BevNET Magazine November/December 2017

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017

GUT CHECK

As kombucha keeps growing, innovation pushes fermented and probiotic drinks in new directions.

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BEVNET'S 2017 NEW BEVERAGE GUIDE

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Contents / November – December 2017 / Volume 15 / No. 6

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COLUMNS

FEATURES

4 First Drop It’s Time to Rethink the Spokesmodel Standard

34 The Style Council Cider makers shake up the category with first stylistic guidelines

6 Publisher’s Toast Tale of two cities

36 Gut Check As kombucha keeps growing, innovation pushes probiotics in new directions

24 Gerry’s Insights Loosen the Reins

42 Alt-Milk’s Consumer Cohort Demographics change for dairy alternatives

DEPARTMENTS 8 Bevscape/NOSHscape/Brewscape Digital Buying Power & Standard Labels 14 New Products Birch Water, Cactus Water and more 20 Channel Check Refrigerated Kefir 80 Promo Parade Boxed Water Plants Trees COVER PHOTO BY DYANA CARMELLA COURTESY OF GT’S KOMBUCHA

48 End of Year Wrap Looking back at 2017

SHOW REVIEWS 26 Natural Products Expo East 28 NACS 30 National Beer Wholesalers Association 32 Great American Beer Festival

SPECIAL SECTION 51 New Beverage Guide Follow Us Online

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THE FIRST DROP

BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

It’s Time to Rethink the Spokesmodel Standard

It’s just one case, and it hasn’t even gone to trial, but it makes you wonder.

As we reported recently on BevNET. com, Kevin Klock, the then-CEO of Talking Rain, left the company in March shortly after a sales manager complained that he had sexually harassed her. It’s still not clear whether Klock, who did not comment on the situation, was fired or resigned, and there have been no criminal charges filed. As part of the lawsuit, the company has also been named as a defendant – the plaintiff claims that after the incident, she wasn’t able to continue her career at Talking Rain and that the environment was discriminatory.

That’s one view. It’s a single-story one.

But what will we see if we take a view from higher up? At a time when high-profile sexual harassment and discrimination cases are emerging throughout industry after industry, is there another shoe waiting to drop in the beverage business?

After all, this isn’t an industry that’s afraid of objectification. I was thinking that as the story broke, because it broke during, of all conventions, NACS. It’s not the rule, but the annual convenience store show’s beer and energy drink booths are almost a full employment act for swimsuit models.

Depending on the kind of product and the kind of company you’re looking at, there are hundreds of other ways that brands try 4 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

to draw attention to themselves through a phalanx of so-called “booth babes.”

There are many degrees of cultural criticism. Some people argue that this kind of product representation objectifies women, and is part of an overall culture that creates openings for violence against women.

Others argue that women who choose to take these jobs are empowered in their ability to use their beauty to their economic advantage. Does having ogled a model at a NACS show in the past make you a bad person? I hope that’s not the case. Should harassers and abusers be concerned?

Yes, and I hope they are: they are more likely than ever to face consequences they deserve. We need to understand that times have changed, and behaviors have to as well, and they should have a long time ago.

The biggest companies, certainly, say they have heard the message. Contacts at Coke and Pepsi and DPSG overwhelmingly say they and their companies try to recognize the importance of diversity and the kind of corporate black eye that can result from harassment and abuse scandals. They say they’ve long required human resources and sensitivity training. They know these are criminal, civil, and cultural issues that can bring down a business, and they have to be smarter than that. (For what it’s worth, from empirical observation over the past few years, their

booths feature people who are actually dressed. But they also are in business with plenty of companies who are deeply into scantily clad as sales strategy.)

They also, I hope, recognize the deep moral roots from which grow equal treatment, equal opportunity, equal protection.

Otherwise, the business isn’t worth the ground it’s built on.

But there are companies, there’s the cultural tide, and there are the individuals who exist within them. And right now, across industries, across government, across various institutions – yes, the media included – those individuals are being dragged into the light.

So let’s think about it: does treating women as props at these shows, and in field marketing strategies overall, create a cultural allowance for the mistreatment of women? Can it also mean we’re less likely to treat them as the valued colleagues and business people that they are?

These are the things we should think about while we wonder which will be the next shoe to drop. Because it will. The real question is, how does the industry react when it does? From the top of the biggest companies to the smallest brands, maybe it’s time to really check ourselves, to think about what we do, what we allow, what we enable, what we encourage – without thinking at all.

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PUBLISHER’S TOAST

BY BARRY NATHANSON

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www.bevnet.com/magazine Barry J. Nathanson PUBLISHER bnathanson@bevnet.com

Tale of Two Cities

Jeffrey Klineman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jklineman@bevnet.com

It was the best of shows, it was the not-best of shows. And our entire BevNET team is just catching its collective breath from the frenetic pace of attending and reporting on them, the two major fall trade shows, Natural Products Expo East and NACS. These two events are highlights of the beverage calendar year and set the tone for buyers forging ahead into 2018. The initiatives introduced and displayed by the marketers on the trade show floors represent what suppliers believe should be the products adorning the shelves of retailers across several key channels. Fall is usually the best time to launch brands as it coincides with the planning cycle for portfolios, planograms and shelf set execution. Needless to say, the timing of these shows is crucial to the success or failure of beverage marketers.

While the intent of both shows is similar, the contrasts couldn’t be more disparate. Expo East, situated in Baltimore, has become a strong younger sibling to the juggernaut Expo West. It has grown in stature, attendance and importance to the industry, and the excitement on the floor was palpable. I was so impressed with the array of products offered there. There were so many categories on display that it made my head spin: cold brewed coffees, bone broths, juices, natural energy drinks, coconut waters, chia drinks and other functional beverages, waters of every ilk, kombuchas, teas and dozens of other types filled the halls. Each was as exciting as the next. With about 180 beverage companies exhibiting, bannering hundreds of brands, the creativity of beverage marketers was in full flight. The show highlights the natural and organic brands– the industry and the consumer is heading. At Expo East the future is now. The halls were packed and I heard nary a disparaging word from all my exhibitor friends. Everyone thought the show was a home run.

Three weeks later, we headed to Chicago for NACS. I’ve been attending NACS for 25 years now. It was once a fledgling show, but it has evolved into a major trade event. I have a special spot in my heart 6 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Ray Latif MANAGING EDITOR rlatif@bevnet.com Martín Caballero ASSISTANT EDITOR mcaballero@bevnet.com Brad Avery REPORTER bavery@bevnet.com Chris Furnari BREWBOUND EDITOR cfurnari@bevnet.com Justin Kendall BREWBOUND ASSISTANT EDITOR jkendall@bevnet.com Carol Ortenberg PROJECT NOSH EDITOR cortenberg@bevnet.com Meagan McGinnes PROJECT NOSH SENIOR REPORTER mmcginnes@bevnet.com

SALES

John McKenna DIRECTOR OF SALES jmckenna@bevnet.com Adam Stern SENIOR ACCOUNT SPECIALIST astern@bevnet.com John Fischer ACCOUNT SPECIALIST jfischer@bevnet.com Jon Landis SENIOR BRAND SPECIALIST jlandis@bevnet.com Anthony Ferranti SALES & MARKETING ADMIN aferranti@bevnet.com

ART & PRODUCTION

Matthew Kennedy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Willette SENIOR DESIGNER Nathan Brescia PHOTOGRAPHER

for NACS, and what has happened there hurts a little bit. First, the number of beverage exhibitors was half that of Expo East. But even more concerning, most of the creativity I witnessed in Baltimore was not present in Chicago. Since it’s a convenience store show, I knew that I wouldn’t see the plethora of brands, and that proved to be the case, but even worse was that, to look at the beverage offerings that were there, you would not know about categories generating all the excitement.

Even a lot of the exciting brands that are now owned by the big guys were rolled into their gigantic booths, diminishing their impact. The crossover between the two shows were around 50 exhibitor companies. The variety just wasn’t there. More important, the attendance was down, the aisles were never packed, and the marketers did share disparaging words with me.

I hope it was an aberration and being in Vegas again will generate the excitement that has always personified NACS. I love attending both shows, seeing old friends and making new ones. They serve the industry well, but I left Baltimore exhilarated, and Chicago deflated.

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John F. (Jack) Craven CHAIRMAN jfcraven@bevnet.com John Craven CEO & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR jcraven@bevnet.com

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BEVSCAPE

THE LATEST BEVERAGE BRAND NEWS

Digital Means Major Buying Power Digitally connected consumers hold more of the food and beverage industry’s buying power than ever before – literally.

According to a report compiled by food and beverage packaging leader Tetra Pak, more than half of all in-store purchases today are influenced by digital channels, many of which are being accessed via smartphones. Digital accounts for 65 percent of media time for the average global consumer, and 72 percent for the most active users.

Among smartphone users, nine out of 10 said they’ve used their phone in stores, including grocery, with eight out of 10 saying this use has influenced an eventual purchase. While some of these users are looking to search engines or directly on brands’ websites, many are looking to so-

cial media and key influencers for reviews and insights into what food and beverages to buy. For food and beverage companies specifically, this means by targeting one subset of hyper-focused consumers, they can potentially reach an exponentially greater audience in a more authentic way.

For a CPG brand looking to connect via social media, a one-way conversation of promotional posts is not enough for today’s consumers who want a relationship that goes both ways. About 95 percent of plugged-in consumers write reviews about brands and really want a way to share their opinions about products. And the most active “super leaders” (roughly seven percent of the online population) regularly create content that can influence both in-store and online purchases, the report finds.

8 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Just under 80 percent of global super leaders think interacting with food and beverage brands on social media not only “significantly improves” their opinions of brands, but also greatly improves their likelihood of making a purchase from them. These users then share their findings to thousands of social media followers who, thanks to smart phones, tablets, watches and other devices in the like, are always plugged in and online.

A majority of interactions between U.S.-based food and beverage brands and these “super leaders,” or about 78 percent, are happening through Facebook.

Across all platforms, of the time they spend online, super leaders are reading reviews and ratings to seek out new food

and beverage products (62 percent), juice and beverage reviews (59 percent), and dairy alternatives (50 percent).

Tetra Pak suggests that food companies can use these findings to create strategies to effectively connect with brand influencers, whether by creating a story about the brand or by practicing consistent and authentic communication. Brands like protein ice cream maker Proyo and nut butter maker Wild Friends have previously announced efforts to ramp up digital marketing strategies by utilizing influencers to gain brand recognition among consumers. The feedback not only helps with distribution strategies, but also future product innovations because the brand is able to see how consumers are eating their food.

Bhakti Secures $5 million-plus

Chai tea brand Bhakti has secured a $5.1 million Series B round of funding led by strategic investment firm Cleveland Avenue.

“We are truly thrilled to welcome Cleveland Avenue and our other new investor to the Bhakti tribe,” said Bhakti CEO Sarah Bird in a press release. “They bring incredible expertise and will be tremendous strategic partners as we continue to build this brand.”

Bhakti, based in Boulder, Colo., markets a variety of ready-to-drink chai teas and tea concentrates that are sold nationwide at natural and conventional retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts and Target.

The company had previously raised $4 million in Series A funding led by the Colorado Impact Fund in 2015.

Cleveland Avenue, founded by former McDonald’s Corporation president and CEO Don Thompson, targets strategic investments in innovative food and beverage brands, including maple water producer DrinkMAPLE. Bird said that the funding would be used to focus on innovation, stemming from a revamp of Bhakti’s current offerings.

“We are going to taking some of our current products and optimizing them to be more on-trend,” she said.

The funding will also support new staffing and distribution into new retail channels, specifically conventional grocery.

Google Reports on Beverage Trends: Touts Cold Brew, Earthy Flavors Google released its first ever beverage trends report recently, drawing on its vast data collection and analysis resources to present a deep dive into the factors fueling non-alcoholic drinks in the U.S., United Kingdom, Mexico and Spain.

The 62-page report was compiled by analyzing Google Search data, pulling top volume queries related to beverage and examining their monthly volume from April 2015 to March 2017.

Google also looked at activity on YouTube, focusing on how beverages are talked about within top trend-related videos, as well as speaking with over 1,000 consumers about how some of the prevalent trends are affecting them.

The report identifies three key beverage trends, the first being the rising value of craft production processes, as exemplified by cold brew coffee, which was the top trending process-led beverage in the U.S. and UK when ranked by volume of searches.

Google’s data revealed that consumers “see cold brewing as a process that enhances and elevates their beverage experience”.

Of the top 100 cold brew videos across all markets, YouTube influencers most frequently used language like “smooth,” “bitterness,” “chocolatey” and “sweetness” to describe the beverage.

Consumers also showed strong interest in the DIY nature of making cold brew at home. In terms of RTD cold brew, data showed that searches for cold brew retail brands spike at around 2 p.m., but consumers are more likely to make their own cold brew at home around 8 p.m., showcasing consumers’ shifting preferences based on use occasion.

Earthy flavors were another notable trend based on the report.

In the U.S. and UK, kombucha ranked at the top of trending earthy flavors based on volume of searches, while matcha tea and ginger tea were the most popular in Spain and Mexico, respectively. Matcha in particular enjoyed a breakout year in 2016: the volume of search queries for matcha drinks continue to grow at a rate of 64 percent year over year, while foods that utilize the tea as an ingredient are growing 62 percent year over year. Matcha’s combination of rich, distinct flavor and strong health benefits made it particularly appealing, according to the report.

FRESH Thinking Discover how our beverage ingredients are fuelling the flavors of the future Visit treatt.com or follow us @treattworld 9

NOSHSCAPE

For more stories, check out ProjectNOSH.com

THE LATEST FOOD BRAND NEWS

Why CPG Leaders Want to Standardize ‘Use By’ Labels Every year, $940 billion worth of food is wasted globally – but some of food’s biggest players think that number can be greatly reduced if they can agree on a two word phrase.

That’s the current goal of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a global industry network made up of 400 retailers, manufacturers and service providers, including Walmart, the Kellogg Company and Campbell Soup Company. The group announced recently that it’s looking to trash current expiration date labels to help reduce food waste not only within the U.S. but around the world. Why? Because consumers throw away billions in food simply because they’re confused about the unstandardized language used to convey the shelf life of a product.

CGF’s new initiative aims to homogenize date coding on” labels by committing to a new standardized system that will stop the intermittent use of “sell by,” “use by,” “display until,” and “best before.” Instead the group proposes that brands switch to “use by” or “best if used by” dates exclusively within the next two years.

Now agreed upon by all members of the CGF, the standardized labels will initially roll out in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan.

“By standardising food labels, [CGF] and its members believe we can make things much clearer, demonstrating clearly when a product is no longer fit for consumption,” Ignacio Gavilan, director of environmental sustainability at CGF, told NOSH. “In some countries, it’s not always clear whether the date marked on a product relates to safety or quality, meaning that food can be thrown out when it’s perfectly suitable for consumption. That’s why we’re calling for uniformity across the

10 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

world – and our members, including food giants like Mars, Unilever, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Nestlé, are fully supportive.”

The announcement builds on existing efforts launched earlier this year by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. It also supports the U.S.’s 2015 commitment to reduce food loss and waste by half by the year 2030, and follows a recommendation from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to use the term “best if used by” in their date coding.

Kris Charles, Kellogg Company spokesperson, told NOSH the global food brand is backing the initiative because it aligns with the company’s commitment to addressing “the critical issues of climate and food security.”

“Label confusion has an enormous cost in food insecurity, environmental degradation, increased GHG, and an enormous cost to consumers’ pocket books. An estimated $29 billion (USD) in unnecessary

food waste occurs at the consumer level, costing each person about $90 annually,” Charles said. “By simplifying and harmonizing food date labels in markets around the globe, we will help end consumer confusion about the safety and quality of their food, and make a significant contribution to reducing food waste.”

The date label shift also aligns with another consumer trend: transparency.

By better reflecting a product’s true shelf life, Katherine Neebe, director of sustainability for Walmart, noted consumers will have more accurate insight into their food’s safety.

Though the impact of the new labeling has the potential to be momentous for food security, Gavilan said the shift won’t be without its challenges. Brands may have to work with local officials to ascertain how to meet local labeling regulations while still using the new suggested date coding.

Gavilan noted that some brands have expressed concern that the new codes might open the door to “liability issues.” However, the FDA does not currently have standardized date coding rules, except for infant formula and food, and as such, liability laws will remain the same. He added that he expects that, in some places, uniformity in labelling may improve food safety since statements of quality will be more clearly expressed.

While brands will notice some changes, the real test will be for retailers who may need to train both staff on how to interpret dates and how to best explain the new labels to consumers when asked.

“Language should be as simple as possible. The food industry should be aiming for total transparency, minimising the risk of consumers becoming confused,” he said.

BREWSCAPE

THE LATEST CRAFT BEER BRAND NEWS

Brewers Association Targets A-B InBev in New Media Offensive Call it “craft versus crafty part deux.”

In an effort to reignite its 2012 fight with “big beer,” the Brewers Association – a national trade group representing the interests of America’s small and independent brewers – has unveiled a faux crowdfunding campaign that aims to “buy” the world’s largest beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, for $213 billion.

The crowdfunding campaign, as well as the $10, $50, $100 and $1,000 pledges aren’t real, but the intent of the media offensive is.

“It’s a tongue-in-cheek campaign about a serious message,” Julia Herz, the BA’s craft beer program director, told Brewbound. “We are trying to bring awareness to the fact that there are a lot of different brewers – big and small – and if you care about supporting small brewery businesses, then you should ‘take craft back.’”

The launch of the “Take Craft Back” campaign was anchored by a 3-minute, Dollar Shave Club-esque video that features an actor – “Andy” – walking through Boulder’s Upslope Brewing Company, asking viewers what comes to mind when they think of “craft beer” and extolling craft breweries’ contribution to society.

“You think of breweries, like this one, reviving old neighborhoods, creating culture, putting people to work, doing something for America, apart from just putting the word on a can,” the actor says, jabbing A-B for its relabeled Budweiser “America” packages.

The actor goes on to claim that “Big Beer’s” craft brewery acquisitions – A-B, MillerCoors, Heineken and Constellation Brands have combined to pur-

chase fewer than 20 craft beer companies since 2011 – will limit consumer choice at “local bars, stores and restaurants.”

“Big beer wants to rob you of the power of choice,” he says.

The video, which the BA created together with its creative agency, The Sterling-Rice Group, also claims that “big

anced as it should be.”

“As ‘big beer’s’ craft brands continue to grow, some independent brands are having slower growth,” she told Brewbound, blaming decelerating craft sales on companies like A-B InBev and MillerCoors, who can leverage their established distribution networks to

beer” is trying to “bleed the passion out of the independent craft brewing culture forever.”

According to Herz, the goal of the new initiative, which can be viewed at takecraftback. com, is twofold: First, the BA hopes to “raise awareness” for more than 5,700 small and independent breweries now competing in a crowded marketplace that organization executives believe is “not as bal-

earn valuable on- and offpremise retail placements.

“Beer lovers that want to pay attention, and support the businesses behind those purchases, should know that 98 percent of the breweries in the U.S. are small and independent, but they have less than 13 percent market share by volume,” she added.

Second, the BA hopes to draw attention to what it calls

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an “illusion of choice” while simultaneously promoting its recently introduced independent craft brewer seal.

“As big beer has gotten into the full flavored beer movement, and presented themselves as craft brewers, the illusion of choice is showing,” she said.

“There is no denying that the illusion of choice is strong right now, and we don’t want it to become a marketplace reality.”

In response to the launch of the campaign, A-B InBev spokeswoman Gemma Hart sent the following statement to Brewbound.

“We can take a joke,” she wrote. “While the fake money for this campaign ‘piles’ up, we will keep focusing our donations on giving back to communities across our country.

We’re proud of the more than 2.8 million cans of emergency drinking water we’ve donated in 2017, with more than two million of those cans going out to Texas, Puerto Rico, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern California during the past month alone. As a company, with 18,000 U.S. employees and together with our craft partners, we’ve given more than $13 million to worthy causes this year. That’s a campaign worth celebrating in my book!”

But at least one BA member, who asked not to be named, wrote an unsolicited email to Brewbound criticizing the effort, calling it “embarrassing” and “gimmicky.”

“This sort of campaign is diluting the BA’s initiatives,” the emailer wrote. “Rather than spend time on marketing campaigns like this that pander to the casual small brewer, the BA should spend time on programming that actually educates the community.”

For more stories, check out Brewbound.com

Pabst Hires New CMO, Reshapes Role Pabst Brewing Company has announced the appointment of a new chief marketing officer to oversee its entire portfolio of heritage, craft, import, cider and flavored malt beverage brands. It’s part of an ongoing executive shakeup.

Matt Bruhn, who most recently served as the CMO for GWA Group Limited, an Australian supplier of building fixtures and fittings, took over as CMO of Pabst in October.

He supplanted former CMO Dan McHugh, who was responsible for marketing the company’s heritage and local legends brands – like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lone Star and Old Style – and not more “innovative” offerings, like Small Town Brewery’s Not Your Father’s Root Beer, or products produced by the company’s craft and import beer partners.

McHugh had served as Pabst’s CMO since March of 2012, 2 1/2 years before

entrepreneur Eugene Kashper teamed up with private equity firm TSG Consumer

Partners to purchase the 173-year old company.

Bruhn has experience in the beverage alcohol segment, having previously worked with Diageo Plc. for seven years, eventually rising to become that company’s global brand director for Smirnoff.

The CMO shakeup comes just five months after eight key employees were terminated, including chief growth officer Rich Pascucci, who recently joined Monkey Rum maker Evolution Spirits.

Additionally, at least two other top executives have also departed the company in the last three months.

Chief strategy officer Chris Barrow left the organization in July and regional vice president Terry Hopper, who joined Pabst after the company signed a marketing and distribution agreement with Vermont Hard Cider, where he was a VP, resigned earlier in the summer.

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NEW PRODUCTS

THE NEWEST BEVERAGE OPTIONS

PLANT-BASED WATERS Treo, a brand of organic birch-water infused fruit beverages, has introduced three new flavors: Raspberry Lemonade, Kiwi Watermelon and Orange Apricot. Treo infuses hand-tapped birch water from birch trees in mountainside Vermont into a blend of organic juices, fruit flavors and natural sweeteners, with only 1g of sugar and 10 calories per serving. The beverages contain naturally occurring micronutrients including minerals and electrolytes. Each variety is USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, vegan, gluten-free, kosher and caffeine-free. The brand is sold in more than 5,500 stores including major retailers such as Wegmans, Albertson’s Safeway, Stop & Shop, Giant, ShopRite, Acme, Fairway, and Jewel Osco. The drinks have a suggested retail price of $2.99 for a 16 oz. bottle. For more information, please call Treo at (914) 341-1850.

