Help at the 11th hour

If you need a last-second inspiration for your New Year's Toast or a bit of verse appropriate to the moment, just go to my "Toasts & Crumbs" blog and scroll down. I think you'll find something you like.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!

My 10 best beverage moments of 2007

In no particular order, here is a big chunk of my 2007 in review:

(1.) Best Drinking and Driving: Put down the protest signs. Some fellow writers and I did the drinking and the charter-bus driver did all the driving -- through Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia as we traversed the major portion of the American Whiskey Trail.

In addition to visiting such iconic distilleries as Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Labrot & Graham, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey and George Dickel, we hit some historic sites and got to meet a wide range of people in all those states. True Americana.

(2.) Best Ad Campaign: The bust-a-gut-laughing set of TV commercials for the Irish whiskey known as The Knot. (See the whole batch of them here.) They feature a bantam rooster sort of guy in a pub who takes no nonsense about whiskey.

(3.) Best New-to-Me Whiskey: I had already completed, or so I thought, an article on American ryes for the UK magazine Whisky when I received this hard-to-find gem as a birthday present. It completely changed my mind on which ryes were the best. Black Maple Hill Rye is tough enough to find in the 18-year-old version, but the 23-year-old takes special investigatory powers.

An initial burst of brown sugar, heat and spice quickly transforms into a mellow, oaky smoothness. Despite the richness there is an ethereal lightness one seldom experiences in hot ryes. Fruit notes such as apple and pear dance around the edges, but the palate responds again and again to the varied spices. Utterly splendid, and worth every moment you spend tracking it down.

(4.) Best Appelation Visit: After participating in a wine competition judging in Napa, CA, I drove to nearby Lodi to experience a region in transition from wine grape producing to winemaking, sort of what Napa was like 20 years ago. The region is dotted with third- and fourth-generation farm families who have been moving from mostly supplying major winemakers to developing their own wines and brands.

They’re working hard at making the Lodi brand known outside the Pacific Coast and trying to develop tourism and ancillary businesses along with it, just as Napa did in its early days

(5.) Best New Cocktails Tried: This was a very interesting category to narrow down. In the course of my business I try a lot of different drinks in the course of the year. Some are very complex, some very simple. I like simple better. In two establishments -- T-Bar at Charlie's Restaurant in Lake Placid, NY, and the Reluctant Panther in Manchester, VT -- I coincidentally ran into signature drinks created for each place by Las Vegas-based mixology guru Tony Abou-Ganim then used by the on-premises bartenders to spin off their own versions.

At T-Bar, I enjoyed both the Gondolettes' Blackberry Caiprosca, a simple drink with a complexity of flavors from muddled fresh lime and berries with citrus vodka. Bartender Laura Keaney's recipe switched it to a raspberry recipe to take advantage of the availability of plump local berries.

At the Reluctant Panther, the signature drink takes on the name of the establishment. It's a mixture of Belvedere vodka, freshly-made lemon sour, chambord, champagne and blackberries marinated in Grand Marnier. Bar manager John Cohen created a spinoff using Stoli Blueberry vodka, freshly-made lemon sour, Blue Curacao, Sprite and fresh berries marinated in Grand Marnier.

(6.) Best New-to-Me Beer: Toña, hands down. This Nicaraguan beer is a lager brewed by Compania Cervecera de Nicaragua (CCN), made with German yeast and malt, North American hops and Nicaraguan deep-well water. The chief brewer is Rudiger Adelmann, who formerly worked for Steinecker GmbH, a German company that designs and produces brewing and filter technologies for the beverage production industry.

When I served up Toña at a beer blind-judging session, among the comments were: "It's much smoother than the Budweiser, and with a bolder flavor. ... I'd drink this beer all night ... It's very rich and creamy. ... Plenty of taste but doesn't overdo the carbonation so it goes down easy. ... This is easy to evaluate: It's an excellent beer!"

(7.) Best News Story Comment: When I reported that an illegal cache of Jack Daniel's whiskey products, including some old and rare ones, had been seized in Tennessee and probably would be destroyed by the authorities, one of my readers e-mailed this perspective:

"When the authorities in Tennessee recover stolen art do they burn it?"

(8.) Best Host's Revenge: I've often wanted to find a way to get even with guests who reply to "What would you like to drink?" with the non-committal -- and unhelpful -- response "Anything" or "Whatever." A Singapore company called Out of The Box came up with soft drinks called "Anything," a carbonated drink, and "Whatever," a tea-based non-carbonated product. So, when someone makes the appropriate inappropriate reply, you can hand them a can of what matches their response. But that's only one level of revenge.

The second twist is that the flavors inside the cans remain a mystery. They could be cola with lemon, apple, root beer, lemon, peach, jasmine, apple, white grape and chrysanthemum , but there is no indication on the exteriors of the cans which flavor is inside. Gotcha.

(9.) Best New Old Beer: Most brewers strive to come up with something new. Sam Calagione, owner of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery group in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, is using a 9,000-year-old recipe for his latest offering, Chateau Jiahu. He explained it this way: "Preserved pottery jars found in the Neolithic villiage of Jiahu, in Henan province in northern China, has revealed that a mixed fermented beverage of rice, honey and fruit was being produced that long ago, right around the same time that barley beer and grape wine were beinginning to be made in the Middle East."

So, in 2005, molecular archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania asked Dogfish Head to re-create their second ancient beverage and Chateau Jiahu was born, and went to market in '07. It's an 8% beer.

