Many people will tell you that in beverage industry, taste is king. As brand owners develop new beverages, they are tasked with finding that balance between function and flavor.

Nielsen announced yesterday its twelve Breakthrough Innovation Winners for 2015. Among the twelve winners, four beverage products made the list this year: Monster Energy Co.’s Monster Energy Ultra, PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew Kickstart, MillerCoors’ Redd’s Apple Ale and Red Bull GmbH’s Red Bull Editions line. 

Monster Energy introduced Peach Tea + Energy to its Rehab lineup

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, and Monster Beverage Corp., Corona, Calif., have entered into definitive agreements for a long-term strategic partnership that they expect will accelerate growth for both companies in the global energy drink category.

As beverage manufacturers get more creative in their product development, more beverages seem to be blurring category lines. One category that has been both aided and challenged by this multi-platform approach is the energy drink category.

Monster Beverage Corp., Corona, Calif., reported positive financial results for the second quarter, which ended June 30.

According to Mintel, 42 percent of people who drink energy shots take them in the afternoon, and 49 percent of people who consume energy drinks also do so in the afternoon, said Jennifer Zegler, global food and drink analyst at the Chicago-based market research firm, in Beverage Industry’s August 2013 issue.