No, there is nothing wrong with your eyes

PepsiCo is making some changes in the looks of some of its drinks containers. Perhaps the most confusing is the new image of Sierra Mist. As is evident in the image at right, the word "Mist" has been blurred.

The Purchase, NY-based soft drink and snacks giant says it will invest $1.2 billion over the next three years to reinvigorate its line of carbonated soft drinks in the face of consumer demand falling off for virtually all brands in the past 36 months.

Initially, the campaign will include new logos and packages for PepsiCo beverages. The red, white and blue Pepsi logo began as a bottle-cap design, became the official logo in 1962, and was last changed in 2002. The new version will eliminate the wave look, which will be replaced by a diagonal slit the company says is supposed to represent a smile.

Among other brands to undergo a renewal are Mountain Dew's various iterations.

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FDA: Diet Coke Plus misbranded

From Advertising Age:

WASHINGTON -- The federal Food and Drug Administration is taking Coca-Cola to task for what it calls "misbranding" of Diet Coke Plus. The FDA said because there is no standard for nutrients in carbonated beverages, Coke can't market the beverage as 'plus.'

In a letter to Coca-Cola dated Dec. 10, the FDA said the marketing of Diet Coke Plus, which uses the "plus" to indicate the addition of vitamins and minerals, amounts to an illegal health claim. It said the word "plus" normally signals a food enriched with 10% more of the daily food intake for a particular nutrient than is standard. The FDA said because there is no standard for nutrients in carbonated beverages, Coke can't market the beverage as "plus."

"Your product is misbranded ... because it bears the nutrient-content claim 'plus' but does not comply with the regulations governing the use of this claim," said the letter. "The term 'plus' in 'Diet Coke Plus,' read in conjunction with the language 'Diet Coke with Vitamins & Minerals,' meets the definition of a nutrient-content claim because it characterizes the product's level of vitamins and minerals, which are nutrients of the type required to be in nutrition labeling."

In a March 2007 press release announcing the product launch, the company described it as "a sparkling, calorie-free beverage with vitamins and minerals," that is "a good source of vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium." Wieden & Kennedy is Diet Coke's agency.

Coca-Cola could not be reached for comment.

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NY raising the price of raising a glass

New York State is so strapped for cash, Gov. David Patterson is dusting off a lot of old ideas to raise money. Among his proposals for the new year, which still need to be debated and voted on by the state legislature, are numerous ones that will affect the beverage consuming habits of state residents.

Chief among them is his proposal to allow sales of wine in grocery stores, which would put New York on the same page as 35 other states that already allow it. Until now, strong lobbying by liquor store owners and their allies in state government has kept the lucrative slice of the market all to themselves. The usual posturing and debating now will ensue as the matter is debated.

Other beverage-related plans in Patterson's 2009-10 budget proposal:

• An increase in the excise tax on wine and beer from 18.9 cents a gallon for wine and 24 cents a gallon for beer to 51 cents a gallon for both.

• Increasing the tax on flavored malt liquors.

• Raising the sales tax on fruit drinks and non-diet sodas with less than 70% fruit juice by 18%.

Paterson delivered a balanced Executive Budget, more than one month prior to the State constitutional deadline, which would eliminate the largest budget deficit in state history -- a $1.7 billion current-year shortfall and a $13.7 billion 2009-10 deficit.

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WAT-AAH's the word

I have a friend who lives in San Francisco's Mission District, where Spanish is prominently spoken. Next door to his apartment building is a school playground, where groups of kids are let loose for a half-hour at a time to expend some energy.

"Kids today are so brainwashed about drinking water all the time that 15 minutes into their recess they start squawking 'Agua! Agua!'," he said. "They sound like a flock of Aflac ducks."

Don't look for the fad to slow anytime soon, even though more and more people are pointing out what an unnecessary gimmick bottled water is in most cases. The marketing efforts shall continue.

One such example is WAT-AAH. It's a bottled water aimed specifically at the kid market that its makers claim is free of sugar, artificial colors and artificial flavors and is fortified with vitamins and minerals. It also comes in four flavors, cutely called Bones, Brain, Energy, and Body.

The beverage is meant to target child obesity by providing kids with a healthy alternative to sugary drinks. To reach its ultimate consumers, the kids, WAT-AAH has a bouncy interactive Web site.

It also is playing to kids' tastes in participative enterianment, such as this video:



P.S. My aforementioned san Francisco friend e-mailed me this update:

"It's funny because as I read your blog entry they were actively screaming 'agua'."

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French toasting Obama

Barrack Obama is having an effect on commerce -- in France.

A young entrepreneur who is smitten with the President-elect has been handing out cans of energy drinks to low-income kids, cans emblazoned with Obama's likeness.



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The party's (kind of) over

From MSNBC.COM

New York's business media discovered a tangible consequence of the financial crisis last Friday: no more free drinks at their annual black-tie gala.