(10.) Best New Old Distillery: No contest here. While some distillers were pumping millions of dollars into new or expanded facilities, the historic-minded folks at Mount Vernon, VA., rebuilt George Washington's original distillery, based on his diary accounts of the operation that burned down nearly 200 years ago.

Washington's rye whiskey has been recreated there, and the new structure is being used as a tourist attraction several miles from the mansion. I was privileged to be part of the invited group attending the official opening of the facility, and sampled some of the young rye.

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Nollaig shona duit!

That's in the old Irish tongue. Put in plain English, Happy Christmas!

If you're looking for toasts and salutations for the holidays that will make friends and family smile or laugh out loud, check my "Toasts & Crumbs" blog, the sub-title of which is "When Words Fail You, Try These."

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Old Coke new to the market

A design known as "Hutchinson bottles" was the first type used by the Coca-Cola Co. Now, they're back in a limited edition with a Christmas theme holder.

The 9.3-ounce bottles, priced around $5 for a six-pack, representing the company's 1899 product, have been distributed to selected vendors around the nation.

According to the Antique Bottles Web site, "There are two styles of (original) Hutchinson Coke: one with 'Coca-Cola' in script and one without. The Biedenharn Hutch is the one without ... Examples of all 3 hutches can be found on the Antique Coca-Cola Bottle Hall of Fame page."

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Sierra Mist goes undercover orange

The ever-vigilant Trademork.com reports the following:

"On Dec. 4 ... Coca-Cola arch-nemesis PepsiCo Inc. filed to protect the trademark Sierra Mist Undercover Orange for a soft drink. They also filed to protect the trademark Sierra Mist Free Undercover Orange for the diet version of the same soda.

"Soft drink fans can add this to Sierra Mist Mojito Splash, a new Sierra Mist soft drink flavor Pepsi is taste testing with a possible 2008 release."

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Priest takes Red Bull by the horns

It's not just Muslim demonstrators that adverting gurus need to be attuned to these days. An angry Sicilian priest has persuaded the folks at Red Bull to trash its Nativity scene soft drink ad that he deemed "a blasphemous act."

The TV commercial, with dialogue in Italian, contains an extra Wise Man, bearing a can of Red Bull caffeinated energy drink.

The Rev. Marco Damanti said, "The image of the sacred family has been represented in a sacrilegious way. Whatever the ironic intentions of Red Bull, the advert pokes fun at the nativity, and at Christian sensitivity."

For good measure he also objected to the company's slogan, "Red Bull gives you wings."

In the interest ofletting you make up your own mind, here's a link to the ad.

And, if you're looking for another miraculous aspect to Red Bull, try this magic trick with a can of the drink.

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Mountain Dew overdone

The tireless folks at Trademork.com who blog incessantly about trademarks and the like are fed up with Mountain Dew, witness this posting:

"On Nov. 8, 2007, PepsiCo filed to protect the trademark Mountain Dew Revolution in relation to a soft drink. In addition, the beverage and snack company filed to protect the names Mountain Dew High Output, Mountain Dew Stimulus, Mountain Dew Reverb, Mountain Dew Kilo-Watt, Mountain Dew Rebellion, Mountain Dew Extended Play, Mountain Dew Culture Blend, Mountain Dew Visionary, Mountain Dew Supernova and Mountain Dew Discovery.

"Mork is getting a little tired of keeping up with Mountain Dew names, as PepsiCo seems to be registering every hip and edgy Mountain Dew name that comes into their collective head. No more Mountain Dew posts unless its particularly interesting or worth mentioning."

I'll drink to that.

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Chocolate mint ... water?

San Francisco's Soma Beverage Co. is expanding its line of Metromint flavored waters, with the latest targeted for national distribution in the first quarter of 2008.

Chocolatemint is a zero-calorie purified water infused wth natural cocoa essence and real mint. There are no sweeteners or preservatives used in its manufacture. The Metromint line already includes Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemonmint, Orangemint.

The line was created by Rio Miura and Scott Lowe. Japanese-born Miura, who has a background in product and fashion design, conceived the recipe for Metromint and designed the packaging. Lowe, a Stanford graduate with a degree in international relations, is responsible for product development and oversees operations.

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Cheers to Walt Disney World Resorts

It was a Disney world when the editors of Cheers, the beverage industry magazine, released its 2008 Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence.

The awards are widely considered the adult beverage industry's highest honor for beverage program operators in chain and multi-concept restaurant companies.

They are divided into 12 categories, two of which were won by Walt Disney World Resorts. Each award is given based on the innovation and creativity of an establishment's beverage program and its impact on the sales and profitability of the establishment. Additional consideration is given to the level of operator support of the program, such as a high level of staff training or unique marketing efforts.

The winners:

• Best Overall Chain Beverage Program: Walt Disney World Resorts
• Best Signature Drink: Walt Disney World Resorts
• Best Chain Hotel Beverage Program: Hilton Hotels
• Best Chain Wine Program: Carrabba's
• Best Chain Beer Program: Buffalo Wild Wings
• Best Chain Spirits Program: Bennigan's
• Best Beverage Merchandising Program: Hard Rock Cafe
• Best Beverage Menu: Outback Steakhouse
• Best Drink Program: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
• Best Adult Non-Alcohol Drink Program: ESPN Zone
• Best Responsible Alcohol Service Training Program: Applebee's
• Best Multi-Concept Beverage Program: Back Bay Restaurant Group

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NZ researchers claim brain-boosting drink

New Zealand scientists are claiming they have developed a fruit juice cocktail that appears to improve memory and reduce stress.

