What’s hitting the shelves? New launches in the beverage aisle

By Rachel Arthur

- Last updated on GMT

Ribena Light adds Pineapple & Passionfruit; plus more launches from around the globe
Ribena Light adds Pineapple & Passionfruit; plus more launches from around the globe

Related tags High fructose corn Fructose corn syrup Tea Alcoholic beverage High-fructose corn syrup Us

From drinks that blend juice and tea, through to a new series in the hard cider category, we take a look at some of the new products reaching beverage aisles across the globe this month. 

Energy drinks, RTD tea, beer, cider, milk drinks and soft drinks all feature in this month’s round-up, with launches from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Ribena and more.

Fuze launches in Australia

Fuze Tea

Coca-Cola has rolled out Fuze Tea, its premium iced tea, to Australia this month.

The Fuze flavors are Wild Raspberry & Hibiscus, Summer Mango & Chamomile, Juicy Peach, Crisp Apple & Lemongrass and Zesty Lemon. The drinks are made from a variety of teas such as black, green and rooibos.

Three variants are low kilojoule and sweetened with stevia.

Fuze Tea is looking to target adult social occasions, and in particular women aged 18-49, in the country.

“Over time, we'd like to see Fuze Tea at the heart of social occasions, associated with relaxing and good times with friends,"​ said Emma Harper, brand manager, Fuze Tea.

Part of the brand’s launch strategy is a partnership with Channel 7’s competitive cooking show ‘My Kitchen Rules.’

‘Super-charged with the power of vitamin C’

PepsiCo has released AMP Energy Boosted, a new variety for the AMP Energy brand.

AMP Energy Boosted

AMP Energy Boosted has the same energy credentials as regular AMP Energy, but with twice the daily value of vitamin C and 100 calories per 16oz bottle.

The two flavors on offer are Mandarin Orange and Wild Berry Cherry. The beverages are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, sucralose and acesulfame potassium, and also contain taurine, guarana and ginseng.

PepsiCo says the drink’s target audience is male millennials, aged 18 – 24. Pricing is at the discretion of bottlers but the recommended price is $2.49 per 16oz bottle.

AMP Energy Boosted hit shelves on February 22 and will be available nationwide in the US.    

Fruit juice and tea blend reduces sugar

Harvest Hill Beverage Company, the makers of Juicy Juice, has launched Juicy Juice Teasers.

Juicy Juice Teasers are a blend of fruit juice and decaffeinated tea, a recipe which creates a lower-sugar beverage, says the US company.

“Our research found that older kids are looking for more beverage variety, but most options have sugar and/or caffeine,” ​said Ilene Bergenfeld, Harvest Hill Beverage Company.

Juicy Juice Teasers

Juicy Juice Teasers do not contain high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, or artificial sweeteners. Harvest Hill says the beverage contains 50% less sugar than the leading juice.

The beverages are available at Publix, Food Lion and Kroger stores in the Southeast, and select Walmart stores across the country. It is packed in 10 oz, single-serve six-packs; or 64 oz bottles. Flavors include peach, berry, half & half, and apple.

Modern take on IPAs

UK brewery Charles Wells launched a new IPA at the Craft Beer Rising Festival in London last week.

Charlie Wells Triple Hopped IPA on bar resize
Charlie Wells

Charlie Wells Triple Hopped IPA offers ‘a modern take on a traditional IPA.’ It follows last year’s release of Charlie Wells Dry Hopped Lager which the company says has shown encouraging sales performance to date.

Master Brewer Chris Reid says the Triple Hopped IPA was developed after researching brewing archives and looking for traditional malt and hop recipes, as well as working out how to develop them for modern tastes.

“Working with our hops suppliers I arrived at a blend of Galaxy, Simcoe, and Goldings hops, alongside various lighter malts, to create a traditionally bitter and hoppy IPA with a soft, modern tropical flavor,”​ he said.  

The IPA is currently available at Charles Wells managed and tenanted pubs, with a 500ml bottle available for off-trade stockists, and a listing in Asda to follow in April.   