Unlike years past, the cocktail hour that preceded the Financial Follies dinner came with a price tag. Mixed drinks and wine cost $11. Water cost $6. The reason? The New York Financial Writers' Association, which holds the Follies at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, could not get anyone to sponsor the $25,000 tab.

"I really think it was a sign of the times," said Jane Reilly, executive manager for the association, which holds the Follies to raise money for 10 $3,000 scholarships and to pay for the group's existence.

The loss of funding of the Follies symbolizes the crisis facing not only Wall Street but many media organizations suffering from falling advertising and, in the case of many magazines and newspapers, circulation.

Some of the financial institutions and the companies that work for them, such as public relations agencies, have disappeared. Those that survived are struggling. A number of magazines have closed or cut back, and many newspapers have reduced business coverage and fired employees.

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Barista competition adds qualifying sites

The World Barista Championship, scheduled for next April 16-19 in Atlanta, is the premier global coffee event with more than 50 different national barista champions competing for the title.

Now, the organizers have announced there will be two new judges certification workshops being made available. They will be held in Long Beach, CA, and Melbourne, Australia.

All participants must meet certain requirements:

• Possess two consecutive years experience officiating at WBC-sanctioned national or regional barista competitions.
• Demonstrate the ability to comprehend and complete all score sheets in English.
• Agree to comply with the WBC Code of Conduct.
• Agree to attend the 2009 competition and pre-competition events in Atlanta, GA.
• Demonstrate a commitment to coffee excellence and to promoting the barista craft.

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Natalie's 10 worst drinks

She's baaack. Natalie, of the video series "Nutrition by Natalie," has made a guest appearance or two on this site before. In this visit, she lists her "Top 10 Worst Drinks," with plenty of reasons for each making the list.

It's not that we find Natalie a smoothie when it comes to presentation, but she's just so darned earnest who can ignore her?



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Kona cupping champ chosen

Debbie Hoshide, a coffee grower on the Big Island of Hawaii, has won the 22nd annual Kona Coffee Cupping Competition.

The signature event of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival required each participating farmer to submit a 50-pound sample from which five pounds were entered into the cupping competition. Of the 56 entries, 16 were selected as finalists.

Hoshide's farm is a seven-acre spread in Honaunau that she inherited from her mother.

"Cupping" is the standardized way to evaluate coffees, a method used by roasters, retailers, growers and importers. The three qualities evaluated are body, acidity and aroma. As each coffee is sampled, the taster records and discusses their impressions.

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NYC home to world's first organic bar

You've got to love a restaurant whose motto is "Changing the world one meal at a time." That goes for its cocktail list, too.

The venue is GustOrganics, a New York City cocktail lounge and restaurant (519 Avenue of the Americas at 14th Street). It claims to be the nation's first fully certified such establishment, and has the credentials to support it:

• All dishes made only with organic U.S. Department of Agriculture certified Ingredients.
• Certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.
• Certified green restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association.

But above all, for the purposes of what this site deals with, GustOrganics is the world’s first USDA certified organic bar.

Alberto Gonzalez (seen above), a native of Argentina, is the owner of GustOrganics. He notes that all drinks -- hot, cold and alcoholic -- are free from chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, artificial flavors and drink enhancers.

"We have only USDA certified organic spirits, wines and beers," he said. "All these products are produced according to the USDA's National Organic Program. On top of this, our cocktails are made featuring fresh organic fruits and vegetables. ...

"The only two ingredients that are not organic are the water and salt because they are minerals and by definition cannot be organic. We use sun-dried sea salt only and that means no additives. We have our pure water that is New York City water run through a UV lamp that kills all the bacteria and after that we run it through a top notch purification system that takes out all the bad metals, keeping the good minerals."

The signature cocktails at GustOrganics are priced in the $12-$14 range, typical for Manhattan drinks. Some of the top sellers:

• Dulce de Leche Martini: dulce de leche, espresso coffee and vodka.
• Pura Vida Daiquiri: strawberries, bananas and rum.
• Fresquito: fresh mangos, fresh squeezed orange juice and vodka.

What made Gonzalez decided to establish a base for his organic foodie and drinks efforts in Greenwich Village?

“New York is one of the most sophisticated societies in the world, but I didn’t like the food," he says. "It wasn’t fresh. When I used to stay here for business, I noticed I was more tired, lacked energy, and gained a lot of weight. I realized I took for granted the freshness and quality of the food in Argentina.

"I developed this restaurant with New Yorkers. They are the ones who helped shape this idea.”

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True 'pop' art

Think you know what this piece of art represents?

Think again. Then think Big Picture. Really Big.

For a clever example of real 'pop' art, just click here.

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Pedaling to drinkable satisfaction

Oh, those Austrians.

Not only did they give us such treats as Mozart, Schwarzenegger, Swarovsky crystal and some great pastries, now some of their "scientists" have come up with this gizmo.