After two years in development, reports the New Zealand Herald,"the drink, derived from a secret blend of fruits, has shown promising results in reducing stress and enhancing memory. It will go to a larger human trial within weeks. It also seems to have the opposite effects on the human body to caffeine, which can make drinkers jittery, and relaxes the body."

Dr. Arjan Scheepens, a neuroscientist with HortResearch -- the country's largest horticulture and food research organization -- called the drink a "mood food" aimed especially at tired mothers. The study says mothers aged 40 to 60 were the group who most wanted such a product.

"Whereas now they might reach for a cigarette or an alcoholic drink or might shout at somebody, they will go for this type of drink," Scheepens told the Herald.

The juice will be tested by 72 people in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. If it proves successful, HortResearch hopes to license the idea to a manufacturer and that the drink will go on retail sale within two years for about $4 a can.

Scheepens said the fruits in the drink were all currently available, unlike some others in the institute's research program that were specially bred.

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Stupid soda can tricks

A canner exceedingly canny
One evening remarked to his granny,
"I canner can can
anything that he can,
but a canner can't can
a can, can he?"
(English doggerel)

Cans apparently continue to fascinate some people, and not just for what's inside them.

Skeptical? Take a look at this trick, then.

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Snapple adds new drinks lineup

Snapple apparently is trying to outdo itself.

The Plano, TX, drink maker already is the No. 1 super premium tea brand with 71% of the market. and is responsible for 96% of the category's growth this year.

Now, it is introducing a line called Super Premium Juice Drink for the category. They include four drinks: Goji Punch, Peach Mangosteen and the low-calorie Noni Berry and Kiwi Pear.

"Our new Super Premium Juice Drinks will contribute to a healthy immune system and provide the metabolism boosting benefits consumers look for, complete with plenty of the great taste that they expect from Snapple," claims Bryan Mazur, vice president and general manager of Snapple for Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. "The exciting flavor combinations of the new Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks include all-natural ingredients with added vitamins, and low-calorie options provide even more choices for Snapple enthusiasts."

The new drinks are packaged in tall, slim 17.5-ounce bottles, and carry a suggested retail price of $1.39.

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7UP joins pomegranate bandwagon

Lest anyone doubt the pomegranate craze has dissipated, Cadbury Schweppes today introduced Pomegranate 7UP, a blend of the fruit flavor and the traditional lemon-lime drink, aimed at the holiday beverage market.

Matt Smith, 7UP brand director for Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, said, "Pomegranate is one of the fastest growing flavors in beverages today, and Pomegranate 7UP makes a perfect primer for any holiday party,"

Like original 7UP, the new drink has 100% natural flavors and is caffeine free. The limited edition product, available in 2-liter bottles, will be on store shelves from today through Jan. 31, 2008.

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Raw, raw for Pepsi-Cola

PepsiCo Inc. is following the industry trend toward offering soft drinks sweetened with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.

The international beverage giant last week filed to protect the trademark "Pepsi Raw" in relation to a soft drink that has not yet been released to the consumer market, according to Trademork.com. A March filing with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office features a similar filing which features a "Pepsi Raw" logo.

The logo, shown in the filing only in the sketchy black-and-white form seen here, obviously needs some work to be glitzy enough for the international market.

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Scotland's other 'national drink' honored

There is no consensus on which of Scotland's many whiskies is the best. But, when it comes to non-alcoholic Scotch drinks, the nation's other national drink has been acclaimed No. 1.

No. 1 in ads, that is, according to the Scottish Advertising Awards which bestowed the title "Best Brand of the Past 21 Years" on IRN-BRU, the iconic and controversial soft drink and hangover cure.

The time frame was not arbitraily chosen. It reflects the 21st anniversary of the awards, run by the advertising industry magazine called Drum.

As noted in the Scotsman newspaper, "Irn-Bru has sparked controversy with a number of its more recent adverts, including a poster depicting an elderly man and his two dogs -- with the strapline 'I love Irn-Bru and so do my bitches' -- and a TV ad that showed a baby at the point of birth being offered a can of the sugary concoction."

Drum editor Gordon Young, director of the awardsm said: "Irn Bru has produced some real cut-through advertising over the years and has really proved what good advertising can do for you."

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A 'wine' for the non-drinker

If you begin seeing something called Cheerwine showing up in the soft drink aisle of your favorite store, don't be surprised.

That's the name of a non-alcoholic drink manufactured in North Carolina, where it has been a local favorite for 90 years.

The Carolina Beverage and Cheerwine Bottling Co., founded in 1917 by the grandfather of current CEO Cliff Ritchie, now is available in 17 states and is selling more than a million cans a year, but the majority of sales are in North Carolina.

Nevertheless, the company continues to look for a larger profile despite the major brands' dominance in the distribution portion of the business, and has just added California to its network.

The company, which has an interesting and irreverent Web site, explains its product this way:

"Did you ever wonder how our delicious 'cherry different' Cheerwine is made? We bet you think it’s a highly automated process, all done by machine and never touched by a human hand! Truth be told, Cheerwine is hand made in small batches everyday, using a secret formula passed down by generations of Cheerwine makers. We still use the original recipe and as you can imagine that recipe remains a guarded secret. Even today Cheerwine is still crafted by a 'Cheer-maker,' a key person responsible for upholding the tradition since 1917.

