The introduction of Zola Coconut Water with Espresso follows the launch of a number of coconut water and coffee blends seen over the past year. In the case of this product, Zola has done a good job formulating a balanced beverage in which the coffee does not overwhelm the coconut water, something that offers a distinct point of differentiation from competing products.
Overcrowding, and not enough differentiation between products. In recent years, we'd be talking about the energy category (which still fits the bill), but today, the same can be said about the coconut water space. And in the case of Just Coco, a new line of coconut waters from Brazil, we have to ask: why would consumers purchase this brand over whatever they're already drinking?
In the midst of thriving demand for lemonade comes Limonitz, a line of sparkling lemonades that are sugar-sweetened and USDA Organic certified. In our review of the company's mint-flavored variety, we find the product to be a very straightforward and enjoyable beverage, and one that definitely seems like a nice approach to the organic soda set.
Based out of the Finger Lakes region of New York, Red Jacket Orchards markets a line of cold-pressed juice blends, most of which use apple juice as a base. The products, which require refrigeration, are quite good, but land in a seemingly strange white space between shelf stable and “raw” juice products...
Last month, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale added a can package to its line of ginger ale drinks. Admittedly, there’s something psychologically different about not being able to actually see the…
Launched in July, Seattle-based Vital Juice markets a line of cold-pressed, high pressure processed (HPP) juices and nut milks. The company sells a substantial number of products with 15 varieties,…
In a bid to attract a wider set of consumers, BluePrint recently unveiled a new line of 10 oz. bottled juices that the company will launch next week as an…
Boasting that its juices are "TRULY RAW," Seattle-based Strawberry Moon does not pasteurize or high pressure process any of its products. While the juice blends, which have a three-day shelf life, are primarily sold on the company's website, Strawberry Moon does have some retail distribution, and, from our perspective, will need to make some significant changes to its packaging if it wants to scale its business.
Brewed and bottled by Portland, Ore.-based Townshend's Tea Company, Brew Dr. Kombucha is a line of kombucha products that come in five varieties. We definitely enjoyed the three flavors that we sampled and like the stubby bottle package that the company uses for the drinks. However, we do recommend an adjustment in how some of the products are named...
LuliTonix produces a line of raw (non pasteurized, non-HPP) juice blends that are -- aside from very limited retail distribution in the New York City area -- sold direct to consumers via the company's website. LuliTonix has done a great job differentiating its blends from the range of other raw juices on the market, but we do have a couple issues with its branding...
Sweetened with a blend of erythritol and stevia, Golazo's sugar-free varieties contain 10 calories per 12 oz. slim can, hence their "all-natural" tag. We're quite pleased with the formulation of the drinks, which also contain electrolytes and 100mg of caffeine, and, given the recent bad PR for mainstream energy products, we also like Golazo's approach of being a “sports energy drink.”
Marketed as "6 functional drinks in one bottle,” GreenFit is a new brand of all-natural drinks that are infused with protein, energy, fiber, antioxidants, "green superfoods" and electrolytes. While these added ingredients might be beneficial, it’s hard to imagine how many consumers want all of these benefits at once and are willing to sacrifice flavor in order to get them.
We're seeing a growing number of carbonated kombucha products on the market, including Live Soda, a brand of drinks that blend kombucha and soda. The products, which come in three varieties, are sugar- and stevia-sweetened and nicely formulated and feature flavors that may find some mainstream traction -- something that has eluded the kombucha category.
While Nu Smoothie is certainly a straightforward product -- it's a 100 percent blend of purées and juices -- we're left feeling as though the company is chasing a juice/nectar market that existed a decade ago.