It's a heat pump connected to an exercise bike. You put a can of beer -- or, one presumes, any other beverage -- into the copper coil and start pedalling.

If you want a hot drink, put the beverage into the other coil and, voila!, as the Austrians don't say.

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Drinking your way to beauty

From Drinks Business Review:

This month's roundup of novel new drinks launches finds that the beauty from within beverage market is gaining ground with the emergence of a skin nourishing beverage from Nestlé. Meanwhile, the release of an energy drink with all-natural ingredients shows that the allure of the natural is emerging in an increasing number of drink sectors.

Nestlé has launched the Glowelle Beauty Drink Supplement in the US. The beverage, available ready to drink as well as in a sachet format, is designed to fight the signs of aging by nourishing skin from the inside out. It is said to contain skin-beautifying antioxidants such as high antioxidant nutrients, botanicals and fruit extract. With Nestlé behind this new beauty drink supplement, the emerging beauty-from-within sector could get a major boost.

[Go here for the rest of the story.]

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Be your own soft drink company

This may be sort of a free ad. Well, that's exactly what it is. But I found the product so clever I decided to give away this space to mention it.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have your own line of soft drinks, or just have your own label on one, this service lets you design your own color palette and lettering on cans of soft drinks you can sell or give away for promotional purposes.

I chose to call attention to one of my online sites -- Taste for Travel: Food, Drink and Destinations.

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Andean-style beverages hit market

Q: What is purple, Peruvian and presently coming on the beverage market?

A: Half the drinks line from Simply Originals LLC, a husband-and-wife business in Rowayton, CT, that was founded last year.

They have come up with with two all-natural Andean-based artisanal drink recipes: Simply Originals Purple Corn and Simply Originals Flaxseed.

The non-carbonated beverages contain about half the calories and sugar found in the most popular drinks. They are available at Northeast Whole Foods and other markets in southern Connecticut, New York and northern New Jersey.

Renato Varas, co-founder of the company with wife Meghan, grew up drinking versions of these beverages in his native Peru. The Purple Corn is commonly known as “chicha morada” in Peru. It contains Andean purple corn, cinnamon, clove, pineapple and lemon and contains high levels of antioxidants.

The Flaxseed, first such ready-to-drink beverage on the U.S. market, is based on the tradition of “emolientes,” or herbal fusions, and has high levels of omega-3s, antioxidants and fiber.

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Yoplait rolls out fizzy milk drink

With apologies to the long-ago pop star Tommy Roe, one hopes, Yoplait has launched a new milk-based soft drink called Dizzy for the French market.

The target market is the 15-to-25-year-old niche, with both "citrus" and "exotic fruits" flavors and a a purple aluminum container.

The company has been mum on when, or whether, Dizzy will make its U.S. debut.

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Is Slurm headed your way?

The parade of drinks moving from fiction to reality apparently is flowing unabated. This is the third time I've been able to report on such possibilities.

• The first was Pawtucket Patriot Ale from the animated TV series "Family Guy."

• The second was Booty Sweat, the energy drink created in the film "Tropical Thunder."

• Now, Slurm (motto: "It's Highly Addictive"), the official soft drink of the 31st Century, might move from the animated TV series "Futurama" to our very own dimension. Twentieth Century Fox has filed for the "Slurm" trademark which would cover (prepare yourself) "carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks; fruit drinks; fruit juices; mineral and aerated water; bottled drinking water; energy drinks; syrups and powders for making soft drinks and other beverages, namely soft drinks, fruit drinks and tea; coffee-flavored soft drinks; Ramune (Japanese soda pops); powders used in the preparation of isotonic sports drinks and sports beverages."

I'll keep you posted as any, or all, of these dreams come true.

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Another drink-mixing device in works

Not long ago, I reported on a drink vending machine in development for Coca-Cola that will be able to provide 100 different drinks.

Now, an English company named Waterwerkz has developed the "PouchLink" system that combines a drink machine with the assembly method of soda fountain by adding filtered water from outside pipes to quickly mix drinks inside a machine.

Inside this mini factory, water is mixed with syrup and the concoction is placed inside a flexible pouch that will be available in different sizes. It would be able to store the makings for 2,000 drinks since the unfilled pouches fit on a reel.

International drinks manufacturer Nestlé already has begun working with Waterwerkz, as has UK soft drinks maker Bottle Green Drinks.

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Credit crunch shakes McD's coffee bar plans

From Advertising Age:

CHICAGO -- The banking crisis is threatening to take a rather surprising hostage: McDonald's big-budget coffee rollout.

Tightening credit conditions, which are crimping plans for marketers as diverse as giant General Motors Corp. and relatively small household-products company Method, have prompted Bank of America to halt loans to McDonald's franchisees. They need the capital to frantically build coffee bars in the chain's 14,000 locations for what was planned to be an April coffee introduction.

And although it won't derail the launch altogether, it is likely to delay it nearly into summer -- hardly optimal timing for a hot-beverage introduction.

