Three new launches in the crowded functional drinks market include: Liquid Smoking Designed to give a euphoric sense of calm and relaxation using African herbal extracts. Already published in the Dutch Telegraph and designed by Studio Pirates in The Hague, the relax drink Liquid Smoking is sold in a 25.4cl can. Company founder Martin Hartman commented: “Liquid Smoking is absolutely not an 'energy' drink. It is the opposite. It is a 'relax' drink featuring a herbal mix which had similar properties to nicotine". Rebootizer A drink in a dual sachet that you press, squeeze, shake and drink to revive yourself after a night out partying. Ten years in development, it works because the functional ingredients only come into contact at the last minute. Already having Swiss and French regulatory approval “It’s a new way to improve your life,” claims founder Thierry Huguet. Transatlantic Blow “Bring the product to the people, not the people to the product” explained marketing guru for Transatlantic Blow, Stefan Gottchalk. Chill out ‘Blow’ beds for nightclubs, beach tepees and beach towels – in fact 80 branded products are bringing word of Blow to the club scene. Blow, another word for cocaine, is the latest stimulation drink made using coca leaf extract. A blend of 13 exotic herbs including caffeine and ginkgo biloba it has a strong citrus flavour and is intended to enhance response, blood circulation and mobility. Local inhabitants of the Andes chew coca plant leaves to anaesthetise the body against hunger, exertion and tiredness. … and in the gourmet food hall… Eau de Fruit in Boxal’s striking alubottle offered a refreshingly different concept being entirely natural and in three delicious variants – mint and lemon verbena, cardamon and verbena and and pink grapefruit with lemon thyme and aniseed. Created with the help of Mr Jeannot also the oenologist for Jean Paul Gaulthier’s perfume Madame, these are eminently drinkable and already making inroads in the premium sector across Europe. For a full SIAL 2008 review, see the next issue of Beverage Innovation magazine. Subscribe here.

*The Spirit of Georgia has been developed, produced and is, for the time being, exclusive to Germany. The name is inspired by the home of The Coca-Cola Company, where the most successful soft drink of all time was invented in 1886. It began distribution to German retailers in July. * With approximately 23kcal/100ml, the The Spirit of Georgia is less sweet than conventional soft drinks, has no artificial aromas, colouring or sweeteners, and contains no preservatives. A dash of apple juice fermentate – new in the soft drink segment – gives the three flavours a particular crispness. It's available in three flavours: Blood orange prickly pear, Lemon juniper berry, and Green mango kiwi – all packed in a new, refillable glass bottle. The Spirit of Georgia’s target audience is soft drinks consumers aged 30 and over. “Our intention was to either tailor an existing beverage from our portfolio to adults or to come up with a completely new product," said Alexandra Megid, Director My Flavor at Coca-Cola Germany and "inventor" of The Spirit of Georgia. "We decided in favour of the second alternative, because one thing is for sure: Coca-Cola has great expertise in refreshment steeped in tradition, and we're convinced that we can establish a new beverage for adults on the market." * Focus on the glass bottle * The Spirit of Georgia is packaged in a proprietary 33cl refillable glass bottle, which is the result of a major investment in development and production and is aimed particularly at the away-from-home Horeca sector as well as at retail outlets and beverage stores. The Spirit of Georgia is also available for coolers in the on-the-go market in a 50cl PET bottle, and on retail shelves in a 75cl non-refillable PET bottle. Selling The Spirit of Georgia "We've put together a comprehensive programme to launch The Spirit of Georgia in all sales channels,” said Axel Bachmann, Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG. “Newly developed secondary placement displays are provided for retailers; these can be used in a small space and in combination if more space is available. With three different cooler types, we also make it possible to trigger additional impulse purchases. Furthermore, various sales support materials for all channels, and tasting campaigns will flank the build-up of consumer awareness and trade sales. “By the end of the year, Coca-Cola intends to have the same broad listing for The Spirit of Georgia as it has for its classic Fanta brand." TV advertising, supported by a nationwide billboard campaign and widescale sampling, began in August.

*US-based Kor Water has launched the Kor One: a reusable water bottle designed to “make a real difference”. * The company believes the new bottle will “elevate the hydration experience” while offering “conscientious consumers an elegant alternative to disposable bottled water”. Billed as an iconic design which embodies the natural beauty of blown glass, the bottle is made from Eastman Tritan copolyester, a new plastic which offers durability without Bisphenol-A. The ergonomic design with integrated handle and thumb release cap enables one-handed operation. The 750ml capacity is suitable for all environments. Kor Water founder Eric Barnes revealed: "We sought to create the perfect reusable water bottle, where design inspires, personal heath triumphs and sustainability prevails. We believe the Kor One is effective on all three counts. “We're passionate about the importance of clean water – to human health and to the health of our planet. We also believe in the power of design to inspire and motivate. Change requires a complete redesign of the hydration experience. We call it Water ReDesigned and this product is just the beginning,” he added.

