El Grado Spirits LLC unveiled El Grado Tequila, tequilas made from Blue Weber Agave plants. El Grado Tequila is available in El Grado Blanco, with agave flavors and hints of fruit and pineapple; El Grado Reposado, which adds vanilla and caramel fragrances; and El Grado Anejo, with flavors such as honey, butter and caramel. The products are packaged in a French-made bottle featuring a glass-topped closure. A 750-ml. bottle retails between $45 and $50.
New Belgium Brewing introduced Ranger IPA, a year-round India Pale Ale. The beer features Simcoe, Chinook and Cascade hops complemented by pale and dark caramel malts to bring out the hop aroma and flavor. Ranger IPA is named for New Belgium’s Beer Rangers, who serve in 26 states ensuring New Belgium beers are available in their local markets. The beer retails for $7.99 and is offered in most states where New Belgium is sold.
Tenaya LLC, Chicago, introduced MADE, a certified organic, all-natural line of beverages that combine green tea and fruit juice with floral and herbal extracts. Available in eight varities, MADE contains organic tea, organic fruit juice, organic cane sugar and natural flavors. The beverages are created and bottled aseptically and require no refrigeration during shipping and storage. MADE’s flavors includes Strawberry Mojito, Strawberry Lemonade, Blackberry Peach, Blueberry Lemonade, Cranberry Limeade, Pomegranate Lemonade, Pomegranate Mojito and Raspberry Peach.
Izze, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo, reformulated its Izze Esque line with 25 percent pure fruit juice as well as sparkling water. The new option now contains 50 calories and 11 grams of sugar, which are all from fruit juice, in each 12-ounce bottle. The line includes in Sparkling Black Raspberry, Sparkling Limon and Sparkling Mandarin. Izze Esque is available individually for $1.39-1.69 per bottle or $4.99-$5.49 for a four-pack.
Maker of acai berry juice-based nutritional and energy drink products, MonaVie, Salt Lake City added MonaVie (M)mÅ«n daily defense. Pronounced “em-mune” the product is a blend of 19 fruits and the ingredient Wellmune, which is formulated to optimize the body’s natural defenses and support the immune system. Four ounces of MonaVie(M)mÅ«n delivers 250-mg. of Wellmune as well as superfruit juice acai and maqui.
The winner of the Boston Beer Co.’s fifth annual Samuel Adams Beer Lover’s Choice contest, Noble Pils, will join the brand’s lineup as the spring seasonal beer. The beer uses five varieties of Noble Hops, which are the top varieties of hops available, the company said, in a statement. Noble Pils was the chosen winner of the company’s Beer Lover’s Choice program with 55 percent of the 68,000 total votes, and replaces White Ale as the spring seasonal offering. Samuel Adams Noble Pils will be available nationwide.
The North American Coffee Partnership, a joint venture between Starbucks Corp. and Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages, introduced Seattle’s Best Coffee ready-to-drink iced latte coffee drinks. Inspired by the lattes served in Seattle’s Best cafes, the drinks are available in Iced Latte, Iced Vanilla Latte and Iced Mocha flavors. The line will launch in the Western United States in major grocery, convenience and other retail stores.
Mighty Leaf Tea launched Organic Berry Wellness, a tea formulated with vitamins and minerals to support the health of those undergoing breast cancer treatments. The tea contains apples, goji berries, blueberries, elderberries, cranberries and strawberries. The herbal, caffeine-free blend also is made with ginger and cinnamon ingredients. A portion of Organic Berry Wellness proceeds will benefit Art for Recovery at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a center at the University of California San Francisco that offers basic science, clinical research, epidemiology and patient care programs. The product is available in 4-ounce packages of loose leaf tea at mightleaf.com for $11.95.
Starbucks Coffee Co. expanded its packaged coffee portfolio in the grocery, drug and mass retailer channels. The company now offers 5-ounce and 20-ounce coffee packages in addition to the current 12-ounce sizes. Most of the coffee packages will include an ongoing offer redeemable at participating Starbucks stores for a complimentary Tall brewed coffee when customers bring in their empty bag, the company says. The 5-ounce size retails for $4.29 and is available in House Blend, Colombia and Caffe Verona varieties, and the 20-ounce value pack retails for $12.99 and is offered in House Blend, Breakfast Blend and French Roast.
Evian Natural Spring Water partnered with fashion designer Paul Smith to create the Limited Edition 2010 Evian bottle. The bottle is designed in vibrant colors with a festive theme and a nod to the Paul Smith stripes, the company says. Limited Edition 2010 is the third annual designer Evian bottle. The tradition began in 2008 with a limited edition bottle designed by Christian Lacroix, followed in 2009 with Jean Paul Gaultier. A 750-ml. bottle retails for $13.95.