Natural and Organic

C-store beverages: What’s new at NACS?

C-store beverages: What’s new at NACS?

By Beth Newhart

The National Association of Convenience Stores has been meeting since 1961, and today the expo covers more than 400,000 square feet. The 2019 show was held in Atlanta October 2-4, bringing together retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and exhibitors from...

A single pouch is designed to work on up to 16oz of coffee and remove 200mg of caffeine.

Decafino opens the coffee world to decaf drinkers on-the-go

By Beth Newhart

A pouch that can decaffeinate brewed beverages like coffee and tea has been developed by a chemical engineer from the University of Washington. Decafino’s commercial launch is planned for May of 2020 in the US.

Bluestone wants to bring the coffee culture of Melbourne to the US through its cafes and blended beverages.

Australian cold brew coffee spreads in the US

By Beth Newhart

Bluestone Lane’s Australia-inspired cafe chain is its expanding its beverage options with ready-to-drink iced coffee and cold brew, including a partnership with Elmhurst 1925.

Instant hot coffee of the past is being replaced by higher quality ready-to-drink options.

Bringing back the brew: US coffee innovates for fall

By Beth Newhart

Coffee brands kick it up a notch in the fall, capitalizing on the category’s popularity during the colder months. From spiked cold brew to CBD infusions, US coffee is taking a fresh approach to autumn 2019.

World Centric debuts compostable cold cups at Expo East

World Centric debuts compostable cold cups at Expo East

By Beth Newhart

A new line of cold beverage NoTree containers will join World Centric’s packaging designed for hot drinks. The bamboo-based cups will be introduced at the Expo East show in Baltimore this week.

Each new drink has a single serve option, designed for lunch boxes, after school activities and snacks

Juicy Juice ups the ante for back-to-school season

By Beth Newhart

The traditional juice model is getting refreshed at Juicy Juice, a kids’ beverage brand in the US. New organic and high protein offerings are part of a better-for-you campaign.

All the ingredients used in Coffee Booster are vitamin or herb based, without any flavor for easy incorporation.

Coffee gets a boost at-home and on-the-go

By Beth Newhart

Premium ‘boosters’ and functional add-ons have found a place in smoothie chains, and now they’re headed for coffee. Canada-based Coffee Booster wants flavorless function to be a new step in morning coffee routines.

“A critical part of our journey is taking bigger, bolder action to be more socially responsible in all the ways we operate.”

Dunkin’ ramps up sustainability commitment

By Beth Newhart

Dunkin’ Brands, parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) and Baskin Robbins, released a sustainability report this week, updating its progress on old goals and outlining new ones.

“People wanting to be healthier is not confined to a certain age group.”

Ethan’s shots dip into organic energy

By Beth Newhart

A beverage brand that specializes in functional shots, Ethan’s is breaking into the energy drink category for the first time with a line of Organic Energy Shots formulated with green tea, lion’s mane and guayusa.

Moringa dominates kale and matcha across nutrient categories like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Moringa stands out among superfoods at Fancy Food

By Beth Newhart

Known in ancient cultures as the 'tree of life,' moringa has grown into the western food and beverage industries, following the pattern of others like matcha. More competitors are now entering the market, and infiltrating the mainstream tea...

Are avocados the future of tea?

By Beth Newhart

A couple of ‘accidental avocado farmers’ from California found a better use for the leaves of avocado trees than grinding and trashing them--hot tea. Now they are bagging and flavoring the tea to be sold worldwide, launching this summer.

Rwanda's climate conditions, good soil and high elevation make it an optimal tea-growing location.

3 Mountains sees the potential for premium, on draft tea

By Beth Newhart

Independent craft tea brand 3 Mountains is betting on consumers’ interest in premium beverages and social change with its new Silverback Draft Tea, available in kegs and cans. It showcased the concept at last week’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York...

What’s new in beverage at the Fancy Food Show?

What’s new in beverage at the Fancy Food Show?

By Beth Newhart

The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show took place in New York City last week. Some top specialty beverage categories in the US are tea, coffee, hot cocoa and plant-based milks, with overall specialty sales making up 16.1% of the...

The new essence range is considered an addition to hops, not a replacement to traditional dry hopping and hop pellets. Pic: Getty/5PH

Synergy’s water soluble hop essences tackle beer and soft drinks

By Beth Newhart

At IFT last week, Synergy Flavors debuted a new line of Synergy Pure Hop Essences as an alternative to traditional dry hopping. The water soluble ingredients are designed for beer, but can also be used with soft drinks like sparkling water, kombucha and...