"So now when you think of Cheerwine, think hand-crafted, think made in small batches, think of the craftsmanship passed down by generations of Cheerwine makers and above all think care and quality. It’s all part of our commitment to 'Protecting Your Right to Drink Cheerwine'."

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20,000 cans under the seam

What can you do with 20,000 empty soda and beer cans?

Never mind, your idea never will top this one.

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Coke researching Chinese herbal drinks

Coca-Cola is doing anything but standing pat. The soft drink global industry leader confirms it has opened a research center in Beijing to partner with a Chinese research center to develop drinks based on Chinese herbal ingredients and formulas.

The facility, called the Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine, is a joint venture with the Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences which is the nation's center for research, health care and education in traditional Chinese medicine.

Rhona Applebaum, Coca-Cola's vice president and chief scientific and regulatory officer, and Hongxin Cao, president of the academy, said in a joint statement Sunday that the move connects Coke's global reach and marketing with what Cao called Chinese medicine's "more holistic view on health."

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Sodas in schools are slowed

Last year, former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association got the major players in the soft drink industry to agree to lower calories in drinks supplied to schools and to stop most soda sales by the 2009-2010 academic year.

How are they doing so far?

The American Beverage Association says drinks shipped by Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes to U.S. schools last year had 41% fewer calories than in 2004 and soft drink distributors are one-third of the way toward complying.

"All the marketing and sales teams needed to be trained, new container sizes had to be made, drinks were reformulated, vending machines were changed," association president Susan Neely told Bloomberg News. "We hit every marker. We're completely on track to meet our 100% commitment two years from now."

Soda makers have agreed to sell only water, juice, tea and certain drinks with 100 calories or fewer at schools. Soda makers have collectively spent "millions of dollars" to create new 8-ounce and 10-ounce bottles for sweet tea and juice to meet the guidelines, Neely told Bloomberg, without giving more specific figures. They also had to reconfigure vending machines to handle smaller bottles, instead of the 20-ounce containers most machines carry.

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Evian for meals and ... music?

Evian has come up with this new bottle design, aimed primarily at pushing its water in fine-dining establishments. The French company calls it the "palace" bottle.

To help move the idea along, it's being used with the phrase "Your first course just came trickling down the Alps."

I'm not much for bottled water, unless I'm traveling in areas that feature dysentery, but I do like the Evian Web site. Go to this page on it and learn how to score your own music with the click of a mouse. It's fascinating.

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Sprite in ice, rather than on it

The Coca-Cola Co. may be trying something new with its Sprite soft drink in the United Kingdom.

The company is "considering the launch of revolutionary new packaging that will create ice inside a soft drink when it is opened," according to the UK publication Marketing Week.

The magazine, quoting "industry sources," said the bottled drink has to be stored "in a purpose-built, developed vending machine that keeps the drink at a certain temperature. When it is purchased, the consumer twists the bottle, which triggers a mechanism inside that creates ice made from the drink, so it is not diluted."

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Colas not the kings of caffeine

If you're watching your caffeine intake from soft drinks, don't think avoiding colas will help.

A study conducted by food researchers at Auburn University found caffeine content in 12-ounce sodas ranged from 4.9 milligrams for a store brand of cola to 74 milligrams in Vault Zero, a citrus drink.

The federal Food and Drug Administration says a 0.02% caffeine content is generally recognized as safe for cola-type beverages.

"I don't really take a stand on whether caffeine is good or bad, but I do think the consumer has a right to know what they're getting," said Leonard Bell, one of the researchers.

David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the organization first asked the FDA 10 years ago to require that food and drink labels show the caffeine content. He noted:

"People should be able to monitor their intake and to make informed choices because it can affect their sleep and can make some people jittery."

The study analyzed the caffeine contents of 56 national brand and 75 store brand carbonated drinks. It was published in the August issue of the Journal of Food Science.

Caffeine content of well-known national brands include:

• Coca-Cola, 33.9 milligrams
• Diet Pepsi, 36.7 milligrams
• Pepsi-Cola, 38.9 milligrams
• Dr Pepper, 42.6 milligrams
• Diet Dr Pepper, 44.1 milligrams
• Diet Coke, 46.3 milligrams
• Mountain Dew, 54.8 milligrams
• Diet Mountain Dew, 55.2 milligrams

The American Beverage Association says that, by comparison, a 12-ounce cup of coffee has between 156 and 288 milligrams of caffeine, and the same amount of tea has 30-135 milligrams.

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Mexican soft drink headed north

Peñafiel, Mexico’s leading flavored soft drink, will become available in the U.S.

The drink, owned by Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, is a lightly carbonated one enhanced with minerals. It has been manufactured for nearly 80 years.

"Peñafiel is a part of everyday life in Mexico, where it has been enjoyed for 79 years,” Stephanie Bazan, CSAB brand manager, said in a press release. “We are honored to introduce Peñafiel in the United States where it is sure to evoke memories of home and a strong sense of the drink’s unique Mexican heritage.”

Peñafiel will be available in 16.9-ounce and 2-liter bottles in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Sacramento in five varieties: an unflavored version and four delicious flavors: Pineapple, Tuti Fruti, Mandarin and Grapefruit. It will go on sale in additional m arkets as demand rises.

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Reed's: Texan for soft drink

Reed's soft drinks, particularly its original flavor Ginger Brew, are iconic drinks in the United Kingdom. Now, with the signing of a distribution agreement with D.B. Miller of Austin, they're coming to Texas.

