Initial Beverage School Chicago Lineup, Agenda Topics Posted

Held on April 10, Beverage School Chicago presents a unique opportunity for launch-focused beverage entrepreneurs to get an early understanding of the most important issues in the business. The event, which provides participants with the insights of veteran beverage entrepreneurs, executives, suppliers, and other experts, will be a one-day intensive “Beverages 101.”

Pitaya Plus Discontinues Juice Line

It may be a disappointing end to a once promising beverage brand, but Pitaya Plus founder Chuck Casano said that discontinuing his company’s line of pitaya drinks is for the best. Casano and his team are now focused on the growth and development of its raw, organic frozen smoothie packs while continuing to support its social mission in working with independent pitaya farmers and single mothers in poverty-stricken communities in Nicaragua.

Expo West Intro: ALO Light

Offering consumers an alternative to its higher calorie offerings, ALO has introduced a new line of reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar aloe juice drinks. ALO Light is sweetened with a blend of cane sugar, erythritol and stevia and contains 50 percent less sugar and calories than the brand's original line-up of drinks.

Review: ok.- Energy Drink

“ok.-” Energy Drink is a full-calorie energy drink that is made in Switzerland. Although the product's 16.9 oz can offers a point of differentiation from most other energy drinks, the rest of ok.-'s branding and formulation offers little in the way of innovation and significant separation from the pack.

Expo West Debut: Coco Libre Protein

With an eye on growing demand for protein drinks, Maverick Brands has introduced a new protein-infused line to its Coco Libre brand of coconut water products. Coco Libre Protein is a blend of organic coconut water and 20 grams of whey and milk protein isolate. The line comes in four flavors - Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and Almond - and is packaged in 11 oz. PET bottles.

Mamma Chia Launches New Line of Snacks

It was PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi that famously coined the word “drinkify” in reference to the company’s plans to turn some of its snack products into new and innovative beverages. Along the same lines, Nooyi’s CEO counterpart at Mamma Chia, Janie Hoffman, will look to build upon the rapid growth of her brand by – in essence – “snackifying” the company’s line of whole chia seed and juice blends.

FRS Calls Latest Lawsuit “Completely Ludicrous”

Faced with a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company’s ties to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong resulted in false advertising, FRS today issued a statement furiously denying the claims and vowing to fight the case.

Download BevNET’s Show Planner for Natural Products Expo West 2013

We're gearing up for New Hope Natural Media’s 33nd annual Natural Products Expo West show held this week at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Co-located with Engredea and Nutracon, Expo West along with its sister show Expo East, are the leading venues to see and sample all-natural and organic products. As always, BevNET.com will be on hand to cover and report on the beverage-related exhibitors at the show – over 150 in total this year.

Review: Z.E.N. Pure Pressed

As new juice cleanse brands continue to emerge, companies are stretching to find niche appeal with varying formulations and marketing messages. Z.E.N. (Zero Effort Nutrition) Pure Pressed, which markets a line of juice cleanses that are packaged as multi-bottle daily regiments, is one such company, and while we found the products enjoyable from a flavor standpoint, the branding needs significant refinement.

Monster: Fournier Did Not Die From Our Products

Citing a trove of medical research funded by the company, Monster Beverage Corp. today issued a lengthy statement denying responsibility for the death of Anais Fournier, a 14 year-old Maryland girl whose family blamed her death on the consumption of Monster Energy drinks.

Expo West Intro: Rob’s Fizz

Rob’s Really Good Beverages will debut Rob’s Fizz, a line of zero-calorie sparkling drinks, at this week’s Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, Calif. The new products follow the company’s transition last year to an entirely zero-calorie portfolio of drinks. The three-SKU line is sweetened with a blend of erythritol, monk fruit extract and organic stevia extract.

Metromint Folded into Crystal Geyser

Soma beverage, which has made Metromint for the past several years, is being fully folded into the portfolio of Crystal Geyser, a longstanding spring water company and stablemate in the portfolio of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.

Review: Opreme Energy Drinks

Miami-based Opreme Energy bills itself as a product that was "developed using only the finest ingredients with 50% less sugar than most energy drinks." While we applaud Opreme for using a lower calorie formulation, the brand - like many others in the jam-packed energy category - offers little in terms of true differentiation from competing products.