Green-Go has introduced a zero-calorie USDA Organic cactus water derived from the nutrientrich paddle of the Nopal cactus. It comes in a single flavor – Hint of Lemon – and is packaged in a 16.9 oz. Tetra Pak carton. It has a suggested retail price of $2.99. For more information, please call Green-Go at (707) 944-2039.

WATER KOPU is new premium sparkling water brand.

The water is sourced from ancient aquifers thousands of feet below dormant volcanoes of New Zealand’s pristine Bay of Plenty. Packaged in resealable aluminum bottles, it is currently available in gourmet grocers in Santa Barbara, Malibu, Brentwood, Venice and Hollywood and has a suggested retail price of $2.79 per 12 oz. bottle. For more information, please call The Kopu Water Company at (855) 787-8953.

AriZona Beverages has launched AriZona Sparkling, a new line of zero-calorie, flavored sparkling mineral waters. Available in five varieties – Strawberry, Pineapple Coconut, Orange Grapefruit, Lemon Lime and Black Raspberry – the drinks contain no calories or sweeteners. They are available in the New York metro area and have a suggested retail price of $4.99-$5.99 for an 8-pack of 12 oz. cans. Like all AriZona Beverages the waters contains no artificial flavors, colors or 14 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

preservatives. For more information, please call AriZona Beverages at (708) 410-2877.

Icelandic Glacial has introduced a new plastic bottle option for its sparkling water line. The 500 mL PET bottle has a suggested retail price of $1.49-$1.99 and is sold nationally. The premium natural spring water is sourced from Iceland’s Ölfus Spring and carbonated. For more information, please call Icelandic Glacial at (354) 412-2100.

TEA Argo Tea has launched a new line of ready-todrink cold brewed, single-estate bottled teas. The line comes in three varieties: First Flush Darjeeling, First Flush Gyokuro and Armenian Mint.

The teas are USDA Organic certified, Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, vegan and kosher. To enhance the natural character of each tea, Argo adds a hint of fair trade pure cane sugar to each flavor. All three flavors are bottled in Argo Tea’s custom 13.5 oz. glass bottle and have a suggested retail price of $2.49-$2.69. They are sold nationally at Whole Foods. For more information, please call Argo Tea at (312) 553-1550.

SMOOTHIES Chia beverage pioneer Mamma Chia has introduced a new line of smoothies. The company’s Organic Chia Protein Smoothies combine organic ground chia seeds with organic fruit purees and organic coconut cream. Available in four 10 oz. varieties, including Super Berry, Dark Cherry, Island Mango and Cool Watermelon, the beverages contain 180 calories, 9g of sugar, 1000mg Omega-3s, 12g of plant-based protein and 4g of MCTs. They are USDA certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. They have a suggested retail price of $3.99. For more information, please call Mamma Chia at (760) 624-8883.

DAIRY ALTERNATIVES Bolthouse Farms has launched a new dairy alternative milk. Bolthouse Farm Plant Protein Milk contains 10 grams of pea protein per 8 oz. serving and has 50 percent more calcium than dairy milk, according to the manufacturer. It is

NEW PRODUCTS available in four flavors – Unsweetened, Original, Vanilla and Chocolate – and packaged in a multi-serve 48 oz. bottle with a suggested retail price of $4.99. The product is sold in the dairy case at retailers including Kroger, Safeway East and Shaw’s. For more information, please call Bolthouse Farms at (708) 482-1900.

JUICE So Good So You has launched a line of refrigerated, certified organic, non-GMO verified, vegan juice shots. The 1.7 oz. shots come in five varieties, each named for a functional benefit: Immunity, Longevity, Digestion, Detox and Endurance. They’re made with cold-pressed, raw vegetables, fruits, spices, and specialty ingredients, including blue-green algae, raw honey and apple cider vinegar. Each contains 1 billion CFUs of vegan probiotics. The shots undergo high pressure processing and have a suggested retail price of $3.99. They are available in natural food stores and select Target locations nationwide. For more information, please call So Good So You at (612) 354-2779.

DRINKING VINEGARS Vermont Village has introduced a new line of drinking vinegars in 8 oz. bottles. Crafted in small batches, the company’s Raw Apple Sipping Vinegars are made using organic ingredients, organic honey and raw, unfiltered apple cider. The are available in four flavors: Blueberries & Honey, Turmeric & Honey, Cranberries & Honey, and Ginger & Honey. Each bottle contains eight servings and has a suggested retail price of $4.99. They are sold at Walmart locations nationwide. For more information, please call Vermont Village at (802) 479-2558.

COFFEE Wandering Bear Coffee has launched a singleserve variety of its cold brew coffee. Packaged in an 11 oz. Tetra Pak carton, the coffee is USDA certified organic, Fair Trade Certified and contains 25mg of caffeine per ounce. The product is available at Target stores throughout the Northeast and at hundreds of independent retailers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for a suggested retail price of $3.99. For more information, please call Wandering Bear at (404) 725-7283.

16 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

ENERGY SHOTS Forto has added two reduced caffeine SKUs to its line of organic cold brew coffee shots: Pure Black Espresso and Hershey’s Chocolate, a cobranded release developed in partnership with The Hershey Company. Each contains 100mg of caffeine per 2 oz. bottle. The products are USDA Certified Organic and made with Fair Trade Certified coffee. Forto has a suggested retail price of $2.99 and is sold in over 20,000 locations nationwide. For more information, please call Dyla Brands at (844) 450-7575.

COCKTAIL MIXERS Premium soda maker Mixwell has released a new soda water. Mixwell Sparkling Soda is the brand’s fourth SKU, addressing increased request for a calorie free, multi-functional mixer, according to the manufacturer. The product is available at all Target stores in California and Nevada and has a suggested retail price of $1.99 per 12 oz. can. For more information, please call Mixwell at (646) 896-4081.

GINGER BEER Farmer Willie’s Craft Ginger Beer has launched an Extra Ginger variety the second product in its alcoholic ginger beer portfolio. Available throughout the fall and winter, each batch of is made with over two tons of fresh ginger. The product shares the same base recipe of fresh cold-pressed ginger, ginger purée, cane sugar, lemon juice, molasses and nutmeg as the brand’s session ginger beer. It is 4.5 percent ABV and available in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans for a suggested retail price of $8.99. It’s distributed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For more information, please call Marlo Marketing at (617) 375-9700.

WINE Chloe Wine Collection has expanded its portfolio of premium wines with the introduction of a single-vineyard Merlot, crafted using grapes grown exclusively in the San Lucas Estate Vineyard in Monterey County. Barrel aged for 12 months in 50 percent new French and American oak, the wine features flavors of fresh-picked blackberries, black cherry and plum along with delicate notes

NEW PRODUCTS of vanilla, mocha and spice, according to the winery. The Merlot has a suggested retail price of $23 and is sold at select retailers nationally. For more information, please call Chloe at (844) 296-5864.

Imagery Estate Winery has launched a nationallyavailable collection of California appellated wines.

The new collection seeks to broaden consumers’ palates by blending unique varietals with each of the four wines – Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 20 percent Muscat, the Chardonnay with 5 percent Chenin Blanc, the Pinot Noir with 10 percent Petit Verdot and the Cabernet Sauvignon with 15 percent Petite Sirah. The wines have a suggested retail price of $19.99 per 750 mL bottle and are sold at select retailers. For more information, please call Imagery at (800) 989-8890.

90+ Cellars, which curates wines from highlyacclaimed vineyards and wineries around the world, and bottles those wines under its own labels for less. has released its 150th unique wine from a specific winery and region. The limited release Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the most respected producers in the highly-regarded and historic Spring Mountain District in Napa Valley, California. The wine sells for nearly $80 under the source label, whereas 90+ Cellars is offering the wine for $40 under its own label. 90+ Cellars Lot 150 is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

The wine sees 22 months of oak aging in French Oak before being bottled. This special Napa Cabernet is full-bodied and dense with rich black currant and dark chocolate aromas mixed with subtler flavors of mint, anise and savory spice.

The wine is available for a limited time in retail locations in 15 states where 90+ Cellars wines are sold, and is also available for purchase online with direct shipping to more than 30 states nationwide. For more information, please call Latitude Beverage Co. at (617) 396-8220.

Stave & Steel has debuted its inaugural wine, a 100 percent bourbon barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is made with grapes from California’s Central Coast and aged in the barrels for four months. This process infused subtle characteristics of bourbon into each barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in a smooth, full-bodied wine with bold fruit flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and plum, and influences of vanilla, caramel and spice, according to the winery. It is now available at a variety of retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $21. For more information, please call The Wine Group at (925) 456-2500.

18 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

WHISKEY MGP Ingredients has launched its first reserve bourbon. Named after the legendary “King of the Bootleggers,” George Remus Repeal Reserve is crafted at MGP’s historic, 170-year-old distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ind. The whiskey is a high rye style that allows the distillery team to experiment with their various mash bills and reserves of aged bourbon. It is a medley of two mash bills from 2005 and 2006 and bottled at 94 proof. Packaged in an art deco style bottle, the bourbon has a suggested retail price of $74.99 per 750 mL bottle and will be available in limited quantities throughout Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin. For more information, please call (913) 367-1480.

Highland Park has introduced the newest addition to its core range: MAGNUS. Exclusive to the U.S. and Canada, the expression celebrates the distillery’s founder Magnus Eunson, a butcher and church officer by day, and bootlegger by night.

Eunson was a direct descendant of the Vikings who settled on Orkney hundreds of years ago. The label design was created in the decorative Viking art style called Urnes, which complements the recently redesigned 12- and 18-year-old packaging. The design harks back to Viking storytelling and features the legend of a lion locked in battle with the forces of evil in the form of serpent-like dragons. The whisky is available in specialty spirits retailers and bars and has a suggested retail price of $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call M Booth at (212) 481-7000.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky brand Speyburn has added a new limited release expression to its portfolio: the 15 Years Old. The whisky is created using fresh spring water from the Granty Burn and a major tributary of the River Spey. The expression has been matured in American oak and Spanish oak casks. Just 3,500 cases of the Speyburn 15 Years Old will be made available from the distillery annually. The selection is bottled at 46 percent ABV and is offered as a limited release in the U.S. at a suggested retail price of $65 per 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call 375 Park Avenue Spirits at (631) 991-3618.

Deerhammer Distilling has launched its Port Cask Finish American Single Malt. The whiskey is the first extension of the distillery’s flagship American Single Malt, aged for a total of three

years both in oak and port wine barrels. A selection of Deerhammer’s finest two-year matured, American Single Malt Whiskey was selected and transferred to ex-port wine casks for an additional year of maturation time. The results are characterized through nuanced flavors of dark fruit, caramel, and tannins, which enhance the complexity of the mainstay whiskey, according to the distillery. lt is available in liquor stores across Colorado’s Front Range and retails for $50 per 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Deerhammer at (719) 395-9464.

TEQUILLA Patrón Extra Añejo is the first new addition to Patrón’s core range of tequilas in 25 years.

The spirit is crafted from 100 percent Weber Blue Agave and distilled using the ancient tahona process and the more modern roller mill method. It is aged for more than three years in a combination of new and used American, French and Hungarian oak barrels to impart an aroma and taste of dry fruits, banana, honey, and va-

nilla, together with the distinctive flavor of light agave and oak. It is packaged in the same iconic bottle as Patrón’s other core tequilas, handnumbered and hand-labeled to ensure quality.

It is available at fine spirits and liquor retailers across the country for a suggested retail price of $89.99 per 750 mL. For more information, please call Patrón Spirits at (702) 262-9446.

Beam Suntory has extended its Hornitos Tequila brand with Hornitos Cristalino, a 100 percent blue agave tequila. It is a triple-distilled añejo tequila, aged at least 12 months in traditional American white oak casks, before undergoing a unique process that filters and gently stirs the spirit. The process uncovers the herbal, fresh, agave forward notes typical of a Plata tequila and maintains the complex character and sweetness derived from barrel-aging, according to the distiller. The final product produces honey and floral notes, with distinct vanilla and butterscotch flavors wrapped in toasted wood. The tequila is 80 proof and available for a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle. For more information, please call Beam Suntory at (312) 964-6999.

K I L L CL I F F ® SU P P OR T S SER V IC E MEMBER S, V ET ER AN S, AN D T HEIR FA M I LI E S A S A P R O U D PA R T N ER O F T HE N AV Y SEAL F O UN DAT IO N .

19

CHANNEL CHECK WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORY: Refrigerated Kefir While the dairy case is showing wild swings, mostly due to non-animal based products, the Kefir category keeps plodding along. This fermented yogurt drink is a small category with growing awareness, yet it’s still really dominated by one national brand, Lifeway. As other drinkable yogurts and high-protein shakes come into the case, look for more innovation in the category in 2018.

RFG KEFIR BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs.YEAR EARLIER

Lifeway

$93,136,867

2.9%

The Greek Gods

$5,662,515

-19.9%

Private Label

$5,213,714

26.7%

Fresh Made

$2,629,260

4.3%

Wallaby Organic

$1,991,494

87.2%

Clover Organic Farms

$1,481,875

-5.5%

All Green Valley Organics

$1,066,143

6.7%

Other Elmhurst Dairy Inc

$989,762

-47.9%

Nancys

$939,554

-13.9%

Other B&I Overseas Trdg Inc

$897,083

88.6%

Helios

$750,998

-61.8%

All Maple Hill Creamery

$707,331

116.1%

All Best Of Farms LLC

$234,676

-1.3%

Four Seasons

$198,926

2126.9%

All Rye Fresh Inc

$134,575

80.3%

All Organic Pastures Dairy

$74,187

3.6%

Forager

$58,617

N/A

All Grace Harbor Farms

$54,059

-31.0%

All N&B LLC

$33,367

-13.6%

Five Acre Farms

$26,842

19.9%

TOPLINE CATEGORY VOLUME Beer

Energy Drinks

$12,149,723,136

1.72%

-0.39%

Tea/Coffee

$1,592,299,776

11.27%

6.31%

Drink Mixes

$841,620,864

-2.49%

$34,205,720,514

0.9%

Bottled Juices

$7,153,567,744

Bottled Water

$15,501,452,288

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 9/10/17

20 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

T R A N S F O R M Y O U R WAT E R . T R A N S F O R M Y O U R L I F E S T Y L E

INTRODUCING

Raspberry Yerba Mate

• • • •

ZERO CALORIES NO SUGAR NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS REAL BREWED TEA

Antioxidants rapidly degrade in traditional bottled tea.

Not with Tea of a Kind™! The tea and yerba mate are stored and protected in the pressurized Vessl™ cap.

Opening the bottle activates the Vessl™ infusion, and instantly transforms your water into real brewed Tea of a Kind™.

#TOAK

teaofakind.com

CHANNEL CHECK BOTTLED WATER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

Private Label

$2,564,429,312

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER 7.43%

Dasani

$1,088,758,400

-0.93%

Aquafina

$1,087,441,280

2.63%

Nestle Pure Life

$913,222,784

1.69%

Glaceau Smart Water

$827,153,664

-3.69%

Poland Spring

$685,255,936

0.16%

Glaceau Vitamin Water

$493,978,624

-1.10%

Fiji

$432,934,496

17.56%

Deer Park

$411,490,752

-4.92%

Ozarka

$372,216,384

10.92%

IMPORT BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

Corona

$2,065,090,323

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER 7.4%

Modelo

$1,549,027,602

23.3%

Heineken

$806,063,579

1.2%

Dos Equis XX

$387,243,215

3.9%

Stella Artois

$360,083,784

13.9%

Tecate

$225,747,543

1.5%

Labatt

$165,088,461

-1.8%

Guinness

$140,936,281

-1.0%

Pacifico

$108,821,041

24.3%

Fosters

$74,777,836

3.6%

TEA BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Lipton Pure Leaf

$624,669,184

5.02%

AriZona

$610,380,928

-6.91%

Gold Peak

$375,431,200

19.36%

Lipton Brisk

$352,208,000

4.49%

Lipton

$299,157,792

-5.89%

Snapple

$221,797,584

-1.53%

Lipton Diet

$185,722,208

-4.68%

Diet Snapple

$162,514,896

-7.03%

AriZona Arnold Palmer

$129,892,984

-6.49%

Peace Tea

$68,070,208

24.54%

CAPPUCINO/ICED COFFEE DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Starbucks Frappuccino

BRAND

$1,106,359,808

2.07%

Starbucks Doubleshot

$655,504,704

8.11%

Coca Cola Dunkin Donuts

$106,609,280

N/A

Starbucks

$52,080,856

-13.47% 591.16%

Private Label

$38,232,844

Starbucks Doubleshot Light

$29,502,610

29.61%

High Brew

$17,579,814

115.01%

Starbucks Cold Brew

$14,967,809

N/A

Starbucks Frappuccino Light

$5,721,347

-21.06%

La Colombe

$4,342,917

N/A

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 9/10/17

22 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

ENERGY DRINKS BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Red Bull

$2,905,042,688

-0.88%

Monster Energy

$1,563,084,160

3.68%

Red Bull Sugar Free

$724,176,128

1.50%

Monster Energy Zero Ultra

$585,615,680

16.87%

NOS

$430,905,376

4.25%

Java Monster

$358,257,792

-12.64%

Monster Rehab

$309,680,320

-1.40%

Monster Energy Lo Carb

$300,956,096

-2.75%

Red Bull The Summer Edition

$248,481,792

-11.12%

Monster Mega Energy

$244,961,392

-0.81%

DOMESTIC BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Bud

$7,818,788,126

-4.2%

Coors

$2,636,534,831

-0.2%

Miller Lite

$2,031,631,825

-0.9%

Michelob

$1,683,048,967

22.2%

Busch

$1,523,896,093

-0.7%

Natural

$1,333,443,617

-2.6%

Bud Specialty

$696,404,712

-8.0%

Miller High Life

$470,112,778

0.8%

Keystone

$453,248,415

-0.3%

Yuengling

$380,306,590

4.0%

SPORTS DRINKS DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Gatorade Perform

BRAND

$3,077,533,184

-5.83%

Powerade ION4

$763,672,576

-2.61%

Gatorade Frost

$711,764,928

2.80%

Gatorade

$333,250,816

-2.61%

Gatorade G2 Perform

$277,193,280

-7.75%

Gatorade Fierce

$276,854,144

-12.20%

Powerade Zero ION4

$214,387,584

2.54%

Powerade

$184,131,552

-23.38%

Gatorade Flow

$119,075,744

N/A

BodyArmor

$80,865,832

185.07%

CRAFT BEER BRAND

DOLLAR SALES

CHANGE vs. YEAR EARLIER

Blue Moon

$341,435,816

0.9%

Samuel Adams

$287,114,184

-15.2%

Sierra Nevada

$246,912,985

-4.9%

New Belgium

$204,768,730

3.8%

Leinenkugel Specialty

$180,958,526

5.4%

Lagunitas

$177,190,587

13.5%

Shiner

$135,969,397

-0.7%

Shock Top

$117,399,696

-18.5%

Deschutes

$76,599,822

-2.2%

Goose Island

$74,855,812

7.7%

SOURCE: IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm (@iriworldwide) 52 Weeks through 9/10/17

23

GERRY’S INSIGHTS

BY GERRY KHERMOUCH

Loosen the Reins Back in the ancient days when I covered technology companies (I mean the early 1990s), I recall being awed by a management style at Hewlett-Packard that allowed three printer operations in three separate geographic regions to go after each other in the marketplace, dotmatrix versus inkjet versus laser. At first it struck me as a ludicrous abdication of the corporate office’s role in serving as a sort of conductor of the orchestra, masterminding a portfolio strategy that focused each operating unit on its perceived competitive advantage and drawing careful boundaries on where not to stray. I mean, how’s Brahms gonna sound if you let the

time: “If you don’t eat your own children, somebody else will anyway.” (As I recall, he later clarified that he loves children and tries to be a good father.)

For a decent stretch H-P’s strategy proved successful. If an inkjet machine can yield nearly the same quality as a laser printer at barely half the price, doesn’t that leave the user the winner? Meanwhile, it gooses the Laserjet guys into hustling more on the innovation front.

Eventually, the approach ran its course and H-P had to rein things in, and these days, of course, computer printers isn’t such a great business to be in in the first place. Still, the episode made me realize

game rather than overthinking the implications they may have for fading incumbent brands. The competitive frenzy among food and beverage companies to align with promising newcomers has stoked a FOMO factor that further is thrusting these cautions aside. And let’s not forget that brands increasingly are probing hybrid segments like coffee energy or protein water that further blur category boundaries and stoke potential portfolio conflicts. Harkening back to my experience covering H-P all those centuries ago, in technology years, I think a somewhat laissez-faire attitude is a smart way to go, at least for now, when things seem so unusually unsettled.

clarinets play the viola parts, right? (Like Stravinsky?) As I came to learn, H-P actually was pursuing an enlightened strategy, in a fluid environment where those three technologies increasingly were overlapping and the headquarters team wisely concluded it was poorly positioned to try to anticipate where things would shake out. Better to let retailers and consumers adjudicate the relative merits of these products with their dollars. As another tech executive, I think at Compaq Computer, controversially phrased it at the

that sometimes being a strong manager means being willing to let the reins loose.

I’m seeing a bit more of that attitude in the beverage business these days, as the business takes on the degree of uncertainty and disruption that has long characterized the technology sector. At a time that managers at major companies seem to recognize they don’t do so well on the innovation front, and that all of the growth in mature CPG categories is being absorbed by small startups, they seem to be tilting toward getting credible entries into the

Take PepsiCo, which has been trying to figure out a path for its plummeting Amp Energy line while also mulling a play in the emerging “healthier energy” segment that eschews the artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives and weird energy blends of conventional energy drinks. I can’t predict whether that segment finally is ready for prime time, but AnheuserBusch just made a small bet via its Hiball acquisition and big players like Monster, Rockstar and perhaps even Red Bull are analyzing whether they need to go there.

24 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

So Pepsi restaged Amp as an organic, plant-based (yerba mate) energy brand, an interesting move and one that likely doesn’t have much downside given Amp’s recent performance. Then along came Pepsi’s partner, Rockstar, with its own yerba mate brand, called Yachak. Since Pepsi is Rockstar’s main distribution partner in the U.S., it was pitched that brand, and I’m guessing there was some internal debate over whether to take it, since Rockstar went out pitching Yachak to independent distributors too, presumably to have a backup option. Lo and behold, at the NACS c-store show in October, there was Yachak, being dispensed at the Pepsi booth. Too much with the yerba mate? As I suggested, I think carrying both is a smart move. After all these years, can a conventional brand like Amp carry a better-foryou entry? Maybe not. So why not also harness the innovation smarts and creative branding offered by the Rockstar team?