Reed's line of flavors -- Original, Extra, Premium, Raspberry, and Spiced Apple -- are non-alcoholic, freshly made in a brewery using fresh ginger root, spices, and fruit juices along with filtered sparkling water.

The company explains its drinks this way:

'"Other soft drinks use flavor crystals, chemicals, or other flavorings to maintain an inexpensive and consistent taste. That's why some 'natural' drinks have no color! All the flavor and health benefits of Reed's brews are from the actual ingredients. The use of fresh ingredients leads to slight variations in both flavor and the heat of the ginger.

"Reed's Original Ginger Brew was our first creation, and is a Jamaican recipe for homemade ginger ale using 17 grams of fresh ginger root, lemon, lime, honey, fructose, pineapple, herbs and spices. Reed's Extra Ginger Brew is the same recipe, but has 25 grams of fresh ginger root for a stronger bite. Reed's Premium Ginger Brew is the no-fructose version of Reed's Original Ginger Brew, sweetened only with honey and pineapple juice.

''Reeds Raspberry Ginger Brew is brewed from 17 grams of fresh ginger root, raspberry juice, and lime. It is 20% raspberry juice and sweetened with fruit juice and fructose. Reed's Spiced Apple Brew uses 8 grams of fresh ginger root, the finest tart German apple juice, and such apple pie spices as cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Spiced Apple Brew is 50% apple juice and sweetened with fruit juice and fructose.

''Reed's Cherry Ginger Brew, our newest addition, is freshly brewed from sparkling filtered water, fructose, 22 grams of fresh ginger root, cherry juice from concentrate, and spices.''

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New study broadens anti-soft drink claims

The debate over the health consequences of soft drinks has escalated dramatically.

A new large-community based study says both diet and regular soft drinks are associated with substantially increased metabolic syndrome risk among middle-age adults.

In other words, says the study, even one glass of soda daily may indicate an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, as reported in Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Men and women who drank more than one soda daily had a 48% adjusted higher prevalence and 44% higher roughly eight-year adjusted incidence of the cluster of heart disease risk factors than those who drank less, said the report.

Metabolic syndrome was defined having at least three of the following risk factors:

• Waist circumference at least 35 inches for women or at least 40 inches for men.
• Fasting blood glucose at least 100 mg/dL.
• Serum triglycerides at least 150 mg/dL.
• Blood pressure at least 135/85 mm Hg.
• High-density lipoprotein cholesterol lower than 40 mg/dL for men or 50 mg/dL for women.

The study was supported through National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute contracts and by an award from the American Diabetes Association to one of the researchers. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.

As with all major studies, there are various angles to interpretations. The best report I've seen on the topic appears on the online report called MedPageToday.

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Massachusetts toy plant bottled up

Ice River Springs Water Co., a Canadian company, has purchased for $4.1 million former toy company warehouse in Pittsfield, MA, which it will use to manufacture and fill plastic bottles for customers in the northeast United States.

The company said spring water will be trucked to the plant from Vermont, where it will be given its own and private label brands for retail and wholesale markets.

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Honest Kids a new line of organic drinks

Looking for something a little healthier for the kids? Honest Tea has released a line of organic kids’ drinks called Honest Kids.

The company says each variety, packaged in a 6.75-ounce pouch, is certified organic and contains less than half the sugar and calories of other kids’ drinks on the market while providing a day’s supply of vitamin C.

The Bethesda, MD, company has created three flavors — Berry Berry Good Lemonade, Goodness Grapeness and Tropical Tango Punch. The pouches are packaged in eight-count boxes and can also be sold individually.

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Not every success is a household name

Ever hear of Reed's sodas? Join the crowd.

However, someone must know about the Los Angeles soda maker whose company sells $14 million worth of product a year, a line of nine soft drinks that includes root beer but is dominated by ginger ales.

It's been a long road for owner Chris Reed who has been a cryogenic engineer, a stock broker and a rock guitarist, but he has hit his stride now. CNBC has an interesting video interview with the entrepreneur.

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So, now it's news?

Having spent the bulk of my adult life as part of the MSM, as bloggers now refer to the "mainstream media," I usually try to avoid mentioning certain things for fear of seeming self-important now that most of my efforts are directed online.

But, sometimes, mind you, the MSM is way behind the curve in topical news. I find that happens with particular regularity in coverage of the beverage industry.

The latest example: Barron's Online has an item today about the switch from high fructose corn syrup to cane sugar as a beverage sweetener. An interesting topic, and certainly one of great importance to dollar-minded businesses and health-conscious consumers. But it's not new news, even from such a paragon of business reporting as Barron's.

As evidence, here are links to my stories on the topic -- published back on April 22 and May 22.

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Business makes for a strange brew

Snapple, which has advertised its drinks as "made from the best stuff on Earth," may be bought by Coca-Cola, which didn't remove dangerous chemicals from its Fanta and Vault drinks until sued by a consumer group.

Industry reports say Coca-Cola may form an alliance with private equity bidders circling Cadbury's $15 billion U.S.-based soft drinks business by bidding for Snapple, the fruit and iced-tea drink brand.

