An increased daily intake of 150 to 300 calories has occurred, with approximately 50 percent of the calories coming from the consumption of calorically sweetened beverages, says the Beverage Guidance Panel in a report published in the March American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The group said the energy intake from beverages currently represents 21 percent of the total intake for Americans older than 2. Between 1977 and 2001, the proportion of energy obtained from calorically sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks (not fruit juice), has tripled from 2.8 percent to 7 percent, along with a reduction in milk intake, the report says. Portion sizes have increased from 13.4 ounces to 21 ounces, and daily servings have increased from 1.96 to 2.39.

On top of that news, the June issue of Consumer Reports then published a list of “heftier beverages.” Starbucks Caffè Mocha, without whipped cream, tops the list, with 240 calories, followed by Silk Live mango soy smoothie (230 calories), Minute Maid Fruit Medley Punch (170 calories), Starbucks Frappuccino (160 calories) and Jamba Juice Banana Berry smoothie (149 calories).

With two Starbucks brews on the list, gourmet coffee drinkers took another hit in the report, which found that, in one very small sample of college women, gourmet coffee drinkers consumed 206 more calories per day than did non-gourmet coffee drinkers. I guess they’d have to if they wanted to have a Caffè Mocha and Frappuccino in the same day.

Coffee ranks third, after water and tea, and before low-fat and skim milk on the panel’s list of preferred beverages, but the addition of milk, cream or caloric sweeteners lowers their “value” in the guide. Ultimately, beverages themselves may not be bad, but what’s added to them could make the difference. But what could be bad is the negative media coverage about beverages without companies publicizing the healthier drink options available to consumers.

Bacardi sponsored this year’s Spring Back to Vail event that featured music from the popular DJ Cassidy and The Pond Skimming World Championships. The ‘sport’ attempts to defy the laws of physics by challenging ‘athletes’ to glide the farthest across a frozen pond. Pond skimmers can be on skis or snowboards as they attempt to out-skim one another. The Barcardi Girls were also on hand for extra fun in the snow.

Dewar’s 12 hosted the “Hot Scot” party in New York City in April as part of Tartan Week. Hosted by actor Liev Schreiber, the party celebrated Scottish culture with the limited issue Dewar’s 12 brand Scotch. Schreiber is currently in rehearsals for the title role of Macbeth for this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park series.

Chicago’s Goose Island brewery recently received the help of “Late Show” host Conan O’Brien for the launch of its latest brew, “Conan the Red” Ale. The batch of beer was made to honor the host, who broadcasted a series of “Late Show” episodes live from Chicago in May. O’Brien visited the brewery during his trip to the Windy City and helped brew the special batch.

Fuze Beverage LLC has announced its sponsorship of a six-city tour by recording artist Rihanna. The non-carbonated, vitamin-enriched beverage sponsored the tour through May. Rihanna, an 18-year-old Barbados-born, singer is sharing the unique flavor of her pop music from her latest album, “A Girl Like Me.”

Budweiser Select has partnered with The Fader magazine for a special series of promotional events celebrating iconic musicians and emerging artists. The series began in April with a tribute to legendary jazz vocalist and Fader cover feature Nina Simone. Several more events will be held throughout the year sponsored by Budweiser Select and inspired by the pages of the music magazine in New York City.

Crown Royal is sponsoring a landmark contest in which fans of the whisky and NASCAR can enter to have the official name of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series named after them. The “Your Name Here 400” spring 2007 race to be held at Richmond International Raceway will be named after the consumer with the best “Crown-Worthy” moment story. A “Crown-Worthy” moment is a moment or occasion deemed ‘worthy’ of toasting with a Crown Royal cocktail in a responsible manner. Submissions can be entered via 50-word essay or video submissions collected at retail and NASCAR events through November.

Coors Light has launched an actual version of its Silver Bullet Train featured in popular Coors Light advertisements. The innovative mobile marketing vehicle is built to resemble the ads’ train with three cars, each with unique features, including flat screen televisions and Sony game systems. The train began its cross-country refreshment tour in April and will continue visiting more than 15 markets in the next six months.