Articles by Barbara Harfmann

Packaging design is advancing in innovative ways, with smart labeling, art-inspired labels, AI and even virtual tastings to engage consumers.

In the wake of SKU proliferation, smaller batches and more frequent changeovers, beverage conveyors not only have to handle a plethora of packaging shapes and sizes, but original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to ensure that their conveyors are outfitted for the present and the future.

In beverage distribution operations, hand trucks and carts are indispensable pieces of material handling equipment that help transport heavy, bulky cases of beverages from delivery trucks to point-of-sale at retail stores.

Agua Plus, a brand of Plus Brand Industries, is a pH9+ alkaline water that features All-Scratch! Technology, a patented scratch technology that allows consumers to scratch their name, initials or image directly on the label.

After seven years with Beverage Industry, Managing Editor Barbara Harfmann is moving on to Dairy Foods. She reflects on some of the stories she was privileged to tell, including BodyArmor and Goose Island, and the chance to highlight women-founded brands such as Hint and Lone River Beverage Co.

Moving a burgeoning amount of SKUs from point A to point B has only gotten more complicated. Direct-store delivery (DSD) software and hardware solutions not only increases product traceability and sales, but provides on-demand simplicity and better customer service.

The overall sports nutrition industry is expected to reach a global value of $47.5 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2022-2027. Beverage manufacturers are releasing supplements and beverages designed to give athletes and everyday consumers better bone and joint health.

Celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Terry Bradshaw are among the many celebrities inviting consumers to “sip like a star” while imbibing in tequila, bourbon, gin, vodka and more.

With distribution help from Diageo, Lone River Beverage Co. went from startup to acquisition to national distribution in under 18 months. Founder and CEO Katie Beal Brown notes that the brand’s ranch water hard seltzers are rooted in authenticity with a blend of tequila, agave nectar and lime juice.

As health-and-wellness innovations proliferate in the beverage industry, stevia, monk fruit, allulose and erythritol are seeing increased usage in U.S. beverage new product launches.