This year, not everything that happened in Vegas will stay in Vegas. The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Va., hosted its 2015 tradeshow, which took place Oct. 11-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show offered several educational sessions as well as two full halls of tradeshow floor space. The Cool New Products room also showcased new products available for convenience stores.
Below are some beverage highlights from the 2015 NACS Show:
5-Hour Energy, a brand of Living Essentials LLC, Farmington Hill, Mich., focused on its newest edition, Extra Strength Peach Mango, which launched this month. Additionally, the company highlighted its four-packs and improved flavor.
Alo, a brand of SPI West, San Francisco, highlighted its new pulp-free line of aloe vera beverages, which uses the same formula, but without the pulp. The company also showcased its existing lineup of ready-to-drink (RTD) aloe beverages.
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, a brand of Anheuser-Busch InBev, promoted its core brands while discussing the innovations that the company is making to serve the convenience channel.
Aqua Hydrate, Los Angeles, announced the launch of its new 1-gallon and 1.5-liter packaging sizes for the bottled water brand.
BAWLS Acquisition, Twinsburg, Ohio, unveiled its new flavor — Mandarin Orange — along with a new can design for the line of sodas. The company also discussed its partnership with the movie “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse,” and the events the company will participate in around it.
Berner Food and Beverage, Dakota, Ill., displayed its capabilities in the private label, dairy-based beverage space with its RTD cappuccinos and coffee drinks.
Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., showcased its new Coney Island brand, which recently released its Hard Root Beer. The brand will launch Orange Cream Root Beer and Ginger Ale flavors in January. The company also will release its Bourbon Barrel Twisted Tea and Samuel Adams Grapefruit Rebel in January.
Boxed Water is Better LLC, Grand Rapids, Mich., focused on its new kid friendly, 250-ml boxed water size. The new size will be available in 24- and 48-packs in the fall. The company also emphasized the benefits of its water’s box packaging.
C2O Pure Coconut Water LLC, Seal Beach, Calif., highlighted its line of coconut waters as well as its 1-liter coconut beverages. It also debuted its newest flavor: Pineapple.
Capriccio Sangria, a brand of Auburndale, Fla.-based Florida Caribbean Distillers, featured its Capriccio Bubbly Sangria, a 13.9 percent alcohol by volume sangria made with grape wine, which was released in July.
Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J., featured its V8 and Bolthouse beverage portfolios, including the launch of V8 Infused Water, available in Mandarin Orange Ginger, Cucumber Lime and Black Cherry Pomegranate flavors. For the energy segment, it is releasing V8+ Energy in Orange Pineapple, Blackberry Cranberry and White Grape Raspberry flavors. Additionally, V8 showcased V8 Veggie Blends, offered in Purple Power, Healthy Greens and Carrot Mango flavors. Campbell’s Bolthouse brand showcased its portfolio of flavors, which includes flavors that vary from Protein Plus Vanilla Bean to Watermelon Mint Lemonade.
Canna Energy, Denver, featured its lineup of hemp-infused energy drinks. The energy drinks are legal in every state and are made with 50 mg of hemp seed oil and contain omega-3s, pure cane sugar, and are free of artificial flavors, colors sweeteners or preservatives. The lineup is available in 12-ounce cans in three flavors: Blu-Berry, Mango and Original.
Celsius, Boca Raton, Fla., reinforced its core line of beverages currently available in health food stores nation-wide. Additionally, it discussed efforts to drive brand awareness with its NASCAR sponsorship as well as its partnership with rapper Flo Rida, who appeared at the company’s booth on Oct. 13.