I see a similar evolution unfolding at Dr Pepper Snapple Group. It wasn’t so long ago that Bai Brands – then still an independent ally of DPS – caused a bit of a kerfuffle within its distribution partner by extending into tea. After all, DPS already has a tea, and it’s important enough to be part of the corporate name. Meanwhile, DPS’ bottled water partner Core was adding an extension called Core Organic that, while different in some fundamental ways, bore a striking resemblance to Bai. That too, I heard at the time, caused an internal kerfuffle in some DPS quarters. But on DPS’ third-quarter earnings call a couple of weeks ago, its top executives were exuberantly touting their restage of the Supertea line from Bai (now a wholly owned subsidiary) even as they’re quietly getting Core Organics established in all of Core Waters’ accounts. On the same call, one exec even cited kombucha and tea as promising segments where they’re eyeing the potential of

new brands. None of this is to say they’ve lost interest in Snapple, and they were careful to emphasize that point. But they seem to recognize that Snapple is a very down-the-middle tea, and that their efforts at internal product innovation haven’t been very impressive anyway. So why not give other tea-based entries a chance to connect with consumers? If one of them shows signs of igniting, that may be the time to make some hard decisions about editing down the portfolio. To overthink portfolio conflicts now is to limit the chances of landing that breakout entry. To me, that’s a steeper downside than a bit of portfolio overlap and confusion. For big beverage players groping to land the next hot brand, this may prove to be a smart direction to take.

Longtime beverage-watcher Gerry Khermouch is executive editor of Beverage Business Insights, a twice-weekly e-newsletter covering the nonalcoholic beverage sector.

25

SHOW REVIEW

BY MARTIN CABALLERO

Expo East 2017 Natural product brands and manufacturers from across the spectrum of the industry came together in Baltimore, Md. on Sept. 13-16 for Natural Products Expo East 2017. From subtle product updates to category-disrupting innovations, this year’s expo gave attendees a chance to see and experience the latest developments in beverage firsthand, highlighted by growth in cold brew coffee, plant-based milks, juices and fermented drinks.

Some brands at Expo East focused on developing the plant-based milk category, as they position themselves to meet consumer demand for vegan-friendly and allergen-free beverages that can replace traditional dairy. Elmhurst Milked, formerly known as Elmhurst Dairy, has embraced its new identity as a plant-based beverage brand platform since transitioning out of dairy production in October 2016. The company debuted no less than six new varieties, packaged in 32 oz. cartons, at Expo East, introducing two unsweetened versions for its existing Milked Almonds and Milked Hazelnuts products, as well as two flavors of Milked Peanuts and two new whole grain-based beverages — Milked Oats and Milked Brown Rice, each with 20g of whole grains per serving.

Cashew-based beverages were particularly well represented at this year’s Expo East. Forager Project, which produces a range of plant-based foods and drinks, teased a forthcoming line of cashew and coconut milk blends positioned as a more indulgent plant-based offering. Meanwhile, ahead of a November rollout, Blueprint Organic introduced a new 16 oz. bottle for its cashew milk-based blends, which come in three varieties: the energy boosting Matcha Nut and Morning Thunder (made with cold brew coffee) joining Nut & Bolt.

Cold brew coffee’s continued ascent as a category was reflected at Expo East.

Chameleon Cold Brew unveiled an RTD line of sparkling cold brew coffee in four lightly-sweetened flavors: black, spice vanilla, citrus, and ginger. The line follows similar recent innovations into sparkling from a number of cold brew makers, including Stumptown earlier this year.

Rise Brewing Co. sampled its previously

announced Lemonade and Blood Orange flavored nitro cold brew coffee RTD line, while new launches in cold brew included lines from Java House and Rise-Up Coffee. Functional beverage brand Vim Vitae also announced a partnership with Shared Root Coffee to produce the brand’s new ready-to-drink cold brew coffee line.

In plant-based waters, DrinkMAPLE continued to look beyond its core maple water line. After launching two new products earlier this year at the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, the company showcased an additional organic maple water line extension at Expo East: Raspberry Lemon, which will be available exclusively at Whole Foods locations through December. Relative category newcomers Detoxwater and Treo Organic Birch Water Infusions each sampled new flavors joining their respective lineups, while longtime aloe vera drink maker ALO presented a new USDA Certified Organic version of its original aloe drink.

A perennial hot category at Expo East, kombucha was featured prominently once again at this year’s show as some brands continued to seek new ways to present the bubbly fermented tea to consumers. Two growing Mid-Atlantic-based kombucha brands, North Carolina-based Buchi and Washington, D.C.’s Capital Kombucha, showcased at Expo East for the first time since their recent merger. Rising Dallas/ Fort Worth-based brand Holy Kombucha showcased a new label design, while established category player KeVita poured samples of two new flavors.

Drinking vinegars were also well represented at the show. In offering 14 oz.

26 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Drinking Vinegars, the more concentrated 8 oz. Sipping Vinegars and a new line of honey sweetened apple cider vinegar shots packaged in single-serve pouches, Vermont Village has positioned its products to compete at multiple price points, formats and locations in-store at retailers.

Elsewhere, Vitox, which has long offered apple cider drinking vinegars concentrates, showcased a new pre-diluted readyto-drink format in 8 oz. glass bottles.

Evolution Fresh showcased a new line innovation called Daily Probiotics, which feature sweet flavor varieties including Date-licious Greens, Banana Date, Dark Chocolate Orange, and Mango Chai. The Complete Smoothies line, which utilizes probiotics, protein, and fiber, includes Greens, Strawberry, and Banana varieties.

All flavors are organic and use a coconut milk base. The organic lines contribute to the company’s goal of becoming 100 percent organic by 2019. On the more cutting edge of the category, Repurposed Pod presented Cacao Juice, a sweet beverage sourced from cacao pods, which the company is presenting as a juice mixer made from 100% cacao juice.

In the emerging category of probiotic beverages, Lifeway, best known for its kefir products, showcased Plantiful, a new organic pea-based protein drink made with probiotic cultures and featuring 18g of protein per serving, which is being prepped for an early 2018 launch at retail. Elsewhere, Kite Hill exhibited its new four-SKU line of probiotic drinkable almond milk yogurts, available in original, mango, berry and vanilla flavors.

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SHOW REVIEW

BY MARTIN CABALLERO

National Association of Convenience Stores Though convenience store traffic has dipped in 2017, you couldn’t tell from looking around the packed floor at this year’s National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show, held Oct. 17-20 in Chicago. Exhibitors from across the spectrum of food and beverage took over two halls of the McCormick Place for three days, showcasing a range of new products and innovations that will be rolling out to c-store coolers over the next year. BevNET was there to bring you the highlights.

COFFEE The prodigious growth of ready-to-drink coffee products – the fastest growing nonalcoholic beverage category over the past half-decade, according to Wells Fargo – was on full display at NACS 2017, as exemplified by new innovations from PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company. The two soda giants are each stockpiling an arsenal of brands and lines with distinctive offerings and use occasions as they vie for ultimate supremacy in the c-store cold coffee set.

Reps at the PepsiCo booth poured samples of two new Starbucks Frappuccino flavors, vanilla and mocha, made with almondmilk, marking the company’s first foray into using non-dairy “altmilks” in the line.

April will also see the launch of a new coffee smoothie subline for the more energyforward Starbucks Double Shot with

Almondmilk, available in Dark Chocolate Banana and Vanilla Honey Banana varieties. Starbucks Iced Lattes will see several new flavors added in February 2018, including White Chocolate Mocha, Pumpkin Spice and the rich and indulgent Molten Chocolate. The two new flavors of Starbucks Cold Brew also showed a shift towards sweeter offerings, with Black Sweetened and Vanilla with Fig and Cream both on display.

At the Coca-Cola booth, the beverage conglomerate highlighted coffee products produced under two high-profile partnerships with Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s McCafe. Next year, Dunkin’ will add a Cookies ‘n’ Cream flavor to its existing four-SKU iced coffee lineup. The McCafe Frappes, which Coke VP and GM Diane Wallace noted was a more millennial-focused and lower priced option than Dunkin’, were available for sampling as they prepare to launch next year in Caramel, Mocha and Vanilla varieties.

Monster Energy is also poised to make a bigger push into the premium coffee set with two new innovations set to launch in February 2018. With its slim black 8.4 oz. can and “triple shot” callout, Espresso Monster has a more than subtle nod towards Starbucks’ Double Shot line, offering a similar potent coffee energy boost in two flavors, Vanilla Espresso and Espresso and Cream.

28 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

In contrast, Caffe Monster is an “energy coffee” in a glass 13.7 oz. bottle that looks to compete with iced coffee lines from both Coke and Pepsi.

Other brands at NACS showcasing new coffee products included Forto Coffee Shots, which launched two new flavors, including Hershey’s Chocolate with milk, a co-branded release with the iconic confectionary company. Stok, Danone’s cold brew label, showcased a 13.7 oz. glass bottle format for its unsweetened black flavor, currently only available in a 48 oz. multiserve. Los Angeles-based brand Bowery Coffee Co. poured samples of a shelfstable cold brew line that will be launching next year.

ENERGY DRINKS Innovations in energy drinks, an evergreen staple of the convenience store beverage set, were plentiful at this year’s NACS show. Red Bull revealed Coconut Twist, the latest entry in its Summer Edition line, in a striking silver/ white can. Similar to previous Summer Edition releases, the flavor will be available as a national limited time offering April 30, 2018 through Labor Day. 5-Hour Energy, meanwhile, showcased Citrus Lemonade, which will launch in November, as the newest addition to its Extra Strength line (230 mg of caffeine per bottle). On the “regular strength”

side, the brand will launch Peach Tea, made with natural caffeine from green tea extract, in the first quarter of 2018.

Monster Beverages had a range of new energy drinks at its sprawling booth. This year, the Mutant “super soda” line will be getting a new clear, sugar-free, zero-calorie SKU called White Lightning to complement the bright green original and Red Dawn varieties. Meanwhile, Mango Loco was showcased as the newest addition to the Juice Monster energy juice line in a bright blue can stylized in the aesthetic of Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday.

SPORTS & PROTEIN DRINKS In sports drinks, BodyArmor continued to expand its set with new flavors and formats.

Pineapple Coconut was presented as the newest addition to the brand’s core 16 oz. bottled line, while two flavors from the its 20 calorie Lyte line – Blueberry Pomegranate and Orange Citrus – will be launching in 28 oz. bottles.

Meanwhile, Knockout Punch, a 28 oz. SKU cobranded with the popular mixed martial arts competition Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), will be a c-store exclusive.

Next year, Coke will launch Vitaminwater Active, a new subline positioned as direct competition for BodyArmor.

Aimed at dedicated fitness enthusiasts, all three

SKUs of Active use a coconut water base and offer naturally sourced electrolytes and antioxidants. Roar Organic, which produces an electrolyte infusion water, sampled two new flavors– Blueberry Acai and Georgia Peach – at their booth.

WATER & KOMBUCHA Bai showed a mix of consistency and change amongst its product set. An overhaul of Anti Water, the brand’s antioxidant-infused “superpurified” water line, features revamped packaging that presents the brand simply as Antioxidant Water. Meanwhile, the company’s “superteas” have also been cleaned up to more clearly indicate the product

offering, with different bands of color to distinguish among flavors. Bai Black and Bai Bubbles also saw a packaging redesign, switching from black to white cans in order to streamline the brand’s aesthetic, along with a new Bogota Blackberry Lime flavor.

In sparkling water, Norwegian premium spring water brand VOSS introduced Lime Mint as the newest SKU in its carbonated lineup, packaged in the company’s signature 12.7 oz. glass tube bottles.

Rapid hydration water Hoist had samples of its new watermelon flavor, which contains 35 calories.

Talking Rain Beverage presented two new items: Ginger Lime, a new flavor for its Sparkling Ice line that will begin rolling out to retailers in early 2018, and the new premium mineral water line Himalayan Natural.

Coke-owned coconut water brand Zico will be adding some spice to its core lineup with a mango-jalapeno flavored SKU which

will be launching early next year in 16.8 oz. bottles. Over at the Dr Pepper Snapple booth, Vita Coco showed off coconut water made with pressed coconut as its newest innovation, which aims to give consumers a more coconutforward experience with a different texture that incorporates the fruit’s fleshy meat.

Elsewhere, KeVita showcased Pineapple Peach as the newest addition to its Master Brew kombucha line. Teasing an early 2018 launch at retail, Koe is a new line of shelf-stable kombuchas that reps indicated are positioned to capture soda consumers with a more palatable, fruit flavored lineup with 5 to 10 percent juice in each.

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29

SHOW REVIEW

BY JUSTIN KENDALL

Beer Executives Address Dwindling Market Share at NBWA Convention Through September, U.S. brewers have shipped 3.5 million fewer barrels compared to last year, leading beer executives who gathered in Las Vegas last month for the National Beer Wholesalers Association convention to express a variety of concerns about current category health and the future of the beer industry.

The biggest takeaways came from Heineken USA CEO Ronald den Elzen and Anheuser-Busch CEO João Castro Neves, who both made the case for an industry-wide offensive aimed at reclaiming market share that has been lost to wine and spirits brands — companies they believe have done a better job of branding, marketing and pricing their products for an evolving consumer demographic.

JOÃO CASTRO NEVES CEO, Anheuser-Busch

RONALD den ELZEN CEO, Heineken USA

According to den Elzen, who shared some sobering statistics about category health, the beer industry has lost 35 million barrels — or 11 billion servings of beer — to wine and spirits over the last 20 years. He added that beer’s so-called “share of throat,” compared to wine and spirits, had dropped from 62 percent to “a mere 50 percent” during that same period.

“If this is not a wakeup call that we need to do something, I don’t know what is,” he told attendees.

For his part, Castro Neves traced share losses back to the mid1990s while citing three reasons for the decline: • Demographic and societal changes as younger consumers are exposed to wine and spirits when they turn legal drinking age • Innovation by wine and spirits into flavors, experiences and better packaging • The loss of traditional beer occasions, such as sporting events.

“If this trend continues on the pace that it is today, by 2030 beer will no longer have the largest share in the alcohol category,” Castro Neves warned.

The thrust of den Elzen’s and Castro Neves’ argument was 30 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

that brewers and wholesalers need to work together to regain share, and Castro Neves challenged leaders from all three tiers to find solutions for growing beer’s slice of the alcoholic beverage pie, even if that meant compromising “for the greater good.”

He argued that all brewers and wholesalers needed to band together to elevate consumer experiences with beer, while competing for more occasions and capitalizing on emerging trends.

“I stand here confident that we have the opportunity to turn it around,” he said, noting that industry thought leaders and influencers needed to continually reinforce the quality and consistency of beer.

Den Elzen echoed Castro Neves’ comments, while simultaneously calling for increased investment into the category.

DANA PERINO former White House Press Secretary

“We need to do that with the small brewers, the big brewers, the wholesalers, the retailers because we’re not going to crack this if we don’t do it together,” he said.

Market share declines were also addressed in a presentation

by CM Profit Group partner Tom Fox and NBWA chief economist Lester Jones, who both noted that beer volumes failed to increase despite a growing economy. Jones argued that millennial consumers have yet to become brand loyal due to the number of product choices available.

“They’ve just arrived,” he said. “We need to find these guys and convince them that beer is the better beverage.”

Winning back share was also a theme of incoming NBWA chairman Jim Matesich’s speech, who addressed attendees on Tuesday and allowed that the industry needs a “recharge.”

“All beer needs a jolt to convince the consumer that it should be their beverage of choice,” he said. “We need to focus more of our competitive energy on rival products, including wine and liquor. Instead of working against each other, we should work with trading partners to improve the beer category.”

Photos courtesy of NBWA

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SHOW REVIEW

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Editor’s Choice: 5 Standout Beers from the 2017 Great American Beer Festival Find the most interesting beers from a collection of nearly 4,000 offerings at the annual Great American Beer Festival (held in October)? Impossible!

Even if you could sample that many beers, trying to recall the unique aroma

and flavor attributes of the truly special ones would be hazy at best.

So this list isn’t a showcase of the “best beers” in America. In fact, none of them earned a coveted GABF medal this year.

But all of them have the one trait that

so many beer executives have sought for years: The potential to bring new drinkers into the category. That’s desperately needed, now that brewers, over the last 20 years, have collectively lost 11 billion servings of beer to wine and spirits.

5. Woods Beer Co.

4. Avery Brewing Co.

3. Almanac Beer Co.

2. Forbidden Root

1. Madtree Brewing Co.

Islay Double IPA

Ginger Sour

Passion Project

Fernetic

Joon

Want to get that scotch drinker a beer? Hand her a pour of Islay IPA from Woods Beer Co., a small but steadily expanding, taproomfocused brewing operation out of the Bay Area.

Founder Jim Woods first launched onto the craft brewing scene back in 2006 with his yerba mate-infused IPA, MateVeza. The company’s Islay IPA goes through primary fermentation in used Laphroaig barrels with Brettanomyces.

The 9.5 percent ABV double IPA has an earthy and smoky character that is sure to win over the most serious scotch drinker.

Pucker up!, This incredibly tart barrel-aged ale brewed with fresh ginger juice, part of Boulder-based Avery Brewing’s Botanicals & Barrels series, stood out among the sours at this year’s GABF. Plus: a subtle dryness made it approachable for more adventurous cocktail connoisseurs. With a little convincing, they could be tempted to reach for something a little less potent.

If you read Almanac’s description of this beer, you might be left with more questions than answers. The mad chemists over at San Francisco’s Almanac Beer coax tropical aromas and flavors out of a special “Pichia” yeast strain and pair them with a blend of brettanomyces, saccharomyces, and lactobacillus yeasts as well as ginger, grains of paradise, cedar spirals and passionfruit.

The finished product is both refreshingly tart and perfectly balanced – and aims straight for the wine drinker exploring the fringes of the craft beer space.

Last year, Chicago’s Forbidden Root convinced Italian amaro producer Fernet-Branca to collaborate on an imperial black ale that drinks so much like the spirit company’s namesake product, I’m not sure if I would want to order a shot of the real stuff ever again.

Made with 20 different botanical ingredients, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the cordial and the craft beer if you were blindfolded.

Will it get hipster mixologists in places like San Francisco and Boston, where a shot of Fernet is basically the equivalent of a secret handshake, to take beer more seriously?

This beer from Cincinnati’s Madtree Brewing Company was hands down the most unique beer I sampled. First released in 2014, Joon is Madtree’s attempt to redefine what a Kolsch can be. The beer is aged in twice-used Watershed Distillery barrels that were first filled with bourbon, then gin, and Madtree also tosses juniper berries and ginger into the mix, which adds notes of citrus and pine.

The result is a delicately balanced offering that, at 4.7 percent ABV, will appeal to beer lovers and non-beer lovers alike.

Joon is bubbly, clean, pleasantly tart and produced in limited quantities. Seek it out and share it with a friend.

32 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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THE STYLE COUNCIL The United States Association of Cider Makers shakes up the category with the release of its first stylistic guidelines.

By Jeff Cioletti

As the cider category pushes for its next growth wave, the United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) is hoping that its recently unveiled style guidelines will help producers better connect with consumers. The guidelines, the first such standards that the nearly five-year-old organization has issued, come at a time when cider makers are grappling with how to best communicate their products’ attributes to consumers—who, for the most part, are still trying to get their heads around the very concept of cider, and once-robust cider sales have begun to slow.

The document represents the first stage of USACM’s broader effort to develop a unified flavor and style lexicon to help simplify consumers’ purchasing decisions. And, while the association’s board members were able to reach a consensus on what those styles should be, not everyone across the American cider-making spectrum is completely on board with the guidelines.

Ross Brockman, co-founder of Boston’s Downeast Cider House, argues that the existence of such standards neglects the fact that the vast majority of legal-drinkingage adults barely know what cider is, much less care about stylistic classification.

“I would say that 99.9999 percent could not give less of a [care] about categories of cider,” Brockman says. “Let’s start with the basics; make good cider and then we’ll talk. We still have a long way to go in making good cider.”

Meanwhile, Joel, VandenBrink, CEO, president and founder of Seattle Cider Company doesn’t have an issue with the document’s existence per se, but he thinks it doesn’t go far enough to separate the craft and non-craft/macro sides of the business. The guidelines distinguish between two broad categories, Standard and Specialty, encompassing 10 styles overall. VandenBrink suggests a possible third category to which ciders made with fruit concentrates, high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors should be relegated. “I consider my cider craft cider,” VandenBrink says. “I don’t really consider those that use concentrates or artificial food coloring to be craft cider, personally.”

34 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

The craft-versus-macro debate, long a fixture of the beer category, has been heating up in the cider realm, especially as the industry has been trying to change the popular narrative about the category’s trajectory. The story for the past two years has been that cider seems to have hit a wall after multiple consecutive years of high double-digit growth. In 2016, total category volume was actually down by 0.8 percent, according to Nielsen CGA (though revenue was up a slight 1.2 percent.)

The top three brands by volume—Boston Beer’s Angry Orchard, Heineken’s Strongbow and Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Stella Artois Cidre—command nearly half of the category. If you remove those numbers from overall cider data, the rest of the category grew around 8 percent. The segment surged even further, well into the double digits, if you focus only on the small, local players, according to Nielsen CGA. But, the USACM guidelines aren’t about weeding out some players in favor of others. USACM board president Bruce Nissen

THEM’S THE RULES When drafting its own set of standards, USACM used guidelines established by the Great Lakes International says the document really reflects a philosophy of big-tent-inclusivity, especially since cider makers of many sizes and cider-making traditions—including the nation’s largest producer, Angry Orchard—participated in developing the standards.

“It took a lot of people with a lot of different opinions in the room for it to really come together,” says Nissen, who’s also president and CEO of LDB Beverage in Stevenson, Wash. “We’re not going to be making a judgment about what’s a ‘good cider’ versus a ‘bad cider.”

Additionally, the USACM board didn’t want to get too granular with its definitions, as it potentially could alienate casual consumers.

“My role was to say we’ve got to keep [the standards] broad and we’ve got to have representation that speaks to an average consumer,” Nissen says. “There are more complex nuances that we chose not to delve into with the first round because it wasn’t going to help us talk to consumers. We’re trying to stay away from getting too narrow because cider is still trying to figure out what it is in the U.S.” Any time an organization defines styles within a product category too rigidly, it runs the risk of stifling innovation. But does the very presence of “rules” mean producers will be more inclined to color within the lines to be true to style or does it open the door for the creation of further categories when cider makers push the boundaries?

“I don’t think these style guidelines will act as a tether for the entrepreneurial spirit that has taken over the cider industry,” offers USACM executive director Michelle McGrath. “I think, if anything, having definitions for things like hopped cider or fruit cider or sour cider may allow modern cider makers to feel a little more free. But the types of ciders that are coming out of the industry right now are changing every month and I’m not sure our style guidelines will have an impact on that one way or another.”