[Go here for the rest of the story.]

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Hollywood in a handy can

Anyone who saw the Ben Stiller/Robert Downey Jr. comedy flick "Tropical Thunder" saw the characters swilling Booty Sweat, a fictional energy drink.

Fictional, that is, until now. Paramount Pictures has licensed the energy drink to the novelty-products firm Boston America Corp. to make a limited run of the drink for the real world.

Michael Corcoran, president of consumer products at Paramount Pictures, said, “We’re very excited, because it has the potential to live for quite a while, well beyond the film. ... Not to my knowledge has this ever been done before.”

Well, maybe not for a fictional movie product, but don't rule out TV. Last fall, Pawtucket Patriot Ale moved from the animated series "Family Guy" to the real world when a Rhode Island micro-brewery started brewing it.

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NYC coffee 'cupping' sessions set

Intelligentsia Coffee has scheduled a series of cupping events this month at the New York Cupping and Training Lab, 594 Broadway, Suite 909A, in Manhattan.

The free public events, set for October 2, 23 and 30, allow visitors to sample and compare the flavor of gourmet coffee beans and discuss their impressions.

Cupping selections range from new crop coffees to direct trade to special selections. "Cupping" is the standardized way to evaluate coffees, a method used by roasters, retailers, growers and importers. The three qualities evaluated during Intelligentsia events are body, acidity and aroma. As each coffee is sampled, the taster records and discusses their impressions.

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Kool-Aid and the art of financial survival

The always snarky and always entertaining Gawker.com has done it again.

Under the headline "How To Eat Now That You're Poor," the blog begins by saying:

"Now that the wizards of Wall Street have destroyed all hope for your future economic security, it's time to start eating like a pauper!

"That's the new ad strategy that our nation's largest food companies are pursuing, reasoning that the fancy Pepperidge Farm cookies and 'vegetables' are going to be the first thing that shoppers slash from their budgets in these lean times. Why not try some grilled cheese and tomato soup? Shiny apples for a nickel!

"But this nutritional depression has an upside: Hey, Kool-Aid!"

[Go here for the full posting.]

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That 'energy' boost may be just caffeine

Your favorite energy drink may give you a temporary boost, but that's probably only because it contains more caffeine than soft drinks.

That's the conclusion of a new study conducted by the John Hopkins University and published in the current issue of the journal Drug & Alcohol Dependence.

The study by the renowned Baltimore university says some energy drinks contain at least 10 times more caffeine than soft drinks, and concludes that energy drink manufacturers should list caffeine content and issue health warnings on products.

Most energy drink marketing stresses other ingredients as being healthful and energy-boosting, downplaying or simply not addressing the caffeine content.

An analysis done last year by Datamonitor said the global energy drinks market had a value of $13.3 billion, and is predicted to be worth $23.8 billion by 2011. This strong growth in sales is forecast to be driven by rising demand in the U.S., followed by the UK and Japan, and is indicative of the fact that consumers in countries associated with long working hours are buying energy drinks more regularly.

"Previously, energy drinks have been associated with select consumer groups such as students and long distance drivers," Datamonitor said. "However, consumers are working longer hours than the generations before them and are struggling to maintain a work/life balance, due to which more cases of fatigue and sleep-related problems are being reported. As a result, increasing numbers of consumers are turning to energy drinks in search of a quick physical and mental boost."

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FDA warns over Chinese beverages

Beware of Mr. Brown's coffees and teas, says the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Just four days after Canada placed a ban on the Chinese-made product, the FDA has done the same, citing in part tests done by the New Zealand government that showed the presence of melamine in products made by the manufacturer.

Melamine is an industrial compound that is poisonous when ingested. It has been found in numerous milk products in China and sickened thousands, particularly children.

Mr. Brown's is exported to the U.S. by King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd. It is manufactured in China by Shandong Duquing Inc. King Car also is recalling other products, including a milk tea it makes.

The specific coffee and tea products affected by the recall:

• Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend Instant Coffee
• Mr. Brown Milk Tea

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What do you get mixing Snapple and Quaker Oats?

A: One larger company.

The Quaker Oats Co. is buying the Snapple Beverage Corp. for a tender offer of $14 a share of Snapple stock, or about $1.7 billion.

The purchase of the Valley Stream, Long Island, NY, maker of flavored iced teas and fruit juices will make Quaker the third-largest non-alcoholic beverage marketer in North America.

Quaker already counts Gatorade among its portfolio of cereals, drinks, crackers, cookies, chili and various mixes. William D. Smithburg, chairman and CEO of Quaker Oats, said the Snapple acquisition is "part of an evolving realignment of Quaker's portfolio."

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Cheerwine rebranding under way

Last fall, I wrote about Cheerwine, a long-popular cherry flavored South Carolina soft drink looking to expand its horizons.

