Whether as a stand alone fruit flavor or in combination with other flavors, cranberry is a choice ingredient and flavor among beverage-makers. Nearly 30 percent of respondents to Beverage Industry’s 2010 Product Development Survey said they used cranberry as a flavor in their products in 2009.
Last year, more than 130 new beverages containing cranberry or cranberry flavoring were launched in the United States, reports Mintel’s Global New Products Database. Juices, fruit and flavored still drinks, nectars, flavored waters and beverage mixes were the leading beverage categories to use cranberry. Cranberry alone was the top flavor offering of these beverages followed by cranberry blended with pomegranate and raspberry. Other notable flavor combinations with cranberry included cherry, strawberry, banana, blueberry, blackberry, lemon-lime, guava, hibiscus, green tea, ginseng and vegetable juices.