Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. launched a new portfolio of Pepsi Spire fountain beverage dispensers that allow consumers to craft more than 1,000 customized beverages with the touch of a button, while giving foodservice operators a choice of three cost-effective, flexible machines to pick from to best fit their needs, the company says. Pepsi Spire now is available in select U.S. locations and will continue to roll out through 2014.

"We are in the middle of an exciting evolution of personalization,” said Brad Jakeman, president of the PepsiCo Global Beverages Group, in a statement. “The 'maker movement' has influenced the way people relate to brands and one another, and design has infiltrated everything we consume. What better way to empower consumers to make their own personalized drinks than by giving them the chance to create more than 1,000 beverage combinations with one simple touch of our sleek, engaging, modern Pepsi Spire?"

The Pepsi Spire portfolio currently consists of three state-of-the-art touchscreen fountain machines that offer a variety of PepsiCo brands, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Brisk Iced Tea and SoBe Lifewater, as well as an assortment of zero-calorie flavor shots, including cherry, lemon, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry and lime. Pepsi Spire 1.1 is a countertop self-service unit that allows consumers to create as many as 40 beverage combinations using a 10-inch touchscreen; Pepsi Spire 2.0 is a countertop self-service unit that allows consumers to create as many as 500 beverage combinations using a 15-inch touchscreen (it also is available as a countertop crew-service unit for restaurant staff); and Pepsi Spire 5.0, which is launching soon, will allow consumers to create more than 1,000 beverage combinations using a 32-inch touchscreen (it will be available as both a self-service countertop or as a free-standing unit). Pepsi Spire 2.0 and 5.0 also are “smart” machines, which allow PepsiCo and its customers to identify popular beverage customizations, gain real-time consumer preference insights, and remotely update touchscreen content to further enhance the consumer experience, the company notes.

"Not only does Pepsi Spire bring the fountain beverage experience to life for consumers in a dynamic way with the brands they love, but it meets the varying business needs of our foodservice operators,” said Kirk Tanner, president of PepsiCo Foodservice, in a statement. “Our customers want flexible solutions and a portfolio of equipment choices while also being innovative, fresh and fun. The Pepsi Spire portfolio offers something for everyone, and it will play a key role in our broader foodservice growth strategy."

Pepsi Spire evolved from the Pepsi Touch Tower, which was piloted in the United States in 2013 and also is available in Europe, Central America and the Caribbean. The equipment's design shares the same visual design language that is being used across a number of PepsiCo's recent equipment innovations, including its Interactive Vending Machine and Smart Cooler, the company notes.

The Pepsi Spire portfolio will be on display at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago from May 17 to 20. For more information, visit www.pepsispire.com.