A new survey from industry consultants Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), New York, and Boston-based Fluent, a leading college marketing and insights agency, found that taught to make healthy choices from a young age, Gen Z college students take that lesson seriously when reaching for beverages. Practicality and natural products are preferred, while artificial ingredients and crazy fads are likely to cue a collective eye-roll, the companies say. 

Nielsen CGA, a branch of New York-based Nielsen, released its first fully projected on- premise measure for the U.S. Beverage Alcohol market which takes a side-by-side look at the state of the U.S. Beverage Alcohol market compared with Great Britain, a market in which full measurement has been available for 10 years, the company says. Great Britain is a gateway for United States’ on-premise retailers and drinks businesses into Europe given the similarities between the two regions, according to the market research firm. The insights from this report highlight opportunities both domestically and internationally, it adds.

In February, the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), Washington, D.C., announced the 2015 results for the U.S. distilled spirits category.

Calypso Lemonade was officially awarded the Guinness World Record for the Largest Glass of Lemonade ever made after making and serving more than 3,200 gallons of its Original Lemonade.

Previously known for bikini tops and one of Harry Nilsson’s hit songs, coconuts have gained a much more respectable persona in the minds of U.S. consumers within the past several years.

As Americans look for better-for-you alternatives to carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), the U.S. bottled water category is reaching unprecedented heights, according to new research from Chicago-based Mintel, which reveals that sales of bottled water increased 6.4 percent to top $15 billion in 2015. The market research firm expects sales to continue ascending at a rapid pace through 2020, with projected sales growth of 34.7 percent for the category, including 75.1 percent growth for the sparkling/mineral water/seltzer segment, it says.

Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, released data detailing the sales lift of various food, beverage and consumer product categories that are most impacted by pre-game preparations and shopping sprees for the Super Bowl. 

The world of retail is ever-changing, and retailers continually have to innovate and adapt to the changing times and consumer.

Recently, plant-based dairy alternatives such as almond milk and coconut milk are taking their success mainstream. Although soy milk has been an option available at major coffeehouses for years, only recently did almond and coconut milk begin making an appearance.

In Rabobank's new report about the U.S. brandy market, the New York-based financial services company identifies a clear market gap in what logically should be the segment’s strongest price segment — premium brands. Between the value, low-growth end of the brandy spectrum and the fast-growing, super-premium Cognac end, there is a potential opportunity for spirits companies to tap into the growing appetite for premium spirits among sophisticated, affluent U.S. consumers, it suggests.