Gut Feelings: Experts Largely Bullish on Prebiotic Sodas

Many industry experts believe prebiotic sodas represent a gut-health trend with real staying power as major soda brands appear poised to respond.

1 Year Later: Bud Light Still Suffering Backlash Effects

Since April 2023, Bud Light sales have dipped significantly. Wholesalers argue, however, that beer sales are down for most brands, and they expect Bud Light sales to recover. Not all experts are convinced.

Tapping Out: 2024 is Mocktail Time for Gen Z

“Gen Z is tapped in, and they see the negative impact alcohol can have on their lives,” said Michelle Houston, founder of the To Be Honest Beverage Company.

Drinks Catering to Gen Z Steal the Show in Chicago

The event’s exhibitors focused on foods, drinks, and equipment designed to help foodservice operators create unique taste experiences. Beyond offering crave-worthy fusion dishes and fun iced beverages, exhibitors offered a wide array of vending machines on the show floor.

Gen Z’s ‘Little Treat Culture’ Especially Apparent in Coffee Category

Young adults are turning to drinks like cold brews and ube lattes as they seek self-care while partaking in “little treat culture.”

KEY: The Startup with Zero Sugar and $4 Million in Funding

Could a zero-sugar energy drink be the future of the heavily saturated beverage market? Possibly. KEY, an energy drink start-up, recently emerged with $4 million in funding, according to an article by AFN. The start-up, …

Don’t Call It ‘New Sprite’ – Coca-Cola Debuts Sprite Chill

In the wild world of beverages, any edge on the competition may be enough to resurrect an LTO from the past or push it into full-time production.

Kombucha: An Ancient Elixir Finds Modern Appeal

The origins of kombucha are shrouded in legend, and the drink’s murky beginnings remained in relative obscurity—at least to western palates—until its rediscovery in the 20th century in something of a cultural phenomenon.

Tequila is Sweet, Smoky, and Everywhere

For many, what began as a collegiate shot has now transformed into an at-home staple, a favorite party mixer, and a ready-to-drink refrigerated option. Tequila continues to capture consumers wherever and however they drink as …

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Increasing Sharply Among Women

“Was it the six-pack of wine called ‘Mommy’s Little Helper?’ Or ‘Mommy’s Time Out’ wine? Was it the funny phrase, ‘The most expensive part of having kids is all the wine you have to drink?’ The clothes and other goodies branded with, ‘Who is moderation?’ or ‘This is how you adult?’ Our society thinks it’s funny when women drink heavily,” Pengov said.

Report: Coffee Consumption Surging Globally

Total global coffee consumption is surging, as servings increased 5% year-over-year in 2023, signaling a promising opportunity for brands.

For Gen Z, Variety Packs Rule Retail

Some of the takeaways from the Circana report indicate that inflation has generally gone pretty easy on the beverage category, prompting marketing teams to “promote their relative price stability and find ways to demonstrate value, recognizing that ‘value’ doesn’t always mean lower price,” and that premium categories continue to outperform more value-based brand propositions. 

Gen Z Teens Reducing Spend, Supporting Smaller Brands

Among CPG energy drink brands, Celsius over-indexes with teens, with 17% citing it as their favorite energy drink brand (vs. ~12% market share) while Monster and Red Bull under-index. Among snack brands, Campbell’s Goldfish are still most preferred. Teens report highest intentions to eat more or the same amount of Mondelez’s Clif Bar and Hershey’s products.

Rise & Grind: Decaf Coffee Gathers Major Momentum

While the rest of us were getting our morning jolt from a decent cuppa, decaf drinkers quietly (and deliciously) infiltrated the greater consumer market. Skyquest Technology recently predicted that the decaf coffee market will continue to grow to a $28.86 billion industry by the end of the decade.

5 Functional Food Trends to Watch

The statistics send a clear message: consumers the world over are searching for functional foods and beverages in 2024

Fresh OJ Deep Dive: Brand Leaders Feeling the Squeeze

Fresh orange juice producers continue to walk a fine line between supply and demand while consumer beverage preferences fluctuate widely.

