06 Nov US: Kombucha, fermented from tea the new big thing in probiotics
Kombucha may be thousands of years old, but buzz is now brewing over the non-alcoholic fermented beverage made from tea.
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06 Nov US: Moonshine, a new booze trend?
Moonshine was a DIY staple of the Prohibition era, a backwoods rotgut that could make you blind or see God, sometimes both. And now, among small-batch boutique American whiskey distilleries, it's one of the year's hottest booze trends.
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28 Oct Starbucks opens its first tea bar as it bets on a $90bn global market
Americans love their coffee. A decent cup of tea, however, has been harder to find, though that is about to change. Starbucks has just opened its first Teavana tea bar in New York City, and in the next five years aims to do for tea...
17 Oct US: Diet beverages under pressure
With Diet Coke sales heading south, a senior Coke executive says that many diet foods and beverages "are under a bit of pressure" as consumers question the safety of ingredients.
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16 Oct Lagerita: beer the hottest new cocktail ingredient
Not long ago, beer lived down the pub with the boys. But things are changing. These days it's often to be found with vodka and embracing tequila.
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03 Oct World’s top 10 “most valuable” beverage brands
Coca-Cola has lost its crown as the world’s top brand, unseated by the iconic iPhone and iPad maker Apple. Coke’s has reigned as No 1 brand in marketing consultant, Interbrand’s annual brand rating report for 13 years since it began, and has now...
03 Oct Can the SA discount wine model prevail?
Everyone loves a bargain and, with this in mind, online wine sites are jostling for attention using discounted wine to lure foot-traffic to their sites.
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19 Sep How Johnnie Walker conquered the world
Ask anyone who travels in emerging markets or developing economies, and chances are they've been offered Johnnie Walker. According to a delightful article by Afshin Molavi in ForeignPolicy.com, the Scotch whisky's global reach is only expanding, a symbol of entry into the middle classes. His...
17 Sep US: Why big beer is going flat
Beer's continuing sales-volume decline in the US is a notable trend. "As bad as it's ever been," says Harry Schumacher, editor of Beer Business Daily, adding, "I guess Prohibition was worse."
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05 Sep Fibre-fortified beverages the next new mainstream trend?
p>With the one possible exception of an apple in the Garden of Eden, ingesting more fruits is seen universally as a wonderful idea. One of the reasons is the benefits of fibre – from fruits, vegetables, grains or other sources.
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05 Sep Innovate by watching your customers
One of the simplest and most effective ways to innovate is to go out and observe your customers using your product in their own environment, advises Dr Gavin Symanowitz, an actuary and founder of
15 Aug Sin-free ale: taking off in Muslim world
Dedicated drinkers may struggle to see the point of non-alcoholic beer, but it is growing in popularity around the world. Last year 2.2 billion litres were downed, 80% more than five years earlier.
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15 Aug It’s tea’s time – Euromonitor
With over 290 billion litres sold in retail and foodservice, tea is the world’s most consumed beverage, outpacing bottled water, carbonates, beer and coffee. But, with global retail value of just $40.7 billion (compared to coffee’s $75.7 billion and carbonates’ $183 billion), tea still lacks...
02 Aug US: Warning signs for big lite beers
As MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev struggle through another down year, executives have routinely cited bad weather and the sagging economy as reasons why consumers are buying less Miller Lite, Bud Light and other so-called 'premium lights' in the US. But could it just be the...
18 Jul Stevia: going places and some
Stevia will steal more and more market share from sugar — the natural sweetener has the potential to displace 25% of global sugar demand by 2050 as more consumers opt for the zero-calorie sweetener, asserts leading stevia producer, PureCircle.
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15 Jul Alcohol brands score poorly on cultural relevance
The Cultural Traction 2013 report, which ranks brands according to their cultural vibrancy, has no alcohol brands in the top 10, despite the size and power of the giants of the liquor industry. Google tops the list followed by Apple, Samsung, IKEA, Microsoft, Sony, BMW,...
11 Jul Assume nothing when it comes to the township shopper
Many FMCG companies have failed to reach the township shopper effectively due to the assumption that the same rules apply in townships as they do with traditional urban shopping, writes FMCG business consultant, Michael Wood.
...06 Jul Healthy flavours drive beverage innovation
Flavours for health, such as herbs and spices, honey and new generation superfruits will be the next hits in the global beverages market, according to Innova Market Insights.
...13 Jun Coke’s ‘sharing’ advertising campaign a worldwide success
Started in Australia and New Zealand in late 2011, Coca-Cola’s super-successful 'Share a Coke' program is being replicated in 20 markets around the world this year, including the UK, Brazil and China.
...13 Jun Coconut creates a tropical storm in the food and drink markets
According to new research from Mintel, coconut water has been the surprise toast of the beverage industry in recent years. Indeed the number of product introductions more than quintupled (+540%) in the past five years (2008/2012) and products containing it have been taking off on...