Following the summer of hard seltzers in 2019, White Claw’s popularity is expanding in 2020. It announced plans for a new facility to keep up with demand for the drink, and the brand will sponsor one of the biggest American festivals of the year.
The United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) was officially renamed to the American Cider Association (ACA) on December 31. It called 2019 ‘a year of resilience’ for cider in the face of flavored malt beverage (FMB) popularity.
A sober bar from Texas will take its alcohol-free drink partners and signature mocktails on tour to 15 cities across the US this year. It’s joined forces with ‘botanical bubbly’ Dry Soda in a shared mission to help people connect without alcohol.
What are the top beverage trends to look out for in 2020 and beyond? Flavors, textures and ingredients will all continue to evolve in the decade to come.
US hard seltzer consumption is set to triple by 2023. But will consumers be able to support the stream of new launches? And can other global markets mimic the success of seltzer in the US?
Nielsen’s annual Top 25 Breakthrough Innovation awards whittled down 45,000 CPG products and singled out five US beverages. Products from PepsiCo and Coca-Cola were among those gaining top honors; alongside hard seltzer success story White Claw.
A new partnership with spirits and wine company Brown-Forman will bring classic liquors like Jack Daniels, Herradura and Chambord to the Drinkworks pod system in 2020, furthering at-home cocktail personalization.
Hard seltzers have hit the UK, hoping to mirror the meteoric success of the category in the US. But will Brits seize seltzers and embrace them in the same way as Americans have – or are the two markets more different than they first appear?
Coca-Cola will launch sparkling water AHA in North America next year: seeking to differentiate itself from the pack with eight fusions blending mainstream fruits with newer, niche flavors. “Retailers told us they don’t need yet another lime or berry flavored...
India’s economy is shifting to a strong middle class, giving rise to more premium, ethical and personalized products. Beverage brands are adapting to these trends similar to what’s popular in Western markets.
Docklight Brands is on its way to having a complete portfolio of CBD brands, including several beverages, edibles and skincare topicals. CEO Damian Marano is trying to cross categories and be the first total consumer products company in CBD.
Truly has reformulated its 13 flavors of hard seltzer to make them ‘crisper and more refreshing,’ and will add four new SKUs with a flavored lemonade line.
Proving its power as a total beverage company, Coca-Cola North America showcased 28 new SKUs at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show this month in Atlanta. Energy, coffee, tea, juice, water and more hit the expo floor.
The National Association of Convenience Stores has been meeting since 1961, and today the expo covers more than 400,000 square feet. The 2019 show was held in Atlanta October 2-4, bringing together retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and exhibitors from...
Most food and beverage categories direct their marketing strategy toward millennials and the upcoming Gen Z generations, largely disregarding everyone older than 40. Experts say it’s the wrong move.
While soda may have dominated shelves in the 1990s, today’s shoppers are seeking increasingly sophisticated functional beverages. Data company Kantar has analyzed consumer behavior in a new report that highlights the last three decades in the US beverage...
Caribou Coffee is switching up its consumer model this fall by testing small-format ‘Little Blue Cabin’ stores in its home state of Minnesota. The Cabins will feature Caribou’s new line of caffeinated, sparkling beverages.
Gen Z-ers of drinking age are more traditional than they are given credit for, showing strong interest in IPA craft beers and wine moving into the autumn season, despite the noise and popularity of flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and CBD products.
After 175 years of perfecting its beer, Pabst Brewing Co. has expanded its flagship Blue Ribbon (PBR) brand in 2019 with hard coffee, hard seltzer and whiskey launches.
Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) has released its first corporate responsibility report as a combined company - with a focus on the environment, supply chain, health and wellbeing and communities.
Convenience store and gas station shopping habits for US consumers are analysed in GasBuddy’s 2019 C-Store Beverage Study, showing more impulse buys and higher demand for bottled water.
PepsiCo has been upping its game in the water category, notably with premium lifestyle brand LIFEWTR, the ‘fun, playful’ brand bubly, and the acquisition of SodaStream. And there’s big opportunity to grow in the category, says PepsiCo.
With Coca-Cola Energy now rolling out across the world, will PepsiCo counterattack with a Pepsi Energy launch, or does it have a different take on the energy category to its biggest rival?
At the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, Philadelphia-based Mingle Mocktails expanded its range of upscale alcohol alternatives with the launch of Blood Orange Elderflower. Founder Laura Taylor said the time is ripe for mocktails brands like hers...
The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show took place in New York City last week. Some top specialty beverage categories in the US are tea, coffee, hot cocoa and plant-based milks, with overall specialty sales making up 16.1% of the...
On its 50th anniversary in business, Bartek Ingredients debuted a brand relaunch at the 2019 Institute of Food Technologists show (IFT) in New Orleans. The Canada-based company manufactures malic and fumaric acid for use in beverages and confectionery.
Shifting consumer taste is causing major beverage companies to adapt, make ‘healthy’ drinks taste better and be more accessible. Coca-Cola is using its Freestyle machines and new bubbler dispensers to highlight its ‘craft, elevated’ drinks in the market.
A collaboration between AB InBev and Keurig Dr Pepper is bringing its Drinkworks pilot program to new markets this spring. The Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig is now available statewide in Missouri and Florida.
PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and other major soda brands are still learning to grapple with the health and wellness wave that’s causing consumers to drop their sugary drinks for something ‘better-for-you’. Executives spoke at the 2019 Beverage Forum...
Coca-Cola Coffee and Coca-Cola Energy could spearhead the evolution of brand Coca-Cola, as beverage categories continue to blur and Coca-Cola looks to maintain momentum for its flagship brand.
Waterloo Sparkling Water debuted an expanded portfolio at Natural Products Expo West last month, launching Strawberry and Grape flavors. It’s the latest in the increasingly crowded sparkling water category, where brands are seeking to separate themselves...
Hard seltzer brand White Claw is rolling out a new ‘anti-flavor’ this week. Pure is plain with no flavor, designed to serve as a base for other drinks or enjoyed alone as a vodka soda alternative.
Coca-Cola dips into alcohol alternatives with the launch of Bar None, a collection of ready-to-drink mocktails. It's a new look for Coke with a “shift in the growth mindset of the company” that is “adopting more growth behaviors, being curious, taking...
Stella Artois is expanding its cider portfolio in the US with a new wine spritzer alternative, made from a blend of apples and hibiscus flavors. It’s the first nationwide ‘liquid innovation’ from the brand since 2013.
Brooklyn Crafted (BC) has built its New York brand with its own spin on ginger ale, drawing on the gutsy flavors from its Chinese roots. It’s now exploring other exotic flavors with a new calamansi citrus drink.
Sparkling botanical blend Petal - a cross between herbal tea, soda and functional water - has reformulated its core line of drinks less than a year after launching in May 2018. The new recipe is sweetened with organic agave, rather than stevia.
Kombrewcha: ‘Consider us your not-so-guilty-pleasure’
Kombucha has catapulted onto the beverage scene, with the fermented tea appealing to consumers looking for healthier alternatives to sugary soft drinks. But Kombrewcha - AB InBev’s kombucha brand - believes kombucha can also carve out a place in today’s...
PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand has launched Mtn Dew Amp Game Fuel in the US: a line of drinks designed by video gamers and optimized for ‘an enhanced gaming experience’ with features such as a no-slip grip, resealable lid, and ingredients for alertness.
