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This is the logo for Examiner.com, a multi-topic Web site created by the same company that started the free-distribution Examiner newspapers in major U.S. cities.

I've been signed as the Web site's National Drinks Columnist, and I'm inviting you to join me here as well as on this site, for all the latest in beverage news and views -- spirits, wine, brews, non-alcoholic drinks.

(Bonus for those of you interested in the Upstate New York restaurant scene: I'm also Examiner.com's columnist for that topic. You can find it here.

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Starbucks in Africa for Fair Trade talks

Howard Schultz (in short sleeves), head of Starbucks, and Darcy Willson-Rymer (in white shirt), managing director, Starbucks UK & Ireland, speak with local coffee farmers about producing coffee in Rwanda.
The Starbucks Coffee Co., the Fair Trade Foundation and Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) today met with farmers at Dukunde Kawa, a cooperative that cultivates high-quality coffee in central Rwanda.

The purpose of the African meeting was twofold: (1.) For Starbucks and Fairtrade to listen and learn from farmers' experiences, and (2.) to share details around the new Small Farmer Support Initiative (SFSI) which was jointly introduced in April.

The nine-year-old Dukunde Kawa Cooperative has approximately 4,000 members organized into in three groups around three coffee-washing stations which the cooperative operates. The cooperative became Fairtrade Certified in 2004.

The farmers grow a bourbon varietal coffee. The SFSI is a three-year pilot program intended to leverage the expertise and resources that Starbucks and Fairtrade have in coffee-growing regions.

Farmers will have access to the $12.5 million Starbucks has invested in farmer loan programs. Starbucks has an additional goal of incvreasing access to funding for farmer loans to those related organizations to $20 million by 2015 as part of the Starbucks Shared Planet commitment to ethical sourcing.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. This independent consumer label appears on 4,500 retail and catering products in the UK. Today, more than 7 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 59 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder association that encompasses a global network of Fairtrade organizations that are actively involved in supporting and empowering producers, raising consumer awareness and campaigning for changes in the rules of conventional trade.

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Coffee Institute guru top latte artist

LAS VEGAS -- Chris Deferio, director of The Coffee Institute in Muncie, IN, topped the field of latte artists in the recent Millrock Latte Art Competition.

It was the major event of "Coffee Fest," the premier North American coffee and tea tradeshow. Spectators watched latte specialists pour intricate designs of steamed milk into dark espresso to produce a visually pleasing beverage.

The Coffee Institute is a barista and coffee business training school. Prior to taking that position a year ago, Deferio was the coffee bar manager at the historic Carriage House, located near Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

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Mmmm, birch sap vodka, wine and water

• From Farm Focus of Atlantic Canada

As the cork is removed, hints of fruit are released, and once it's poured into a wine glass and lifted to one's lips, a semi-sweet taste with apple hints are followed.

That's according to the description for Lady of the Woods, a birch sap wine.

Craig Lewis, the brainchild behind the idea and the company Sap World, said he came up with the concept after reading an article about birch sap and its markets.

"When I read that article, something clicked," he said. "I did a bunch of research, invested $10,000, and on Baie Verte highway (Newfoundland) we ended up tapping 191 trees.

"(We) collected 500 gallons, took that to Rodrigues Winery and they produced 172 cases. We had that on the market and we sold that in three months."

[Go here for the full story.]

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Stirrings in the pre-made cocktail mix world

Last September I wrote a piece on pre-made cocktails, called "Not all drink mixes are created equal."

In particular, I zeroed in on a line of such mixes bearing the brand name Stirrings. As I noted at the time, "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.

" ... 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."

I bring this up now because the company founded in 1997 by Bill Creelmann and Gil MacLean also attracted the eyes of drinks giant Diageo, which bought a 20% stake in the company. It now has completed the takeover, gathering up the last 80%.

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Root Beer, the All-American classic

• From GoSanAngelo.com

The stuff has a nice flavor and was the favorite drink of Calamity Jane in a 1963 Broadway musical. In more than one two-reel oater, or Western movie of the 1940s, it was the favorite drink of the clean-cut handsome cowboy hero who refused whiskey or beer in the saloon. The bad guys called the hero a sissy because he ordered “sarsaparilla,” but they soon learned he was tougher than a horseshoe nail.

I like sarsaparilla, so I guess I would not have fit well amongst the frontier folks and the gunslingers. In today’s society, we call the once-popular drink by another name — “root beer.”

