Coca-Cola North America and Godiva Chocolatier released a line of premium blended indulgent beverages called Godiva Belgian Blends. The new blended drinks offer an experience “more decadent that just plain coffee,” the companies say. In three flavors – Dark Chocolate Mocha, Milk Chocolate Mocha and French Vanilla Latte – Godiva Belgian Blends will be sold in 9.5-ounce glass bottles and in four-packs. The beverages will launch in a sequenced national launch beginning July 31.

Naked Juice created all-natural 100 percent juice smoothies called Strawberry Kiwi Kick and Orange Mango Motion, that are the super-premium juice version of an energy drink. With no added sugar, no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, the “Naked Energy” is derived from ingredients such as green tea extract and guarana that provide 43 mg. of caffeine per serving. Packing a pound of fruit into every 15.2-ounce bottle, Strawberry Kiwi Kick and Orange Mango Motion retail for $3.19.

Ingredients: Orange Mango Motion: Oranges, apples, mango, banana, green tea extract, guarana, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin B5, vitamin C and niacin.

Ronin Positive Liquid Synergy packs both nutrition and a citrus taste into an energy drink in 16-ounce Original and Diet varieties. The formulation is based on the body’s need for short- to long-term energy and awareness. Ronin was created for those who want immediate energy along with a sustained energy at the cellular level, the company says. It also provides the antioxidant equivalence of one full serving of fruits and vegetables in a single can. The packaging features Japanese styling and writing.

Hansen Beverage Co. launched Fizzit, a line of vitamin and mineral supplement mixes that provide consumers a natural way to stay energized. Made with natural flavors, vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, antioxidants and electrolytes, Fizzit contains nutrients that support immunity, strength, physical and mental energy, heart health, good metabolism, cell defense and healthy joints, bones, hair, skin and nails, the company says. The drink mixes contain 1,000 mg. of vitamins, the equivalent of eight glasses of orange juice, and includes 32 mineral complexes and B vitamins. Fizzit is sold in boxes containing 24 individual packets, and its primary vitamin and mineral formula is available in three flavors – Lemon Lime, Strawberry and Green Tea – as well as a variety box containing eight packets of each flavor. In addition, Fizzit has three functional formulas: Joint Formula (Raspberry), Immune Support Formula (Orange) and Women’s Health Formula (Cranberry). Vitamin and mineral formulas retail for $7.99 per box, and functional formulas retail for $9.99.

Ingredients: Strawberry: Fructose, ascorbic acid, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, malic acid, tartaric acid, aspartic acid, potassium carbonate, tapioca starch, glycine, potassium phosphate and sodium phosphate.

Celebrating Unibroue’s 15th anniversary, Unibroue 15 is produced using only 100 percent natural ingredients and obtains its sparkle by a secondary fermentation in the bottle. It possesses a pale golden color topped by a creamy white head of foam. It is characterized by a delicate bitterness complemented by the addition of three spices. The 10 percent alcohol by volume brew was produced in a limited quantity of 5,000 cases and will be sold exclusively in the U.S. market.

Cadbury Schweppes now offers Snapple White Teas, a collection of white teas blended with light fruit essences. Available in Nectarine, Green Apple and Raspberry flavors, Snapple White Teas are naturally decaffeinated and made with real sugar, but less of it, the company says, to maintain its natural goodness. The 17.5-ounce bottles retail for $1.39.

New Product Introductions by Category
CATEGORY	SKUS YTD 4/30/06	SKUS YTD 4/30/05	PERCENT CHANGE
Alcohol Beverages	592	492	20.3%
Coffee & Tea	387	487	-20.5%
Dairy Drinks & Alternatives, Health Drinks	164	115	42.6%
Fruit & Vegetable Drinks	198	359	-44.8%
Other Drinks	200	110	81.8%
Soft Drinks, Sports Drinks & Bottled Waters	313	218	43.6%
Total Beverages	1,854	1,781	4.1%
Source: Productscan Online (www.productscan.com)

Wet Planet Beverages released Jolt Silver, a lemon-lime flavor with a crisp bite, to the line of Jolt energy beverages. Packaged in Jolt’s 23.5-ounce resealable aluminum battery bottle, the energy drink retails between $1.99 and $2.39.

