Barbara Harfmann

In the beverage industry, trends like clean label and non-GMO are resonating with consumers. Fortified/functional (FF) beverages also have maintained their upward trajectory growing by 6 percent as health-conscious consumers seek out premium products with added vitamins and minerals, according to Chicago-based Euromonitor International’s April report “Fortified/Functional Beverages in the US.”

The idiom “greasing the skids” commonly is used when describing a mechanism to help matters run smoothly. It is especially apropos for beverage plants that literally have to “grease the skids” with lubricants like oils, greases, pastes and sprays in order to keep multiple pieces of equipment in the supply chain operating at peak efficiency.

To keep pace with consumers thirsting for new, better-for-you products, beverage-makers consistently are formulating and releasing new products into the market. Although it can be difficult to stand out from the rest on store shelves, some brands innovated to create their own buzz this year. 

Now that fall is here, it’s getting cooler outside, and I have been enjoying a wide variety of hot beverages, including apple cider, hot chocolate, coffee and tea. Yet, coffee remains my go-to drink, and it seems like I’m not alone in my quest for finding the perfect cup of java.

Honey is a versatile, all-natural ingredient being used to add flavor and sweetness to a plethora of products, including beer, ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks as well as spirits.

With health-and-wellness trends driving product innovation, protein is making its move throughout the aisles as 17 percent of new products contain protein, according to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc.’s August New Product Pacesetters report “Harvesting the Fruits of Innovation Done Right.”

Whether it is beer-makers using treated grey water in their recipes or beverage facilities powering their plants with solar energy, the push to care for the planet’s resources is impacting every category within the beverage industry.

When Greg Steltenpohl founded Los Angeles-based Califia Farms LLC in 2010, producing nitrogen-infused and cold-brew coffees was not yet on his radar. Best known for its premium plant-based almond milks that are packaged in iconic hourglass-shaped carafes, Califia Farms’ portfolio has grown to include more than 60 SKUs, including a variety of almond milks, coffee creamers as well as a line of specialty citrus juices. Yet, its ready-to-drink (RTD) cold-brew coffees and coffee concentrates have provided extensive reach into the coffee category.

During a first-time visit to St. Louis in late August, my family and I had the opportunity to sample many beverages. We tried Bitt’s Cold Press, a cold-brew coffee that is brewed and bottled at St. Louis-based Arthouse Coffees, cooled off at an old-fashioned soda shop, and attended “beer school.”

The “Pick-A-Little Talk-A-Little” song in the 1962 musical “The Music Man” features the gossipy, hat-and-feather-wearing matrons of River City, Iowa, telling Professor Harold Hill unsavory things about the town librarian. Although today’s voice picking technology focuses on warehouse operations instead of a library’s “dirty book” selections, the technology is drumming up its own attention thanks to its ability to escalate productivity and accuracy, improve safety and ergonomics, and aid in pickup, delivery and in-store workflows.