Designed to prevent accidental dispensing, the Touch Guard safety taps from Tomlinson Industries are child-resistant, requiring a two-step action to control dispensing. The tap handle must be squeezed and then pushed down to activate, and the handle released to shut off low. A study conducted by an independent laboratory, to Consumer Products Safety Commission Standards, showed the Touch Guard tap is “child resistant” for children under three and a half years old. Tomlinson’s PS/HPS series consists of small, self-closing taps for hot water and hot and cold beverages.Existing PS/HPS taps can easily be converted to Touch Guard by replacing the upper assembly. The Touch Guard safety feature is available in red, indicating that hot water is dispensed from this tap, with white and blue also available. The Touch Guard has been available on all HFS Series taps for over 10 years, and is standard equipment on many POU and bottled water coolers.

*In a landmark sales agreement, Designer Whey will now sell the company’s best-selling protein products through online retail giant Amazon.com. * The agreement will make Designer Whey’s whey protein products available to Amazon's millions of global customers, and makes it possible for Designer Whey to expand its distribution. The agreement with Amazon includes all Designer Whey products, in addition to the recently released Protein Blitz enhanced beverages. Amazon.com and DesignerWhey.com shoppers can also find the Original and All Natural product lines, such as 12.7oz canisters and 2lb jugs of traditional flavours, and this summer’s popular Protein 2Go, travel-size water bottle mixers. David Jenkins, Founder and CEO of Designer Whey sees this as a landmark move: “Amazon.com ships over one million orders each day and Designer Whey protein products will now be accessible to busy people who make their purchasing decisions online, enabling them to live a more healthy, balanced lifestyle. The company’s flagship brand, Designer Whey, is changing the way America and the world wide web feel about protein."

Rose Plastic is expecting a large amount of interest from the wine and spirits industry in its new packaging concept. The new product features an innovative, practical closure mechanism, and is available in a variety of sizes, with the ability to vary the inner length. “There's demand in the market for good quality, well-packaged wines and spirits," said Craig North, UK Sales and Marketing Manager of Rose Plastic. "We're really excited about what this stylish, new concept will mean for drinks producers. The new packaging is ideal for manufacturers who want to differentiate their product, add shelf-appeal and ultimately gain a price premium. It also creates an excellent visual display, while providing protection during transportation and storage.” All Rose Plastic products are manufactured from materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene and poly vinyl chloride, all of which are light yet extremely strong.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published a study that outlines the health benefits of yogurt. According to the study, yogurt may reduce bladder cancer risks by up to 40%. It was reported that: "Those that consumed two yogurt pots or yogurt mini drinks were less likely to develop bladder cancer than those that ate no or little yogurt."

On 4 November, Americans will take to the polling stations to cast their vote for either John McCain or Barack Obama, and Ben & Jerry's plans to reward them for doing so. Each voter who proves their eligibility for a free scoop of ice cream, either by displaying their "I Voted" sticker, showing a photo of themselves at the polling station, or doing the "I Voted" dance, will be rewarded at a participating Ben & Jerry's outlet. The free scoops are being dished out between 5-8pm on 4 November, regardless of who you vote for!

With the party season looming, one of the first things that crosses the mind of most venues, restaurants and hotels is catering and food. As there are so many developments in the party food and snacks market, sometimes choosing what to have can be as difficult as putting it all together. The Mintel report in May 2007 also revealed signs that the consumption of snacks has decreased due to trends towards healthier food. However, the trend focuses on the eating patterns for a particular period, and during the winter in particular, customers are more relaxed towards their diet and are more likely to indulge in snacks, party food and alcohol. There are ways of staying on top of the trend, and that is being innovative and sourcing different types of snacks. For instance, vegetable crisps are more versatile than potato crisps, with different vegetables giving different flavours and tastes. Richard Thompson, Brand Manager at Glennans, says: "The colour, texture and flavour that Glennans vegetable crisps offer make them a fantastic addition to any dish. For example, our development chef was able to crush the product down to use as a topping for a mousaka, opening up even more possibilities.” Getting creative with crisps You may be wondering how you can be creative with vegetable crisps, especially when you're entertaining big groups of people, but there are so many possibilities for finger food that combine the vegetable crisps, from beetroot canapés, with beetroot crisps as the basis, as well many more combinations. Richard goes on to explain: “The versatility of the product means it works perfectly with any course, from beetroot crisps with goat cheese and apple chutney canapé, to savoury spicy granola, or with soured cream, salsa and crushed Glennans vegetable crisps – there are so many ways they can be served as a light snack or starter.” With the range of vegetables used, the choice is ample: butternut squash, yams, sweet potato, plantain, parsnip, eddoes etc. Being innovative is something Glennans is already doing: “We've even started to run competitions within national groups, to encourage and challenge chefs to try new and innovative ways of using the products," says Richard. "We're only aspiring chefs ourselves, so when we hear new ideas that chefs have come up with, it's really quite exciting for us. We're always keen to hear new ideas and recipes.” So what's in store for the future of crisps and party snacks? As the market varies and changes, and as new products, new ideas and healthy eating regimes force healthier snacks to market, chefs, restaurants, hotels and venues will need to be much more creative. Richard concludes: “We fry eddoes, yams, butternut squash and white, sweet potato too. On top of this, we're always trying new things. The last vegetable we tried was lotus root! We're always expanding our portfolio of vegetables to make sure that we continue to inspire chefs.” Richard Thompson is Brand Manager at Glennans, a family company that manufactures vegetable crisps and croutons from their base in Staffordshire, UK.