Speaking at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this week, Coca-Cola chairman and CEO E. Neville Isdell said, “That is a valuation we undertake, whether (Snapple) is of interest to us or whether we can do it on our own.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Coke already has approached private equity groups involved in bidding for Cadbury’s drinks business about taking on its Snapple and Mott’s brands under a pre-sale agreement. A Cadbury’s spokesperson would say only that the group was focused on selling its drinks business, which also includes 7UP and Dr Pepper, as a “total entity.”

Cadbury’s several months ago announced plans to separate its confectionery and soft drinks business under pressure from shareholder Nelson Peltz who bought Snapple for $300 million in 1997 before selling the brand as part of a $1.45 billion package to Cadbury’s three years later.

Coke, seeking to expand its range of ready-to-drink and non-carbonated products, the fastest growing sector in the drinks industry, already has purchased Fuze Beverage and Energy Brands Inc. The $4.1 billion price for Energy Brands, which makes vitamin-enhanced water, was the largest deal in Coke’s history.

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And then there were 48

They may not be regarded very highly for their education systems, but Mississippi and Alabama are watching out for the kids' health.

Alabama yesterday joined Mississippi as the only states to ban full-calorie soft drinks in all its public schools. High schools, however, stilll may sell diet soft drinks. The move comes two years after board members banned sodas from elementary schools.

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Pepsi treats Japan to something new

There aren't many cooler things than ice and cucumbers. So, how about Pepsi Ice Cucumber?

The beverage giant has released precisely that drink in Japan, and if it works there we can expect it to be introduced to the American market.

Incidentally, the mint-colored drink contains no real cucumber, just artificial flavor and scent. So, if you drink this you still have to eat your veggies.

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Think before you drink, or, The Host's Revenge

I've often wanted to find a way to get even with guests who reply to "What would you like to drink?" with the non-committal -- and unhelpful -- response "Anything" or "Whatever."

Now, I've found something that would work on several levels. I simply have to wait for it to become available somewhere other than Singapore and environs where it is manufactured.

A company called Out of The Box has just released two new soft drinks called "Anything," a carbonated drink, and "Whatever," a tea-based non-carbonated product. So, when someone makes the appropriate inappropriate reply, you can hand them a can of what matches their response.

But that's only one level of revenge. The second is that the flavors inside the cans remain a mystery.

Oh, you'll probably identify them once you begin sipping -- cola with lemon, apple, root beer, cloudy lemon and something called fizz up for Anything, lemon, peach, jasmine, apple, white grape and chrysanthemum Whatever. However, there is no indication on the exteriors of the cans which flavor is inside.

Gotcha.

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Kiddie beer and drinks a Japanese trend

Sangaria, a Japanese beverage company, is doing what in most countries would be unthinkable: manufacturing pretend beer and other such beverage products for children.

Japan's drinking culture, which includes educating young people in the practices, is well known and the company says using such products allows children to more fully participate in family celebrations.

"Kodomo no nomimono," for example, comes in cans, bottles and six-packs. It looks like beer, tastes like apple juice and foams in a glass. The product line also includes fake champagne, wine and cocktails.

There's even a TV ad you can watch featuring kids downing these drinks.

Ridiculous stuff.

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Coca-Cola switches to water for the moment

Coca-Cola should have its thirst for acquisition quenched for a while after agreeing to shell out $4.1 billion to acquire Glacéau, a maker of “enhanced water” drinks.

The acquisition of Glacéau, whose bottled drinks include Vitaminwater, Fruitwater and Energywater, will give Coca-Cola about 30% of the U.S. market in the category.

Glacéau was founded in 1996 by Darius Bikoff, a New York entrepreneur. The deal should bring Coca-Cola back to prominence in a niche in which it had been surpassed by rivals. Arch-competition Pepsi-Cola, for example, already has about 45% of the market with its Aquafina, SoBe and Propel drinks.

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New World of Coca-Cola opens in Atlanta

The New World of Coca­Cola opened today in Atlanta.

The new facility's 62,000 square feet of visitor area makes it approximately twice the size of the original World of Coca-Cola.

It will feature more than 1,200 artifacts from around the world that have never been publicly displayed before. Only about 50 artifacts from the previous World of Coca­Cola will be showcased.

In addition to the displays, the facility has a fully functioning bottling line that produces commemorative 8-ounce bottles of Coke, tastings of more than 70 different products, and a Pop Culture Gallery featuring works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell, and Steve Penley.

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The return of Vanilla Coke

When I was a kid, cherry Coke was all the rage at soda fountains across the country. I drank to a different beat, getting my local soda jerk to whip up a vanilla Coke for me -- a squirt of the pale yellow vanilla syrup, a long pull on the Coke lever, and instant heaven in a glass.

Thus, I was pleased when Coca-Cola began mass producing Vanilla Coke (at one time also called Coca-Cola Vanilla or just plain V) in 2002, particularly since soda fountains had largely died out and tracking down one of the survivors was a tedious process.

Eventually, Vanilla Coke was distributed in 30 countries. However, because it never really outsold its first-year figures, despite Coca-Cola humbly calling it "the greatest innovation since Diet Coke in 1983," it was phased out in the U.S. and many other markets in 2005.

Luckily for fans of the stuff, it was reintroduced in New Zealand earlier this year and did well. Now, both Coca-Cola Vanilla and a sugar-free version called Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero are being distributed across the U.S.

Welcome back. I feel like a kid again.

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A prize-winning lemonade

The great majority of cocktail "competitions" I come across usually are restricted to one establishment or one brand. New York, however, came up with a much more interesting one, its Sidewalks Cafe Cocktail Competition.

