Beverage Social Media Listening

Listening Dates: July 1st – September 30th

Shots With Less Sting

LIQS, the creators of ready-to-drink premium cocktail shots, launched an innovative new line of lower proof wine-based shots in July. The new offerings will be available in two, 100% all-natural, flavors: Kamikaze and Margarita. These 50mL shots are categorized as wine-based cocktails, where the citrus-based wine takes the place of a base spirit and is then mixed with real fruit juice and natural flavors.

Rosé All Season

It’s probably safe to say that jumping on the rosé wagon in 2018 isn’t a bad idea! With a debut in Southern Europe, Bacardi launched a new Bosford Rose Premium Gin & Strawberry Liqueur to the US market in July. Although labeled “Rose,” the company stated, “This is the first pink gin to launch nationwide, appealing to the millennial-led desire for all things rosé” on their website. It includes botanicals such as juniper, coriander, angelica, lemon and orange peel – which is then blended with strawberry and raspberry flavors, and a “hint of sugar” to provide a “light sweetness”.

Smirnoff Cuts Prep Time In Half

Diageo’s Smirnoff brand has added yet another flavor to their lineup in September: Moscow Mule Vodka. This flavor is infused with ginger and lime so all you really need to add is ginger ale or ginger beer to enjoy that perfect Moscow Mule cocktail for the end of summer. However, consumers will only be able to enjoy this flavor for a short time, as it is being introduced as a limited edition.

Calling All Whiskey Aficionados

Beam Suntory’s Basil Hayden’s Bourbon brand recently released a limited-edition of their premium whiskey blend in the US market. This new hybrid features a blend of two Kentucky straight rye whiskies and two Kentucky straight bourbon whiskies designed to perfectly complement one another. By combining the two different whiskies, drinkers will experience sweet characteristics of bourbon and the spiciness of rye whiskies.

Swoll & Woke

That’s right, now you can stay alert with the punch of caffeine and feed those muscles protein with Starbuck’s new Plant-Based Protein Coffees. This is the first time Starbucks has ever offered a protein-infused beverage in their line-up. Customers can enjoy plant-based protein in two flavors: Cold Brew in Almond and Cocoa flavors. The non-dairy drinks are made with 10-12 grams of pea and brown rice protein.

PSL Redefined

La Colombe is taking “basic” to a new level with the introduction of La Colombe Coffee Pumpkin Spice Draft Latte. This company artfully combined two popular demands: Pumpkin Spice and Cold Pressed coffee. Made with cold-pressed espresso and fresh milk, then combined with real pumpkin puree and a blend of natural spices, La Colombe Pumpkin Spice Draft Latte is available online, in cafés, and in select retailers nationwide. This new product also has a fraction of the sugar found in the traditional PSL and even more caffeine per volume.

Caffinity

Hopefully all this talk of caffeine can jog your memory way back to our first quarter’s newsletter which featured PepsiCo’s Drinkfinity, a line of water-enhancing flavor pods infused into a specialized plastic water bottle called a “Vessel”. PepsiCo is all over the cold brew trend with these two new flavor releases: Americano Charge and Cinnamon Americano Charge. These two new flavors contain two espresso shots sourced directly from Colombian coffee which gives the end user 143mg of caffeine. The Americano Charge flavor is entirely unsweetened, while the Cinnamon Americano Charge flavor contains cinnamon and is sweetened with cane sugar and stevia leaf.

New Nespresso Flavors From Peet’s Coffee

For those who invested in a Nespresso Espresso Machine, your day just got a whole lot better. Peet’s Coffee released four variations of Nespresso Original Line compatible espresso capsules. The new releases are: Ricchezza, a complex espresso with notes of blossom, berry, and brown sugar; Crema Scura, a thick and luxurious espresso inspired by Peet’s Coffeebars with earthy, nutty notes balanced by a creamy enduring finish; Ristretto, a bold, smooth espresso that delivers a chocolate truffle taste complemented by crushed spice and rich fruit; and Nerissimo, which balances the bitter bite that comes with espresso alongside a rich crème brûlée flavor.

Thanks A Latte For Adding Lavender

While lavender has become an increasingly used herb in food and beverages, Black Medicine took a risk by infusing one of their products with this ingredient known for its floral and spicy aroma. Lavender latte is slightly sweetened with cane sugar, has 185mg of caffeine and joins the brand’s three other coffee flavors: iced latte, iced mocha, and nitro coffee.

Tohi Is Not Toh’n The Line

Tohi Ventures is innovating in the functional beverage space with their new line-up of aronia berry–based antioxidant beverages. Also referred to as chokeberries, aronia berries are native to the US and are jam-packed with powerful vitamins and minerals (A, C and E, folate, potassium, iron and manganese), in addition to antioxidants and a host of phytonutrients. The Tohi Beverages range will include four flavors: Original, Blackberry Raspberry, Dragon Fruit and Ginger Lime, and each flavor in the range is non-carbonated and contains no added sugars.

O2X7

When consumers want a jolt of energy they typically turn to caffeinated beverages or energy drinks packed with taurine and vitamins. But what if there was another way to become more energized without those components? O2 Natural Recovery just unveiled two new flavors of its oxygenated natural recover drink to the US: Lemon Lime and Black Currant. Both flavors are caffeine-free, contain 20 calories per can, and have 7x more oxygen than water! The increased amount of oxygen infused into these beverages is meant to hydrate and energize consumers as a caffeine alternative.

‘Tater-Lytes

As odd as it may sound, sweet potatoes have naturally occurring electrolytes and plenty of glucose. Campbells capitalized on the health benefits of this starchy vegetable and incorporated it into their new line of V8+Hydrate beverages. The three new flavors recently launched are strawberry cucumber, coconut watermelon, and orange grapefruit.

Kombucha For All

There’s no doubt that Kombucha is a unique beverage but it also has a reputation for being polarizing. This was the motivation behind Stratus Group Beverage releasing organic flavored KÖE kombucha in five flavors: lemon ginger, mango, raspberry lemon, blueberry ginger and raspberry dragon fruit. Made exclusively with organic and non-GMO ingredients, the drinks in the KÖE Organic Kombucha range feature a blend of fermented tea and a range of fruit flavors aimed at the large group of consumers who have never had kombucha.

Desert Hydration

California-based company, Blue Dog Beverage, recently released Green-Go, an organic, kosher and non-GMO cactus water with the nutritious paddle of the prickly pear cactus as a main ingredient and topped with a hint of lime. “Consumers continue to seek out organic products in general and more plant-based waters in particular,” said company founder Sarita Lopez. Currently, Green-Go is only available in Northern California.

Sippin’ On Perrier & Juice

Nestlé Waters has launched a new range of flavored Perrier sparkling waters in the Los Angeles area. The range features Perrier mineral water mixed with real fruit juices and a touch of sugar. Called Perrier & Juice, the line is available in three variants – strawberry and kiwi, peach and cherry, and pineapple and mango – which are all invigorated with touches of apple and lemon juices to round out the flavors.

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