Back in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, talking beer stein characters Schultz and Dooley promoted the mellow taste and naturalness of Utica Club lager in TV commercials. At the time, the brand was a strong regional competitor produced in Utica, N.Y., by West End Brewing Co., which is known today as F.X. Matt Brewing Co.

In recent years, the beverage industry has seen craft beers and — even more recently — craft spirits increase in popularity.

When it comes to the overall alcohol market, manufacturers not only are analyzing their own brand sales but also the respective categories in which they compete. For the beer category, hard ciders are offering consumers an entry point into this multibillion dollar industry, experts note.

Although craft beer case and dollar sales came in at a distant third to domestics and imports during the 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013, in Information Resources Inc. (IRI)-measured channels, the burgeoning segment is making strides to garner more of that market share.

As the economy stabilizes, consumers are trading up for the premium beer offerings available through the imported beers segment, says Edward Hyseh, U.S. research analyst for Euromonitor International, Chicago.

Appealing mostly to female consumers and younger consumers of legal drinking age (LDA), the flavored malt beverages (FMBs) — also known as progressive adult beverages (PABs) — segment of the beer market brings in a slightly different demographic than the typical beer drinker, says Jeff Nowicki, chief strategy officer at Bump Williams Consulting Co., Stratford, Conn.

The beer category, which includes domestic beer, imported beer, craft beer, hard cider and flavored malt beverages, has mostly remained flat or suffered minimal declines in off-premise accounts in recent years, according to market research firms.

“We know through all of our research … that a kid is not [just] a kid,” says Carl Sweat, chief marketing officer of In Zone Brands Inc., Atlanta.

Growing up from its former TummyTickler and BellyWashers kids juice brands, In Zone Brands Inc., Atlanta, combined the sibling brands into one and rebranded them under the universal brand name good2grow. The result is a better-for-you juice brand that incorporates lessons learned from the company’s more than 12 years of experience in the market.

Upon entering the century-old F.X. Matt Brewing Co. offices in Utica, N.Y., visitors are greeted with Victorian-era furnishings, including an old bank teller counter with a slanted bottom to accommodate women’s hoop skirts. Historic furnishings like this continue throughout the 400,000-square-foot campus. However, despite its historical appearance, the facility offers many modern touches.

The Brewers Association will host the 31st edition of its Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) & BrewExpo America from April 8 to 11 in Denver.

As college basketball fans gear up for March Madness, beverage brands are using their marketing power to bring other hoop dreams to life.

KHS developed the new, horizontally arranged Feedflow feed module for conveying very light preforms to its InnoPET Blomax stretch blow molder.

As brands expand their portfolios to include a variety of beverages, they require automated mixing and blending systems that are flexible enough to handle different types of batches efficiently.

Even though fuel costs have stabilized somewhat, few other items are immune from upward price trends, and competition shows no signs of letting up. With this in mind, it’s as important as ever for fleet managers to wring every penny possible out of delivery costs.

Whether for new product launches or reformulations, natural zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia and erythritol are gaining ground in the beverage market, says Melanie Goulson, sweetness applications leader for Cargill, Minneapolis.

Sensient Colors LLC, a business unit of Sensient Technologies Corp., introduced its new Natural Brown color platform designed to offer alternatives to caramel and certified colors.

Although many people might not enjoy cold weather — especially as many parts of the country have faced multiple rounds of cold temperatures and snow this winter — data are showing that consumers do enjoy cold coffee.

Hilmar Cheese Co. Inc., Hilmar, Calif., announced plans to build a milk powder processing facility in Turlock, Calif.

In time for spring, Heineken USA introduced an 8.5-ounce slim can format. Twelve-packs of these new slim cans began rolling out at retail outlets across the country this month.

As a proliferation of new brands and flavors continues to hit the market, the beverage industry also has experienced an influx of new package styles and designs to help those products stand out on the shelf.

If Cyber Monday statistics are any indication of the future for the overall online sales market, it could be a bright future for the online community.

Fitness water brand Buff Water signed Canadian Football League athlete Hugh Charles, a running back for the Edmonton Eskimos, to its brand team.

Earlier this year, “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl reported about a condition known as hyperthymesia or highly superior autobiographical memory. 

A trip to the drug store is no longer just an opportunity to refill a prescription or restock the family first aid kit. Today’s retailers are instituting different programs to provide shoppers with a more value-added experience, experts note.

The Food Safety Summit, which will take place April 8-10 in Baltimore, will focus this year on the importance of industry regulators in the foodservice industry.

According to statistics portal Statista Inc., an estimated 140 million Americans are smartphone users, up from 121.4 million in 2012. The research firm anticipates this number will continue to grow and eclipse the 200 million mark by 2017.