The Salisbury, NC, firm that has been around since 1917 just announced its distribution is up to 16 states. But I'm not sure what to tell you to be on the lookout for after next July.

Reason? Cheerwine maker Carolina Beverage Corp. has hired a Seattle company to create a new brand that will be launched on packaging, trucks and advertising next summer to replace the current look (seen above).

Meanwhile, for information on where Cheerwine is distributed, check its Web site here.

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Not all drink mixes are created equal

William M. Dowd photo

Consumer Alert: This entry contains opinions that may be contrary to those of cocktail purists, among whose ranks I usually place myself. However, the times they are a'changing, so broaden your horizons.

A recent story in The Wall Street Journal by one Eric Felten began like this:

"Williams-Sonoma, geared though it may be to ambitious amateur cooks, seems to think that its customers aren't up to the rather limited culinary demands of making cocktails. Why else the prominence the store is giving to a new line of bottled cocktail mixes? ... . The infantilization of drinkers remains the top marketing point for the prefabbers. The flacks for that supermarket standby, Rose's Cocktail Mixers, sent out a press release for their Mojito mix this summer touting it as 'a solution to complicated drink-making.' Complicated? Crush some mint in sugar syrup and fresh lime juice; add white rum, club soda and ice; stir. Is it supercilious to suggest that those for whom this is a task of surpassing complexity are better off not dulling their wits further with alcohol?"

Ye gods, Felten. I know you wrote the book "How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture and the Art of Drinking Well" (Agate Surrey), but lumping all such "prefabs" into one bucket of distasteful slop is neither accurate nor of any practical use to consumers.

I do agree that many of the pre-made drink mixes are loaded with ingredients one neither wants nor may even understand, but as in all things culinary there are exceptions. One such, in my view, is the line of Stirrings drink mixes. I actually like them. A lot.

As one whose cocktail-making resume dates from my mid-teens ("Oldies can still be goodies"), I understand and value the idea of fresh ingredients. I squeeze my own lemons and limes, wash and dry my own fresh berries, clip and macerate my own herbs, use different fresh ice in the shaker and the glass ... . But when I have tossed away the gazillionth lime because the only way I find them affordable is to buy a large bag at a discount grocer and can't use them up, or don't want to bother whipping up a batch of simple syrup (hint: agave syrup works just as well), or it's not growing season for my mint and thyme and basil, or if unexpected company drops in and expects a yummy cocktail or three, I see nothing wrong with using certain mixes if they have been pre-tested and found suitable.

Thus, Stirrings. I've tried the Fall River, MA, company's margarita, mojito, peach bellini and apple martini mixes. Excellent, all, with none of that "What's in this?" wrinkly-nosed result. Not yet tried: blood orange martini, bloody Mary, chocolate peppermintini, cosmopolitan, lemon drop, lemonade, pear martini, pomegranate martini, spiced apple and wild blueberry martini. Some of the latter I'd never try, simply because such concoctions do not appeal to me no matter whether they're made from a mix or made using ingredients just shipped from farm or factory. I refer specifically to the likes of a chocolate peppermintini and a wild blueberry martini. Blecch.

Stirrings was founded in 1997 by Bill Creelmann and Gil MacLean. Their philosophy is on every label: "We believe in using only the best ingredients -- fresh juice, triple-filtered water and a touch of imagination -- because after all, better ingredients make better cocktails."

The company has grown to include a line of cocktail rim garnishes, cocktail sodas, bar ingredients and a brand-new line of organic drink mixes that includes "The Dark & Stormy," a ginger mixer to pair with rum; "The Bellini," that includes apricots, lemons, limes, oranges, agave and natural bitters, and "The Gimlet," a sour mixer using organic lemons, limes, oranges, cane sugar, agave and natural bitters. Orders for that new line will begin being shipped in late September.

If the new line, and the originals I have yet to try, match up in quality to the ones I have tried, they're something to be anticipated. In addition to exposing people to cocktails they'd probably never otherwise attempt making themselves, they provide a nice assortment of alcohol-free drinks ready to be poured from the bottle over ice.

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A-B creates non-alcohol division

Anheuser-Busch has been in the news lately for being sold to InBev of Belgium. However, good old American know-how continues to be one of its products.

The St. Louis-based beverage giant has created a non-alcoholic subsidiary called 9th Street Beverages, specializing in energy drinks and high-end waters. It includes such drinks as 180 Energy, BORBA Skin Balance Water, Icelandic Glacial and Monster.

Sales for A-B’s non-alcohol portfolio are up 77% this year, and the company says it is working on new “energy, specialty and new age product concepts.”

A-B's first non-alcoholic drink was 180 Orange-Citrus Energy Drink, in 2001.

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Don't shake or stir this drink

James Bond's beverage preferences have run the gamut over the years -- champagne, martinis, gin cocktails ... . Now the legendary spy may be going the non-alcoholic route.