The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, showcased a mock gas station c-store for attendees to tour and experience the company’s innovations. It highlighted its new retail value position, The Coca-Cola Commitment, which states its promises to its c-store partners. The company then outlines the consumer’s path to purchase previewing its offering to create a mobile app for c-store partners that will link with beacons built into Coca-Cola equipment and gas pumps, which will automatically send a consumer a message on their mobile device with an offer to draw them into the c-store. The Coca-Cola Co. also featured several new products as well as recently acquired brands including Minute Maid Sparkling, available in Fizzy Lemonade, Mixed Berry, Tropical Citrus and Fruit Punch; Gold Peak Peach and Raspberry; two new Powerade flavors, Twisted Blackberry and Watermelon Strawberry Wave; Suja Juice, a company The Coca-Cola Co. announced a minority investment in August; Zico Premium Coconut Water, which will re-launch its core portfolio featuring 100 percent not-from-concentrate coconut water in March and is offered in Pineapple, Watermelon Raspberry and Chocolate flavors; two new Fanta flavors: Mango and Berry; Hubert’s Lemonade; illy flavor Caffee Vanilla Affogato; Surge; and Sprite Tropical Mix. It also offered cold vault merchandising advice to c-store representatives.
Constellation Brands Inc., Victor, N.Y., drove awareness for all of its brands as well as single-serve cans for its Pacifica brand. Additionally, it displayed its Sprint sample pack, which will feature four of the company’s brands.
Cott Beverages, Tampa, Fla., highlighted its private-label beverage capabilities for sparkling waters, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and more.
Crunk Energy, Roswell, Ga., displayed its newest flavor edition to the energy drink lineup: Tropical Blast. The company also showed its redesigned can that brings a new look to the lineup.
Diageo North America, Norwalk, Conn., featured its Nitro IPA Guiness, Moscow Mule and Smirnoff lines.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plano, Texas, featured several new products due to launch soon, including Snapple’s ‘Merica’s Tea, which will be available from May 1 through July 4, 2016. Additionally, it’s Straight Up Tea line will add Roobios and Honey Green flavors in the first quarter next year. It also displayed redesigned packaging for BodyArmor, a partnership brand. The company also featured its Pack Your Pepper campaign labels. Millennial consumers were able to design their own Dr Pepper label with their artwork, and 150 unique labels will be available June 15-Aug. 15, 2016. According to the company, no 24-pack will have two of the same labels inside.
E & J Gallo Winery, Modesto, Calif., spotlighted its Barefoot wine brand and the summer 2016 launch of its single-serve aluminum can four-packs. Additionally, the company highlighted its new Viniq Glow, which launched in October, along with the other varieties in the Viniq line. The company also displayed its Dark Horse wine brand.
Essentia Water, Bothell, Wash., highlighted its new 700-ml sport-cap bottle. The company also featured its new label, which displays the name clearly on both sides of the bottle. Additionally, it discussed new clinical research that tested Essentia for its ability to hydrate. The white paper on this study has not yet been released.
Florida’s Natural Growers, Lake Wales, Fla., promoted its lines of bottled and canned single-serve juices.
Geloso Beverage Group, Rochester, N.Y., featured its Lolita extension of JF Trotters. Lolita will be released on a to-be-determined date. The malt beverage will be available in four flavors: Soo Exotic (passion fruit), Sex on the… (Peach), Flirty Daq, and Sexxi Margarita. Additionally, the company reinforced its Clubtails and Johny Bootlegger lines.
Good 2 Grow, a brand of Atlanta-based InZone Brands Inc., showcased its lowered-calorie juice variety that currently is being rolled out. The company also discussed plans to expand the lower-calorie innovation for all flavors in its juice lineup.
Granini, a brand of Eckes Granini Group GmbH, Nieder-Olm, Germany, a popular European juice brand, showcased its line of juices to drive expansion into the United States.
Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., promoted its core brands including Heineken, Strongbow, Tecate and Dos Equis. The company also highlighted its partnerships in the professional soccer community. Additionally, The Most Interesting Man in the World made an appearance at the company’s booth.
Hi Ball Energy, San Francisco, highlighted its new Black Cherry flavored organic energy drink as well as its new cold-brew coffee line featuring Vanilla, Coffee and Mocha flavors, which are scheduled to release next year. The cold-brew line contains organic Fair Trade cane sugar and coffee with 120 mg of caffeine in each 8-ounce can.
Hype Energy, Knoxville, Tenn., featured its new Mojito flavor, which launched in July. The company also supported the rest of its line of energy drinks.
Jones Soda, Seattle, emphasized its fountain machine and sodas. Additionally, the company reinforced its lines of craft sodas including Jones Zilch, regular Jones Sodas, Jones Stripped and its seasonal offerings.