The city's Department of Consumer Affairs and the New York State Restaurant Association selected one winner each in the alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories in a competition at the Institute of Culinary Education.

The contest was for bartenders representing restaurants with sidewalk cafés, as licensed by the city. Fourteen of 25 competitors made it to the finals.

The winners, both from Manhattan:

• Non-Alcoholic Cocktail: Watermelon Lemonade, from Bubby's in TriBeCa.

2 ounces of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces of fresh watermelon puree, strained through a course strainer to remove seeds
1 1/2 ounces of simple syrup
6 ounces of water

Shake and serve over ice with a big wedge of fresh watermelon garnish.

• Alcoholic Cocktail: The Porch Swing, from the Blue Smoke barbeque restaurant on East 27th Street.

1 1/2 ounces of Hendrick's gin
1 1/2 ounces of Pimm's No. 1
4 ounces of fresh lemonade

Pour into a tall Collins glass. Add a splash of 7-Up. Finish with 10 finely sliced half-moon cucumbers.

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Corn for cars, sugar for drinks

If you want to power your car with ethanol, you may have to pay more for your soft drinks.

Put another way, the Jones Soda Co. now seems rather Nostradamus-like in its decision to create a line of soft drinks sweetened by cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Huh? To explain:

At the time, the Seattle manufacturer said even though sugar costs more than the HFCS, it wanted to offer a less-fattening product.

Meanwhile, the cost of HFCS is rising. It still is cheaper than sugar, but the price gap is closing and such major producers as Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsico Inc. are keeping a close eye on the situation.

Most soda and food manufacturers switched from sugar to the cheaper HFCS starting in the late 1970s, and more joined the trend in 1980 when sugar prices spiked. This year, the diversion of corn to create ethanol fuel in the U.S. has begun pushing up prices of HFCS.

Next month, Jones will have billboards in its key markets saying "Corn is for Cars; Sugar is for Soda."

Ron Sterk, assistant editor at Milling and Baking magazine, was quoted on Forbes.com as saying it is not easy for food and beverage plants to switch to sugar because of needed reformulation in recipes and changes in equipment -- a process companies went through when they made the decision to go with HFCS 25 years ago. Soda makers and food manufacturers would use mostly liquid, not granular sugar if they were to shift back.

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Seize the drink

Carpe Diem USA Inc. has signed an agreement with AMI Brands LLC to distribute its line of natural waters and beverages.

Dietrich Mateschitz, who created the popular energy drink Red Bull, created Carpe Diem’s Kombucha, Kefir and Ginkgo drinks. They are a blend of 25 botanical ingredients, are 100% natural, and contain lightly carbonated spring water. The California company also produces a line of botanic waters, subtitled Relaxing, Vitalizing and Harmonizing. They contain 26 botanicals, fruit and spring water.

Ginkgo, Kombucha and Kefir all retail for $1.99 and the Botanic Waters for $1.69 to $1.99.

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Hash browns and a cola with those eggs, please

Orange juice, tea or coffee still are the breakfast beverage staples, but consumption of carbonated soft drinks with breakfast by Americans has been steadily climbing for two decades.

NPD Group, a New York consumer research firm NPD Group, analyzed data on beverages consumed with meals, not overall consumption. According to its analysis, consumers eating breakfast outside the home order soft drinks with 15.1% percent of their breakfasts, compared to 7.9% in 1990.

Of meals eaten at home, only 2.4% include carbonated soft drinks, but it was a barely noticeable 0.5% in 1985.

Coffee consumption with meals outside the home has dropped from 48.7% to 38% in the past 15 years.

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Coca-Cola first to settle in benzene suit

Coca-Cola has settled suits in three states that claimed two of its products -- Fanta Pineapple and Vault Zero -- contained ingredients that could combine to form benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.

The Atlanta-based beverage giant agreed with officials in Florida, New Jersey and Kansas to replace drinks to anyone who purchased the beverages before September 2006. It also will pay $500 to each of four plaintiffs plus any legal fees deemed fair by an arbitrator.

The company said it has reformulated the two drinks. They bear a label with a best-before date of January 2008 or later.

Other soft-drink makers, including PepsiCo Inc., remain defendants in related lawsuits.

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The not-so-magnificent 7

In the current atmosphere of finger-pointing at various beverages for their evil sugar-laden ways, the Diet-Blog has calculated the seven most sugar-filled drinks.

I won't spoil the guessing game for you before you head over to that site, but the image at right may give you an idea of a typical culprit.

Diet-Blog, incidentally, was created in 2003 by Dane Carlson as an eating disorder support site and information clearing house. In 2004 Jim Foster took over. Diet-Blog receives income from advertising, a portion of which goes to fund the site.

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Mabi, an island drink, headed to your store

A non-alcoholic drink that bills itself as "The Champagne of The islands" will be hitting mainland store shelves.

The Original Mabi Drink (pronounced "may-vee") is a pasteurized energy soda containing extract from the bark of the mabi plant, seen here.

It has been sold throughout much of the Caribbean by Global Beverage Enterprises Inc. Now, it has signed a deal with Goya Foods Inc. to distribute it in the United States, Canada and Spain as well as increasing the island market by extending into Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Global Beverage, founded in 2003, also has developed Kool Cow Sparkling Dairy Drinks, a shelf-stable, milk-based sparkling dairy beverage line.

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A cocktail list from the UK

Summertime cocktail parties are all the rage, especially in more northerly climes where warm weather is truly a seasonal thing.