The reason is simple. The primary uses of sarsaparilla is in the flavoring of various beverages such as root beer. It also is used as a folk medicine, supposedly as a “blood purifier,” and as a general pep agent used in tonics to invigorate and cleanse the body.

[Go here for the full story.]

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Nestlé Waters suing over NY bottle law

• From the Albany, NY, Times Union

Nestlé Waters, which produces bottled water under several brand names, has filed a legal challenge to New York’s expanded bottle bill in federal court, seeking to block its June 1 implementation.

In the suit, Nestlé argues that a provision requiring a New York state-specific UPC bar code on containers sold here with a nickel deposit, is unconstitutional.

The company, with North American headquarters in Greenwich, CT, also is critical of the state’s plan to funnel unrefunded deposits to New York’s general fund, rather than to support local curbside recycling programs.

[Nestlé produces such brands as Perrier and Pellegrino. Go here for the full story.]

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Arnold, Japanese style

I sometimes come across an item I can't resist sharing.

Here's one from a series of 1990 TV commercials in Japan. If things don't improve in California, The Governator can always resume working in this career niche.



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Consumers cutting fancy coffees

• From Advertising Age:

Americans appear to be cutting back on their Starbucks.

After reporters in several different cities noticed much shorter lines at their coffee outlets, Ad Age decided to commission Lightspeed Research to find out whether either New Year's resolutions or a tough economy were turning latte sippers into bean counters.

The survey results reveal that 60% of Americans have scaled back on fancy or expensive coffee in the past six months; 56% report cutting back just since the beginning of the year. The culprit was overwhelmingly the economy, with 90% of survey respondents saying they are doing so to save money. Upmarket coffee "just cost too damned much," said one respondent. "I don't drink as much Starbucks as I did before," said another.

Those who have scaled back the most since the beginning of the year, according to the online survey of 500 Americans conducted between Jan. 14 and 15, are consumers 45 to 54, with fully half (50.4%) saying they have "cut back a lot" on fancy or expensive takeout coffee. That was followed by consumers 35 to 44 (37.5%) and 25 to 34 (33.3%).

[Go here for the rest of the story.]

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Industry fights NY 'obesity tax' plan

ALBANY, NY -- The American Beverage Association fought back today against critics who link sugary soft drinks with childhood obesity.

"Despite what Governor (David) Paterson and (Health) Commissioner (Richard) Daines claim, the science is clear: The association between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and obesity, if it exists at all, is so weak that total abstinence from soda drinking will have no impact on public health," said Maureen Storey.

Storey is the ABA's senior vice president for science policy. She spoke in testimony before a joint meeting of the state Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

The committees are meeting to discuss the state's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget, including Paterson's proposal to impose an 18% sales tax on dozens of beverages including regular soft drinks, juice drinks, and teas.

Storey said Paterson and his team rely heavily, if not entirely, on a study published eight years ago in the British medical journal, The Lancet. In that study, Storey contends, researcher Dr. David Ludwig and his co-authors acknowledge their study's limitations, admitting that they "cannot prove causality" between soft drink consumption and obesity.

"I would like to reiterate what the science already says: That soft drinks are not a unique contributor to obesity and to say otherwise is misleading to the people of New York State. And a so-called ‘obesity tax' on beverages would have no noticeable impact on the health of citizens," Storey said.

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A celebri-quote: Alyson Hannigan

• Alyson Hannigan, part of the ensemble cast of the TV series "How I Met Your Mother," and actor husband Alexis Denisof are expecting their first child this spring. She made this comment about her current eating and drinking choices in an interview with US Weekly:

On food: "I basically went from being a vegan to ... well, now it's meat and cheese -- and ginger ale!. ... I didn't eat any meat or cheese before. Now, I have to."

On drink: She says she craves ginger ale. "Ginger ale, I love. Apparently, my mom craved ginger ale when she was pregnant with me. Maybe it's a hereditary thing."

[Go here for more celebri-quotes.]

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Drinking water deal in Saratoga County, NY

• From the Albany (NY) Times Union:

The federal government moved to defuse a dispute over Hudson River drinking water safety during the PCB dredging project by getting General Electric, which is paying for the project, to also cover the added cost of piping in outside water from Troy.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that GE has agreed to pay $7 million toward a new $8.2 million water line connecting Waterford and Halfmoon to Troy's drinking water. Moreover, GE will pay for whatever water the towns get when PCB levels in the river become unsafe, or when there is not enough time to test Hudson water before it reaches the towns' drinking water intakes.

