Review: Secret Squirrel Cold Brew

And the cold brew coffee train keeps a rollin' with the launch of Secret Squirrel. The company produces a cold brew coffee concentrate made with organic and Fair Trade coffee beans that are roasted and brewed in Los Angeles. From our perspective, the execution both inside and outside the bottle is top notch.

Say Aloe To a Rebrand: ChanTea Becomes TEAloe

Shedding the Asian-themed elements of the product in favor of an ingredient-focused name and package, Gourmetti Brands has rebranded ChanTea as TEAloe. The new label will place greater emphasis on the tea/aloe combination brand’s brewed tea content in hopes of eliciting stronger consumer awareness and connection to the brand, as well as a more robust presence alongside other tea beverages.

Review: Rock Melon

Rock Melon is a new all-natural cantaloupe juice beverage made with water, cantaloupe puree, sugar, and natural flavor. While the product is enjoyable from a taste perspective, but we have to wonder about the marketability of a cantaloupe drink, not to mention one with a rather high calorie and sugar count per serving.

Kraft Follows Success of MiO With Crystal Light Liquid

Hoping to tap into the runaway success of its MiO brand, Kraft has launched Crystal Light Liquid, a new line of line of zero-calorie liquid flavor enhancers targeted toward women. The line hit stores nationwide on Tuesday.

Morning Dew: Mountain Dew Goes for the A.M.

The details include a 5 percent juice component, artificial sweeteners (unspecified as of yet) to keep calories down to 80 per 16 oz. tall can, and a small boost in added caffeine to take the whole can up to about 92 mg -- about 20 more mg than an equivalent amount of regular Dew.

Last Chance: Get Listed in BevNET’s 2013 Functional Beverage Guide

Friday is your last chance to secure a listing in BevNET's 2013 Functional Beverage Guide. To be published as a special section in the March issue of BevNET Magazine, the Functional Beverage Guide will feature functional beverage brands and their suppliers. Listed alphabetically, beverage brands will be tagged with functional attributes (i.e. energy, relaxation).

Review: Urban Remedy

Based in Northern California, Urban Remedy is a company that produces a line of organic, handcrafted juice cleanses and meal replacement products. Billed as "nutrient-rich drinks and snacks to amplify health and mind," we sampled six varieties of Urban Remedy and had mixed reviews on the products, which ranged from excellent to not-so-great.

Beer Goggled: A Closer Look at Recovery Drinks

Does the hangover cure market look better than it really is? A still-emerging category in the beverage industry – recovery drinks – is hoping that there is a fortune to be made in helping provide that preparatory insurance against the day after.

Concentrating on Growth: Chameleon Coffee Gets Cash

Chameleon Cold Brew, one of the next-generation cold-brewed coffee concentrate companies that have recently entered the market, has pulled in investment from Houston, Tex. private equity firm Fortitude Capital.

Review: Teas’ Tea Plus

Teas' Tea Plus is a line of "Half & Half" style teas that are made with a base of green tea. The drinks - sweetened with a blend of sugar and stevia - clock in 50 calories per serving (100 per bottle), and are quite enjoyable from a taste standpoint. However, in terms of branding and packaging, we feel like the brand should be further developed to make the product seem more exciting.

Resolutions for Entrepreneurs

For the past couple of years, stoked in part by the rich observations served up at the winter edition of BevNET Live, I’ve inaugurated a new year by offering some resolutions that beverage entrepreneurs might be wise to consider. I make no claim of infallibility in proffering them, and it’s easy enough to think of successful beverage companies that violated each precept (I can’t think of any that violated all the rules, and you’re welcome to aspire to be the first!).

Beverage School: Aligning Color and Flavor

It’s fair to say that a grape-flavored beverage with an orange-colored liquid is a strange combination. However, the question of aligning color with flavor becomes slightly more muddled when considering the brightness of a carrot juice, or a clear-colored cola. In this BeverageSchool.com video, Kate Ratliff, the technical director at Flavorman, discusses important factors that beverage companies should consider when deciding on the color of the liquid in their products.