But coming up with something other than the same-old same-old when it comes to non-alcoholic cocktails can get to be a bit of a strain.

The UK site 50connect, however, can help. It has come up with a nifty and innovative list of such drinks bearing some equally imaginative names -- such as the Princess Margaret, the Queen Charlie, Acapulco Gold, Boo Boo's Special and Cardinal Punch.

If you have some of your own to add, just attach them here in the comments section.

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Did your hangout make the top 100?

Of all the gin joints in all the world, or at least in the country, which did the editors of Nightclub & Bar Magazine choose for this year's top 100?

Since we all know lots of people prefer not to drink alcoholic beverages but enjoy the clubby nightlife nonetheless, this list might very well contain some places that are perfect for that.

Nightclubs and bars from all over the U.S. were chosen based on a number of criteria, say the editors, "including annual revenues, marketing and advertising effectiveness, promotional expertise, uniqueness to market, food and beverage programs and much more. This list is not a ranking of just the most high-end, of-the-moment nightclubs. Instead, it is a dynamic mixture of clubs, neighborhood bars, sports bars, family-oriented venues and more that for one reason or another deserve notice."

The following bars and clubs, listed in alphabetical order, made the Editors' Choice Top 100 for 2007. The city designated for each is the city in which it is located, or, if the concept has multiple locations, the city of its first location.

230 Fifth - New York, NY
40 Watt - Athens, GA
8150 - Vail, CO.
The Abbey - Hollywood, CA
AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar - Destin, FL.
Aria - Boston, MA
Avalon/Spider Club - Hollywood, CA.
Beach Bar at the W - San Diego, CA
B.E.D. - Miami, FL
Billy Bob's Texas - Fort Worth, TX
Blue Martini - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
the bosco - Ferndale, MI
Body English - Las Vegas, NV
Bombay Club - New Orleans, LA
Broken Spoke Saloon - Sturgis, SD
Brother's Bar & Grill - Lacross, WI
Butter - San Francisco, CA
Cabo Wabo - Lake Tahoe, NV
Casbah - Atlantic City, NJ
Cherry - Las Vegas, NV
Chilkoot Charlie's - Anchorage, AK
Coyote Cantina - Santa Fe, NM
Coyote Ugly - New York, NY
Crobar - Chicago, IL
The Crocodile Café - Seattle, WA
Diablo's Downtown Lounge - Eugene, OR
e4 - Scottsdale, AZ
Eight 75 - Biloxi, MS
El Gaucho - Seattle, WA
Elements the Lounge - Seabright, NJ
ESPN Zone - Baltimore, MD
Excalibur - Chicago, IL
Fadó Irish Pub - Atlanta, GA
Flatiron Lounge - New York, NY
The Flying Saucer - Memphis, TN
Fox Sports Grill - Scottsdale, AZ
Galapagos Art Space - Brooklyn, NY
ghostbar - Las Vegas, NV
Good Hurt - Los Angeles, CA
The Green Parrot - Key West, FL
The Greene Turtle - Ocean City, MD
Ground Zero Blues Club - Clarksdale, MS
The Helix - Washington, DC
House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
Iguana's Cantina - New York, NY
Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce - Hollywood, CA
JET - Las Vegas, NV
Kahunaville - Las Vegas, NV
Key Club - Hollywood, CA
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop - New Orleans, LA
The Library Bar & Grill - Tempe, AZ
Light - Las Vegas, NV
Lotus - New York, NY
Louie's Backyard - South Padre Island, TX
Mango's Tropical Café - Miami, FL
Mantra - Milwaukee, WI
Marquee - New York, NY
McGillin's Olde Ale House - Philadelphia, PA
Mercy Wine Bar - Addison, TX
Midnight Rodeo - San Antonio, TX
Mie N Yu - Washington, DC
MIXX - Atlantic City, NJ
mur.mur - Atlantic City, NJ
The New Crown & Anchor - Providencetown, MA
The New Sheridan - Telluride, CO
Ocean Club - Honolulu, HI
Pangaea - Hollywood, FL
Pat O' Brien's - New Orleans, LA
Pavilion Bar & Café - Charleston, SC
Pin-Up Bowl - St. Louis, MO
Pink Elephant - New York, NY
The Playboy Club - Las Vegas, NV
Pure - Las Vegas, NV
Purple Moon - Flint, MI
Rockit Bar & Grill - Chicago, IL
Ruby Skye - San Francisco, CA
rumjungle - Las Vegas, NV
Sharkeez - Huntington Beach, CA
Sherlock's Baker Street Pub - Houston, TX
Sloppy Joe's - Key West, FL
Snatch/Suite - Miami, FL
Stingaree - San Diego, CA
Stubb's Bar-B-Q - Austin, TX
Studio 54 - Las Vegas, NV
Tabú Ultra Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
Tangerine - Las Vegas, NV
TAO - Las Vegas, NV
Therapy - New York, NY
Tini Bigs - Seattle, WA
Tipitina's - New Orleans, LA
Tongue & Groove - Atlanta, GA
Tryst - Las Vegas, NV
VICCI - Austin, TX
Vine Street Lounge - Hollywood, CA
The Viper Room - Los Angeles, CA
Walnut Room - Philadelphia, PA
Whiskey Blue - Los Angeles, CA
Worship - Atlantic City, NJ
Yard House - Long Beach, CA
Zinc Lounge - Manhattan Beach, CA

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