One needn’t look much further beyond the craft beer world for proof of that. The Brewers Association constantly is expanding the style categories in the judging competition. VandenBrink has a bit of experience in that world, as he’s also the founder of Two Beers Brewing Co. “I think people will continue to innovate until these guidelines get to the point where they’re more substantive—and even then people will innovate,” VandenBrink predicts. “I’ve been brewing beer for 10 years and 99 percent of brewers make what they want to make and if it happens to fit into a category to get into a competition to get judged, they’ll enter it. And most competitions have catch-all categories, ‘miscellaneous’ and other things, anyway.”

USACM knew that it would be nearly impossible to create a perfect set of standards that every producer would endorse whole-heartedly and insists that the guidelines are not meant to be anywhere near the final word on style classification.

“We’ve designed the guide to be a living document,” says McGrath. “There are ciders that remain to be described and we’re looking forward this to be a continuously growing document.”

Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP), as well as the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) as the jumping off point. The organization says its goal was to build off of the GLINTCAP standards and appeal not only to a wide cross-section of cider makers across the country, but to drinkers with varying levels of experience with the beverage. USACM style categories, which have been incorporated in the organization’s own Cider Certification Program (CCP) are as follows: STANDARD STYLES

•

Modern Cider: Made primarily from culinary or “table” apples, generally lower in tannins but higher in acidity

•

Heritage Cider: Made primarily from cider-specific bittersweet/bittersharp or heirloom apples, generally higher in tannins

•

Modern Perry: Pear cider made primarily from culinary or “table” pears, generally lower in tannins

•

Heritage Perry: Made from pears grown specifically for cider production, generally higher in complexity and tannins

SPECIALTY STYLES

•

Fruit Cider: Those with added non-pear, non-apple fruits (added before or after fermentation)

•

Hopped Cider: Any cider with added hops

•

Spiced Cider: Those with any combination of spices, herbs and/or botanicals (added before or after fermentation)

•

Wood-Aged Cider: Those in which the wood or barrel character is a notable component of the overall flavor profile

•

Sour Cider: Those made intentionally sour with nonstandard yeasts and bacterial fermentation

•

Ice Cider: Those made by concentrating the juice before fermentation either by freezing the fruit before pressing it or by freezing the juice and then drawing off the concentrate as it thaws

35

GUT CHECK As kombucha keeps growing, innovation pushes fermented & probiotic drinks in new directions.

By Martin Caballero

Are we ready to start looking past kombucha?

Even as the beverage industry forges ahead in constant search of innovation, that thought is a bit of a stretch. Kombucha’s explosive category growth has been well documented, with no slowdown in sight; according to research group 360 Market Updates, the kombucha market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.57 percent through 2021.

Yet kombucha’s increasing mainstream acceptance has also helped shift the entire beverage landscape in new directions. The rise in popularity of the fizzy fermented tea has coincided with growing 36 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

consumer awareness and general interest in several of its key callouts: probiotics and gut health; a low sugar, better-for-you soda alternative; a fermented base. In fact, kombucha has seeded growth in recent years for an emerging host of fermented or probiotic drinks with natural functional benefits. Thanks to the breakout success of brands like GT’s and KeVita, kombucha has paved a runway that has given other beverages with similar qualities – drinking vinegars, switchels, water kefirs and probiotic ‘sodas,’ to name a few – plenty of room to grow themselves.

Whether those types of fermented drinks can succeed on

their own will depend in part on if they are able to establish a strong identity from outside the shadow of kombucha, through distinctive flavor profiles, health benefits, use occasions, retail positioning and consumer messaging. In discussing the rise of “kombucha alternatives” with the brands that manufacture them, the potential for this emerging category to enjoy broad success is obvious; the path which leads to there, however, is anything but.

Kombucha Roots

Out of the still nascent fermented beverage category, kombucha is the obvious category leader. But in developing drinking vinegars,

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probiotic tonics and other kombucha alternatives, brands have been tactful in how they position their beverages relative to its wellspring.

As one of the category’s pioneers and its current leading brand, GT’s Kombucha has a particular interest in how kombucha is perceived. Earlier this year, Millennium Products, GT’s parent company, announced it had changed its name to GT’s Living Foods. Besides just rolling off the tongue a little easier, the new name indicated a shift in company philosophy towards creating a broader brand platform for healthy, living products. Following the company’s acquisition and rebranding of Tula’s CocoKefir in late 2016, GT’s Alive Probiotic Ciders, which will launch this fall, is a further step in that direction.

However, company founder GT Dave also told BevNET that the new threeSKU line, which features a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms and apple cider vinegar each paired with a different tea, was also inspired as a reaction against what he called “the bastardization of kombucha.” The launch of Alive Probiotic Ciders has as much to do with protecting the integrity of kombucha as it does with using it as a launchpad to explore other areas of the fermented drink category.

“I think people want something that is low in calories and light and sparkling, and they also want probiotics and nutrition,” said Dave. “I think kombucha, for a very long time, has been the placeholder name for that. But in my opinion, kombucha is something very specific and unique.”

According to Dave, those specific, authentic qualities of kombucha include the vinegary taste that he said was “part of the fundamental health benefits” of the drink. That sour taste, however, also happens to be one of the main drivers in pushing consumers towards other beverages that promise a lighter, more palatable entry into the fermented drink category, including GT’s Alive Probiotic Ciders. As long as boundaries respected, Dave noted he saw ample room for the two groups to– distinctly–complement each other on-shelf.

“If somebody wants a beverage that looks and feels a certain way and it’s not kombucha, our answer to that is fine: we will give you that in the best and most authentic way possible,” he said, referring

to the new Alive line. “However, we will still offer kombucha if and when you are ready for that.”

Other players have looked beyond kombucha for white space reasons. Ian Lee, founder and CEO of Pressery, told BevNET that the brand considered launching its own line of kombuchas, but ultimately saw greater opportunity in the less crowded field of drinking vinegars.

The brand, which started in cold pressed juice, was an early pioneer in the drink-

do something really crazy and unique,” he said. “We want to do new and different things or look at spaces that are bigger that we can really upset, versus being a me-too.

It’s a competitive space and you kind of have to pick the things that you do.”

Yet if brands have the means and inclination to do so, creating a platform that includes kombucha and other fermented or probiotic alternatives has plenty of obvious benefits. Along with GT’s, the likes of KeVita, Blueprint, LIVE Soda and

GT Dave, Founder and CEO, GT’s Kombucha.

ing vinegar category, launching a six-SKU still line that combined juice with coconut vinegar in 2016. At Natural Products Expo West in March 2017, the company sampled a revamped sparkling version.

“I just felt like there was a lot of people participating in that space,” said Lee, noting that he ultimately decided adding cold pressed juice to a kombucha would not be enough of a differentiator for Pressery to enter the market and compete with products from GT’s, Brew Dr, Suja and others.

He compared the difficulty in creating true disruption in kombucha to his experience introducing incremental tweaks to the juice category.

“It can be hard to stand out unless you

38 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Suja all feature both drinking vinegars and kombuchas in their product lineups.

Consumer Effects

Whether it’s switchel, drinking vinegars or another kombucha alternative, brands working in this space are looking to capitalize on consumers’ shifting preferences away from soda and towards betterfor-you drinks with specific functional benefits. Kombucha has done much of the work in educating the public about the nascent fermented drink category, and now those brands are looking to build on that awareness while establishing an identity of their own.

“It’s a lot of people who are switching

from sodas, but also consumers who have come into the space because of kombucha,” said Derek Miller, vice president of communication at Lifeway Foods. The Chicago-based company, best known for its dairy kefirs, showcased Lifeway Elixir, a sparkling non-dairy probiotic soda made with coconut water, at Natural Products Expo West 2017 in March. As he explained, the product is positioned to capture a wide range of consumers, with particular appeal amongst those who “love the treasure hunt” of finding new healthy beverages. “It’s for people who are always searching for the new hot thing and that don’t want to drink just one particular item. They love the idea of new innovative probiotic beverages with other health attributes or ingredients that are a little bit more atypical that what is found in the soda aisle.”

The potential to capture consumers who aren’t already kombucha drinkers is part of the motivation for brands to push further into the fermented beverage space. Getting those customers, however, often requires the creation of drinks that are more broadly appealing in formulation, flavoring and presentation at retail.

Early next year, Suja will roll out a mild revamp of its drinking vinegars line that Greg Rose, vice president of marketing for the brand, explained is aimed helping consumers understand at the sometimes divisive nature of its offering.

“Our philosophy behind the rebrand is that we’ve learned from consumer feedback and consumer reaction that the term ‘drinking vinegar’ is quite polarizing,” he said, calling the word “vinegar” “intimidating” for some consumers. Along with using a new name, Rose said several SKUs would undergo a mild reformulation for “sensory improvements.” He added: “[Consumers] can misinterpret the amount of vinegar that’s in the product and don’t always understand that it’s actually a blend of apple cider vinegar, cold pressed juice, and water. And so the rebranding effort is a way to better communicate to the consumer what the product is and then also to highlight its benefits on the label more clearly.”

For Lifeway, calling its carbonated, lightly sweetened probiotic drink an Elixir has helped give it a broader health halo that Miller said was part of the product’s “moodier, mystical” theme.

“We did see an appetite for what we’ve called ‘hybrid’ drinks,” he said. “People really liked that Elixir has probiotics but also that it has coconut water, but not the flavor that people associate with coconut water. People seemed to be interested in the additional flavors and attributes that kind of create a drink that [doesn’t have a] sole purpose or sole identity.”

Consumer friendly products also open doors to further retail expansion. At this year’s Expo East show in Baltimore, brands like Vermont Village and Vitox showcased drinking vinegar shots designed to be merchandised at the point of purchase, giving them a prime positioning for impulse purchases and appealing to curious consumers who may not want to buy a whole bottle. Kombucha’s growing popularity as a cocktail mixer and alternative adult beverage has also created opportunities for brands to tap into that market.

“We are exploring a possible package geared towards quick service [for Probiotic Elixirs],” said Miller. “Because of some of the early usage cases at cocktail parties and as a mixer, there have been some requests from hotels and bars looking to see if we could provide a solution in terms of a smaller size or different serving configuration to make it easier for people behind the bar to use something that’s a little bit healthier than a traditional mixer.”

Even as consumers increasingly seek out beverages with probiotics, not every innovation is guaranteed to catch on.

Probiotic waters and water kefirs, for example, are still only a small piece of the market, suggesting consumers may not understand the offering as intuitively as when it’s described as a soda or elixir.

Rose said that he wasn’t sure why Suja’s probiotic waters line, which he noted won the “Best of West: Press Award” for its raspberry SKU at Expo West 2016, has performed below expectations at retail.

“Our assumption is that it probably has something to do with value and what consumers are willing to pay $2.99 for in a full beverage,” he said, noting that the probiotic water line is not a high priority for the brand, which is focusing marketing efforts on its kombucha, drinking vinegar and juice. “They may see more value in something that has higher juice concentration or coconut vinegar as opposed to probiotics and water with some flavor.”

39

BRAND NEWS PROBIOTIC BEVERAGES

Skinny Piggy Kombucha. In addition to introducing redesigned packaging and a twist-off bottle top, Skinny Pig Kombucha recently began working with distributors Tiny Footprint and Indianapolis Fruit to extend its potential retail footprint from Wisconsin to Tennessee, adding stores such as Kroger and Fresh Thyme along the way.

Kombrewcha has refined its packaging and presentation to greater emphasize its positioning as a “hard kombucha,” increasing its alcohol by volume to 3.2 percent and framing it as a recreational, rather than functional, drink aimed at social drinking occasions.

LIVE Beverages has updated the individual SKU names and formulations of its kombucha line. The company also has revamped product packaging to reinforce the brand’s positioning as a soda alternative and add functional callouts about probiotics and less sugar content compared to soft drinks.

Blue Ridge Bucha is a USDA Certified Organic craft kombucha that is brewed in Virginia and infused with organic and fair trade ingredients. Committed to a lowwaste business model, Blue Ridge Bucha offers its kombucha on draft as well as in bottles, saving over 675,000 bottles to date, according to the company.

Humm Kombucha has brought back its sweet, spicy and aromatic autumnthemed seasonal flavor, Chai, for another year.

Mother Kombucha, which is both organic and vegan, has expanded its distribution outside of Florida through UNFI. In early 2018, the brand will add three new SKUs to its bottled line: Blood Orange Ginger, Hopped Passionfruit and Margarita Lime will join Blue Rose, Turmeric Ginger Lemonade, Jasmine Flower and Lavender Mojito.

Big Easy Kombucha. New Orleansbased brand Big Easy Kombucha will

40 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

introduce two new varieties to its lineup in Spring 2018: Caribbean Cooler, a watermelon flavored kombucha, and Front Porch Peach, made with local peaches and magnolia blossoms.

GT’s Living Foods. In September, GT’s Living Foods introduced GT’s Alive Probiotic Ciders, a new three-SKU line of mushroom-infused vinegar tonics formulated as a lighter, more refreshing alternative to the company’s core kombucha brand. Each flavor – Mate Mint, Guayusa Turmeric and Pu-erh Root – features a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms and apple cider vinegar paired with a different tea and is packaged in 16 oz. glass bottles.

Brew Dr. Kombucha. Four of Brew Dr.’s top selling flavors – Clear Mind, Ginger Turmeric, Love, and Vanilla Oak, a winter seasonal variety made with freshscraped vanilla bean – were recently rolled out nationwide in a new 32 oz. glass bottle package.

The BU Kombucha. Developed in collaboration with Whole Foods Market, Strawberry will be the next flavor to join the core lineup of The BU Kombucha.

The new SKU will feature fresh strawberries, hibiscus flowers and tulsi, an adaptogen found in traditional herbal medicine that promotes stamina, rejuvenation and stress relief.

Better Booch recently gained authorization at Whole Foods Southern Pacific region for its new line of canned kombuchas.

Wild Tonic, which produces both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of its jun kombucha, introduced Hoppy Buzz and Mango Ginger to its lineup of 5.6 percent ABV kombuchas.

B Tea, an organic kombucha that uses naturally sourced mineral water from the Czech Republic, is currently launching at retail in 16 oz. bottles in North America. The brand is also launching a new website for aimed at promoting healthy living.

Aspen Probiotic Water. New Age Beverage Corp.’s Aspen Probiotic Water, which contains over 10 billion live colony forming units (CFUs) in every serving, recently expanded its distribution to more than 2,000 Ahold Delhaize banner stores across 23 states, with notable presence along the East Coast.

Wild Kombucha. Earlier this year, Maryland-based Wild Kombucha was awarded a $100,000 loan from Baltimore County. The funding was used to purchase a new automated bottling system.The brand recently launched a new Watermelon Hops flavor ahead of planned expansion to retailers Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia in 2018.

Revive. The Sonoma County, Calif.based brand recently received $7.5 million in Series B funding from Peet’s

Coffee; as part of the deal, the brand will now be distributed through Peet’s ColdCraft cold chain system for California and will be launching in Peet’s Coffee locations in Southern California.

Kombucha Wonder Drink launched its brand new packaging and look for its bottles and cans with flavors including Asian Pear & Ginger, Cherry & Black Currant, Niagara Grape, Green Tea & Lemon and Traditional.

Health-Ade’s seasonal kombucha, Holiday Cheers, has officially rolled out nationwide and is available through the end of December. Holiday Cheers is prepared with Health-Ade’s original base kombucha (a blend of fermented organic black & green teas), alongside organic cold-pressed ginger juice, vanilla, cacao and allspice.

41

You don’t need a farmer to tell you the milk market ain’t what it used to be.

As traditional dairy milk has experienced a decades-long decline, sales of plant-based alternatives such as almond- and coconutmilks have in recent years skyrocketed.

Consumers are dropping not just lessflavorful soy milks, but dairy milk as well, in favor of nut-based brands. According to SPINS, nut-milks alone nearly crossed the billion dollar mark in annual sales as of September 2017, bringing in more than $999 million. And now other innovative “alt-dairy” beverages are staking their share of the market – coconut, pea, flax, and hemp milk alternatives collectively jumped by 22.8 percent in sales since last year to more than $99 million in sales.

So who’s drinking this stuff? If you ask brands and analysts, it’s not just the vegans and the lactose intolerant who are supporting the category. Although those shoppers still make up their fair share of the market, changing diets – part of the trend adoption culture spurred by the internet – are inviting in large swaths of millennial shoppers to the once niche category.

For imported Swedish oat milk brand Oatly, the net has been cast wide. The company, said U.S. General Manager Mike Messersmith, looks across the board, from older consumers in their 50’s and 60’s to teenagers seeking plant-based options, positioning the drink as a “post-milk” lifestyle brand that satisfies consumers’ newfound ken for nutritionally meaningful, environmentally friendly products.

Many brands credit plant-based beverages perception as being “healthier” than dairy milks as part of the change – although many in the dairy industry would challenge that notion. But the aura is there, and many brands are now finding ways to try to deliver on the promise.

Ripple Foods, which produces a carefully designed pea milk that among other qualifications boasts 50 percent more calcium than dairy milk, has made being nutritionally superior a hallmark of the brand. And their key customers take note.

According to Ripple co-founder Neil Renninger, the brand aims for the “young millennial family” with a higher household income.

42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

“Today only 14 percent of alternative dairy drinkers are lactose intolerant,” Renninger said, citing a statistic from Mintel. “The rest of the folks are coming primarily for nutrition.”

To build around the family market, Ripple has added a children’s line. Since it is pea-based, the brand also gets around a growing body of restrictions in schools that ban nut milks due to allergy concerns.

According to the company’s own data, 40 percent of its consumers had previously purchased organic milk, which Renninger said demonstrates the consumer’s search for better nutrition.

DEVELOPING A STRATEGY Fitness seekers have long turned to dairyderived whey protein for their workout regimens; as times change, that customer, too, is now looking for animal-free protein sources. In the fitness realm, several companies have launched plant-based protein beverages. Muscle Milk maker CytoSport launched this past winter Evolve, a plantbased protein shake. At Natural Products Expo East 2017, startup OWYN likewise

premiered a plant-based protein beverage targeted at people with active lifestyles.

The twist for OWYN, however, comes in subverting the traditional “masculine” elements of older protein drinks.

“Fitness has evolved,” said OWYN cofounder Jeff Mroz. “In the 90s it was about the World’s Strongest Man competition, so the brands were rooted in this ‘bulking up,’ masculine space. But fitness has evolved into an everyday run on the treadmill, Crossfit mindset. Now you’re in this space where we’re seeing cycling and yoga becoming popular among males and females.”

Urban females going to yoga class, he said, most likely don’t want to be seen walking around with a Muscle Milk package any more than they want branding evocative of a nutritional supplement.

But wellness plays into it as much as look, which is why Mroz said he believes plantbased protein options have an opportunity in the market. Athletes, particularly active millennials, are seeking out plant products.

Califia Farms has opted to strike hard and strike deep with a multi-channel strategy that includes a diverse product line of almond milk beverages. They range from grab-and-go to multi-serve packs and barista blends designed to serve as many usage occasions as possible.

“Wherever people work, shop, play, learn – I like to say however, whenever, wherever,” said founder and CEO Greg Steltenpohl.

Following a group study of 10,000 consumers, Steltenpohl said Califia Farms was able to break up its shoppers into several key segmentations. In addition to discovering an unexpectedly large portion of male buyers, there were many with dietary restrictions looking for “technical solutions.”

“They’re careful label readers for a technical reason and they shop off of that,” Steltenpohl said. “Usually, they remain brand loyal once they’ve found their solution.”

Another segment, he added, is “enthusiasts” – people who get excited for the brand either for fitness, flavor, or as “plant-based explorers.”

DAIRY COMES BACK As significant is the growth of the altmilk business has been, don’t write off dairy just yet.

By one reading, much of the dairy alternative category’s apparent growth has actually been an internal shift from one alt-milk to the next. According to John Crawford, vice president of client insights for dairy at market research firm IRI, the nut-milk category is actually slowing, having only grown in the mid-single digits this past year, and what initially drove much of the growth was an exodus away from soy milk.

Dairy sales, however, have been on the decline over the past three decades, and to stop the slide, in the past year the dairy industry has to lobbied Congress, leading to the introduction of the “Dairy Pride Act.” If passed, it would tighten enforcement of regulations specifically defining terms such as “milk,” “cheese,” and “yogurt” as being animal products, thereby shutting down the brands appropriating the words for plant-based products.

Defending the terminology remains important for the dairy industry, but it may not need the legislation to restore lost sales – according to Crawford, the pendulum is beginning to swing in their favor already. “[Dairy] milk growth is actually starting to come back and whole milk has been a bright spot for dairy,” Crawford said. “We did a study last year called ‘Fat is Back.’

And what you’re finding throughout all of dairy is that whole fat dairy has been growing across the board…. I think consumers have been shifting their mindset to wanting nutrient rich calories and calories that are going to fill them up.”

44 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Efforts from the dairy industry to connect with consumers may be sinking in.

Crawford noted that the larger alt-dairy brands frequently put out products without clean ingredient lists, something that has turned off some shoppers. The lack of protein and actual nut content – such as many almondmilks being sourced from as few as four almonds – are likewise returning many consumers to dairy products that feature simpler ingredient lists.

But, as dairy fights for consumer hearts and minds, some alt-dairy brands are fighting back. Earlier this year, Ripple launched an online marketing campaign challenging these notions. Dubbed “Not Milk?” the company took the dairy industry to task for its claims, positioning itself as the healthier option by underlining its nutritional benefits.

And to the benefit of both categories, some consumers are also double dippers, Crawford said. About 39.2 percent of shoppers purchase both dairy and dairy alternative products. Crawford also noted plant-based beverages index toward consumers with higher incomes, although volume sales across all wealth brackets have been on the rise.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? As the demographics fluctuate, some plant-based dairy producers are looking at new ways to grow the category by reaching previously untapped bases. At Califia Farms, Steltenpohl sees potential to break through to consumers who have long avoided dairy alternatives due to negative preconceptions. Many older shoppers, particularly baby boomers, have long associated nut- and soy milks with either the hippie culture of their youth or the poor taste of older product types.

For some brands, innovative packaging has been a solution. Brands like Oatly feature decorative packaging with poppy text, while others, such as Malk Organics, boast bold, modern, and minimalist labeling.

Califia has become known for their unique big-bellied bottles, which couple with strong and clear labelling to jump out on the shelf.

“They [older shoppers] haven’t allowed themselves to just try something,” Steltenpohl said. “That’s where our exposure in mainstream supermarkets, with a disruptive package, hopefully gets their attention and gets them to convert more than a Silk – which has been around in that package with that look for 20 years.”

BRAND NEWS ALTERNATIVE DAIRY

a2 Milk received high scores on taste, value, nutrition and ingredients from grocery trade publication Supermarket Guru on its 2 percent Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk. The dairy milks are produced for consumers who suffer from symptoms similar to lactose intolerance, as the drink contains only A2 beta casein proteins. Conventional milk contains both A1 and A2 proteins, and many people have a sensitivity to A1.