The Pepsi-Lipton Tea Partnership added five new flavors to its Lipton Original and Lipton Iced Tea lines. Lipton Original Iced Tea released White Tea with Tangerine and Green Tea with Orange and Passion Fruit. Both varieties deliver antioxidants and carry the AOX seal, a mark created by Lipton to indicate substantial levels of antioxidants. Lipton Original is available in single-serve 16-ounce glass bottles and 16-ounce six-packs. Lipton Iced Tea also added three new flavors – Peach Iced Tea, Diet Peach Iced Tea and Diet Green Tea with Mixed Berry – that also carry the AOX seal. Lipton Iced Tea varieties are available in 16.9-ounce 12-packs as well as single-serve 20-ounce, 1-liter and 1.5-liter plastic bottles.

Ingredients: Diet Green Tea with Mixed Berry: Water, citric acid, green tea, natural flavors, sodium hexametaphosphate, ascorbic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate, aspartame, potassium sorbate, citrus pectin, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA, caramel color, Yellow 5 and Blue 1.

LightFull Foods launched a 90-calorie, all-natural LightFull Satiety Smoothie. Available in four flavors – Strawberries & Cream, Peaches & Cream, Dutch Chocolate and Café Latte – the smoothies are filled with nutrients including metabolism-boosting antioxidants, calcium and more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal, the company says. The combination of fiber and protein-rich nutritional content results in a feeling of fullness. The 11-ounce beverages retail for $2.49.

Ingredients: Strawberry & Cream: Water, strawberry puree, nonfat plain yogurt (cultured pasteurized grade A fat-free milk and dry nonfat milk solids, tapioca starch, gelatin), whey protein isolate (soy), inulin (chicory root), natural flavors, dipotassium phosphate, pectin, xanthan and guar gum, potassium citrate, color (from vegetable juice), gellan and gum.

Barton Beers Ltd., Chicago, and Monarch Import Co. will introduce Tsingtao Pure Draft, already popular in China, in the U.S. market this summer. Tsingtao Pure Draft is made using a chill-filtered brewing process to create a non-pasteurized draft beer in a light-tasting lager. The beer will be available in 11.2-ounce and 21.6-ounce bottles.

Rush Beverage Co. introduced Ginseng Rush XXX, a non-caffeinated herbal energy soda that provides an alternative to caffeinated energy drinks. The soda features the same formula as the company’s original Ginseng Rush soda, but has a triple dose (15 ml. of a one-to-one extract) of Wisconsin-grown ginseng per bottle. Ginseng Rush XXX contains a blend of 23 natural flavors with a taste similar to root beer, crème soda and sarsaparilla, and retails for $8 per four-pack of 12-ounce bottles.

Manos Beverages released a 20-ounce sugar-free soft drink, All Natural Sparkling Sugar Free Beverages, sweetened with Splenda. The lightly carbonated flavored drinks come in six flavors and retail for $0.99.

The Republic of Tea’s Be Well Red Teas are nine wellness herbal teas handcrafted with a base of organic South African Rooibos. Each tea is a unique blend tailored to specific needs including: Get Gorgeous for clear skin, Get it Going for regularity, Get Charged for energy, Get a Grip for PMS/menopause, Get Some zzz’s for rest, Get Lost for weight control, Get Clean for detoxification, Get Soothed for scratchy throat and Get Relief for digestion. Be Well Red Teas are sold separately and have a retail price of $9.50 for a 1.65-ounce tin containing 36 tea bags or $4.75 for six tea bags in a Traveler’s Tea Tin.

Ingredients: Get Gorgeous: Rooibos, orange, hibiscus, chamomile, red clover, chaste berry, burdock and natural pomegranate flavor.

Skyy Spirits LLC has imported Aperol, a light spirit from Italy. Aperol is a zesty orange-flavored spirit made with an infusion of more than 30 aromatic herbs and spices including bitter and sweet orange. Available in a 750-ml. bottle, Aperol is 11 percent alcohol by volume and retails for $19.

Choice First Distribution launched Fat Boy, a 24-ounce version of the company’s flagship 16-ounce Kronik Energy formulation. The phrase, “Oversized Energy Supplement,” appears just below the can’s lip to reinforce the drink’s upsized packaging. With a taste profile identical to its smaller counterpart, Fat Boy gives consumers the option to purchase Kronik Energy in a larger can.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, taurine, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, glucosamine, caffeine, glucuronolactone, ascorbic acid, guarana extract, ginseng extract, inositol, milk thistle extract, gingko biloba extract, niacin, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, pyridoxine HCL, pantothenic acid, Blue 1 and cyanocobalamin.

Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, d-glucuronolactone, gum arabic, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, natural and artificial flavors, inositol, choline bitartrate, caffeine, glyceryl abietate, niacinamide, brominated vegetable oils, EDTA, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, ginseng, FD&C Red #40, potassium sorbate and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12).

Brad Beverages introduced Her in a Pink Lemonade flavor. Formulated for women, the 8.4-ounce drink comes in regular and no-carb/no-sugar versions. Both are fortified with calcium, ginseng and antioxidants for active women, and retail for $2.

Izze Beverage Co., Boulder, Colo., launched its eighth flavor, Sparkling Apple, available in 12-ounce glass bottles and 8.4-ounce cans…

Old Orchard Brands, Sparta, Mich., added two new flavors to its Healthy Balance line of low-sugar fruit juice cocktails: Fruit Punch and White Grape. The products contain 20 to 27 percent juice, are preservative-free and are sweetened using Splenda…

Ferolito Vultaggio & Sons, Lake Success, N.Y., added three new green teas to its Arizona portfolio: Arizona Red Apple Green Tea, Arizona Extra Sweet Green Tea and Arizona Lite Green Tea and Lemonade. Each of the products is being introduced in a 23.5-ounce can, and retail for $0.99…

ITO EN, New York, introduced Tea Mango, Tea Raspberry, Tea Peach and Tea Blueberry to its sweetened line of ready-to-drink Sri Lankan black teas. Each variety, available in a 16.9-ounce bottle, contains 120 calories per serving with 40 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin C. The teas retail for $1.99…

Melitta World Harvest, Clearwater, Fla., released an organic decaffeinated coffee, Tranquility, which retails for $7.99. Additionally, Melitta offers an Extra Dark European Roast and Classic Lite, which retail for $4.49 each. All three are made with 100 percent Arabica coffee beans…

The White Coffee Corp., Long Island City, N.Y., launched a line of liquid coffee concentrates. White Coffee’s bag-in-box liquid concentrate is shelf-stable and maintains flavor and aroma at ambient temperatures for up to six months…

S&D Coffee, Concord, N.C., released its Buffalo & Spring Coffees of Distinction line. The line features five different coffee categories each using 100 percent Arabica beans, including proprietary regional blends, Fair Trade Certified coffees, varietals, favors and decaffeinated coffees. Coffees range from mild to intense roast levels…

Star Brand Imports, a member of the Heineken Group, White Plains, N.Y., this summer will relaunch Hacker-Pschorr, a wheat beer that is brewed in the Munich tradition, with a new package label and on-premise programming. The updated label will be simplified so the style is easier to read and the logo will be more prominent, but still include the portrait of patriarch Georg Pschorr...

Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Co., San Clemente, Calif., expanded its product line with the launch of its California Gold in 16-ounce plastic bottles. The bottles will be sold in San Diego-area Costco locations as well as Petco Park in San Diego and Southern California golf courses…

Spaten North America Inc., Little Neck, N.Y., released Spaten Bock from Germany. Spaten Bock is a deep gold colored beer with a rich malt flavor, and has 6.5 percent alcohol by volume…

Australia’s James Boag’s Premium Lager is available in U.S. bars, restaurants and liquor stores. At 5 percent alcohol by volume, James Boag’s Premium Lager is offered in 12.68-ounce longneck green bottles, and retails between $6.99 and $7.99 for a six-pack…

David Suro-Piñera, Philadelphia, introduced Siembra Azul (Blue Harvest), a kosher, 100 percent blue agave, small-batch tequila. Available in three varieties – Blanco, Reposado and Añejo – all are produced in Jalisco, Mexico…

Anthony Terlato and Michel Chapoutier released the inaugural wines from their Australian joint venture, the single-vineyard 2004 Domaine Terlato 7 Chapoutier Shiraz lieu dit Malakoff from the Australian Pyrenees and the 2004 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier Victoria. Terlato is from Paterno Wines International…

Luxco, St. Louis, is importing from Canada Pearl Persephone Vodka, a pomegranate-flavored vodka. Bottled at 70 proof, Pearl Persephone is available nationwide in four sizes – 50 ml., 750 ml., 1 liter and 1.75 liter — and priced at $20 for the 750-ml. bottle.