BYB Brands Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, will launch Tum-E Yummies Kids Water Enhancers at the end of July.

The old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but consumers also are turning to beverages such as tea to support their health.

On June 1, KickDrop Beverages Inc. will launch Drop2O mint-flavored liquid concentrates.

In February, The Coca-Cola Co. and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., now known as Keurig Green Mountain, announced plans to develop a new at-home beverage system called the Keurig Cold that would enable consumers to make their own Coca-Cola branded drinks at home.

Liquid concentrates took the U.S. market by storm in 2011 with the launch of Kraft Foods’ Mio liquid water enhancers.

S&D Beverage Innovations LLC, a division of S&D Coffee Inc., introduced MilkSplash Liquid Milk Enhancers to encourage children to drink more milk and make healthier choices, the company says.

For the launch of its first global campaign, Lipton partnered with Disney puppet characters the Muppets to encourage consumers to “Be More Tea.”

Hard ciders were popular in the United Kingdom for years before reaching the mainstream U.S. market. Likewise, stevia was used as a sweetener in Japan for decades before getting approval as a safe food additive in the United States in the form of Rebaudioside A, according to Cargill. Many trends are born overseas and eventually make their way to the U.S. market. But that doesn’t mean Americans can’t be trendsetters too.

Sparkling Drink Systems International (SDS), a New York-based at-home carbonation products company, has partnered with Pat's Backcountry Beverages Inc. (Pat’s BCB), Golden, Colo., to produce a range of beer concentrates exclusively for SDS.

Heartland Food Products Group, in partnership with Skinnygirl, launched low-calorie Skinnygirl Water Enhancers.