Mamma Chia, Carlsbad, Calif., highlighted its new Chia and Greens line as well as its chia energy beverage line while reinforcing its existing portfolio of organic, non-GMO, gluten-free chia beverages.
Marley Beverage Co., Southfield, Mich., spotlighted its full brand relaunch, which the company says, gives it a cohesive story. The company replaced its soda line with sparkling water and moved all of its products into 16-ounce aluminum cans with a new graphic design. Two new flavors will be added to the Mellow Mood line: Bartlett Pear Zero and Peach Raspberry Zero. Additionally, the company will add a new flavor lineup to its One Drop Coffee portfolio next year. The new flavor lineup will include Mocha, Vanilla, Vanilla Chocolate Swirl and Banana Split.
MillerCoors, Chicago, focused on single-serve cans as a driver in the convenience store channel and offered merchandising advice to c-store representatives. The company also highlighted innovations with its line of hard sodas, Henry’s Hard Soda, which will be available in Orange and Ginger Ale flavors. It also featured its Cooler TVs, which provide digital advertising for cooler doors.
Monarch Custom Beverages, Canton, Ga., highlighted its private-label energy drinks, sparkling waters and teas, still juices and teas, beer and flavored malt beverages.
Monster Beverage Corp., Corona, Calif., spotlighted its UFC partnership with a fighting ring and fighters live at the booth. Additionally, it supported its new NOS and Full Throttle portfolio recently acquired from the agreement with The Coca-Cola Co. The company also highlighted its rebranded Muscle Monster line as well as its new Banana flavor currently rolling out. The company focused on its September launches of Peach Tea+Energy, Ultra Citron and Pipeline Punch flavors as well.
Mossy Oak Pursuit Energy, a brand of Lake Zurich, Ill.-based Pursuit Beverage Co. LLC, featured its lineup of energy drinks branded with the Mossy Oak signature camo designs. The company highlighted its most recent edition to the line, Blue Raspberry. The new flavor joins the lineup’s other flavors including Original, Citrus Berry Zero and Orange.
Nth Degree Innovations Inc., Edison, N.J., highlighted its new Enhanced Sports Drink and Sport Water lines. Enhanced Sports Drink is available in four flavors: Raspberry, Orange, Fruit Punch and Lemon Citrus. Its Sports Water is available in Citrus Punch, Blueberry Pomegranate and Mixed Berry.
Nestlé USA, Glendale, Calif., emphasized the flavor variety of its RTD Nesquick flavored milk line, and its seasonal, limited-supply launch of its Girl Scouts Cookie flavor line. The company also focused on the health benefits of the beverage line as well as the packaging process that makes its beverages shelf-stable.
Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, Conn., announced the 2016 launch of Green Apple Perrier. It also focused on its tea lines, including its new 18.5-ounce, packaging for its Tradewinds line of teas. Additionally, it featured its new Jimmy Buffet flavors, which debuted this year. The company also highlighted its new 23-ounce size for its Sweet Leaf line of teas as well as its Arrowhead line. Nestlé’s Pure Life and resource water lines also were featured.
OKF Corp., Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, featured its lines of aloe beverages including Aloe Vera King, Aloe Vera, Aloe Yogos King, Smart Aloe and Aloe Tea.
Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, featured Not Your Father’s Root Beer, a 5.9 percent alcohol by volume craft ale. Additionally, the company shared the future release of Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale, which will be available in a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles or cans.
PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., announced the upcoming launch of several line extensions. In February 2016, Pepsi Cherry Vanilla will be released along with several new additions to the Mtn Dew Kickstart portfolio. Kickstart will expand with Recharge, which will be available in Blueberry Pomegranate and Blood Orange Flavors, and PM/Hydrating Boost, which will be available in Midnight Grape, Hydrating Boost and Watermelon flavors. Additionally, the company’s Lipton brand will release Diet Peach, Unsweetened Black Tea with Lemon and Unsweetened Green Tea in February 2016. The company also will release a premium, craft-like soda called 1893 in April 2016, which will be available in Original Cola and Pressed Ginger flavors. Finally, the company announced the March 2016 launch of several items to the Starbucks RTD line: Starbucks Iced Coffee Black, in Sweetened and Unsweetened flavors, as well as a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino and two new Starbucks Doubleshot flavors: Spiced Vanilla and Mexican Mocha.