Califia Farms recently added two limited-time seasonal additions to its best-selling, clean label, creamer line: Pumpkin Spice (made with real pumpkin puree) and Mint Cocoa (made with real cocoa powder and peppermint oil).

The seasonal creamers put a new dairy-free twist on old-fashioned holiday favorites.

Danone this year launched Horizon Organic Protein 15 Lowfat Chocolate Milk. The product blends the brand’s core chocolate milk with 15g of protein. It is designed for at families and children.

Dannon has announced that several of its yogurt products, including Danimals Smoothies, have received Non-GMO Project verification, following through on a pledge made by the company in April 2016. Danimals Smoothies bearing the Non-GMO logo will be available in multi-packs of six bottles or more (3.1 fl oz each serving) in a range of flavors including Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Kiwi, Cotton Candy, Raspberry, and Orange Cream varieties.

Elmhurst Milked has debuted six all-new plant-based beverage varieties for late fall 2017 including Milked Oats, Milked Brown Rice, Milked Peanuts, Milked Peanuts – Chocolate, Milked Almonds – Unsweetened, and Milked Hazelnuts – Unsweetened. Each of these products combines the nutrition of whole, raw nuts and grains with a creamy texture, full flavor, and no of the industrial stabilizers, emulsifiers or gums. Elmhurst Milked’s nut varieties contain up to four times as many nuts as other leading brands, while its new oat and brown rice varieties contain 20 g of whole grains per glass.

Fairlife has launched Fairlife SuperKids ultrafiltered milk and Fairlife SuperKids Chocolate ultra-filtered milk. Debuting this past summer, the products contain 125mg of DHA Omega-3 per serving, 12 grams of protein, 35 percent of the daily value of calcium and no lactose.

46 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

MALK has announced new distribution gains for its seasonal pecan-based Nog. Rolling out for Q4 with revamped packaging, this year it will be available at all Southwest & Rocky Mountain region Whole Foods Market locations, Fresh Thyme Market, Fairway, Mother’s Market, Erewhon, Lassen’s, MOM’s Organic Market, and natural independents. As well, MALK gained year-round distribution with Target in California, Colorado, and Texas for four of its SKUs and gained distribution in Northern California with Whole Foods Market for three SKUs. Milkadamia. Dairy-free macadamia milk Milkadamia has launched a new Vanilla Unsweetened flavor. Milkadamia currently is available in over 5,000 retailers in the U.S., and the new vanilla flavor is entering stores nationwide. In addition, Milkadamia’s line of refrigerated milks will see new distribution expansions in Q1 of 2018.

Nutpods launched a new 16 oz. refrigerated format in September 2017. As with all other Nutpods creamers, the new product is certified non-GMO, Whole30 Approved and is also vegan, carrageenan free, gluten free and made with only naturally-occurring ingredients. The packaging is fully recyclable.

Oatly debuted its new 64 oz. line of plantbased oat milks at Natural Products Expo East 2017. The new product premieres as the Swedish company prepares its debut in the U.S. with a chilled line that will hit shelves in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this fall. The line is vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and has no additional thickeners or stabilizers.

Organic Valley. After experiencing strong demand for its flavored Half & Half line, which launched in 2016, Organic Valley debuted a new flavor, Sweet Cream. Sweet Cream joins French Vanilla and Hazelnut flavors as part of the top-selling organic flavored half & half brand in the United States.

OWYN, an acronym for Only What You Need, debuted its new plant-based protein beverages at Expo East 2017. Created for a demographic seeking ultra-clean products, OWYN is available in ready-to-drink shakes and Ultimate Wellness Powders. Each 12 oz. bottle containing 20 g of plant-based protein sourced from pea, pumpkin and flax. The line includes Dark Chocolate, Smooth Vanilla and Cold Brew

Coffee varieties for an MSRP of $2.99. The Ultimate Wellness Powders, which also contain chia, are available in 16-ounce recyclable tubs and are offered in Vanilla and Dark Chocolate varieties for an MSRP of $26.99.

organic coconut cream in the skimmed variant to 25% in the whole variant. A U.S. launch date has not been set, however, the company has continued to expand its U.S. presence with its grab-and-go line of flavored “mylks.”

Pop & Bottle has launched three new functional flavors, including a matcha green tea almond latte, a golden almond milk and a mocha almond latte with maca root. The brand has also expanded distribution to over 600 retailers, with new regional launches in the Tri-State area, Pacific Northwest and South West.

Sneakz Organic has gained distribution in 150 Publix locations for its line of vegetablebased milkshakes featuring a blend of whole organic foods, including sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, and beets. The shelf-stable, FEMA and Medicaid approved milkshakes are ideal for consumers of all ages, so they have been especially popular during hurricane season, according to the company.

Rebel Kitchen has launched Mylk, a line of plant-based drinks that entered 230 Waitrose stores in August. The product’s taste profile is built from organic coconut cream to replicate the richness of dairy milk; organic brown rice to mirror dairy’s natural sweetness; and nutritional yeast to add the grassy notes found in dairy milk. The line at launch includes Whole, Skimmed, and Semi-Skimmed varieties. According to the company, Mylk has a higher percentage of coconut than most other dairy alternatives on the market ranging from 8%

Veggemo, a vegetable-based milk alternative produced by Global Gardens Group, launched in the U.S. this summer with support from several natural food distributors including UNFI, KeHE, and Market Centre/ Unified Grocers. The product premiered in select Wegmans, Stop & Shop, Giant and Safeway stores across the U.S. Along with these major chains, Veggemo also entered approximately 1,500 locations nationwide.

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OF THE

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RETAILING

ACQUISITIONS

Let 2017 forever be known as the year of the big weddin’. After fighting with his governing board and a bunch of investors who were interested in telling it who to marry, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey found a mate online in the form of mega-retailer Amazon. It was one of those deals in which a virtual business picks up a legacy brick-and-mortar concern much like the purchase of Newsweek by the Huffington Post, with the big difference being that people still buy groceries. The palpable concern that Amazon would go on the march and wreck all supermarkets was reflected in the share price reductions of most of the major chains – but a few months after the deal, we’ve seen a bounce-back from Walmart and from Kroger, with the former showing significant e-tailing power of its own through its Jet subsidiary, and the latter proving it could take it to Whole Foods on the discovery level with a new emphasis on local, up-and-coming brands.

As Fall descended, Coke struck at the last minute, picking up high-potential Mexican sparkling water brand Topo Chico and tucking it into the VEB portfolio. The product is on trend and has deep regional ties that transcend its ethnic resonance, and immediately shored up what has been an unsuccessful multifront war on the indefatigable LaCroix. But there’s lots of heavy lifting for the Coke system yet to come if it wants to fully exploit its new pickup. Similarly, Anheuser Busch InBev crossed into the non-alcoholic space with the purchase of entrepreneurial stalwart HiBall, a sparkling platform that would seem to carry a lot of opportunity to take the next step in the AB system – if it’s given the right guidance and opportunity against all of the other new additions within the AB portfolio as well as its existing core brands. AB has tried to sell energy with Monster – a much better known brand – in the past; with HiBall, reps are going to have to work to introduce retailers to the product. If they do, they’ll likely find a lot of opportunity. If not, it could fast go the way of Eagle Snacks. Another large strategic deal found Nestle acquiring Blue Bottle coffee for more than $500 million. The company straddles on-premise and CPG – certainly an evolving business type that is working for Juice Served Here and Starbuck’s alike – but has a big consumer education gap to overcome. In a smaller acquisition, Dean Foods paid $22 million to pick up Uncle Matt’s Organic, giving it a line of organic juices and probiotic waters.

48 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

VC INVESTMENTS

RISING CATEGORIES We’re not going to reveal our Best of 2017 winners here, but readers already know where the heat is – it’s in RTD coffee, which has become the fastest-growing category and is expected to continue to grow up to 67 percent over the next five years, with cold brew growing even more substantially off a smaller base and brands like Califia, Chameleon, and La Colombe becoming sources of inspiration for entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, sparkling water brands continue to advance, with big gains coming not just from LaCroix, but also longtime warrior brands like Polar and

The year brought lots of venture capital to small businesses, particularly those playing in the plant protein space. Koia, OWYN, Soylent and Iconic each pulled in cash to grow behind pea- and other vegetable-based protein meal replacement or athletic recovery products. Kombucha brands also reaped significant growth capital as funds hurried to back companies like Revive and Humm, which have proven themselves capable of lasting despite the growth of GT’s and KeVita before them. With Health Ade in the First Beverage/CAVU camp, only Brew Dr. remains a top brand that’s free of VC backing. Funds also continued to

Perrier. It’s a change that has pushed even the venerable Nestle Waters North America to reach out to smaller distributors in the hopes that a carbonated set of its regional water brands can snatch share – or at least ride the wave. And beyond the bubble, high-end premium water brands are also performing well: Essentia crossed the $100 million revenue mark, while CORE isn’t far behind; Voss has leveled off at retail but just signed a significant deal for on-premise sales with PepsiCo. Kombucha is also still sparkling – with Humm and Health Ade starting to track in conventional channels alongside GTs and Kevita.

invest in hot spaces like Cold Brew Coffee – BIGR showered $17 million on High Brew while JAB invested in cold brew shot line Forto. Crossing between both categories, Bulletproof pulled in $19 million in investment from CAVU as well. On the lifestyle/functional brand side, both LifeAid and Kill Cliff brought in money to continue to fuel their high-intensity workout platforms. Meanwhile, sparkling water brand Spindrift pulled in another $10 million to build a high-end alternative to LaCroix and Sparkling Ice.

TOUGH TIMES There were some less-than-stellar returns that forced changes at some beverage companies. Chris Reed, the iconoclastic CEO and founder of Reed’s Ginger Brew, lost his leadership role at the brand, eventually replaced by CPG veteran Val Stalowir. With John Bello as the board chair at the publicly-traded company, expect fast changes. Later on in the year, high-tech play Juicero ran into a public relations nightmare that eventually caused the company to shut its doors. A few months after selling Bai to DPSG, founder and CEO Ben Weiss was forced out, while the force behind PepsiCo’s acquisition of KeVita, Naked Emerging Brands EVP Chris Lansing,

What’s coming next year?

Will Body Armor continue to grow and challenge Gatorade?

What rising brands will the strategics take off the table?

Is there a bubble ready to burst in HPP juice?

There are 365 days worth of stories – and 365 nights, as well!

That’s a wrap!

also departed the company soon after the deal closed.

49

THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THE KEVITA FAMILY

‡

Contains less than 0.5% Alc by Vol ol

51

Sanavi adds a new flavor - Organic Pomegranate Peach

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After launching one year ago, 4 Purpose Energy's raspberry pomegranate organic energy drink can now be found on Amazon, on their website, and in over 400+ retail locations in the Northeast. The company now also offers distribution throughout the USA.

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ALO Drink Goes Coconuts & Organic

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Avitae USA, LLC is the leading caffeinated water company in the U.S. and provides consumers with an alternative to less healthy caffeinated beverages and sugary drinks. As an independent company, Avitae is committed to providing the healthy hydration you need with the natural caffeine boost and instant-go that you want.

ALO Drink, the #1 aloe vera beverage brand in the U.S., introduces two new lines to its portfolio—Aloe Coco and ALO Organic. Aloe Coco combines pure coconut water (not from concentrate) with real aloe vera juice (straight from the leaf, not powder). A watermelon flavor, which adds juice sourced directly from the fruit, joins the original. Available in both 33.8 fl oz (1 L) and 16.9 fl oz (500 mL) Tetra-Pak containers. ALO Organic blends USDA certified organic aloe vera juice and pulp with other natural flavors in the first major USDA organic certified RTD aloe vera beverage made straight from the leaf, not powder. All products are made with no preservatives, colors or artificial flavors, and are USDA organic or Non-GMO Project verified. For more information about ALO Drink, please visit us at the website, www.alodrink.com, or contact the team directly, info@alodrink.com.

52 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Avitae offers lightly fruit flavored and unflavored non-carbonated caffeine waters that vary in caffeine levels to fit all lifestyles, including 45mg, 90mg and 125mg. Its four flavors include: Pomegranate Acai, Tangerine, Blackberry and Strawberry Guava.

In 2016, Avitae introduced a line of lightly fruit flavored and unflavored carbonated caffeine waters “Sparkling Avitae.” It is offered in the 90mg caffeine level and four flavors: Black Cherry, Raspberry Lime, Berry Kiwi and Mandarin Passion Fruit. Avitae also announced a line of energy drinks, “Avitae XR,” that features cutting-edge, patented bead-based technology that delivers extended-release caffeine for long-term energy with no crash. It is offered in three flavors: Orange, Mixed Berry and Lemon Lime.

Avitae has national distribution partnerships with KeHE Distributors, LLC., UNFI, and DPI Specialty Foods.

For more information, visit www.goavitae.com or contact sales@avitaeusa.com.

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BAWLS Guarana

BevLove LLC -Texas/U.S.A

BAWLS Guarana Ginger is unique to the category as it is one of the few caffeinated ginger ales. Brilliantly refreshing, BAWLS Guarana Ginger contains a sweet blend of natural flavors, including real ginger. Now available in a 10oz bottle or 16oz can.

Bee's Water - Natural Honey Water With Antioxidant Vitamins

5000 Years of Wisdom in a Bottle Available in 4 Unique Flavors

Espresso/Mocha/ Vanilla in Coconut Milk. Also check out our Natural Aloe Juice&Pulp LOVE DRINK LINE: Superior Taste Awarded ALOE LOVE ICED TEA:PassionFruit/ Pomegranate/ DragonFruit. ALOE LOVE:Apple/Lime/ Melon/Strawberry.

FitWhey Protein + Caffeine - New Natural Formula New Lemonade Flavor

Bee's Beverage

Bfit Brands

Bee’s Water provides healthy hydration and the goodness of honey. Made with USDA Grade A honey, Bee’s Water contains no cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners.

Flavors include Classic, Lemon, Orange, Blueberry, and Cinnamon.

We are truly "Living Life the FitWhey" by going natural!

We removed the artificial sweetener and replaced with a natural combo of stevia + 3g of pure cane sugar. 20g whey isolate + 150mg caffeine and now naturally sweetened, colored and flavored!

Big Easy Bucha –The South’s Favorite Kombucha Brand Big Easy Bucha

Califia Farms Presents 2.5X Concentrated Cold Brew

Blue Buddha Tea

Califia Farms

Blue Buddha combines organic green tea, fruit extracts, and beneficial herbs like Ashwagandha and Maitake Mushroom, for a refreshing tea that promotes acuity, immunity, & vitality.

Only 40 calories per bottle. Blue Buddha is not just another tea!

We curated these coffees from the ground up – quite literally – to offer consumers the most sophisticated, delicious, transparently-sourced coffee experience available at the retail level. In three flavors: Signature Blend, Vanilla Tolteca and Mocha.

BluePrint® Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics BluePrint® Organic

BluePrint® is proud to introduce their new Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics, available in 12-fluid ounce PET plastic bottles. This exciting new addition to the BluePrint® portfolio of functional beverages combines the power of apple cider vinegar with delicious and functional ingredients like ginger, turmeric and hibiscus. Dosed to deliver two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar per serving, Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics make the ritual of drinking ACV everyday both good for your health and your taste buds.

Flavors include: Ginger Maple, Turmeric and Blueberry Hibiscus.

BluePrint® is a pioneer of cold-pressed juices and juice drinks that provide functional nutrition. Under each signature blue cap is a delicious blend of pure, organic ingredients that serve as a great way to support energy on-the-go and provide a natural recharge.

BluePrint® is continuously innovating and is committed to helping consumers lead healthier, more energy-filled lives. Visit www.blueprint.com for more information. Your BluePrint for a vibrant life.

Big Easy Bucha is uniquely Southern kombucha, handcrafted with love in New Orleans to show off the Gulf Coast’s edible bounty. Armed with a full-time, on-staff forager, Big Easy Bucha partners with small, local farmers to infuse our fermented teas with the unique fruits and flavors so beloved of our region—think satsumas, mayhaws, chicory coffee, peaches, magnolia blossoms and more. We’re proud to pour back a portion of our proceeds to regional charities, and to have won a “Best of the South” Food Award by Southern Living Magazine. Big Easy Bucha is available throughout the Southeast at Publix Markets, at Stumptown in the Northwest and Northeast, and Whole Foods in Louisana.

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Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Cleanse Concentrate Bragg Live Food Products Add to water for a great tasting cleanse drink to enjoy anytime, for all ages, and health & fitness enthusiasts.

Made with finest quality organic ingredients. An Organic blend of ACV, cayenne, lemon, & honey.

Supports intestinal health, & weight loss

New CELSIUS Natural Flavors!

Celsius Holdings, Inc. CELSIUS introduced 2 new flavors to its natural line-up: Sparkling Orange Pomegranate and Non-Carbonated Strawberries & Cream.

CELSIUS Naturals contains 200mg of caffeine and is proven to accelerate metabolism; it is also naturally sweetened!

BluePrint® Organic Cashew Drinks

Brew Dr. Kombucha Launches 32 oz Package Nationally

BluePrint® Organic

BREW DR. KOMBUCHA

BluePrint® is proud to announce their new lineup of cashew drinks, available in 16-fluid ounce PETE plastic bottles. With 8-9 grams of protein per serving and made from roasted cashews, date butter, chia, and vanilla, these new additions to the BluePrint® family of functional beverages are the perfect combination of being satisfying and delicious. Vanilla and cinnamon are the driving flavors behind Nut & Bolt™, cold brew coffee powers Morning Thunder®, and Matcha Nut harnesses the power of antioxidant rich matcha powder.

Flavors include: Nut & Bolt™, Morning Thunder®, and Matcha Nut BluePrint® is a pioneer of cold-pressed juices and drinks that provide functional nutrition.

Under each signature blue cap is a delicious blend of pure, organic ingredients that serve as a great way to support energy on-the-go and provide a natural recharge. BluePrint® is continuously innovating and is committed to helping consumers lead healthier, more energy-filled lives. Visit www.blueprint.com for more information. Your BluePrint for a vibrant life.

Best New Beverage – NEXTY Award 2017 Bonafide Provisions

After a successful trial launch in the Pacific NW, Brew Dr. is rolling out its BDK 32s nationwide. Available now are 4 of Brew Dr.’s top-selling flavors: Clear Mind, Love, Ginger Turmeric, and a rotator which is currently their hit Winter Seasonal, Vanilla Oak. Made with fresh-scraped organic vanilla bean and oak steeped in the kettle with black tea, Vanilla Oak is unique in the kombucha category.

As with all its flavors, Vanilla Oak continues Brew Dr.’s mission of staying true to its roots as a tea company, making kombucha from high-quality blends of organic tea and botanicals. Brew Dr. never adds juice or extracts, but instead relies on its expertise in whole-ingredient recipe formulation and traditional kombucha fermentation.

Introducing CForce Natural Artesian Water CForce Bottling Company There’s no other way to describe water that erupts from the ground with such clarity and smoothness. Bottled at the source on Chuck Norris’ Lone Wolf Ranch, we add nothing and take nothing away. It is Ice Age water, at its purest.

Cide Road Switchel - New Look -Less Sugar

Drinkable Veggies is Bonafide Provisions’ answer to the need of a truly good-for-you grab + go beverage. Gone are the days of fruit juice ladened vegetable drinks that are full of sugar. Created by two Nutritionist and a chef, Drinkable Veggies are vegetable juice, reinvented. A savory, nutrient-dense vegetable drink that combines whole organic vegetables with bone broth, each serving boasts 6-11 grams of bioavailable collagen protein. It’s no wonder Drinkable Veggies has been called the best new snack of 2017 by Mind Body Green and have won the NEXTY award for best new beverage at Expo West in 2017. Hi Nutrient, Bye Sugar. Savory is the new sweet.

Spritzel - switchel with a spritz!

Cide Road From the company behind the #1 national switchel brand comes something just as different.

We call it “Spritzel”.

It’s a sparkling beverage with unique combinations of organic fruit juices, botanical essence and a tangy kick of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Coconut Beach Introduces Organic Coconut Water

Cide Road

Coconut Beach

Our switchel drinks are seeing some big changes! A new bottle, a new label and new formulas!

Our new bottle is 10oz vs. the current 14oz.

Our new labels are bolder and brighter.

New formulas reduce sugar by 1/3 and added sugar by 60%.

Another addition to the Coconut Beach beverage line, USDA Organic Coconut Water! A fresh, wholesome taste with a clean new label. We strive to produce only the most delicious, natural & affordable coconut water right for you!

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Crafted Sodas- Introduces new Sparkling Drinking Vinegar line

CORE Organic CORE

LOW CALORIE ANTIOXIDANT ORGANIC GOODNESS IN 2 NEW DELICIOUS FLAVORS

5

Crafted Sodas

Dust Cutter

Our customers asked and we delivered.

Crafted Cocktails has launched All-Natural Sparkling Drinking Vinegars based on our award-winning Shrubs. Our new brand, Crafted Sodas, is launching three new flavors of sodas, Ginger, Strawberry & Blackberry.

Get caught up in a stampede of flavor with this tonguetwisting blend of Tetons and Tropics.

With just enough mango to get your spurs spinning, it’ll have your senses riding off into the sunset.

NEW "Currant Affair" Black Currant Juices w/ Stevia and less Calories

calories

per serv serving r ing rv

CT CURRANT / CURRANT AFFAIR Our New Currant Affair Black Currant Juices are now formulated with new Bestevia Stevia that will illiminate the normal bitter aftertaste and cut the calories in half. Also available blended with Cranberry, Blueberry and new Pomegranate.

PER SERVING

ANTIOXIDANTS

Orange Mango & Cherry Berry Lime

#TRUETOTHECORE @CORE COREORGANIC.COM

CORE Hydration CORE

Doctor D's Delicious Sparkling Probiotic introduces new labels

glë® prenatal vitamin liquid shots eauLife Put away the horse pills! glë is the first ready-to-drink prenatal vitamin for women during conception, pregnancy, and nursing. Taken once daily, each 3oz shot contains a full Ob-Gyn approved regimen. Starting now, a glë each day is all she needs.

EnerBee Organic Energy Drink - Thrive With The Hive!

Culture Club LLC

EnerBee

Doctor D's, a premium sparkling probiotic beverage, has refreshed their package labeling for major distribution expansion with UNFI and KeHe. Coloradobased & Certified Organic, Dr. D’s is a delicious, cultured beverage, now with a vibrant new look.

EnerBee is the ONLY organic energy drink that uses honey as its primary sweetener, providing a healthy and refreshing energy boost the way nature intended. Inspired by the honeybees, a portion of sales are donated to saving our little friends.