Hard cider category evolves

Angry Orchard has launched a new series of ciders, Orchard’s Edge, starting with the release of Knotty Pear and The Old Fashioned this month.

 The US company says the hard cider industry has seen ‘incredible growth’ over the past few years, with drinkers embracing it as an alternative to beer or wine.

“As drinkers continue to rediscover the American cider tradition, they are interested in trying ciders with more complexity,” ​it says.

“Now that the cider drinker’s palate is maturing, cider makers have the opportunity to push the limits and develop more complex ciders, like Orchard’s Edge.”

Knotty Pear is a 6.5% ABV cider made with a blend of culinary pears and apples grown in the US. The cider leads with ripe apple, baked pear aromas and spicy, herbal hints from the cardamom. The pears also give the cider a subtle spiced essence along with notes of citrus and mint.”

The Old Fashioned is a 6.5% ABV cider made from a blend of apples like Gala and Fuji, aged on charred oak bourbon barrel staves with dried tart cherries and Californian orange peel. The cider has a citrus aroma with hints of vanilla and bourbon flavors.

Orchard’s Edge hit the shelves this month at a suggested retail price of $10.99 for a six-pack (price varies per market). The two varieties will also be available on rotating draft in select bars and restaurants from the spring.  

Twiss heads to India

twiss drinks
Twiss

Twiss drinks, a UK-based company, has launched its sparkling fruit juices in India.

The flavors are apple with a twist of blackcurrant; mango with a twist of lime; lemon with a twist of mint; and passionfruit with a twist of orange.

The drinks are priced at Rs 40/- for a 250ml can. They will initially be available in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune.

US launch for cold-pressed juice brand

UK cold-pressed juice brand Vegesentials will hit shelves in the US next month, under the Vegesentials USA brand.

All Natural Freshness, a Delaware company, has partnered with London-based Vegesentials to manufacture and distribute the Vegesentials line in North America.

HPP (high pressure processing) technology deactivates bacteria using pressure, not heat.

Vegesentials is a cold-pressed vegetable and fruit drink brand, currently available in the UK, Belgium, Denmark and Dubai.

Whole milk, honey and fruit

Bam pack shots inset
Bam

Bam has launched its on-the-go milk drink brand in the UK, targeting consumers who want a healthy alternative to drinks with refined sugar.

Bam comes in chocolate and banana flavors, which are made from whole milk, honey and fruit/cocoa. The drinks are free from refined sugar, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

Bam is available in 330ml cartons at a RRP of £1.49 ($2.10).  

Ribena expands no-added sugar range

Ribena Light is expanding its range of no-added sugar drinks with Ribena Light Pineapple & Passionfruit.

The beverage has 10 calories per 250ml.

Lucozade Ribena Suntory aims to reduce calories by 20% across its portfolio. Ribena Light will also be supported by a £6m ($8.3m) marketing campaign, focusing on TV advertising.

Mighty Matcha tea

pukka teas
Pukka teas

Pukka Herbs is introducing four Matcha green teas to its range of organic green teas.

Ginseng Matcha Green tea, Mint Matcha Green, Clean Matcha Green and Sweet Vanilla Green tea will be available from the beginning of April.

Sebastian Pole, master herbalist, Pukka Herbs, said: Matcha has been recognised as a superfood and marrying it with tea means everyday consumption is easier than ever. Matcha has 100x the antioxidants of regular green tea and gram for gram contains about 100x more antioxidants than spinach.”

Pukka is a UK organic herbal tea and health supplement company, based in Bristol.

Carnival Flava

levi roots
Carnival Flava

Levi Roots, celebrity chef and Dragons’ Den star, is introducing Carnival Flava to his soft drinks range.

The sparkling peach and papaya drink will be available next month in the convenience and cash and carry sector, packaged in 500ml RTD £1 ($1.40) price marked packs. It will replace the current Tropical Punch flavor.

The launch will be backed by sampling activities, trade promotions and a summertime multi-media campaign.

Related topics Markets

Related news

Show more