Coca-Cola Great Britain has entered into an agreement with Sony Entertainment to link its Coca-Cola Zero soft drink with "Quantum of Solace," the latest cinematic adventure of Agent 007.

The company is producing a limited edition package of the drink, renamed "Coca-Cola Zero Zero 7" for the occasion.

"Quantum" is the 22nd Bond film, with Daniel Craig starring as the spy for the second time.

No word whether the program will be expanded to other countries at this time.

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100-flavor soda machine in works

If you're confused by those soda dispensing machines that have eight or 10 spouts, imagine what it will be like if Coca-Cola goes through with a device it is developing.

The Atlanta-based beverage giant is working on a fountain machine that will dispense soft drinks in up to 100 flavor combinations. The device will not take up any more room than current dispensers because it will be filled with highly-concentrated flavoring cartridges.

Early prototypes underwent testing earlier this summer with Coke planning a limited release sometimes next year, according to Engadget.com.

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Full Throttle rachets up varieties

Coca-Cola Co. has introduced a new non-carbonated energy drink called Full Throttle Hydration, plus a coffee energy drink called Full Throttle Coffee.

They join Full Throttle Original, Full Throttle Unleaded, Full Throttle Blue Demon and Full Throttle Fury.

Hydration, available in a "tropical mix" flavor, comes in 16-ounce aluminum cans. The Coffee is made with Colombian Arabica coffee and is available in mocha, vanilla and caramel flavors. Packaging for Full Throttle Coffee Caramel will be in both English and Spanish. Coffee is packaged in 15-ounce aluminum cans.

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Crush drink brand to broaden horizons

Remember Orange Crush?

If you do, you're a typical American of a certain age. And, if you're still drinking it, you live in part of the mere 40% of the U.S. where the soft drink is available.

That situation will be remedied, however, since its owner, Pepsi Bottling Group, has hooked up with the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to expand Crush distribution nationwide, beginning early next year. Under terms of the deal, Pepsi will have a perpetual license to manufacture, sell and distribute the Crush brand in orange, diet orange and grape flavors.

Jim Johnston, DPS president of sales, said, "With flavors playing an increasingly important role in the carbonated soft drink category, we're confident that together we can repeat that success in the U.S. and make Crush a popular national brand available to more consumers in more outlets," said Jim Johnston, president of sales for Dr Pepper Snapple. "Simply put, it's a brand with tremendous untapped potential."

Orange Crush, the original flavor in the Crush lineup, was invented in Los Angeles in 1916 by Clayton J. Powel. At one time, just after the end of World War I, iconic artist Norman Rockwell was commissioned to produce a series of posters such as the 1919 one seen above for the soft drink.

The line is popular in Canada, where it is distributed by Cadbury Beverages Canada. It also is sold in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

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New calorie-free drinks in the pipeline

From Manufacturing Business Technology magazine, via the Cox News Service:

Some experts call it the Holy Grail of the beverage industry -- an all-natural drink that has the sweetness of sugar but none of the calories.

Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo could be a step closer to reaching that milestone as they separately pursue new sweeteners based on the South American stevia plant. Pending Food and Drug Administration clearance, these stevia-based sweeteners could unleash the next generation of low- and no-calorie beverages, industry experts say.

Coke and Pepsi are keeping quiet about what drinks could get the new sweeteners. Coke would not comment about product plans, but the Atlanta-based beverage giant could have a soft drink with its stevia-based sweetener on the market by the end of the year, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

Pepsi, based in Purchase, NY, also declined to talk about U.S. product plans. It is launching this month in Peru a version of So Be Life, a flavored water, that uses its stevia-based sweetener.

(Get the full story here.)

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US Airways finds a new gouge

There were times when I was flying on a commercial airline and would have willingly paid them not to serve me any of their pathetic food. But at least, I thought, I could always get some free water to hold me over till we landed.

Now, with airlines looking for every angle to charge their customers extra, US Airways is leading the way toward ridiculous heights by instituting a $2 charge for an in-flight drink of water, juice or soda.

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Letters: About that 'Surging Eel' ...

• I recently reported on a new Japanese non-alcoholic drink called "Surging Eel." The following inquiry is one of numerous notes I received.

Hello:

Do you know if the Surging Eel drink from Japan is being distributed in the U.S.?

If so, can you tell me how to find some in Atlanta, GA? Thanks.

-- Sandra Taylor

Dear Sandra:

I'm told the drink is for domestic sale only, and probably will be a seasonal offering -- eel-eating season. However, you can always try contacting the manufacturer directly here to see if it is possible to order shipment. Another possibility is to inquire at a local Japanese restaurant which may have supply lines not available to the general public.

Incidentally, another eel-related drink I've come across that us aimed at a Japanese market always looking for a way to beat the summer heat is a black beer called "Suitable for Unagi." It's from the Miyashita Sake Brewery and has been formulated specifically to complement traditional grilled eel and its sticky sauces.

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Mmmm, now that's eel!