Introducing Ethan's Apple Cider Vinegar Shots

Coffee, in a Pump

56 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Dust Cutter - New Flavor

DreamPak LLC

Ethan's

Top Roast Colombian Coffee Concentrate utilizes a patented low-temperature technology that preserves the natural flavor and aroma of the coffee beans. It is incredibly easy-toprepare: simply add one pump to 8-10 oz. of hot or cold water and enjoy!

Daily wellness shots in 3 delicious flavors, each with the optimal dose of apple cider vinegar and added superfoods to maximize taste and health. Available in both 2oz single serve and 16oz multi-serve options.

†

5

CALORIES

275MG

CAFFEINE SUGAR

FREE

†

Based on 2017 Sales Results

PERFORMIXDRIVEN.COM

THE NEWEST DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THE #1 SELLING THERMOGENIC LINE AT

EVIVA Collagen + Biotin Elixir

Good Idea Drink Makes U.S. Debut

Naturally Alkaline Spring Water Flow

EVIVA

Good Idea

Our collagen elixir supports hair, skin and joint health with 6 grams of collagen protein and 2500 mcg of biotin in 35 calories. Offered in three refreshing flavors, lavender lemon, cucumber mint and lemongrass ginger and sweetened with monk fruit.

Good Idea is a groundbreaking unsweetened sparkling supplement that helps you combat sugar & fast carbs head on.

Available in Orange/ Mango and LemonLime, Good Idea may help those with normal blood sugar levels handle sugar spikes following a meal.

Evolution Fresh® Unveils a Fresh New Look

Goodwolf Water Kefir

Evolution Fresh

Goodwolf Feeding Company

Evolution Fresh is debuting a fresh new look featuring transparent transparent labels that showcase the vibrant spectrum of each juice. Hitting refrigerated shelves in February 2018.

New Fawen Ready to Drink Soup

Goodwolf Water Kefir is an exciting and delicious addition to the probiotic beverage category. We handcraft each batch in Portland Oregon.

Our Water Kefir is bubbly, light and truly refreshing.

FYLO - 2-ounce, digestive wellness shot

Famleigh, Inc. FYLO

Green Sheep Water

FYLO is an easyto-use, natural alternative beverage that addresses the underlying causes of digestive discomfort.

The ingredients are a combination of bitter herbs and minerals that help promote the body’s natural production of digestive enzymes.

Green Sheep Water prevents new plastic from entering our oceans and, as a 1% for the Planet member, is dedicated to cleaning up existing plastic pollution.

Available in both still and sparkling, Green Sheep Water is the water for conscious consumers.

Go Fast Energy Drinks introduction of the NEW Colorado Special Edition

58 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Green Sheep Water: Cleaning up our oceans from plastic pollution

idrink Beverages brings to market the Next Generation of Waters

Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co.

GreenONE Holdings, Inc

CSE was formulated with the utmost regard for functionality and taste in mind. This NEW formula with no artificial flavors or sweeteners is the Healthier Alternative to a typical Energy Drink.

A longer, smoother and more sustained Energy Boost!

The creators of idrink developed the world’s first Nano-Nutrient water. idrink is made by a proprietary process adding 72 Trace Minerals, Multivitamins and an all natural alkaline pH of 9.0+. It's both odorless and tasteless with a fresh crisp taste.

GREEN Energy – New Look, New Flavors GREEN Energy

hellowater - Fiber Infused * Releases 2 new inspiring flavors

Hoist Rapid Hydration Introduces Watermelon

Hello Beverages LLC

Hoist

Fiber Infused hellowater released 2 new inspiring flavors in LIVE (Pineapple Coconut) and DANCE (Orange Mango).

Fiber Infused to help aid in appetite control and healthy digestion. hellowater has 0 Sugar and high source of fiber with 5g of inulin.

Hoist is adding Watermelon to its lineup of rapid hydration beverages.

Without any added colors, high fructose corn syrup, dyes or artificial sweeteners, hoist offers consumers a healthier way to hydrate quickly with less calories.

Enjoy a Healthy, Delicious, Unique ColdBrewed Iced Tea Experience!

Inko's - Jitter Free Organic Energy Drink

HighTea.Today The finest gourmet blended, sustainable teas with organic hemp CBD with a wide range of medical benefits.

It is suggested for relaxation and to provide a calm state of body and well-being.

Cold-brewing iced tea produces delicate and subtle flavor.

Harvest Soul Organic – New Look for Nutrient-Rich Juice

Fall in love again with Humm’s Chai Kombucha

Harvest Soul Organic

Humm Kombucha

Inko's Organic Energy At Inko's, we think you should drink what you need and avoid what you don't. Inko's combines organic tea caffeine with ginseng and guarana to give you a long lasting, Jitter Free energy boost. Non-carbonated for a clean, refreshing finish. 3 Flavors.

WTF....(Where’s the Fiber?) Inside our delicious high fiber blended juices, now with beautiful new packaging showcasing our amazing fruits and veggies on the bottle.

Our juices are really whole food beverages: organic fruit & vegetable blends packed with natural fiber and no added flavors, concentrates or sweeteners. Truly farm-to-bottle!

Because we blend, and don’t press, whole foods, every bottle is high in fiber, reaching up to 25% of the recommended daily allowance. Fiber is important because it helps regulate blood sugar, it’s good for heart health, and helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Our juices are like no others: super clean label juices; “drinkable” fruits and vegetables with a nutrient-dense texture that’s super satisfying and delicious as a snack, meal or drink.

We source only the finest organic and non-GMO ingredients, and carefully blend them to create a smooth, yet nutrient-dense, whole food beverage. Our juices all start with a vegetable first and each bottle has over 3 servings of fruits & veggies from over 5 LBS of produce. They’re USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free and vegan. Four flavors: Sweet Green, Island Fruit, Sunrise Berry, Celery Beet in 12 ounce BPA-free bottles; high pressure processed to preserve farm-to-bottle freshness.

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TEAS' TEA Organic Cold Brew

KeVita® Master Brew Kombucha NEW Blueberry Basil!

Ito En (North America) INC. Ice steeped with ITO EN's deep-rooted Japanese cold brew method called Mizudashi, this tea elevates the simple essence of the tea leaf, drawing out a more nuanced, smooth taste with a clean finish. Unsweetened & Lightly Sweet.

Kona Deep - Naturally electrolyte-rich Deep Ocean Water

KeVita LLC

Kona Deep

KeVita's Master Brew Kombucha Blueberry Basil combines two delicious flavors to create a fun spin on classic kombucha, with the slightly floral flavor of blueberry complimented by a peppery basil kick.

Kona Deep is deep ocean water sourced from an electrolyte rich deep ocean current in Hawaii, 3000 feet beneath the surface. Salt is taken out but electrolytes are left in for exceptional hydration.

Nothing added, nothing artificial.

Kona Gold Hemp Infused Energy Drinks

matcha LOVE New Design

KRa Organic Sports Drink Updates Label KRa Drinks for Athletes, Inc. KRa Organic Sports Drink delivers exactly what all athletes need. Electrolytes to rehydrate and carbs for fuel. USDA certified organic, great, clean taste, lower in sugar and never anything artificial. That's real. good. hydration.

Lori's Original Lemonade New Flavors

Ito En (North America) Inc. Kona Gold LLC Not all energy drinks taste the same and Kona Gold has set the bar on creating a fantastic tasting energy drink. Infused with Organic Hemp Seed Protein Powder, Kona Gold is packed with Amino Acids, Omegas, and vitamins.

Lion Rediscovers The Forgotten Weed Lion Botanicals

The newly designed matcha LOVE labels communicate the vibrant and flavorful taste of Japanese whole leaf green tea and matcha powder. Delivering a balanced flow of clean energy without the crash to help stay grounded with a sense of clarity. matchalove.com Introducing Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Tonic Water

Koia Introduces Two New Flavors

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. A product almost a decade in the making, Jack Rudy Tonic Water is an all-natural, American made beverage. It’s an elegant, nuanced tonic created with a powerful citrus profile and a clean, crisp bite of quinine. Elevate your classic G&T.

60 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Koia Koia introduces Cold Brew Coffee and Cinnamon Horchata.

Koia is high protein, with 18g of brown rice, hemp, and pea protein, and under 4g sugar per bottle.

A dairy-free, soy-free, non-gmo protein drink that just about everyone can enjoy!

Lori's Original Lemonade Lori’s Wild Strawberry is a full flavored Strawberry Lemonade with mouth watering, sweet local organic strawberries when possible blended with organic fresh lemon juice and organic cane sugar providing a bold fantastic strawberry flavor.

Mamma Chia Introduces New Chia Protein Smoothies

Mixwell Sparkling Soda Water

Mamma Chia

Mamma Chia, the category innovator and creator of the first-to-market chia beverage, is delighted to introduce a brand new line of plant-based, Organic Chia Protein Smoothies!

Continuing our mission to share the Magic of Chia by offering delicious, plant-based, nutrient-rich, organic foods and beverages powered by chia, we combine organic ground chia seeds with organic fruit purees and creamy coconut to create deliciously rich smoothies with a harmonious blend of sweet and tart flavors. With only 180 calories and 9g of sugar, our Organic Chia Protein Smoothies offer a delicious and powerful trifecta of 1000mg Omega-3s from ground chia seeds, 12g of plant-based protein and 4000mg of MCTs!

Obrigado 100% Coconut Water from Brazil – a Difference You Can Taste

Mixwell Beverage

Obrigado

Mixwell's latest SKU: A sparkling soda water. As refreshing in its simplicity as it is complex in its make-up. The perfect balance of minerals and carbonation gives the palette a lively, crisp and clean finish.

Ready to add life to any occasion.

It starts on our farms in Brazil where we grow our own trees.

We bottle Obrigado, using a patented extraction method that protects the coconut water from exposure to air or light – which can alter the taste – for a pure, fresh-from-thecoconut taste.

Morris Kitchen - New Flavors & Non-GMO Introducing OWYN - Only What You Project Verification Need 100% Plant Based Nutrition MORRIS KITCHEN Cocktails that are simple to prepare so you can spend more time at the party.

Morris Kitchen Mixers are Non-GMO Project verified which means well-crafted, delicious products that are also socially responsible.

We'll drink to that.

MCTs are high-quality fats that are easily absorbed and burned by the body for optimal energy and focus. The combination of MCTs, plant protein, and chia offer a truly powerful way to bring vitality to your day!

Our Organic Chia Protein Smoothies are available in four flavorful 10 oz. varieties including Super Berry, Dark Cherry, Island Mango and Cool Watermelon.

Mamma Chia is a Certified B Corporation, a founding member of Slow Money and a member of 1% for the Planet. We donate one percent of sales to support farmers, community groups, and organizations that build healthy, local food systems.

IF YOU’VE LOST IT, THIS MIGHT JUST BRING IT BACK!

MOONSHINE SWEET TEA

MOJO Cold Brewed Coffee, Inc.

Moonshine Sweet Tea

Only What You Need, Inc. OWYN delivers a complete source of plant-based protein along with exceptional benefits including organic greens (kale, spinach, broccoli), and omega 3s. Our products are crafted to be free from the top 8 allergens.

Moonshine Sweet Tea got started in 1946 in the Texas Hill Country, near the ranching community of Mason. First developed as a concentrate by the Leo Cobb Porter family, their unique version of sweet tea was always brewed in the late evenings - and much sweeter and more robust than other teas - so it didn’t take long for this secret family recipe to earn the title of an ‘outlaw brew’.

In 2009, Joele Porter (great grandson of Leo Cobb Porter) first started brewing his own small batches of tea concentrate, also late at night, under the moonlight hours—just like his Great-Grand-Dad did back in 1946. So when Joele recognized this well-timed similarity, he knew right then and there what to call his Great-Grand-Dad‘s legendary sweet tea: and the name “Moonshine” was finally born.

Today, based on this 70-year-old recipe, Moonshine Sweat Tea’s six delicious ready-to-drink flavors are still fresh brewed in the same honest-to-God fashion—one kettle at a time— with the same bold standards that have governed the State of Texas for decades. Crafted with the perfect combination of organic black tea leaves, clean filtered water and 100% pure cane sugar—Moonshine is the original Texas Sweet Tea. For more information regarding distribution, contact John Miszuk at 704-792-7207, or jmiszuk@moonshinesweettea.com 61

neuroPROTEIN

The Newest Delivery System For The #1 Selling Thermogenic Line at GNC

neuro Brands

PERFORMIX

A breakthrough in protein water. 10 grams of protein, with only 50 calories, and refreshing, natural fruit flavor. An excellent source of clean, collagen-based protein, combined with aloe vera, biosilica from bamboo, antioxidants, and fiber. A great tasting protein drink to improve muscle, bone, skin, hair, and nail health. neuroPROTEIN: A stronger you.

Introducing Picnik Butter Coffee in three flavors

Premier Protein 30G Shake

Pervida

Picnik

Premier Nutrition Corp.

Picnik introduces the first to market RTD Butter Coffee. It comes in 3 flavors: Cappuccino, Mocha Latte & Dirty Chai.

Made with responsibly sourced coffee, MCT oil, grass fed butter & whey protein, butter coffee provides sustainable energy.

Premier Protein Clear Drink

Pervida Immune Health Water available in 3 Flavors

With an impressive 30G protein at only 1G sugar and 160 calories, Premier Protein shakes are the convenient way to stay full throughout the day. Try one today in any of these delicious flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Caramel, and Banana.

Protein2o Launches Flavor Fusion Protein Waters in 4 New Flavors!

Premier Nutrition Corp.

Made with 20G of protein, 0G sugar, 90 calories, and high quality protein, this beverage is a light, refreshing way to get the protein you want without the heavy feeling afterwards.

Available in Tropical Punch, Orange Mango, and Raspberry.

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Protein2o In an effort to help support the increased demand and popularity of Protein2o, the brand has launched a flavorfusion line featuring 4 new on-trend flavors containing 10g of whey protein isolate and crafted with natural flavors and sweeteners.

Remedy Organics - Functional Nutrition Taste The Goodness!

New Sparkling Craft Cocktail Mixers Powell & Mahoney

Remedy Organics

Revive Kombucha

Remedy Organics is a new, delicious line of plant based, clean label functional beverages. With meaningful functional ingredients as well as 14-15 grams protein and 1B CFU probiotics. Functional Nutrition - USDA Organic, Dairy Free, Gluten Free.

Revive launched 5 of their 9 innovative, natrually-fermented brews in a custom 60oz bottle. With a distinct design and ergonimic handles, these new multi-serve bottles make Revive's organic, fair trade kombuchas perfect for parties or group outings.

Repurposed Pod is Changing The Cacao Industry

Pure Brazilian Coconut Water Helps Reforest the Amazon Pure Brazilian Coconut Water Drink Pure Brazilian Coconut Water and hydrate yourself with pure global conscience. Grown and hand-selected from our own plantations in the Brazilian Rainforest, every icy cold bottle you buy reforests 1 sq. ft. of the Amazon.

Hydrate Brazilliantly!

Purpose Tea RTD Purple Tea - New Innovation

Red Bull Summer Edition Coconut Twist Set For 2018 Summer Season

Revive Kombucha's Custom 60oz MultiServe Bottles

NEW - Smokers Aid Plus Energy

Repurposed Pod

S & C Angels, Inc

Cacao Juice is cold pressed from the sweet fruit pulp surrounding the cocoa bean. This Non-GMO tangy juice is changing the cacao industry by adding additional revenue to farmers. Available through KeHe & Albert's Organics as an 8.75oz bottle.

Will provide smokers and tobacco users relief from recurring symptoms i.e. hacking cough, congestion, nicotine cravings and fatigue. With our proprietary blend of ingredients, we offer additional benefit of detoxification of heavy metals and toxins.

Soylent – A Complete Meal in a Bottle Rosa Foods, Inc.

Red Bull North America Continuing the momentum behind successful Red Bull Summer Edition offerings, The Red Bull Summer Edition Coconut Twist will drive relevance, traffic & excitement at retail during the 2018 summer season. Its premium white can is sure to pop on shelf.

Reliant Recovery Water

Purpose Tea

Reliant Hydration, Inc.

Purple tea, the most significant innovation in tea, has more antioxidant activity than green or black tea. Real brewed, lightly sweetened, non-GMO, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Purchases help female tea pickers.

Sold in 3 flavors.

Bounce Back Faster.

Using our patented Cold Pressured process, Reliant Recovery Water is clinically shown to reduce stress and fatigue from physical activity and accelerate muscle recovery. Now available in 1L size.

Soylent’s line of ready-to-drink products are designed from the ground up to provide the vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and protein that the body needs for fuel - all in a convenient, ready-to-drink package.

In the last year, Soylent products have become the #1, 2 and 3 meal replacements on Amazon, with 2 products in the top 20 in overall grocery.

For the first time, we are bringing this successful eCommerce product to retail - available NOW in single bottle format for an SRP of $3.99. The product is already flying off the shelves in test markets across the country.

5 delicious flavors: Cacao, Coffiest, Cafe Chai, Cafe Vanilla, and Original For more information, contact sales@soylent.com

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The New Salud!

Salud Refresco

Shade Tree Organic Lemonade Blueberry launches at ACL Music Festival ShadeTree Beverage Co, LLC Shade Tree Beverage Co launches its new blueberry organic lemonade to overwhelming success at ACL Music Festival. Sales at over 4k cases. Blueberry rounds out the classic flavors of original and strawberry, all at 100 calories per bottle.

Fire Cider introduces new labels & updated formula Shire City Herbals/ Fire Cider The new labels retain the spirit of the Fire Cider brand while improving the on-shelf experience.

The addition of black pepper across the line will not affect the flavor, it will result in optimal bioavailability of beneficial turmeric compounds.

Shaka Tea introduces new look and bottles

Sipp Introduces NEW 10.5 oz Can 4-Packs

Shaka Tea Sipp Eco Beverage Co., Inc. Sipp is now available in 10.5 oz slim can 4-Packs! Sipp is an all-natural, sophisticated beverage that is lightly carbonated and made with USDA certified organic ingredients.

Skratch Labs Introduces New Flavors of Sport Hydration Mix

Shaka Tea brings a refreshing, herbal iced tea brewed from Hawaiian ma¯maki, which is only found and grown one place in the world: the Hawaiian archipelago. A finalist at New Beverage Showdown 12; one of three, winning Trailblazers at Food Vision USA; and voted “Best Local Tea” in Honolulu, we’re excited to share our new, iconic look that pops off shelves. After successfully launching locally in 2016, we’re now expanding to the continental US. Our three, innovative flavors of Guava Gingerblossom, Mango Hibiscus and Pineapple Mint deliver a light, distinctively refreshing flavor profile without any added cane sugar or stevia. All our teas are brewed from mamaki, the Hawaii-grown superleaf steeped in centuries of tradition and backed by peer-reviewed science.

Share a Shaka - refresh and revitalize, Hawaiian style.

Hawaii-grown. Vegan. No added cane sugar. Gluten-free.

64 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

New La Pela Energy Drink - Bilingual Label Slang Beverages La Pela is an Energy Drink designed with the Hispanic Market in mind, but also for the general market with a bilingual label. It contains an exclusive combination of very popular ingredients with great flavor.

New LOL Superfruit Iced Tea Slang Beverages We created a new category: SUPERFRUIT ICED TEA. Packed with vitamins and minerals. Unique Tropical flavors and bilingual label. And our Trademarked name is specially designed to target the new generation of consumers.

LOL Fresh Water - Agua Fresca with Vitamins and Antioxidants Slang Beverages The market is ready for a New and Different Natural Flavored Water, loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.

LOL Fresh Water contains tropical flavors not available in similar products.

With a Bilingual label to reach a bigger market.

New Scorpion Pre-Workout Energy Drink

Skratch Labs

Spider Beverage Group

Skratch Labs was founded by Dr. Allen Lim when he noticed the pro athletes he coached were getting sick from traditional sports drinks. Made with real fruit and nothing artificial, our Sport Hydration Drink Mix matches what's actually lost in sweat.

NEW - Scorpion Pre-Workout Energy.

Loaded with BCAAs, Creatine and COQ10.

Sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol for a perfect balance of sweetness with ZERO CALORIES. Beyond the gym nutritional benefits perfect for any active lifestyle. #BRINGTHESTING

NATURE ATURE IN FULL FORCE Pure. Powerful. Perfect.™ From the hills of Navasota, Texas, deep within the earth, emerges a true force of nature. CForce artesian water is drawn directly from a sustainable, ancient aquifer on Chuck Norris’ Lone Wolf Ranch.

The result? Clear, pure water with a naturally high pH and a crisp, smooth taste.

Get a black belt in hydration at CFORCE.COM

Main Squeeze Antioxidant Beverage

Original Sports Juice

Detox Water – New Flavors Peachberry & Appleberry Superleaf LLC

Spider Beverage Group

Sporting Club

GO NUTS with our new flavor Tahitian Coconut. Sweetened with Agave Nectar and Stevia, plus Aloe Vera, and 10% juice from Coconut Water.

Only 10 calories per serving making it the perfect balance of not so sweet goodness.

Simply put "The Perfect 10"

Sports Juice is the first all natural, cold pressed juice crafted for performance.

Our original Energy formula is caffeinefree, using functional ingredients for sustained energy necessary to meet the physical demands of big wave surfers on Maui.

SPIDER ENERGY DRINK - The best "Value brand" energy drink available.

Introducing Sparkling Ice Ginger Lime

Spider Beverage Group

Talking Rain Beverage Company

8 Years strong and Still Growing! Made with *real sugar and 240MG of Caffeine per can. Catering to the value conscious energy consumer.

Maybe it's time to reconsider your energy drink offering and add value to your product line? *(except sugar free).

Everybody loves a ginger – ginger is robust, bright, and brimming with zest.

With a vivacious take on flavor, Ginger is anything but bland, and we can’t get enough of it. Try new Sparkling Ice Ginger Lime today! It’s sure to be your next favorite.

New! Teavana Craft Iced Teas in 6 Vibrant Flavors

Most Delicious Real Coconut Waters – Packed Within Hours of Harvest

Starbucks/Anheuser-Busch

Taste Nirvana Int’l Inc.

66 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Tea of a Kind Introduces New Packaging and New Flavor Line

The Next Generation of Tree Water

Tea of a Kind

The Maple Guild

67

TEAONIC - Available Nation-Wide

Treo Brands introduces three new flavors

New All Natural Flavors – Orchard, Citrus and Raspberry Limeade Trimino Brands LLC

TEAONIC

Treo Brands LLC

TEAONIC, a new line of delicious, ready-todrink herbal wellness teas! Each functional tonic is brewed from a specially formulated blend of herbs that address common health needs of today — ranging from detoxifying the liver, aiding digestion, etc.