Red Bull North America Inc., Santa Monica, Calif., drove its newest edition to its line of energy drinks: The Orange Edition. Additionally, the company displayed its summer 2016, limited-edition, The Summer Edition: Kiwi Twist, which will be available from May 2 through Labor Day.
Rockstar Inc., Las Vegas, highlighted three new varieties joining the lineup of energy drinks next year. Rockstar Cucumber Lime, which contains 10 calories in each 16-ounce can, and Rockstar Pure Zero: Watermelon, will launch in January. Additionally, Rockstar Revolt: Killer Citrus is set to launch in March.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, Calif., featured its OktoberFest, Hop Hunter and Nooner Pilsner craft beers.
Sparkling Ice, a brand of Talking Rain Beverage Co., Preston, Wash., debuted the addition of Black Cherry to its line of zero-calorie, sparkling waters. Additionally, the company announced its special-edition Kevin Durant Orange Mango bottle, which will be available for a limited time in early 2016. The label supports Kevin Durant’s Build it and They will Ball foundation, and will launch with a 360-degree advertising program. The company also announced new labels for four of its Sparkling Iced Teas: Peach, Lemon, Raspberry and Half and Half, which replaced Lemonade with Tea.
Splash Beverage Group Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., showcased its BruceTea line, which launched in March on the West Coast. The line offers four flavors, JKD: Ginseng, Royal Jelly and Honey; TAO: Honeydew, Chrysanthemum and Gingko Biloba; Kung Fu: Maqui, Acai and Goji Berry; One Inch Punch: Passion Fruit, Orange and Guava. Additionally, the company drove Salt, a flavored tequila line, available in Berry, Citrus and Salted Chocolate flavors. The company also featured its Tap Out line and its partnership with the WWE.
Sunny Delight Beverage Co., Cincinnati, featured its Green Apple flavor, which will be available in 16- and 96-ounce sizes nationwide in January. Additionally, it featured its Sparkling Fruit2O Berry Twists line and the 2016 launch of its Island Twists line, which offers two flavors: Peach and Orange Mango.
Thirsty Buddha, a brand of Montreal-based Temple Lifestyle Inc., displayed its line of coconut waters. The Canada-based brand debuted in the United States one year ago, and now offers 1-liter carton and 520-ml cans in three flavors: Plain, Pulp and Mango.
Topo Chico, Irving, Texas, anticipating its 120-year anniversary, featured a new label redesign for its mineral and sparkling waters, along with a new line of mineral waters, Topo Chico Mineral Water with a Twist. The line offers four flavors — Lime, Grapefruit, Berry and Coconut — and will be available in 8-ounce cans. Additionally, Lime and Grapefruit will be available in 20-ounce PET bottles.
Tree Top Inc., Selah, Wash., highlighted its Fruit Full fruit smoothies available in Strawberry and Mango flavors. The smoothies are non-dairy, shelf stable, contain fiber, and vitamins A and C, and are available in 8-ounce cans. Additionally, the company reinforced its line of 10-ounce juices.
Trimino, a brand of the Branford, Conn.-based Miami Bay Beverage Co. LLC, featured its flavored, protein-infused water that contains 7 grams of protein, three amino acids and 28 calories in each 16-ounce bottle. The line is available in four flavors: Strawberry Lemonade, Coconut Pineapple, Mixed Berry and Peach.
Vita Coco, New York, spotlighted its new Lemon Tea flavor, which is available nationwide exclusively at Kroger locations.
Zevia, Culver City, Calif., focused on its removal of caramel color from its zero-calorie soda line, which makes all the varieties clear in color.
Zymbom Energy, Shreveport, La., highlighted its Mixed Berry flavor that will be released in regular and sugar-free versions. The company also reinforced its existing lineup of energy drinks.
The 2016 NACS tradeshow will take place Oct. 18-21 in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center.