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
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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.