New in 2018, three flavors - Raspberry Lemonade, Kiwi Watermelon and Orange Apricot will be added to the allorganic line of birchwater infused fruit beverages. All SKUs are organic,1g of sugar,10 calories per serving and uncompromisingly delicious.

The System by Stacy: delicious organic whey protein in a bottle

Uncle Matt's Organic introduces new 28 size and packaging

The System by Stacy

Uncle Matt's Organic

The System by Stacy's new recipes have made our line of organic whey protein from grass-fed cows richer and creamier.

We come in ready to go bottles so all you have to do is add water, shake and drink.

Uncle Matt's Organic's new 28 oz size organic juices with a brand new look are perfect for any household. Available in our flagship pulp free orange juice, apple, grapefruit and lemonade flavors, they're produced without GMOs or flavor packets.

Tickle Water introduces New Flavor!

100% American Single Sourced Premium Water

Tickle Water

Unify Water

Tickle Water adds delicious new flavor, Orange Mango, to it's line up. All 5 flavors are simply premium sparkling water, light carbonation, and only natural flavors: Zero calories, no sugar, no sodium, no artificial sweeteners, or preservatives.

Unify Water is the only 100% American Single source Premium Water in market today. Unify Water has a 1 for 1 giveback model that allows the consumers to give 1 gallon of clean water for every bottle purchased through their website. #drinkconsciously

Top Note Tonic: Award-Winning Craft Sparkling Mixers

"Unity Vibration Kombucha - New Tea Flavors!"

Top Note Tonic Introducing our awardwinning Indian Tonic Water (2017 sofi™ New Product Award), Bitter Lemon & Ginger Beer. Crafted with natural ingredients and unique botanicals to deliver unparalleled taste and quality.

Eight cocktail servings per 8.5oz/4-pack.

68 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Unity Vibration Kombucha Authentic >21 Kombucha Tea line offers 3 new flavors: Cold Brew Coffee, Hops Tea, & Green Lemonade! Full strength like you make your kombucha at home. From the original Kombucha Beer company: Unity Vibration Kombucha!

Tsamma Watermelon Juice introduces Blueberry as their third blend Tsamma Juice

Syfo Naturally Flavored Peach-Pear Sparkling Water Universal Beverages, Inc. Peach-Pear is the newest addition to Syfo Beverages’ line of kosher, naturallyflavored, zero-calorie, R/O purified Sparkling Waters. No sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives or additives. For more information, visit our website.

Vermont Village releases Raw Apple Cider Vinegar shots

Wonder FUEL Energy for Mind and Body

wanu Debuts New Look wanu water

wonder FUEL Get FUELLY charged with Wonder FUEL: Our Wonder FUEL Energy for Mind and Body offers real energy with no added sugars and two caffeine free options.

Our new packaging and category focus signifies a new direction.

Introducing Zevia Zero Calorie Mixers

Vermont Village

Zevia

Vermont Village has taken their organic & raw apple cider vinegar and created a convenient shot that mellows the bite of vinegar with organic honey and whole ingredients. Throw it in your carry-on, gym bag, purse or backpack for an onthe go boost!

Bold in flavor with zero calories, zero sugar and no artificial sweeteners.

Effervescent with a hint of sweetness, our non-alcoholic mixers are a delicious and simple compliment to any cocktail, mocktail or can be enjoyed straight out of the can.

wanu, short for water + nutrients, is a nutrient-infused flavored water. Infused with 10 essential nutrients, including 6 grams of fiber per bottle and antioxidant vitamin E. wanu’s unique formula is just 10 calories per serving and lightly sweetened with a monk fruit blend to create deliciously refreshing goodness. wanu is available in five (5) natural flavors: Dark Cherry, Watermelon Raspberry, Peach Passion, Kiwi Cucumber and Strawberry Serrano Lime. Each 16 oz. bottle of wanu is BPA-free and is produced using aseptic processing, resulting in a clean, refreshing beverage. wanu is currently available nationwide in 1000+ retail locations. www.wanuwater.com

Vit*Hit All Natural combining Tea, Juice, and Vitamins at 100% RDA! Vit*Hit North America

VIT HIT, a Dublin IRL based company, are producers of the highly successful all natural, 35 calories, hybrid beverage that blends the best of tea, real fruit juices, water, and 100% RDA of 7 different vitamins.

VIT HIT Launches Major U.S. Distribution push with Industry Leader Honickman Group VIT HIT is a brand born in Ireland and is now available in 16 countries worldwide.

VIT HIT was created because of a lack of healthy drinks available in our fridges. “Most drinks contain buckets of sugar. Sugar means calories and people no longer want calories in their diet” says Gary Lavin, founder of VIT HIT. “I created VIT HIT because I used to see people on treadmills for 30 minutes burning calories, then coming off and taking those calories back in with a sports drink. Most sports drinks contain 180 calories, sugar and salts, not exactly ideal for weight loss. Our first mission was to make sure our drinks tasted as good or better than their sugary counterparts, then add as much goodness as possible, without compromising on taste.”

VIT HIT is now being produced and distributed in the U.S. For more information visit usa. vithit.com or for worldwide please contact Ian O’Rourke at ian@vithit.com or for the U.S. contact Tom Cullity at tom@vithitserv.com.

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Tea, Coffee & Specialty items A. Holliday & Company Inc.

Tea Extracts AVT Tea Services

For over 42 years, we've traveled the world to connect people with the finest products. At A. Holliday & Company, we source, test, and ship every product we carry. We supply bulk tea variety’s (extracts & leaf), coffees (extracts), antioxidants, herbal & superfruit extracts, natural caffeine, polyphenols, EGCG, Rooibos, coconut water powder, and our newest product, oil soluble tea polyphenols.

Tea Extracts - For use in RTD teas, powdered beverages and liquid concentrates. AVT is a vertically integrated primary producer/supplier of powdered cold and hot water soluble tea extracts.

Black, Green, decaffeinated and specialty teas.

FSSC 220

Functional Beverages, Organic Allen Flavors, Inc.

Whether you are looking for sophisticated tea blends, functional beverages, enhanced waters, soft drinks, spirits, exotic cocktail mixers or rich aromatic coffee flavors, our knowledgeable staff will work with you fine-tuning YOUR concept to get the precise flavor, aroma and feel you are looking for in a stable formulation in our state-of-the-art beverage development laboratories. Our regulatory department will provide documentation for kosher, organic, natural, TTB (for alcoholic products) or non-GMO certification.

Innovative Beverage Solutions ADM

Allen Flavors will be with you from raw material selection to the production room floor where documented procedures for batching and bottling your custom formula will be provided to your co-packer.

You may be a distributor seeking to replace brands lost through acquisition, an entrepreneur building a product from the ground up, an established beverage or coffee company extending product lines or someone seeking their own signature amenity beverage. Look to Allen Flavors. We have the knowledge, equipment and industry experience to “build in” the precise batch-to-batch consistency required for the success of your unique Custom Formulation.

BEVENA Oat Flour for Beverages Avena Foods Limited

As your trusted advisor, ADM helps you take your next great beverage idea from concept to commercialization supported by an unrivaled portfolio of on-trend ingredients, systems, technologies and technical know-how. Call to discuss how ADM can help you get to market faster with beverages consumers love while meeting your stringent taste, cost, nutrition, labeling and quality standards.

Flavors and Juices American Fruits and Flavors

Highest Throughput HPP Machine Avure HPP Technologies - JBT

American Fruits and Flavors, a proven market maker in beverages. As your innovative product development partner, we will take your concept, develop the beverage and create the necessary flavor and juice solutions for your success!

With more than 60 years of experience and expertise in HPP science and manufacturing, AVURE specializes in HPP systems for beverage processing with the fastest and most reliable systems in the industry. AVURE helps producers implement HPP from recipe development and process validations to installation, regulatory affairs, and post-installation support.

70 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Plant protein manufacturing Axiom Foods

Innovating plant protein manufacturing since 2005 & recently receiving The New Economy’s Clean Tech Food & Beverage Award, Axiom is the world’s first & largest manufacturer/distributor, starting with its signature Oryzatein® brown rice protein. Perfecting its patent-pending hexane-free processes, Axiom expanded into pea protein, including the largest authentically organic supply, sacha inchi & now hemp. With more plant proteins, milks and factories in the pipeline, this California-based company has been known for the largest commercial supplies — doubling almost year over year, the only GRAS certification, an extensive Quality & Heavy Metals Management Program, & the only third-party research showing Oryzatein rice protein is as good as whey at building muscles & aiding exercise recovery.

Connecting Nutrition & Health BENEO Inc.

Vegetable Juice Ingredients Carolina Innovative Food Ing.

BENEO's functional ingredients are derived from the natural sources chicory root, sugar beet, rice and wheat, providing nutritional, technical and health benefits. BENEO’s ingredients improve taste and texture of products. While replacing sugar and fat and enriching products with fibre and protein, they also enhance nutritional values.

Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients (CIFI) is a leading processor and supplier of vegetable juice ingredients and dehydrates, especially sweet potato juice concentrates, NFC, and dehydrated granules and flours. Utilizing a newly built state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in North Carolina, CIFI has capabilities for aseptic packaging, is fully Kosher and organic certified, and SQF certified.

BOTTLES, CAPS & PACKAGING Berlin Packaging

Ideal Functional Ingredient Chemi Nutra

Berlin Packaging supplies glass, plastic, and metal containers and closures. We offer a wide array of packaging for beverage companies along with design, financing, consulting, and warehousing services. From simple plastic caps to high-end glass bottles and more -- we deliver excellent value and promote real results for companies of all sizes. We exist to help companies be Greater, Faster.

Chemi Nutra makes the functional ingredient AlphaSize® Alpha-GPC. AlphaSize® A-GPC boosts both mental and physical energy while remaining tasteless and completely water soluble in any beverage. The FDA has acknowledged AlphaSize® A-GPC as GRAS.

Partnering for Success

Do more than outsource.

Berner Food & Beverage

BevSource

BevSource is an integrated provider of beverage development, production, sourcing, and logistics solutions to new and established beverage visionaries. Our goal is to make your beverage vision a reality more efficiently, effectively, and successfully than you ever dreamed possible.

Bringing your beverage idea to life requires hundreds of interconnected data points and decisions. The right formula with the right manufacturer in the right package with the right paperwork. BevSource helps you see the big picture – from your initial vision to the finished product, and every single operational step in between. Then while we manage the daily details of developing, producing, delivering, and managing your beverage operations, you’ll have more time to build your brand, business, & customer base.

We’re not just advisors that point you in the right direction and hope for the best. We are beverage industry navigators who collaborate with clients to build a custom operational strategy for your beverage, identify a unique mix of services and vendors to support it, then execute on the plan. We make it happen.

Visit www.bevsource.com today to find out more!

72 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients

Tea & Coffee Extracts

Brothers International Food Co.

Finlays

Finlays is your ideal partner, delivering high-quality extracts for creating versatile coffee and tea beverages in an easy, convenient and consistent manner. Through an established history of coffee and tea expertise with a focus on innovation, Finlays can help your brand develop unique beverages with great flavor, in a variety of formats suitable for food service and ready-to-drink products.

Cooler Solutions Inc/Nordon CSI division of Nordon, Inc

Beverage Development Flavorman

Cooler Solutions has been providing refrigerated products, payment systems and services to the bottling industry for 25 years. CSI is proud to distribute and represent the line of Imbera Cooling, Crane Payment Innovations, QE Global LED and Hoshizaki America…all leaders in the industry. Our 80,000’ facility offers inventory, service, parts and delivery. Let us help your product get noticed!

Leading the industry in custom beverage development for every category, alcohol and nonalcohol. We have the expertise and technology to make superior drinks and the outstanding service to support you every step of the way including production support and shelf life testing. On-site beverage lab, blending operation, bottling line and distillery.

Beverage Software Solutions Encompass Technologies

Decorative Label Solutions Fort Dearborn Company

Encompass Technologies provides a cloud-based Software as a Subscription RAS and WMS used

by DSD Beverage companies in the US, Canada, Australia and Guam. Since 2001, Encompass has worked to build the industry's first all-in-one RAS, WMS, WCS, Reporting, Routing, Fleet Tracking, and EDI system with apps designed for iPhone and Android to support Sales Execution, Inventory Control, and Voice-Pick.

We’ve got you covered. Fort Dearborn Company offers shrink sleeve, stretch sleeve, pressure sensitive, roll-fed and cut & stack labels in a variety of substrates, inks and finishing options to support your beverage brand building objectives. We service brands large and small.

Contact us today to discuss your application.

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Coconut Products Franklin Baker, Inc.

Merchandising Experts GOTHAM BRAND MANAGERS

Clean-label sweeteners Icon Foods (formerly Steviva)

Your Merchandising Solutions Midway Displays, Inc.

Franklin Baker, Inc. is the premier supplier of coconut ingredients to the global food & beverage market for over 120 years. We offer an extensive coconut portfolio of products including Coconut Water Single Strenght/Concentrate, Coconut Milk/ Cream, Creamed Coconut, & other products.

We are USDA Organic, Fair Trade, RSB, Kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified. Bulk, Foodservice & Retail packaging.

Offering Merchandising for brands looking to grow. The ability to build brands, especially in today’s competitive environment, takes experience, contacts and hard work. Gotham succeeds by offering affordable options for our customers, leveraging our software with customized reporting and dedicated professional team that work hard every day for the brands we represent.

Icon Foods (formerly known as Steviva Ingredients) is a natural food ingredient supplier committed to helping manufacturers bring clean, healthy food and beverages to the global market.

Based in Portland, Oregon, and Salinas, Spain, Icon Foods focuses on all-natural, high-intensity sweetening solutions that are certified organic and Kosher, and are free of GMOs, soy, corn and allergens.

The Source for all your Merchandising Needs.

Our In-Stock Component Systems are Optimized for the Beverage Industry. Choose from Our Full-View® Merchandisers for Shelved Single Cans, Bottles, Multi-packs or Boxed Beverages, Bin & Tray Stands for Single Serve, or our Hooked Spinners for Pouched Products. Bringing the Retailer & Merchandiser a Multitude of Display Options for the Beverage Industry!

Natural Color Solutions GNT USA Inc.

Advanced Beverage Formulas Hidell International

Custom Beverage Development Int'l Beverage Management

For All Your Monk Fruit Needs MONK FRUIT CORP.

The GNT Group is the world leader in clean-label coloring solutions made exclusively from fruits and vegetables. Our brand of EXBERRY® colors bring vibrancy and stability to any beverage application — from sports drinks and juices to sodas and hard ciders — and may be listed on ingredient labels simply as Fruit and Vegetable Juice (for color). Find out more on our website.

The company creates innovative nutritional formulations for the bottled water industry.

These formulations are water neutral in that they have no color, taste or odor. They are pleasing to the palette and yet offer highly efficacious micro-nutrients for human consumption. The effort is to provide healthy hydration to bottled water consumers.

We offer custom, innovative beverage development in all areas of the beverage arena - functional, tea, energy, sparkling, cocktail mixers, supplements and powdered. Our team has over 100 years of industry experience, and our family owned company will make your venture our priority!

As the world's leading monk fruit company, monk fruit is all we do. We make the widest variety and best quality monk fruit products on the market - juices, flavors and sweetening ingredients - in a variety of sweetness potencies. We'll help you innovate or re-create great-tasting products, with less sugar, and fewer calories, all from the goodness of fruit. Looking for monk fruit? Trust the monk.

Branding & Packaging Design McLean Design

New Product Dev. & Consultancy Nu Agri Asia Corporation

McLean Design has been creating winning beverage packaging and brand strategies for over twenty-five years. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, we specialize in brand strategy, naming, packaging design, and structure design.

Nu Agri Asia, a specialist New Product Development and Consulting Company focusing on the Natural & Organic beverage category.

Our in-house team of experts has extensive experience in the developing coconut based products, dairy-alternatives, yogurts, and premium juices. Technically, we add process innovation to existing factories and manage Toll Manufacturing for our customers.

Turn-key Product Development MetaBrand

Brand Package Design- Food/Bev Perspective:Branding

MetaBrand is a world class team of experts which helps you create, launch, or grow your food, beverage, supplement, or personal care brand.

We provide strategic planning, market analysis, branding and design, product formulation and development, inside and outsourced operations and manufacturing, and sales and marketing execution.

Perspective: Branding is a San Francisco design firm specializing in food and beverage brands since 2005. We create seductive packaging that sells, using our expertise in packaging, brand identity, web-design, naming and research to increase revenue. We take pride in the value we add through the quality of the work. We know it will be successful by ensuring it is Visible, Visceral and Memorable.

Healthy Ingredients Healthy Food Ingredients

Healthy Food Ingredients is a growing family of global specialty ingredient brands, which includes SK Food International, Hesco/Dakota Organic Products, Suntava, and Heartland Flax.

Combined, we offer non-GMO, organic, certified transitional, gluten-free, and identity preserved pulses, soybeans, grains, seeds, flax, expeller oils, and our signature products Suntava Purple Corn® and AncientGrisps®.

Our latest innovation, IntegriPure™, is our microbial reduction solution that means industry-leading validation for a 5-log reduction providing food safety, naturally.

We are dedicated to delivering safe, healthy, premium-quality ingredients and supply assurance in partnership with our diverse grower network.

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NOT YOUR TYPICAL LABEL COMPANY Overnight Labels

Global Ingredient Supplier/Mfg Prinova

Concentrate, Colors, Extract San Joaquin Valley Concentrate

Prinova is a leading global supplier of ingredients and manufacturing solutions for the food, beverage and nutrition industries. As a single-source partner, we leverage an array of in-house capabilities and years of industry expertise to provide our customers with simplicity and flexibility from concept to completion.

San Joaquin Valley Concentrates (SJVC) manufactures colors from natural sources, grape juice concentrates, and grape seed extract for the food and beverage industry. Their crystal colors are dried without the use of carriers, are easily soluble with less dust than spray dried colors, and have a 5 year shelf life. SJVC is a division of E & J Gallo Winery and is a FSSC 22000 certified facility.

Beverage & Food Development PTM Food Consulting

Color Your World Naturally Sensient Food Colors

PTM Food Consulting is your premier product development & manufacturing support firm.

Our wide range of expertise, development and creativity achieves an exciting point of difference between your product and competitors. We work hard to uncover key industry insights, developing products that have a competitive edge. Whether your project is simple or a complex one, we’re your team!

We are Color! For over 60 years, Sensient’s broad portfolio of break-through, customized, and application-ready natural color solutions have helped brands delight consumers worldwide.

Leading experts in safety protocols, you can rest assured our natural colors meet the highest purity and quality specifications. Our natural color solutions make beverage innovation easy.

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2018 NEW BOTTLING LINE!!

NonGMO Plant Based Ingredients Top Health Ingredients

Southeast Bottling & Beverage

Ready-to-Drink Beverages & Liquid Dietary Supplements Organic & Kosher certified • More Capacity • More Packaging Options (Registered Film & Carton Packaging) • New registered film capability. tray, supported & non-supported.

• New SQF Level III • New expanded facility, now 114,000sf • Built to GMP Specifications • All filling rooms individually temperature controlled, humidity controlled & HEPA filtered • Separate pharmacy and blending rooms • Raw ingredients stored in air conditioned warehouse environment • On site refrigerated storage • 8oz to 64oz filling capability • Hot fill- plastic bottles only • Over 35,000 gallons of tank capacity • Multiple mixing technologies Contact Alisa Cessna • alisa@southeast-bottling.com • 352-567-2200 ext. 221 southeast-bottling.com Leader in Beverage Development Sovereign Flavors Inc.

Custom, Private Label Beverage The Drink Ink

Our innovative team of flavor experts have created over 10K beverages, so you can trust that we set the trend in the industry. With thousands of flavors in our library, we offer an extensive selection of organic & non-gmo flavors to exceed your clean label needs. Your dedicated beverage technologist will cultivate your idea to bring a high quality product to market that will set your brand apart.

The Drink Ink is the premier supplier in beverage development and beverage manufacturing, and the best in the beverage industry at serving our customers unique needs. Whether you are looking to start a beverage company, formulate a first of its kind new beverage concept or add to your existing beverage line The Drink Ink is your source for turnkey beverage solutions to save you time and money.

Synergy - Inspiring Taste Synergy Flavors

Beverage Label Expertise The Oak Printing Company

Synergy Flavors is a leading manufacturer and supplier of flavorings, extracts, and essences.

We have extensive experience across the food, beverage and nutrition industries, developing high quality taste solutions which inspire innovation and can help you stay one step ahead of the competition.

Built on 95 years of Service Leadership Responsiveness, Flexibility, Timeliness, Quality, and Reliability - Oak has been a specialist and expert in beverage labels for over two decades.

We continue to invest in technology, equipment, and process improvement to provide solutions for all your label needs. Your product deserves the best label, you and your company deserve Service Leadership.

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GMO Free, Gluten Free, Plant based proteins, fibers and sweeteners. Top Health Ingredients has been supplying the sports nutrition industry with high quality non GMO and organic plant based ingredients for almost a decade. Add functionality and taste with AdvantaFiber, a prebiotic, soluble fiber - and increase protein with our new soluble AdvantaFAVA, an 85% Fava bean powder. Plant power!

New Food/Beverage Ingredients Wisdom Natural Brands®

Wisdom Natural Brands® (WNB), makers of SweetLeaf® Stevia Sweetener, now offers ingredients for a wide variety of foods and beverages. Beverage manufacturers seeking an innovative, no-sugar sweetener with no artificial ingredients now have a solution. Widely recognized as the leader in the stevia taste profile, SweetLeaf is a whole-leaf extract of a variety of glycosides specially selected for their taste and sweetness. Free from the taste of solvent artifacts, a water-based extraction system produces a wonderfully sweet, zerocalorie food and beverage ingredient.

The WNB ingredient division provides proprietary and customized blends developed by a team of world-renowned stevia experts. Providing quality control and assurance, R&D support, a sustainable supply chain, and unmatched customer service, SweetLeaf is the only stevia brand to consistently win global awards for taste and innovation.

The highest quality ingredients are available in powder or liquid forms, or in blends of stevia and bulking agents, for a variety of beverages ranging from soft drinks to sports drinks, teas to juices, flavored waters, and more.

Visit SweetLeaf.com/Ingredients for more information.

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Deb Lott

Schenectady

NY

(518) 346-6343

drinksanavi.com

1Shot Protein LLC

Safir Jamal

Dallas

TX

(617) 259-6131

1shotprotein.com

4 Purpose Energy

Sam Ronkin

–

MA

(833) 201-6473

4PurposeEnergy.com

Christine Renken

Toronto

ON

(416) 225-2217

teacoff.com

100% All Natural, Inc.