If you're planning to be in Japan in time for the eel-eating season, be careful if someone offers you an Unagi Nobori.

That's Japanese for "surging eel," or "sudden spike," depending upon who's doing the translating. It's a drink made by Japan Tobacco Inc. that just went on the market in anticipation of the annual eel season.

The yellow, non-alcoholic drink is being marketed as a nutritional supplement carbonated beverage. It contains extracts from the head and bones of eel and five vitamins -- A, B1, B2, D and E -- contained in the fish. Consumers will be slurping it up on the next traditional eel day, August 5 this year.

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How much caffeine does your drink have?

If you've ever wondered how much caffeine the most popular non-alcoholic beverages contain, here's a listing from the Axxa News site.

Each item is a 12-ounce serving unless otherwise noted, with the caffeine content provided in milligrams.

• Red Bull (8.2 oz), 80
• Jolt, 71.2
• Pepsi One, 55.5
• Mountain Dew, 55
• Mountain Dew Code Red, 55
• Diet Mountain Dew, 55
• Kick Citrus, 54
• Mellow Yellow, 52.8
• Surge, 51
• Tab, 46.8
• Diet Coke, 45.6
• Shasta Cola, 44.4
• Shasta Cherry Cola, 44.4
• Shasta Diet Cola, 44.4
• RC Cola, 43
• Diet RC, 43
• Dr Pepper, 41
• Diet Dr Pepper, 41
• Diet Sunkist Orange, 41
• Mr. Pibb, 40
• Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb, 40
• Red Flash, 40
• Sunkist Orange, 40
• Slim-Fast Cappuccino Delight Shake, 40
• Ruby Red, 39
• Storm, 38
• Big Red, 38
• Pepsi-Cola, 37.5
• Pepsi Twist, 37.5
• Diet Pepsi Jazz, 37.5
• Diet Pepsi, 36
• Wild Cherry Pepsi, 36
• Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, 36
• Diet Pepsi Twist, 36
• Aspen, 36
• Coca-Cola Classic, 34
• Cherry Coke, 34
• Lemon Coke, 34
• Vanilla Coke, 34
• Diet Cherry Coke, 34
• Snapple Flavored Teas, 31.5
• Snapple Diet Flavored Teas, 31.5
• Canada Dry Cola, 30
• A&W Creme Soda, 29
• Nestea Sweet Iced Tea, 26.5
• Nestea Unsweetened Iced Tea, 26
• Lipton Diet Green Tea with Citrus (16.9 oz) , 23
• Barq’s Root Beer, 23
• A&W Diet Creme Soda, 22
• Slim-Fast Chocolate Flavors, 20
• Lipton Brisk, All Varieties, 9
• Canada Dry Diet Cola, 1.2
• Diet Rite Cola, 0
• Sprite, 0
• 7-Up, 0
• Mug Root Beer, 0
• Diet Barq’s Root Beer, 0
• Sundrop Orange, 0
• Minute Maid Orange, 0
• A&W Root Beer, 0
• Slice, 0
• Sierra Mist, 0
• Fresca, 0

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How bottled water hypnotized us all

That's the title of the story on the snarky, but entertaining and often illuminating, blog Gawker.com.

The posting reports on a new book called "Bottlemania," which digs into the whole craze. The Gawker story begins:

"Bottled water is a bit like smoking: deep down, we all knew there was something wrong with it from day one.

"Environmentalism has been a widespread subject in our public consciousness for more than 30 years now. Did anyone really believe that getting our water out of 16-ounce plastic bottles would be an efficient long-term solution for humanity?

"Despite that, the bottled water industry has done an admirable job using sly marketing magic to make us all feel like chemical-ridden cheapskates for drinking out of the tap."

---

Go here for the whole Gawker.com story, and here for various pertinent links on drinking water.

---

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Shrinking Starbucks adds protein drink

Starbucks may be in the process of shuttering 600 of its many, many stores, but it's not cutting back on what it is offering at the remaining places.

Today, the coffee purveyor unveiled a new line of made-to-order protein shakes called Vivanno.

The drinks come in such flavors as orange mango banana and banana chocolate, and are made with the same equipment used for Starbucks' trademark Frappuccino coffee drinks.

Vivannos include such ingredients as whey protein and fiber powder, as well as fresh bananas. Customers can customize the drinks with the addition of a shot of espresso or green tea powder. Price: between $3.75 and $3.95.

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A true designer water

It wasn't that many years ago that the smartest of the vodka makers realized they had to do something more than distill a good product to stand out in the marketplace. At least enough to grab the attention of first-time buyers.

That was the start of a trend in bottle design that has resulted in some brilliant work that deserves its own showing at a major art gallery or museum.

Now the same thought has occurred to at least one bottler of spring water. Aquadeco Premium Spring Water from Canada is packaged in a bottle of Art Deco design (seen here).