The news article [<'arniston bay wine launched in 1 litre tetra pak'><1>] announcing the launch of a range of Arniston Bay wines packed into Tetra Pak contains so much “green wash” that it's almost laughable. No sensible consumer is going to be taken in. What, for instance, does the term “recyclable” actually mean? Almost anything is potentially recyclable. Glass is actually recycled – up to 90% recycled content in most green wine bottles, and can be recycled over and over again. What evidence exists to verify the claim that the carton is 80% more environmentally friendly than glass? As there has yet to be a full cradle-to-cradle life-cycle assessment undertaken for glass, the figure quoted can only be regarded as wishful thinking. Is it also right that brand owners and retailers should introduce a packaging format associated with the juvenile market at a time when underage consumption of alcohol is such a social issue? The closest that Arniston Bay gets to matching the quality, feel and inertness of glass is the use of glass bottles in the graphics on the carton. It will never be able to replicate the real deal for wine packs – glass bottles themselves. David Workman has a history in the glass industry spanning more than 30 years. He has worked in a variety of senior sales and marketing roles within the UK’s leading glass container manufacturers. He was appointed as Director General of British Glass in 2001. <1>: /articleDetail.aspx?contentId=1647

*Using green technology, the Quangoff natural spring water dispense system has been specially developed for the demanding hotel and restaurant sector. * The natural spring water is delivered from four UK spring sources in 20-litre recyclable bag in boxes. The system eliminates the need for disposable glass or plastic bottles. The dispense system is compact and easily sited on top of a bar or counter area. David Lenderyou, Managing Director, Quangoff said: “The current economic climate may mean that business owners have other concerns on their minds, but saving energy saves money and taking a positive stance on environmental issues is hugely important to customers and employees. “Over the last 18 months, we've seen increased demand for 'enviro-positive' water from the restaurant and hotel trade. In a recent customer survey, we found that 97% score the environmental benefits of the Quangoff system as their key reason to purchase.” The benefits of the Quangoff system are being enjoyed by a variety of outlets across the hospitality sector, including cafes, bistros, restaurants, contract caterers and independent hotels and hotel groups.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that Cadbury has become its latest Tier Two Supporter. The deal will be effective immediately, giving Cadbury the designation of official confectionery and ice cream supporter for London 2012, rights to use the London 2012 marks on-product, as well as marketing rights to Team GB and ParalympicsGB. At Games’ time, Cadbury will supply all confectionery and packaged ice cream sold at venues and within the Olympic Park. Cadbury was also an official supplier of the Sydney Games in 2000, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (2002) and Melbourne (2006). The Bournville-based company becomes London 2012’s second Tier Two supporter, following the announcement of Deloitte as Professional Services Supporter at the end of last year. London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton said: “Following the success of Team GB and ParalympicsGB this summer, we all came back from Beijing with a spring in our step and this has been replicated in the commercial sector. There has been a surge of interest in London 2012 and I’m thrilled that Cadbury has come onboard. "They have a great track record supporting both major sporting events and community initiatives, and we welcome them to the London 2012 family. This is another fantastic achievement for the commercial programme, and with this deal we have now raised over £430m, which is well on our way to our domestic sponsorship target as we seek to raise the £2bn required to stage the Games in 2012.” Todd Stitzer, CEO Cadbury plc, said: “For nearly 200 years, Cadbury has been part of the fabric of British life, so we're extremely proud to be a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Since John Cadbury opened a chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824, we have strived to be a company that is both performance driven and values led – a philosophy that is at one with the long-held ethos of the Games: inspiration, optimism and community. "London 2012 is a huge opportunity for us all to celebrate everything that is great about Britain and to bring local communities together throughout the UK. We look forward to building on all these things through our existing community partnerships. The Cadbury brand reaches every corner of Britain. The Games has the power to excite and inspire, and by working together we can bring a bit of fun and magic to everyone’s lives."