Hey, it's L.A., ain't it? That's why actor, producer, and AQUAHydrate board member Mark Wahlberg will help kick off the two-day BevNET Live event with an exclusive discussion of the key methods for leveraging celebrity investment and involvement with beverage brands.
After weeks of seeing its stock price battered by reports linking consumption of its energy drinks to dozens of hospitalizations and a number of deaths, Monster Beverage Corp. can finally breathe a little easier.
Marketed as "Hawaiian Volcanic Water," Waiakea has branded itself as a sustainably sourced, high electrolyte, and high alkaline water. While the positioning and sleek packaging of the brand will undoubtedly attract some premium water consumers, we wonder if the market can support yet another brand of water from across the Pacific.
While Sens. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) continue to push the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for greater regulation and oversight of the energy drink category, for now, all they’re getting is bureaucratic consideration.
Next 10 Energy Shot is a new energy drink created by a neurosurgeon with the aim of offering a healthier and better performing product than what is currently on the market. While the product has a visually appealing design and a relatively enjoyable flavor, we're not sure as to what the point of differentiation is for this product.
As lunch ends on the first day of BevNET Live, the event's Breakout Sessions begin. Putting the BevNET Live experience in the hands of experts from key disciplines like marketing, technology, law, hiring, finance, and design, BevNET Live’s Breakout Sessions offer audience members an unparalleled opportunity to drill deeper into specific topics surrounding innovative beverage companies.
In addition to one-of -a-kind opportunities to learn and network, BevNET Live attendees will be able to visit and learn from over 30 industry-leading sponsors and exhibitors throughout the course of the two-day event. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity for in-depth discussion with best-in-class sponsors, suppliers, and vendors at the BevNET Live Expo which will take place during the afternoon of Monday, December 3, the first day of the two-day BevNET Live event.
BevNET Live is one week away, and the program has added two more highlights: an informational discussion on the role of strategic investors in the beverage innovation landscape, and a review of the beverage market through the lens of the first two years of First Beverage Group, a high-powered investment, advising and incubation firm founded by William Anderson.
Undeterred by failed efforts to rename high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as “corn sugar,” the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has remained on the offensive to protect the integrity of the widely used ingredient. Today, the CRA released a scathing statement denouncing a forthcoming study that specifically links consumption of HFCS with Type 2 diabetes.
The concept behind Live Soda seems like a good one -- at least in theory: take classic soda flavors, cut the calories, and add in some live kombucha culture. While the resulting formulation does taste pretty good, it's hard to comprehend just how many people out there will want to combine something that is a health drink (kombucha) with something that is an indulgence product (soda).
The makers of the most widely consumed red carbonated soft drink are adapting but not changing with the times. Big Red, the Austin, TX, based producer of CSDs among other beverages, announced Tuesday that it acquired HyDrive Energy, the Rye, NY-based company that markets 30-calorie energy drinks and a zero-calorie energy powder drink mix under the slogan “Energy Done Better.”
Should energy drinks be age-restricted? A prominent elected official in Chicago thinks so. Stating that he doesn’t “want kids dying because of something that shouldn’t be in their hands,” Chicago alderman George Cardenas has proposed banning the sale of energy drinks to individuals under the age of 21, according to a recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Solixir has unveiled new branding and a new citrus flavor to its line of sparkling botanical beverages. We like what Solixir has done with the redesign and simplification of its packaging which now connects nicely with the botanical ingredients in the drinks.
Big Red, Inc. announced today that it has acquired HYDRIVE Energy, marketer of better-for-you energy drinks. The sale, orchestrated by Gary Smith (Big Red) and Mike Weinstein (HYDRIVE), will be effective immediately and adds HYDRIVE Energy drinks to the Big Red portfolio which includes, All Sport isotonic, NuGrape, Thomas Kemper, Nesbitt’s and other beverage lines.
