Big Beer is showing keen interest in cannabis, with latest news being Heineken's launch of Hi-Fi Hops, from California beer brand Lagunitas, and which is made with marijuana instead of alcohol.
Here's an interesting take on hangover-free wine: produce it so that it creates all of the pleasures but none of the after affects associated with imbibing alcohol... and it's dead-on trend with five key market-defining characteristics: authentic, natural, clean label, healthy, low sugar.
A new, high-end British soft drink is looking to bring a more theatrical experience to alcohol-free offerings – without creating more work for bartenders.
SA premium fruit juice company, Sir Fruit, has expanded into the realm of brewed ice tea - and with low sugar.
Could this be a new opportunity for avocado-rich South Africa? Mexican firm, Grupo Escamp, has developed an avo-based drink AvoWater, that it believes ticks many of the health trends shaping the beverage game globally.
Yili, a leading Chinese dairy manufacturer, has launched what is claimed to be the world’s first ambient drinking yogurt with large fruit and cereal pieces - thanks to new Tetra Pak technology.
Gatorade is ditching sugar. Gatorade Zero, a thirst quencher without sugar or carbs, has just hit stores around the US. The new drink is a tacit admission that the heyday of sugary sports drinks is winding down.
Wine Water, an Israeli startup, is launching O.Vine, claimed as the "first spring water infusion with the spirit of wine".
Coca-Cola has released its first ever alcoholic drink, a lemon-flavoured alco-pop, which is available in Japan in three varieties.
Tetley continues to shake up the SA tea sector and, on the heels of its successful launch last year of pure green tea - now claimed as already the second-biggest brand in the country - it has launched a range of flavoured green teas.
Continuing its rollout of exclusive Japanese products, Coca-Cola recently unveiled its new Frozen Lemon Coke and Fanta slushies following eight years of development.
UK retailer Tesco has launched a new range of cold-pressed fruit juices which are made exclusively from fruit and vegetables that fall outside of produce specifications.
Italian dairy company, Granarolo Group, has collaborated with ENEA – the Italian national agency for new technologies – to create a new low-sugar, lactose-free milk product.
South Africans may be very fond of alcohol, but this hasn’t stopped entrepreneurs from looking for alternatives. Enter The Duchess, a brand that is described as the world’s first non-alcoholic and sugar-free gin and tonic (G&T). The SA-crafted drink has sold 500,000 bottles in the less than two years since it was created.
Over the past year or so, Coca-Cola South Pacific has been rolling out an interesting sensory range of Fanta variants in Asian and Antipodean markets that are as much about touch, sound, sight, and smell as they are about taste.
Chill Beverages International has extended its Fitch & Leedes range of mixers with the launch of a new Craft Cola.
Unilever tea brand, PG tips, is launching tea bags that are 100% biodegradable: removing the plastic polypropylene which is commonly used as a sealant.
In a world where disruptive consumer products are the norm, beverage companies are still struggling to innovate beyond ingredients and flavour. How to break through? PepsiCo has aimed to do this with a concept successfully trialed in Brazil, now launched in the US.
At a time when Cape Town is suffering a major water crisis one local business is doing it’s bit to reduce water consumption and reinforce the message that every drop counts.
Xcite, a new guarana energy cider 'with attitude', has been launched by Chill Beverages International.