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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