Downing drinks

Prepared Foods, March, 2005 by William A. Roberts, Jr.

* Carbs cut, for better or worse

* Health, a selling point

* Major manufacturers expand

Beverages faced a number of health concerns in 2004. Researchers at the University of Maryland (Baltimore) demonstrated that non-colas, canned iced teas and even diet drinks can weaken and erode tooth enamel, but that would be just one of the few pieces of bad news for the tea segment during the year. While a number of studies touted the physical benefits of tea consumption, Starbucks (Seattle) debuted a variety pack of Tazo teas as remedies for life's emotional troubles. Visions of Tazo included three vials of loose-leaf tea, one of which was an herbal tea referred to as Calm. Interestingly, the three varieties were to be used together, one spoonful of each.

Green Light

A study in Australia found that green tea has dramatic benefits for women with ovarian cancer. Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Australia) examined 254 Chinese women with the disease and found that women who drank green tea had half the risk of dying of the cancer than non-tea drinkers. The researchers suggested consuming at least one cup of green tea a day, which undoubtedly came as welcome news to Healthy Beverage Company (Newtown, Pa.). The company launched Steaz Green Tea Soda in 2003 and, in 2004, expanded the line with organic varieties of cola, raspberry, lemon dew, orange, key lime and root beer, each bottle providing 20% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C and 50% of vitamin A. The year proved a burgeoning one for the small company, as sales grew from 130,000 cases to about 170,000 nationwide, which has the company aiming for 550,000 cases in 2005.

This is not to say that green tea was solely the domain of one company. Republic of Tea (Novato. Calif.) added a variety of flavors to the beverage in a range of products to benefit breast cancer research. The line included Pink Lemonade Green Tea, Pink Lady Apple Green Tea, Pink Rose Green Tea and Pink Grapefruit Decaf Green Tea.

If tea alone were not healthful enough, Ocean Spray Cranberries (Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass.) afforded consumers a blend of juice and tea. The four flavors are Cranberry, Wildberry, White Cranberry & Peach, and Diet Wildberry. The latter was the company's first diet endeavor, containing 10 calories and 3g of carbohydrates per 8oz. and an "innovative sweetening system," which the label attributes to aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and a number of juices from concentrate.

Juices' healthful qualities may seem clear but, in the year of low-carb, juices could be made even more healthful. Old Orchard Brands (Sparta, Mich.) took up the cause with LoCarb Fruit Juices. Promising 75% less sugar, carbohydrates and calories than other fruit juices, flavors included apple, apple kiwi strawberry, apple cranberry, apple raspberry and grape.

For Grown-ups

While juice boxes have proven vital for parents attempting to get their children to drink healthier beverages, Ocean Spray decided to capitalize on the convenient aspects of the juice box and introduce a grown-up Fruit Punch To-Go six-pack. Each serving offers 100% of the DV of vitamin C.

Some of the category's biggest business news in 2004 was in the alcoholic segment, with the possible merger of Molson Inc. (Toronto) and Coors Brewing Co. (Golden, Colo.). Approval of the deal is still pending; rumors have swirled for months that members of either controlling family may move to block the merger. However, if and when the two do merge, the company would be the world's fifth-largest brewing company by volume.

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) found that one drink of beer or wine provides equivalent increases in plasma antioxidant activity, leading the scientists to speculate that either may reduce the risk of "aging diseases" such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cataracts.

Of course, in 2004, healthful seemed synonymous with lower carbohydrate content, and new beer introductions were no exception: Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis) revamped Natural Light and introduced Bud Select; Coors added new packaging for its low-carb Aspen Edge; Binding USA (Norwalk, Conn.) imported DAB Low Carb Beer from Germany; and Interbrew debuted Labatt Select Low Carb Light Beer.

By the end of the year, however, the low-carb phenomenon had entered its decline, a fate shared by the last, glowing embers of "malternatives." Once a robust portion of the alcoholic beverages segment, only 13 new flavored alcoholic beverage (FAB) products debuted in 2004, according to Mintel International's Global New Products Database (GNPD, Chicago). Coors did relaunch its Zima malternative as Zima XXX in hard black cherry, hard orange and hard lemon flavors, which boasted 5.9% alcohol by volume (ABV), compared with the 4% to 5% of other malt beverages and beer.

Meanwhile, SKYY (San Francisco) Melon Vodka was a blend of honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon flavors, and the company expanded its partnership with Miller Brewing (SABMiller, London) to launch SKYY Sport. This flavored malt beverage has a citrus flavor and "a splash of cranberry," but only 15g of carbohydrates.