A. Holliday & Company Inc. ADM

–

Chicago

IL

(844) 441-3663

ADM.com

John Wilson

Edison

NJ

(908) 561-5995

allenflavors.com

ALO Drink by SPI West Port Inc

Drew Pawlan

South San Francisco

CA

(650) 616-7777

alodrink.com

American Fruits and Flavors

Jeff P Carlson

Pacoima

CA

(818) 899-9574

americanfruit.com

Raz Inserra

Los Angeles

CA

(818) 458-8707

AQUAhydrate.com avenafoods.com

Allen Flavors, Inc.

AQUAhydrate Avena Foods Limited AVT Tea Services Avure HPP Technologies - JBT Axiom Foods

Jim Hoover

Regina

CA

(209) 844-6607

Andrew Mckay

Naples

FL

(239) 263-4999

avttea.com

Lisa Wessels (Pitzer)

Erlanger

KY

(859) 534-1545

avure-hpp-foods.com

David Janow

Los Angeles

CA

(800) 711-3587

axiomfoods.com

Amanda Sains

Baltimore

MD

(410) 417-7579

bmoreorganic.com

BAWLS Guarana

Connor McCoy

(330) 428-0309

Henry Owunna

Twinsburg – Monroe

OH

Bee's Beverage

NJ

–

Kyle Krause

Morris Plains

NJ

(973) 867-2140

B'more Organic

BENEO Inc. Berlin Packaging

bawls.com beeswater.com beneo.com

Monika Puzelyte

Chicago

IL

–

BerlinPackaging.com

Berner Food & Beverage

–

–

–

–

bernerfoodandbeverage.com

BevLove LLC -Texas/U.S.A

Stefanos Giannaris

The Woodlands

TX

(713) 478-7488

bevlove.us

BevSource

Michael Opperman

St Paul

MN

(866) 956-4608

bevsource.com

Bfit Brands

Erik Rothchild

Chandler

AZ

(480) 220-8680

drinkfitwhey.com

Big Easy Bucha

–

New Orleans

LA

–

Blue Buddha Tea

Cody Montee

Willowbrook

IL

(630) 861-0422

bluebuddha108.com

Christine de Sciora

Lake Success

NY

(516) 881-7286

blueprint.com/

BluePrint® Organic

bigeasybucha.com

Bonafide Provisions

Sharon Brown

Carlsbad

CA

(760) 683-9146

BonafideProvisions.com

Bragg Live Food Products

Michael Launer

Santa Barbara

CA

(805) 453-2844

bragg.com

BREW DR. KOMBUCHA Brothers International Food Co Califia Farms

–

Portland

OR

–

Kevin Burt

Rochester

NY

(585) 727-7590

–

Los Angeles, CA

CA

brewdrkombucha.com brothersinternational.com califiafarms.com/

Carolina Innovative Food Ing.

Paul Verderber

Nashville

NC

(252) 462-1551

CIFIngredients.com

Celsius Holdings, Inc.

Nicole Cheifetz

Boca Raton

FL

(561) 276-2239

celsius.com

CForce Bottling Company Chemi Nutra Cide Road

Tyler Norris

Navasota

TX

(972) 768-9257

CForce.com

Chase Hagerman

Austin

TX

(866) 907-0400

cheminutra.com

Kevin Duffy

Mendham

NJ

–

cideroad.com

Coconut Beach

–

San Diego

CA

–

coconutbeach.com

CORE

–

El Segundo

CA

–

core-hydration.com

Felicia Vieira

Encinitas

CA

(408) 835-7084

craftedcocktails.net

CSI division of Nordon, Inc

Jeff Gordon

Langhorne

PA

(215) 341-3919

coolersolutions.com

CT CURRANT / CURRANT AFFAIR

Allyn Brown

Norwich

CT

(860) 886-8080

ctcurrant.com

Susan MacLachlan

Louisville

CO

(303) 775-0064

doctordslive.com

Tarick Gamay

McLean

VA

(703) 751-3511

dreampak.com

–

Jackson

WY

(800) 296-1942

dustcutter.com

Crafted Sodas

Culture Club LLC DreamPak LLC Dust Cutter eauLife Encompass Technologies

Jeremy M Caudill

Austin

TX

(415) 902-9999

gleprenatal.com

Darin Spence

Fort Collins

CO

(970) 449-8000

encompass8.com

EnerBee

Zach Grossman

Miami

FL

(305) 801-4618

EnerBee.com

Ethan's

Ethan Hirshberg

Boulder

CO

(720) 432-8384

ethans.com

EVIVA

Elaine Morrison

Los Angeles

CA

(310) 433-1575

drinkeviva.com

Christina Larigan

Seattle

WA

(206) 318-7609

evolutionfresh.com

Fabio Fossati

Brooklyn

NY

(718) 766-2757

drinkfawen.com

–

Lincoln

RI

(800) 288-6272

finlays.net

Sara Bowman

Louisville

KY

(502) 301-8142

flavorman.com

Evolution Fresh Famleigh Inc Finlays Flavorman

77

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION COMPANY Flow Fort Dearborn Company Franklin Baker, Inc.

CONTACT NAME

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

–

–

–

–

Gwen Chapdelaine

Elk Grove

IL

(847) 357-9500

flowwater.com fortdearborn.com

John Slade

Memphis

TN

(901) 881-6681

franklinbaker.com

FYLO

John C Maguire

New York

NY

(973) 769-5777

drinkfylo.com

GNT USA Inc.

Jeanette O'Brien

Tarrytown

NY

(914) 524-0600

gnt-group.com

Laurence w Brown

Denver

CO

(720) 212-5872

Gofast.com

Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co. Good Idea

BJÖRN ÖSTE , CEO

New York

NY

(888) 317-9797

goodideadrinks.com

Keenan Smith & Daniel Sheller

Portland

OR

(503) 765-5736

goodwolfwaterkefir.com

GOTHAM BRAND MANAGERS

Trent Moffat

New York City

NY

(877) 931-3030

gothambrands.com

GREEN Energy

Alan Joaquin

Kailua

HI

(808) 221-4687

drinkgreenenergy.com

Jess Page

Chicago

IL

(305) 771-1357

greensheepwater.com

Goodwolf Feeding Company

Green Sheep Water GreenONE Holdings, Inc

Mariah Fineman-President

las vegas

NV

(877) 468-1144

idrinkbeverages.com

Harvest Soul Organic

Rani Quirk

Marietta

GA

(770) 355-2048

harvestsoul.com

Healthy Food Ingredients

Jay Johnson

Fargo

ND

(844) 275-3443

HFIfamily.com

Hello Beverages LLC

Rusty Jones

Chicago

IL

–

Hidell International

Henry "Bob" Hidell

Hingham

MA

(781) 749-8040

hidellinternational.com

hellowater.com

HighTea.Today

Miriam Novalle

Kingston

NY

(212) 358-0506

hightea.today

Hoist

Anna Nerenberg

Cincinnati

OH

(513) 267-2137

drinkhoist.com

Humm Kombucha

Rene Mitchell

Bend

OR

(541) 306-6329

humm.com

Icon Foods (formerly Steviva)

Thomas King

Portland

OR

–

iconfoods.com

Inko's Organic Energy

Cody Montee

Willowbrook

IL

–

inkostea.com

Int'l Beverage Management

Dianne Hustus

Monroe

CT

(203) 880-9370

internationalbeveragemanagement.com

Ito En (North America) INC.

–

Brooklyn

NY

(718) 250-4000

itoen.com

Katie St. Clair

Charleston

SC

(843) 814-9286

jackrudycocktailco.com

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. KeVita LLC

–

Oxnard

CA

–

Koia

–

Los Angeles

CA

(646) 263-3278

drinkkoia.com

Kona Deep

kevita.com

Pat Turpin

Manhattan Beach

CA

(310) 546-8142

konadeep.com

Kona Gold LLC

Robert Clark

Rockledge

FL

(844) 714-2224

konagoldhemp.com

KRa Drinks for Athletes, Inc.

Annie Hesser

Chicago

IL

–

Lion Botanicals

Ray DeRosa

Brooklyn

NY

(732) 688-9780

liontea.com

Lori Volk

Ventura

CA

(805) 640-6565

LorisOriginalLemonade.com

–

Carlsbad

CA

(855) 588-2442

mammachia.com

Rifle Hughes

Walnut Creek

CA

(925) 944-9500

mclean-design.com

Debbie Wildrick

Edison

NJ

(888) 611-5573

metabrandcorp.com

Lori's Original Lemonade Mamma Chia McLean Design MetaBrand

drinkkra.com

Midway Displays, Inc.

Marco Prete

Bedford Park

IL

(708) 563-2323

MidwayDisplays.com

Mixwell Beverage

Jens Stoelken

Santa Monica

CA

(646) 896-4081

pleasemixwell.com

MOJO Cold Brewed Coffee, Inc.

Annie Brainard

Wenham

MA

(978) 270-3838

mojocoffees.com

MONK FRUIT CORP.

Paul Paslaski

Libertyville

IL

(847) 367-6665

monkfruitcorp.com

Moonshine Sweet Tea

Barry T. Graf

Austin

TX

(888) 793-3883

moonshinesweettea.com

MORRIS KITCHEN neuro Brands Nu Agri Asia Corporation Obrigado Only What You Need, Inc. Overnight Labels Performix

Kari Morris

Brooklyn

NY

(347) 457-6994

morriskitchen.com

Lindsay Andoscia

Sherman Oaks

CA

(310) 393-6444

drinkneuro.com

Dan Baron

–

–

(267) 893-9390

nuagriasia.com

–

Irvine

CA

(888) 627-4423

obrigado.com

Mark Olivieri

Fairfield

NJ

(973) 638-7166

liveowyn.com

Don Earle

Deer Park

NY

(800) 472-5753

overnightlabels.com

Anthony Iannello

New York

NY

(631) 300-8577

performixdriven.com

WavenDean Fernandes

San Francisco

CA

(510) 450-0500

perspectivebranding.com

Pervida

Debbie Custer

Blacksburg

VA

(540) 808-0800

pervida.net

Picnik

Jon Backus

Austin

TX

(585) 313-6330

picnikaustin.com

KC Commoss

Salem

MA

(978) 745-4332

powellandmahoney.com

Matthew Echave

Emeryville

CA

(415) 614-4348

premierprotein.com

Nina Hughes

Carol Stream

IL

(630) 868-0300

prinovausa.com

Perspective:Branding

Powell & Mahoney Premier Nutrition Corp.

Prinova

78 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

COMPANY

CONTACT NAME

Protein2o

Andy Horrow

PTM Food Consulting

Ryan Dolan Rob Paladino

Pure Brazilian Coconut Water Purpose Tea

CITY

STATE

PHONE NUMBER

WEB SITE

Chicago

IL

(855) 290-7820

drinkprotein2o.com

Point Pleasant

NJ

(888) 736-6339

ptmfood.com

Tampa Bay

FL

(833) 262-6987

drinkpurebrazilian.com purposetea.com

Dale J. Stredney

Dallas

TX

(630) 890-5172

Red Bull North America

–

–

–

(310) 393-4647

energydrink-us.redbull.com

Reliant Hydration, Inc.

Paul Curhan

Tacoma

WA

(253) 444-4148

recoverywater.com

Remedy Organics

Henry Kasindorf

Englewood Cliffs

NJ

–

remedyorganics.com

Repurposed Pod

Kayla Weidner

Quakertown

PA

(717) 454-6224

repurposedpod.com

Revive Kombucha

–

Petaluma

CA

–

revivekombucha.com

Rosa Foods, Inc.

–

Los Angeles

CA

–

soylent.com

S & C Angels, Inc

Dan Cronin

Watertown

MA

(617) 926-0043

smokersaidplusenergy.com

Salud Refresco San Joaquin Valley Concentrate Sensient Food Colors

Wyley Owens

Brooklyn

NY

(603) 978-2424

saludrefresco.com

Thomas Lampe

Fresno

CA

(800) 557-0220

sjvconc.com

–

St. Louis

MO

(800) 325-8110

sensientfoodcolors.com

ShadeTree Beverage Co, LLC

Courtlyn Smith

Austin

TX

(512) 571-6940

shadetreelemonade.com

Shaka Tea

Harrison Rice

Honolulu

HI

(808) 518-0921

shakatea.com

Shire City Herbals/Fire Cider

–

Pittsfield

MA

(413) 553-0739

firecider.com

Sipp Eco Beverage Co., Inc.

Kelly DePedro

Chester Springs

PA

(610) 827-9900

haveasipp.com

Skratch Labs

Jeff Donaldson

Boulder

CO

(800) 735-8904

skratchlabs.com

Slang Beverages

Victor Rios

Bergenfield

NJ

(201) 303-2903

slangbeverages.com

Alisa Cessna

Dade City

FL

(352) 567-2200

southeast-bottling.com

Sovereign Flavors Inc.

Katie Allen

Santa Ana

CA

(714) 437-1996

sovereignflavors.com

Spider Beverage Group

Pete Algarin

Roseville

CA

(916) 540-7641

scorpionenergydrink.com

Sporting Club

Tugger Balcom

Santa Monica

CA

(808) 446-6689

sportingclub.pro

Starbucks/Anheuser-Busch

Southeast Bottling & Beverage

Randy Ornstein

New York

NY

(479) 381-9024

starbucks.com/promo/teavana-craft-iced-teas

Superleaf LLC.

Keetae Kim

Brooklyn

NY

(201) 341-4110

detoxwater.com

Synergy Flavors

Joe Boehrer

Wauconda

IL

(847) 487-1011

synergytaste.com

Talking Rain Beverage Company

Ken Sylvia

Preston

WA

(425) 222-4900

sparklingice.com

Wayne Fagundes

Corona

CA

(951) 371-7100

tastenirvana.com teaofakind.com

Taste Nirvana Int'l Inc. Tea of a Kind

Karin Gerlach

Tempe

AZ

(859) 462-1820

TEAONIC

Alex Chesler

Van Nuys

CA

–

The Drink Ink

Chris Stone

Las Vegas

NV

(888) 454-3466

thedrinkink.com

teaonic.com

The Maple Guild

John Campbell

Island Pond

VT

(860) 705-5816

mapleguild.com

The Oak Printing Company

Cathleen Evans

Strongsville

OH

(312) 550-8206

oakprintingco.com

The System by Stacy

Stacy Berman

NYC

NY

(646) 537-5466

thesystembystacy.com

Heather McDowell

New York

NY

(646) 559-0278

drinkticklewater.com

Debbra

Edmonton

(780) 439-1424

tophealthingredients.com

George Simpson

Milwaukee

WI

(312) 848-2912

topnotetonic.com

Zoe McElligott

Harrison

NY

(914) 341-1850

drinktreo.com

Trimino Brands LLC

Peter Dacey

Branford

CT

(203) 453-0090

drinktrimino.com

Tsamma Juice

Hilary Long

Keenes

IL

(618) 835-2536

tsammajuice.com

–

Clermont

FL

(352) 394-8737

unclematts.com

Tickle Water Top Health Ingredients Top Note Tonic Treo Brands LLC

Uncle Matt's Organic

Joshua Sizemore

Lexington

KY

Unity Vibration Kombucha

Unify Water

Tarek Kanaan

Ypsilanti

MI

Universal Beverages, Inc.

Cathy Crossan

Ponte Vedra Beach

Julie LIncoln

Cincinnati

OH

(513) 206-0936

vegyvida.com

Allison

Barre

VT

(802) 479-2558

vermontvillage.com

Tom Cullity

Tewksbury

MA

(508) 864-9248

–

Los Angeles

CA

–

wanuwater.com

Carol May

Gilbert

AZ

(520) 990-6040

sweetleaf.com

Rachel Forillere

Upland

CA

(424) 288-1498

wonderfueldrink.com

Stephanie Schonauer

Los Angeles

CA

(310) 202-7000

zevia.com

Vegy Vida Kids' Dip 'n More Vermont Village Vit*Hit North America wanu water Wisdom Natural Brands® wonder FUEL Zevia

unifywater.com (734) 277-4063

unityvibrationkombucha.com

(904) 280-7795

syfobeverages.com

vithit.com

79

PROMO PARADE

INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS & EVENTS

Tsamma Watermelon Juice Announces Continued Partnership with University of Alabama Athletics

Tsamma Watermelon Juice, created by Frey Farms, is keeping the University of Alabama student-athletes hydrated and in top health with a unique partnership. The University of Alabama football program sought out Tsamma Juice last year after learning of a study on the company's watermelon juice, which is being led by the University's Human Nutrition Department.

The study focuses on the effects of L-citrulline, an amino acid most known for its use as a sports performance and cardiovascular health supplement. Watermelon is the only food that provides a natural source of L-Citrulline and each

12 oz. bottle of Tsamma Juice has 600 mg of this powerful nutrient.

Tsamma Juice extended its partnership this year by aligning with the University's sports marketing department and creating additional exposure for Tsamma Watermelon Juice across several marketing campaigns on RollTide.com, the official athletics website.

Prior to the Alabama vs. Tennessee football game on October 21, Tsamma Juice had the opportunity to engage with students and fans in a designated, branded area within the Mercedes-Benz Fan Fest adjacent to BryantDenny Stadium.

80 BEVNET MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Campari Announces Zoe Saldana as Star of Campari Red Diaries 2018 Campari, Italy’s iconic bittersweet red aperitif, announced the return of Campari Red Diaries, the series of short films focused on the notion that “every cocktail tells a story.” The 2018 release features a hallmark short movie steeped in intrigue, leading viewers on a journey in pursuit of the perfect cocktail.

The Legend of the Red Hand stars globally renowned actress Zoe Saldana, known for her roles in Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, and is directed by Stefano Sollima, regarded for his work in Italy on Gomorrah and the upcoming movie, Soldado. In its second year running, Campari Red Diaries celebrates worldwide bartending talent as well as the film’s “Red Hands,” masters of the world’s best cocktails.

This short film follows the international success of the 2017 edition of Campari Red Diaries, which featured actor Clive Owen as a notorious bartender in a short titled The Killer in Red. This year’s celebration is another thrilling mystery that tells the story of Mia Parc, played by Zoe Saldana, and her search for the perfect cocktail.

Her journey begins in none other than Milan, the birthplace of Campari.

The Legend of Red Hand will be digitally launched globally in 2018 and celebrated with a red carpet premiere in the place where it all began: Milan.

The short movie will also be available on Campari’s official YouTube channel on the same date. Along with the short film and accompanying premiere in Milan, Campari Red Diaries 2018 will be supported with cocktail recipes from legendary bartender talent from around the world, as well as a coffee table book that immortalizes The Legend of Red Hand.

Pyramid Brewing Co. Celebrates Portland Trail Blazer Season with Blazermania IPA As the Trail Blazers and fans embrace the start of the regular season, Pyramid Brewing Co. developed the perfect beer for the upcoming season to share with fans. Pyramid announced the release of Blazermania IPA, the brewery's newest beer that delivers a fan worthy IPA for the NBA's most loyal fans in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

Blazermania IPA contains a clean and crisp malt body that serves as the perfect platform for the beer's citrusy hop flavors and aromas. The packaging showcases 45 years of Trail Blazer spirit, bringing together

fans from every generation with the use of iconic symbols throughout the design. Displaying home and away colors adds that extra value of support so fans can cheer on their team at home or on the road.

Pyramid encourages Portlanders to enjoy their passions with craft brews and savor those moments with fantastic beers worth sharing. Whether you're a fan from the Walton, Drexler, Roy, or Lillard era, there's a bond with the Trail Blazers and their fans.

Blazermania IPA is a tribute to the greatest fans in the NBA.

Boxed Water Plants More Than 600,000 Trees Through #ReTree Campaign Boxed Water celebrates a successful close of the third year of its #ReTree project. Boxed Water achieved record-level engagement and has committed to plant 612,567 trees in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF).

Since 2015, Boxed Water has worked with the NFF to plant trees in National Forests through its 1% for the Planet membership.

J.B. Smoove Stars in “Crown Royal Regal Apple: The Musical” Crown Royal has re-enlisted the creative brilliance of actor and comedian J.B. Smoove to help fuel its flavored whisky collection, which includes Crown Royal Regal Apple Flavored Whiskey and Crown Royal Vanilla Flavored Whiskey. Crown Royal celebrated the fun-loving side and irresistibly delicious side of whisky with a spirited campaign, titled “Crown Royal Regal Apple: The Musical.”

The latest work between J.B. and Crown Royal premiered in October. In a true creative collaboration, J.B. and his crew teamed up with director Greg Brunkalla, Anomaly New York and Storefront Music to cre-

ate a pulsating original track “It’s Apple Time, Baby,” and a series of short films, which also include an exuberant dance number choreographed

by Fatima Robinson. The main film features J.B. strutting through a lavish nightclub, as patrons jump into his dance and join his crew for Crown Royal Regal Apple shots – all while not missing a beat. The integrated marketing plan consists of TV, social media, public relations and bar events rolling out nationwide and continuing throughout 2018.

To commemorate J.B.’s starring role and new-found crooner skills, Crown Royal crowned him as its “King of

Flavor” during an uproarious coronation in New York hosted by comedian Chris DiStefano.

This is not the first foray for Crown Royal and the newly anointed King. Over the last year, J.B. brought out the true meaning of “Vanilla So Good,” to launch Crown Royal Vanilla, as well as appeared in a series of hilarious recipe videos – including a nowviral video created with the foodies at Tasty on making the comedian’s signature Spiked Banana Pudding “Smoovie.”

The delectable how-to video brings together the deliciousness of Vanilla, along with a side of life advice that only J.B. can deliver.

This summer, trees committed from the #ReTree 2016 campaign were planted in the Sierra National Forest, Calif.; Stanislaus National Forest, Calif.; Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah. The NFF selects areas based on the greatest need due to factors like wildfires and other natural threats. This year the #ReTree project brings Boxed Water over halfway to its commitment to plant one million trees by 2020.

81

PROMO PARADE

Glenmorangie Partners with Revovo on Innovative Bicycle Glenmorangie, creators of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, has collaborated with Renovo Hardwood Bicycles to create a bicycle made from whisky casks. The Glenmorangie Original is a one-of-a-kind bicycle with a rich history. The bicycle frame is crafted from staves of Glenmorangie’s American white oak casks, which are only used twice, preserving the wonderful wood notes of vanilla, almond, coconut and honey concentrated in the spirit maturing in first-fill casks.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) 1. Publication Title

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Renovo, the originators of the wood bicycle frame, utilizes about 15 staves to construct the hollow frame of each Glenmorangie Original bicycle. Every bike is individually designed to embrace the trapezoidal shape of each stave, as well as the curve of the cask in the frame’s down and top tubes. These shapes are integrated into a frame with the same smooth-riding hollow frame technology Renovo pioneered, as well as “longbow” seatstays engineered to further tame rough roads.

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16. Electronic Copy Circulation

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16629

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100%

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I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are legitimate requests or paid copies.

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CODY GARBRANDT

COMING IN JANUARY! 28oz Knockout Punch

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