CosMc’s: Unraveling the Hype for the “Skip the Buzz” Generation

The arrival of McDonald’s new CosMc’s concept sent a wave of excitement rippling through the fast-food world.

Scalding-hot Competition: Specialty Coffee Brands Battle to Stand Out

The specialty coffee category features no shortage of innovation, from fledgling brands hailing from southern CA, Vietnam, and beyond.

3 Key Takeaways from Expo West 2024

With consumers as focused as ever on improving their health and wellness, clean diets including foods like whole fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins have gained momentum. The show floor at Expo West illustrated that movement.

The 4-Day Workweek Has Reached F&B

Could a shorter, 4-day work week be the answer to employee happiness and increased productivity? The debate continues among experts.

Why Legacy Beverage Brands are Revamping Their Image

Dunkin’ Donuts’ shift to simply Dunkin’ serves as the gold standard in the contemporary rebranding landscape.

PepsiCo Execs Express Optimism in Earnings Call

PepsiCo’s latest earnings call revealed net revenue of $91.5 billion for the fiscal year and $27.9 billion in Q4.

Adapting to Ashwagandha

The Indian herbal supplement Ashwagandha gaining ground in the West these days as a dietary supplement for a variety of uses.

Craft Soda Market Bubbling Over With Potential

The craft soda market is showing potential of late, as noted by the surge in the category’s sales at companies like Sprecher Brewing.

Athletic Brewing – The King of NA Beer?

It comes down to how to make craft beer flavor and aroma become credible as a basic refreshment on occasions currently dominated by soft drinks. This is the real NA beverage battle the brand faces.

10 Top Trends and Innovations from CES 2024

CES 2024 wasn’t solely a showcase of robots and gadgets; it also served up a tantalizing array of innovative food technologies and trends that are set to redefine the way we eat.

Alcohol and No/Low Trends in 2024

Dozens of brands are experimenting in the nonalcoholic (NA) and low-alcohol space, offering consumers the opportunity to not so much choose sides but merely choose wisely according to their preferences, dietary needs, and personal goals. 

Technomic: Expect Drive-Thrus, Breakfast Daypart to ‘Boom’ in 2024

America is overflowing with beverage restaurant concepts of late, especially those targeting the breakfast daypart. Utah-based Swig is growing rapidly. Dutch Bros Coffee, founded in Oregon, saw 27% sales growth in 2022. Kung Fu Tea, …

Preparing for Launch: CosMc’s and the Next Wave of Beverage Chains

In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.

Analysis: Ozempic Likely to Impact Snack Manufacturers’ Bottom Line

The recent rise of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs started with blowout results that drove shares of their manufacturers higher, then wound up cascading across seemingly disparate sectors. In 2023, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of …

How Small Coffee Chains Can Compete

“We focus on listening to our customers as well as being the best version of ourselves. Being intentional every day with how you approach your customers is key.”

Stories of the Year: Can Bud Light Survive Its Marketing Controversy?

Anheuser-Busch InBev is trying to win back customers as major retailers like Walmart and 7-Eleven are poised to reduce the amount of space.

AI Predicts 2024 FoodBev Trends

2023 was a big year for artificial intelligence in the food industry, and generative AI is slated to dominate the 2024 food and beverage marketing scene. “The emergence of generative AI offers a new reality …

Get Real! How to Achieve Authenticity & ‘Rizz’ in FoodBev

And that’s OK. In many ways, being authentic isn’t about the best product or service or value or lifestyle; it’s about being human, which is being vulnerable. Vulnerability is the heartbeat of authenticity, the subtle brand drumbeat that brand advocates and consumers can hear. Without a heartbeat – without being occasionally vulnerable – it will be hard to resonate and grow the brand in a way that feels organic, fresh, and authentic.

Liquid I.V. Exec: Better-For-You Beverage Market Growth Set to Accelerate

The boundless, expansive (and often expensive) world of beverages, both bottled and not, shows no signs of slowing down. It used to be easy to go to a grocery store, a C-store, or a retailer …

CEOs’ Secrets to Success in the New Year

“Remember that running a food and beverage business can sometimes be akin to ‘buying yourself a job;’ it may not always guarantee immediate or substantial returns on investment.”