By Ian McLaren, director of advocacy, Europe, Bacardi
Bacardi sent 7,000 employees 'back to the bar' in 100 cities worldwide last month to explore the latest cocktail trends - and one of their findings was a surge in the popularity of mocktails and low/no alcohol drinks. Ian McLaren, director of...
UK retailer Tesco says that until recently, kefir was a niche dairy product in the UK - bought mainly by Eastern European shoppers, a region where it is very popular.
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing in Ohio has been setting a sustainability precedent for independent craft beer brands. Managing waste through composting has been their biggest success and advice to their fellow brewers.
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.
Makers of the Brizzy hard seltzer drink have filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors, who plans to release a hard seltzer called Vizzy this year.
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...
Coca-Cola New Zealand have announced a goal to reduce the amount of sugar in its beverages by 20% by 2025, including Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Kiwi Blue water, Pump, Keri Juice as well as its Coca-Cola range.
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.
American consumers are increasingly looking for products with a focus on simple, high-quality ingredients and sustainability. And a group of Italian companies believe their products are ready to meet these demands: with their drinks on show at the Winter...
Tapping into the wide market of functional nootropic ingredients, startup beverage brand Sun Chaser leverages L-theanine and cordyceps for an alcohol alternative.
A new 3% ABV craft IPA from Goose Island Beer Company will be the brewery’s first low-calorie and low-alcohol option. It’s going nationwide across the US and into Canada this year.
New Zealand wants to be number 1 in the world for lower alcohol wine: with a first-of-its-kind $17m ($11m USD) programme to revolutionise the category currently under way.
Dry January has provided the perfect launchpad for new products in the no and low alcohol sector. We take a look at some of the new beverages hoping to win over consumers around the globe.
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.
US organic tea brand Numi debuted a branding refresh at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco last week, alongside new functional sleep teas and premium drinking chocolates.
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.
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.
The Joffer family, original founders of the Jelly Belly Candy Company, has launched a line of Jelly Belly Sparkling Waters under the new Joffer Beverage Company in the US.
Tea consumption is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as improvements to health and longevity, especially among consistent habitual tea drinkers, a study concludes.
Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has opened an alcohol-free beer bar in London this week: with a view to rolling the concept out across the UK and Europe.
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.
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.
New York based startup Catalina Crunch – best-known for its ultra-low-carb cereal - is moving into new territory with what it claims is the first keto-friendly, shelf-stable smoothie product made with [freeze-dried] whole fruits and vegetables – not powder....
The non-alcoholic beer industry is growing steadily in North America, anchored by risk-taking brewers like Partake in Toronto. Wider acceptance has zero-proof IPAs cropping up in taprooms, bars and restaurants on both sides of the border.
A sober bar from Texas will take its alcohol-free drink partners and signature mocktails on tour to 15 cities across the US this year. It’s joined forces with ‘botanical bubbly’ Dry Soda in a shared mission to help people connect without alcohol.
Fruit-based syrups, enriched with inulin fiber and diluted with water, are an ideal way to get Chileans to drink less sugary soda, says French-Chilean start-up Siröpa that wants to create a new category in the country.
What are the top beverage trends to look out for in 2020 and beyond? Flavors, textures and ingredients will all continue to evolve in the decade to come.
Plant-based protein shakes from Koia are expanding in the new year with a line of coffee drinks, made with plant-based protein, MCT oil and coconut milk.
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?
Zero-proof and low-ABV drinks are on the rise, but traditional craft beer is still tracking growth. The Brewers Association (BA) has industry highlights from the year, including a record 8,000 breweries operating in the US.
Good Culture explores adjacent cultured dairy categories with its new Wellness Probiotic Gut Shots. It wants to be a platform brand for nutrient-dense functional foods.
A US start-up has created vodka quite literally from thin air – using solar power to convert carbon from the air and convert it into alcohol. It’s now working with NASA to look at other opportunities for capturing carbon.
Cinnamon, star anise and creamy rice combine with oolong tea for Better Booch’s newest kombucha flavor, Hola Horchata. It’s the first in a new line of out-of-the-box varieties set to launch in the US in early 2020.
After years as an ecommerce brand associated with tech workers, Soylent is appealing to mass audiences and retail. New flavors Strawberry and Mint Chocolate indicate more diverse innovations to come.
Hard seltzers have hit the UK, hoping to mirror the meteoric success of the category in the US. But will Brits seize seltzers and embrace them in the same way as Americans have – or are the two markets more different than they first appear?
After six years in operation, plant-based US beverage brand Rebbl will eliminate virgin plastic from its bottles next year: one of the pledges made in its inaugural Impact Report.
The first predictions are in for what’s to come in US beverage next year. A continued emphasis on health, wellness and sustainability will drive innovations.
New York-based Super Coffee is now the number one independent coffee company in the US, the founders said. Their formula leverages MCT oil, whey protein concentrate and zero sugar.
In the land of CBD alcohol alternatives, beer holds the most market share. Mirth Provisions is working to expand the US industry with its CBD-infused apple cider, available soon in 19 states.
The low alcohol movement is spurring a new category: session wine. Saturday Session’s 5.5% ABV cans hope to make wine more accessible in daytime drinking occasions.
After taking on the US cannabis industry with THC and CBD infused beer-like beverages, Two Roots Brewing has now leveraged its alcohol-removed beer formula for the low-to-no alcohol space.
India’s economy is shifting to a strong middle class, giving rise to more premium, ethical and personalized products. Beverage brands are adapting to these trends similar to what’s popular in Western markets.
Docklight Brands is on its way to having a complete portfolio of CBD brands, including several beverages, edibles and skincare topicals. CEO Damian Marano is trying to cross categories and be the first total consumer products company in CBD.
Ocean Spray Cranberries, a cooperative of more than 700 farmer families, has partnered with Silicon Valley Plug and Play, an innovation platform for industry accelerators to boost its presence in the market.
A new organic oat-based beverage is set to launch in the US as a high-protein milk alternative. Oath sources its protein from almonds, pumpkin seeds and oats.
