” fresh until mixed with water.
Calling on consumers to "Master the Energy," Manyk Energy is a four-SKU energy drink line that includes a zero-calorie product, and two tea-flavored varieties. While the formulation of the beverages is on par with much of what we've seen in the category, Manyk has a ways to go in revising its packaging.
And the cold brew coffee train keeps rolling... Fresh out of Southern California, Seaworth’s “Single Fin Sludge” is a new organic concentrated cold brew coffee. Well-executed in packaging and flavor, “Single Fin Sludge" is an impressive foray into a category that seems to be growing by the day.
Building on the rapid growth of cold brew and craft coffee brands, Dave’s Coffee is a new line of “coffee syrup” products. In concept, it’s not that much different than most of the other cold brew products that we’ve sampled, but the syrup is a concentrated form that can be mixed with water. However, the fact that it’s syrup form definitely makes it a bit more difficult to mix than other brands that are simply coffee concentrate.
Natural foods conglomerate Hain Celestial has finalized its acquisition of BluePrint, a marketer and manufacturer of high pressure processed organic fruit and vegetable juices and juice cleanses. The deal, which was initially announced in November, is expected to increase the operational capacity of Blueprint and the availability its line of single-serve bottled juices, which are currently sold in a number of natural retailers in the Northeast and Southern California.
North Carolina-based Cheerwine has launched a new 4-pack of 12 oz slim cans. For a brand with a ton of retro appeal, the foray into a modern-looking package is an interesting move. Nevertheless, we think that the company did a great job staying true to its branding - and formulation.
With nearly 500 attendees from every aspect of the beverage industry, the show offered a range of detailed information and insights on how to grow fast and effectively. Below is a link to various photo galleries from the event, featuring a range of speakers, attendees, sponsors and exhibitors.
For most beverage entrepreneurs, the phrase “blood, sweat, and tears” is less of a motivational term as it is a realistic view of a tough and often unforgiving industry. Creating a successful beverage brand is a difficult business, and as an investor in alkaline water brand AQUAhydrate, Mark Wahlberg is starting to see its challenges firsthand.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group announced via Twitter today that next month it will begin a national roll-out of 10-calorie versions of five soda brands, including 7-Up, Sunkist, Canada Dry, RC Cola and A&W Root Beer.
As my children have taught me, the scariest monsters are the ones you can’t see. And when it comes to scares, it’s certainly been a tough couple of months for Monster Energy, which has seen its share price ride something like the “Scream Machine” while it faces waves of negative publicity and scrutiny from state and federal authorities, lawyers, the media, and a public that is increasingly starting to rethink its relationship with these products.
Hoping to make a big splash in the country’s second largest market, HINT Water has signed an agreement with L.A. Distributing Co. to distribute the brand throughout Los Angeles county. HINT, which markets still and sparkling lines of unsweetened, flavored waters is looking to the upstart DSD distributor to dramatically increase its presence in the market, specifically in mainstream grocery and up and down the street retailers.
AriZona recently extended its line of Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear lemonades with a new mint-flavored variety. Although we find the blend of lemonade and mint flavors to be quite appealing, we question whether the brand as a whole can ultimately carve out a successful niche in that there is something that seems disconnected between the image of the golfer and the thoughts of summertime that are inevitable when drinking lemonade.