The dispute over drinking water has dragged on for months, with EPA refusing the town's request to cover the cost of buying Troy water unless it exceeded safety levels.

[Go here for the rest of the story.]

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Ferguson on whiskey and coffee

Craig Ferguson, the hands-down best standup act/talk show host on television, offers excellent riffs nearly every weeknight.

Here's one that fits into this blog's drinks genre, ranging from whiskey to coffee.



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Toronto joins bottled water ban

If you're in Toronto and have a thirst for a cold bottle of water, you might have some problems finding one.

The city has decided to outlaw the sale of bottled water in all municipal buildings, including local arenas.

While banning bottled water, the city did not ban any other bottled beverage.

The ban was approved in December by City Council, with the target of stopping such sales for all municipal premises from City Hall to golf courses by 2011.

Mayor David Miller's spokesman, Stuart Green, said the ban is part of the city's plan to divert 70% of its waste from municipal dumps by 2010.

Not only is the city eliminating sales of the plastic bottles, it also is instituting the following steps:

• A five-cent charge for every plastic bag customers use from a grocery or retail store, starting in June.

• A ban on biodegradable and compostable plastic bags.

• A ban on retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year.

• A request that retailers also provide shoppers with alternatives to having the pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers.

According to the Polaris Institute, 17 municipalities from five Canadian provinces have banned the plastic bottles, while another 45 municipalities are planning restrictions on bottled water.

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About that VitaminWater lawsuit: Oh, snap!

Glacéau VitaminWater has been marketed by Coca-Cola Inc. as a healthy alternative to other beverages because of its added vitamins and minerals.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has taken issue with claims such as "rescue," "energy” and "endurance" associated with the drinks. So it, filed a class action lawsuit against Coke for making what it says are unfounded health claims.

When the suit was announced on Thursday, Coca-Cola had no public response. Today, it does.

Says spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante in a beautifully cutting way:

"Glacéau Vitaminwater is clearly and properly labeled and shows the amount of vitamins and calories in the product.

"Consumers today are savvy, educated and are looking for more from their beverages than just hydration. Many people know that they are not receiving adequate nutrients from their diets, so they have turned to products like Glacéau Vitaminwater in order to help supplement what they are not receiving from the foods they eat," she said.

"This is not about protecting the public interest. This is about increasing the readership of CSPI's increasingly irrelevant newsletter."

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Coke sued over VitaminWater claims

The Center for Science in the Public Interest today announced it is suing the Coca-Cola Co.

At issue is what the nutrition advocacy group calls "deceptive" claims about the company's VitaminWater line of drinks.

The Washington-based group is accusing Coca-Cola of selling what is says is basically sugar water by claiming it has vitamins that boost immunity and reduce the risk of disease. It said the health benefit claims Coca-Cola makes are "nonsense."

The suit was filed as a class action in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.

Coca-Cola bought Glaceau's VitaminWater for $4.1 billion in June 2007. Since the acquisition, sales have improved by a double-digit percentage in the third quarter.

"It truly shocks the conscience that a company like Coke would try to keep customers by selling them a soft drink and telling them it's a vitamin," said Stephen Gardner, director of litigation for the group.

Coca-Cola did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The same advocacy group sued MillerCoors last fall to stop the brewer from selling Sparks, an alcoholic energy drink. Last month the company agreed to remove some stimulants from its formula.

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Starbucks debuting new tea-based drinks

Starbucks is scheduled to introduce several new antioxidant-rich tea beverages in its more than 11,000 U.S. stores beginning Saturday, January 3.

The new Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes and Tazo Tea Infusions will be available along with tea drinks already on the menu, although they will be the first to use full-leaf tea bags in stores, allowing customers to steep to the strength they prefer.

The hot tea lattes are made with Tazo tea and steamed milk in three flavors: Black Tea Latte, Vanilla Rooibos Latte, featuring a naturally caffeine-free South African herbal tea, and London Fog Latte with a blend of black tea, bergamot, French lavender and vanilla. The price range, depending on where you are, will be $2.85 to $3.50 for a tall.

The non-dairy Tazo Tea Infusions, available hot or cold, include black chai tea steamed with fruit juices in Berry Chai Infusion and Apple Chai Infusion flavors. Price range: $2.40 to $2.70 for a tall.

All have fewer than 200 calories for a 12-ounce, or tall, serving, except the Apple Chai Infusion, which has 250.

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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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