The idea was hatched by company founder Arnold Gumowitz, a real estate businessman and art collector with a strong liking of the Art Deco style. He commissioned Flowdesign to create the bottle that would encase water taken from a glacial-created spring. Finally, Steklarna Hrastnick, the Slovenian glassmaking company, came up with the optimal optimal wall thickness combined with the weight of the glass.

The bottle and its contents -- from Muskoka Natural Spring in Gavenhurst, Ontario -- hit a responsive chord with judges at the prestigious Berkeley Springs (WV) International Water Festival, who awarded it gold medals for both “Best Taste” and “Best Bottle Design.”

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Tea for 2 (x 4,000)

Queen Elizabeth II opened her summer entertaining season this week with an intimate tea for 8,000 people at Buckingham Palace.

The crowd was composed of people nominated for attendance as a reward for good works in their respective communities. However, large as this tea party was, it doesn't compare to the world's largest, about which I wrote some time ago.

The story and photos of the queen's affair, such as the scene above, from the Associated Press are available here.

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South America's elixir of life

GNU/FDL photo

That's mate (pronounced mah tay) tea, or yerba mate, the almost mystical South American beverage.

As Johann Fleck writes in The Epoch Times:

"Throughout South America, the indigenous peoples are closely linked by the mate tradition, as evidenced in writings such as 'The Incas' Green Gold,' or by its reverential subtitle, 'Drink of the Gods.'

"According to legend, about 1,000 years ago a god handed the Guarani Indians the plant, with instructions for brewing the leaves into tea. Since then, the drink mate has been an indispensable part of daily life for millions of South Americans.

"In several regions, people drink copious quantities of this beverage any time of day. Field workers drink the brew to ward off heat and exhaustion. People who engage in lengthy, round-table discussions like it for its mentally stimulating properties, claiming it can induce inspiration, while creating a relaxed state."

(You can read the rest of this highly interesting report online here.)

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Cocktails for kids a learning experience

Zac's photo

From The Bolton News (Lancaster, England):

A giant drinks can is travelling the streets of Bolton serving cocktails to young people.

The mobile bar, in the shape of a can, sells non-alcoholic drinks in a bid to stop teenagers getting into trouble.

Zac's Youth Bar, based in Farnworth, is running the vehicle to show young people they can have fun without drinking alcohol.

Stuart Barnes, Zac's director, said: "The whole ethos of Zac's is that there is a credible alternative to alcohol. The cocktails are different and something special, but we also have soft drinks, too. The mobile bar allows us to reach more young people and visit places across the borough."

(You can read the rest of the story here.)

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Soft drink herb sweeteners in the works

From Drinks Business Review:

In order to attract increasingly health-conscious consumers, several soft drink makers in the U.S. are investing in the development of natural low-calorie sweeteners, reported Reuters.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group have begun work in this regard. Coca-Cola has collaborated with Cargill and together they are working on a sweetener called Truvia. Made from a South American herb called stevia (seen here), Truvia will be marketed as a tabletop sweetener by Cargill. However, no information regarding the drinks in which the sweetener will be used has been revealed by Coca-Cola.

PepsiCo is also working on a sweetener from the stevia plant which is native to Paraguay. According to PepsiCo spokesperson Dave DeCecco, as and when the company receives approval from US health regulators, it will begin to market the new product.

Randy Gier, executive vice president of marketing for Dr Pepper Snapple, said: "We all have scientists working right now to blend new combinations of these new top-secret sweeteners that are out there. It's just a matter of time until you see a major breakthrough."

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Mayors vs. bottled water at boiling point

A committee decision throwing the U.S. Conference of Mayors' weight behind a move to discourage use of bottled water has predictably received return fire from the American Beverage Association.

The trade organization of manufacturers and distributors of non-alcoholic drinks has criticized the resolution as “sound-bite environmentalism.” It was passed at a Miami meeting of the mayors by a small majority after heated debate and is intended to phase out city spending on bottled water and an attempt to reduce purchases of the beverage.

The contention by the Conference of Mayors is that bottled water wastes water and leaves an unnecessarily large carbon footprint.

“Cities are sending the wrong message about the quality of public water when we spend taxpayer dollars on water in disposable containers from a private corporation,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who proposed the resolution. “Our public water systems are among the best in the world and demand significant and ongoing investment.”

Kevin Keane, a senior vice president of the American Beverage Association, fired back: “Unfortunately, a group of mayors have chosen to engage in sound-bite environmentalism rather than sound public policy by creating a false choice between bottled water and tap water. It’s disappointing that some mayors find it more important to attack a healthy beverage at a time when families are suffering from floods, rising fuel and gas costs and threats to their homes and jobs.

“This proposal is the cynical equivalent of being against rope until you need a lifeline,” Keane said. “There’s great irony in the fact that while companies are helping mayors in flood-ravaged communities in the Midwest recover, a handful of mayors in Miami are attacking the water products helping those residents remain hydrated and in good health.”

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