One of the most novel concepts was that of curvy bottled ‘Oob’ with its superfruit pearls designed to be drunk through a straw, rather like bubble tea. Yet, this time, instead of the sensation of tapioca, these juice-filled fine algae bubbles exploded in the mouth, changing the flavour of the fruity, green-tea-based drinks while you drink them. I have just interviewed CEO Leonardo Laforgia for the next issue of Beverage Innovation, so you can read more about it there.
Overly is a carton-packaged sports drink. “We just didn’t want to put something that looks like anti-freeze into our bodies after all the effort of working out,” said the guys behind it. Packed with vitamins and electrolytes, it’s very much a juice-based drink.
Herbal Magic in 250ml slim cans has just been listed by Asda and comes in two variants: ‘Herbals, pomegranate and wild berries’ and a green tea herbal blend. It’s a natural energy drink with 100% natural ingredients clearly stated on-pack. Importantly, it tastes great.
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EnerCoffee and EnerChoco from Germany’s HFS Group is a great-tasting premium canned coffee and chocolate drink with taurine and vitamins, which could really take off in the on-the-go breakfast category.
There were three different cold-pressed juices, all made using high pressure processing and with the resulting excellent, natural taste. ‘Genuine juices’, ‘Giraffe’ and Vegesentials (the fruit and veg range in two variants) – one aimed at adults and the other at children.
Others worth a mention are Bella Berry, a ‘beauty from within’ drink with collagen, Smooch – a pouch-packaged chia and fruit snack beverage, and low Gi, ‘Whey it Up’ with strong stripey branding and high protein content, which has a good vibe right now.
Still in development are Man Up – with great graphics, and BE:ZEN an apple-based drink with a mildly fiery kick from chilli and botanicals – perfect for the on-trade.
Finally, for the crazy folk out there, is ‘Banana is yellow’ which contains no banana whatsoever and is a relaxation drink for the next generation with a fabulously funny presentation. It reminded me of the first Red Bull ads that had us all laughing in the aisles.
So for these guys this is where the hard work starts, but you have to say that there’s never a dull moment in the drinks industry, and as the weather hots up here in the UK, the future is looking thirsty.
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