A sports drink brand backed by cannabis producer Canopy Growth and with potential access to the beer distribution network of Constellation Brands is preparing to launch its first ready-to-drink product next month. Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition, known for its powdered pink beverage, wants to...

Coca-Cola-owned dairy company Fairlife is considering a new ice cream or frozen yogurt, according to recent US trademark applications. The products, as contemplated by the filings, would carry the same Fairlife name and cow face icon used on the brand’s products including filtered milks and protein shakes such as Core Power. The innovation would mark the company’s first departure from beverages since it was founded in 2012...

Coca-Cola’s Powerade will reassert itself in the US this year with increased marketing and advertising spending, and two major product introductions. A new Powerade Power Water will go head-to-head with PepsiCo’s Propel fitness water for the first time since Propel’s introduction 20 years ago. Like Propel, the sugar-free electrolyte- and vitamin-enhanced Power Water will target lower-impact workout occasions or casual daily hydration. The second new product, Powerade Ultra, will focus on endurance workouts ranging from triathlons to body building...

BD caught up with Celsius and A Shoc during the recent NACS show in Atlanta. Celsius CEO John Fieldly said the company has embarked on aggressive plans to...

Convenience store retailers are among those looking to better understand the hectic and uncertain US market for CBD-infused beverages. A raft of CBD products from ready-to-drink coffees to relaxation shots have flooded the market since Congress legalized industrial hemp production late last year, even though the FDA hasn’t legalized CBD for use in foods and beverages. To help store owners make better sense of the market, the convenience store trade group NACS hosted CBD workshops and a “CBD Pavilion” at the organization’s annual trade show, held this year in Atlanta. The CBD display area was a first for NACS. Underscoring the challenges of the emerging category, the CBD Pavilion ...

A photo gallery with this story catalogs the 25 beverage products on display at NACS’ CBD Pavilion.

The past year has been good for Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB). The Dallas-based bottler, controlled by Mexico’s Arca Continental, took home the 2019 Candler Cup as Coca-Cola’s best bottler of the year globally. Before that, CCSWB was named Coke North America’s 2018 Market Street Challenge winner as the most improved bottler. And Southwest’s McAllen, Texas production plant earned a President’s Quality Award as CCNA’s No. 1 facility. The accolades rolled in just two years after Arca entered the US market as part of Coke’s massive refranchising of company-owned bottling assets in the US and Canada. In its first year, CCSWB faced Hurricane Harvey, which caused extensive flooding and damage in Houston, a key market. The bottler also faced soaring commodity costs. BD visited Houston recently for a curated market tour that served as a victory lap of sorts. The day was hosted by Coke Southwest executives including COO Jean Claude Tissot, a 21-year veteran of the Coca- Cola system in Latin America. The following recap includes images from the tour and commentary...