Future Flavors

COVID-19: Expo West cancelled as New Hope shifts focus to Expo East

COVID-19: Expo West canceled as New Hope shifts focus to Expo East

By Elaine Watson

In an announcement that will not likely surprise many stakeholders, New Hope has decided to cancel (rather than postpone) the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim and focus its attention on Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26).

The low-to-no alcoholic (LNA) beverage trend appears to have caught on in the APAC region, with various major beverage firms launching their own versions.

FNA Deep Dive: Low-to-no alcoholic beverages

Booze-free growth imminent: Low-to-no alcoholic beverages set to boom in APAC

By Pearly Neo and Guan Yu Lim

The low-to-no alcoholic (LNA) beverage industry is growing rapidly in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, and as of late this trend appears to have also caught on in the APAC region, with various major beverage firms launching their own...

“Hoping millennials will adopt boomer values as they age just isn’t a sensible business strategy.

Can wineries leverage plant-based messaging to attract young drinkers?

By Beth Newhart

An oversupply of wine in the US has producers rethinking their branding and marketing strategies to reach millennials and Gen Z drinkers. The Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division (SVB) advises wineries to tap into the ‘better-for-you’ trend and health-forward...

Night Shift believes there is a line when it comes to healthy craft beer, and would never sacrifice the quality of an IPA to make it low-calorie. Pic: Getty/Woodkern

Reformatting IPAs for the masses: small sizes win big

By Beth Newhart

In the face of health and wellness concerns and low-to-no alcohol trends, craft brewers of heavy, boozy beer are rethinking their methods. Line extensions and new packaging formats are the advice of Massachusetts-based Night Shift Brewing.

Bacardi goes ‘back to the bar’ in search of cocktail trends

By Beth Newhart

Bacardi is enlisting the help of 7,000 global employees to track new trends in cocktails and wider alcohol by sending them to local bars and restaurants. This year mindful drinking is expected to go mainstream, and natural, fresh ingredients will be at...

Hard seltzer products made up 20% of all online beer sales through Drizly on Super Bowl Sunday. Pic: Getty/Davizro

Beer and seltzer dominate ads and consumption for Super Bowl LIV

By Beth Newhart

Million-dollar commercials, glitzy halftime performances and a championship football game all come together in one of alcohol’s biggest holidays of the year. Every year, Americans prepare for Super Bowl Sunday with more than $2bn in booze sales.

HopTea craft brews non-alcoholic tea like a beer

HopTea craft brews non-alcoholic tea like a beer

By Beth Newhart

Hoplark’s HopTea brand replaces malt in its beverage brewing process with a tea base for a line of non-alcoholic beer alternatives. Its latest grapefruit variety mimics the radler style.

“We encourage people to get outside, so our packaging highlights a lot of northern California destinations.”

Surreal Brewing 'reduces the stigma' of non-alcoholic beer

By Beth Newhart

After just a year and a half in business, Surreal Brewing Company sells five varieties of alcohol-free craft beer out of northern California. They exhibited at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show, sampling the latest release.

People tend to associate tea with health benefits, but that hasn't traditionally been the case for alcoholic tea drinks.

Loverboy launch grows the hard tea category

By Beth Newhart

Hard seltzers dominated the alcohol conversation in 2019, and there’s been an uptick in flavored malt beverage (FMB) launches in response. Loverboy brings a healthier option to the small but growing hard tea category.

“We’re doing so much more in DC than we were four years ago. We’re speaking up for common sense labeling regulations, lobbying for legislation to lower excise taxes.

Cider association rebrands and highlights dry offerings

By Beth Newhart

The United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) was officially renamed to the American Cider Association (ACA) on December 31. It called 2019 ‘a year of resilience’ for cider in the face of flavored malt beverage (FMB) popularity.

Five premium tea trends to watch in 2020

By Maria Uspenski, The Tea Spot

The five significant trends for tea in 2020 all circulate within the general theme of phytotherapy, and support the general shift toward a more mindful approach in the health and wellness market, writes Maria Uspenski of The Tea Spot.

Consumer appetite for hard seltzer is based on occasion and flavored refreshment, which has given the category year-round success. Pic: Getty/hiro-y

No end in sight for US hard seltzer domination

By Beth Newhart

US hard seltzer consumption is set to triple by 2023. But will consumers be able to support the stream of new launches? And can other global markets mimic the success of seltzer in the US?

Japan is the second biggest market in the world for RTD beverages, catching up to the US in sales.

'Premium level' RTD shots find new footing on-premise in Japan

By Beth Newhart

New York-based LIQS Cocktail Shots is taking its growth international with November’s launch into Japan. Its lines of liquor-based and wine-based shots build their audience first on-premise at concerts, stadiums and festivals.

Following a $10m investment in local businesses, the Chicago Starbucks Reserve Roastery opened to the public on Michigan Avenue.

World’s biggest Starbucks opens in Chicago

By Beth Newhart

The newest Starbucks Reserve Roastery is the company’s largest location in the world, with five floors and more than 35,000 square feet. It opens its doors November 15 in downtown Chicago.

Truly has recently announced a reformulation, a hard lemonade product and a sponsorship with the NHL.

Truly will be the first hard seltzer served in-flight

By Beth Newhart

In a new deal inked with JetBlue, Truly Hard Seltzer will be the first official alcoholic seltzer of a US airline. Starting this fall, the Wild Berry flavor will be available on all JetBlue flights.

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