Tea is taking on bigger roles out-of-home and outside cafes with food pairings and tea-infused foods. Pic: Getty/ThitareeSarmkasat

How can tea stay competitive?

By Beth Newhart

Alternate brewing methods, teas on tap, hard kombucha and more. The tea world is experimenting with “unique and more unusual, innovative ingredients” to keep consumers interested.

By January 2019 more than 100 million Waterloo cans were sold in the US, since launching in August 2017.

Waterloo launches new flavors, leverages ‘classic’ packaging

By Beth Newhart

Waterloo Sparkling Water debuted an expanded portfolio at Natural Products Expo West last month, launching Strawberry and Grape flavors. It’s the latest in the increasingly crowded sparkling water category, where brands are seeking to separate themselves...

Machines have become easier to operate, and data collection is more accessible to display and monitor. Pic: BeverageDaily

Health & wellness drive processing trends, automation innovation

By Beth Newhart

At the ProFood Tech show in Chicago this month, more than 400 exhibitors showcased processing solutions for the food and beverage world, with particular focus on drinks, dairy and bakery. Greater focus on health and wellness and the rise in automation...

Cherry cold brew will join the Shandy's existing Lemonade and Grapefruit flavors this summer.

La Colombe marries citrus and coffee at Expo West

By Beth Newhart

Philadelphia-based La Colombe Coffee Roasters debuted a Shandy-inspired RTD coffee collection last summer with Lemonade and Grapefruit. At Expo West in Anaheim last week it previewed a Cherry flavor, launching summer 2019.

In 2018, Rise opened a flagship cafe in Manhattan, established a presence in the Pacific Northwest and launched its oat-based lattes.

Rise Brewing Co partners with new Olympic sports

By Beth Newhart

Nitro cold brew coffee brand Rise Brewing Co. has announced a partnership with USA Surfing and USA Climbing ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In furthers Rise’s mission to ramp up national distribution and recognition.

An interest in foreign market wines is expected to flourish in 2019, assisted by ecommerce capabilities. Pic: ©GettyImages/Kent Woo / EyeEm

Millennials buy more wine online and want it to be organic

By Beth Newhart

The wine industry is shaping up to be more transparent and international than ever in 2019. Consumers want more local, sustainably sourced wines, but at the same time they are expanding their palates to newcomers on the market from places like Bulgaria,...

Flying Embers expands hard kombucha line

By Beth Newhart

Kombucha continues to grow in popularity, capitalizing on trends like fermentation and functional ingredients. It’s also branching out beyond the tea market and into alcohol with hard, beer-alternative options like Flying Embers.

Can kombucha carve a place in the alcohol category? Yes, says AB InBev's Kombrewcha

Kombrewcha: ‘Consider us your not-so-guilty-pleasure’

Can kombucha carve out a place in the alcoholic beverage category?

By Rachel Arthur

Kombucha has catapulted onto the beverage scene, with the fermented tea appealing to consumers looking for healthier alternatives to sugary soft drinks. But Kombrewcha - AB InBev’s kombucha brand - believes kombucha can also carve out a place in today’s...

 An uptick in ‘health and wellness’ launches usually coincides with the new year and resolution season. Pic: ©GettyImages/Rimma_Bondarenko

Wellness world: Six new functional drinks for 2019

By Beth Newhart

Capitalizing on the popularity of the ‘new year, new me’ mentality that comes around each January, these six beverage launches feature functional ingredients, adhere to specific diets and set out to be a fresh, healthy addition to 2019.

Young people are proving that they want to buy local and small, which is turning out to be one of the greatest opportunities in the specialty market.

Shopping small: 79% of Gen Z buys specialty foods

By Beth Newhart

Both younger generations - millennials and gen Z - are more interested in supporting local, small businesses than their gex X and baby boomer predecessors. The independent, specialty food and beverage market in the US is now worth $140bn and growing three...

Today’s consumers are expecting function, taste, affordability and convenience all rolled into one beverage. Pic: ©GettyImages/baibaz

Superfoods take center stage in specialty beverages

By Beth Newhart

Functional beverage launches were common in 2018, and their popularity is only expected to grow in 2019. At the Winter Fancy Food Show (WWFS) in San Francisco, small-scale brands showcased new drinks packed with functional ingredients like rose extract,...