Quench July 2013

A Summer of Refreshing With Sophisticated Tastes

With the Fourth of July celebration behind us, our summer is in full swing. And grilling great-tasting foods and drinking refreshing beverages are an integral part of our summer celebrations. Not only are innovative flavor combinations helping us expand our beverage-drinking occasions, but so too is the increased attention to the health of these beverages. In nearly every category of beverage, consumers are making choices based on health, while some continue to scrutinize the ingredients that are found in their favorite beverages – from the type of sweeteners used to GMO-free certifications and selection of certified organic ingredients. Clearly, the purity and healthfulness of beverages is ever more important.

Having recently returned from the Summer Fancy Food Show, it has become even more apparent that the beverage category is alive with innovation, excitement and ingenuity. In particular, I love the botanical flavors, the ingenuity and deliciousness of all that I tasted at the show, including the Oat Works new line of super-powered smoothies, the Alain Milliat Chardonnay White Grape Juice, Jin+Ja’s all-natural cocktail mixers, Pok Pok Som drinking vinegars, the Owl’s Brew tea crafted for cocktails, Arin authentic Thai drink with a hibiscus flower infusion, and Ayala’s Herbal Tea with nutmeg, cacao nibs and cardamom.

The innovative flavor combinations, along with the drive toward using more quality ingredients, are essential to the growth of each segment of the beverage category. I am encouraged by these new offerings as to the future of this category’s success for the specialty retailer.

To help explain it all, in this issue, we’ll give you lots to read about. From our feature on the premium soda category to category spotlights on juice, tea accessories and home brewing tools, we’ve collected thoughts from industry professionals who examined their respective categories and offered trends, insights and marketing inspiration for retailers.

I hope you will enjoy this issue and, in the midst of the season, I hope you’ll also find some time to enjoy a summer filled with refreshing and sophisticated tastes.

Laura Everage 

Managing Editor Gourmet Business Quench 

leverage@gourmetbusiness.com