Motto Wins New Beverage Showdown 5, Will Enter Kroger Stores

Motto not only survived judge Kelly Marlowe’s tough question; they braved the field of 21 and won the showdown’s first place, granting them a $5,000 jumbo check (game show style), an automatic entry into select Kroger retail locations, and the less tangible rewards of this competition, such as exposure and pride.

New Beverage Showdown 5 Finalists Substantiate Industry Shift

The final six brands in New Beverage Showdown 5 at BevNET Live Summer ’13 in New York City confirmed an increasingly evident truth about innovation in this industry. “The days of artificial everything are the days of the past,” said Eric Schnell, a judge for the event and the founder and CEO of Metabrand.

WATCH LIVE NOW: Video Stream of BevNET Live Summer ’13, Day 2

Day one of BevNET Live Summer '13 is in the books - and what a day it was! Wednesday's agenda leads off with a case study on acai beverage company Zola. CEO and founder Chris Cuvelier will discuss how companies can find growth in shifting from single-ingredient focused product to broader beverage company. Next will be a presentation on building beverage brands in Kroger stores, led by Mary Ellen Adcock, VP of Natural Foods, Kroger.

WATCH LIVE NOW: Video Stream of BevNET Live Summer ’13, Day 1

And so it begins! BevNET Live Summer ’13 has finally arrived, and we’ve got a superb line-up for day one of the conference. Kicking things off will be the semifinal round of New Beverage Showdown 5 in which 21 beverage companies will vie for a spot in the finals on Wednesday and a chance to win $10,000 in cash and prizes.

Mintel: Coconut Water Intros Quintuple in Last Five Years

Over the past five years, a deluge of new products introductions has helped pushed coconut water from the outskirts of the beverage industry to one of fastest growing and visible categories on the market. According to Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence, new coconut water products have grown by 540 percent since 2008 with most brands utilizing health claims associated with the liquid to propel product launches.

Review: Cocozia

Packaged in the Philippines, Cocozia is a new USDA Organic coconut water that comes in an 11 oz. Tetra Pak container. While being organic and not-from-concentrate will help the brand gain some consumer following, we feel as though this product is going to have to do a lot more to make it in the competitive coconut water space.

BevNET Live Summer ‘13: Live Video Stream Announced

We’re pleased to announce that BevNET Live Summer ’13, the ninth consecutive sold-out BevNET Live conference, will feature the return of a free video stream of the event. Broadcast live from New York City, the video stream will cover every presentation and panel from the show, which will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion on June 4 and 5.

Review: LOCA by Oogave

Back from the dead, Oogave, which markets a line of organic sodas, has introduced LOCA, a new brand of 10-calorie soft drinks. The products, which are sweetened with a stevia…

BevNET Live Summer ’13 is Now SOLD OUT; Wait List Available

BevNET Live Summer '13 is now SOLD OUT. If you would still like to attend, a wait list is available. Follow the link below to enter your name and information, and a BevNET representative will contact you as soon as possible.

BevNET Live Final Agenda Posted

Barring any kind of last-minute madness, we're happy to present the final agenda for BevNET Live in New York on June 4 and 5.

Attorney for Fournier Family Mouths Off on Monster, FDA

When it comes to protecting the public from the dangers of energy drinks, Monster Beverage Corp. is like the rooster guarding the hen house. That’s the opinion of Kevin Goldberg, an attorney with Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, and one half of the legal team representing the family of Anais Fournier, a 14 year-old girl whose death in 2011 is blamed on her consumption of two Monster Energy drinks.

MetaBrand Acquires Growing Innovative Brands

When Eric Schnell and Debbie Wildrick agreed to present at BevNET’s Beverage School conference in April, little did they know the event would become a sort of first date for a merger. Since that time, Metabrand has agreed to acquire Growing Innovative Brands and make Wildrick the centerpiece of a new advisory department focusing on snacks and beverages.

Review: Alley Oop

Alley Oop is new citrus-flavored sports drink from Youthtopia Beverages. Unfortunately, the product, which is made with a blend of natural and artificial sweeteners, is anything but a slam dunk.

BevNET Live Summer ’13: Check Out These Sponsors and Exhibitors at the Show

Yes, BevNET Live offers attendees the opportunity to learn from and network with some of the most knowledgeable and successful professionals in the beverage industry. But did you know that the event will also offer access to best-in-class sponsors, suppliers, and vendors who are prepared to introduce show attendees to high-quality innovations?