X-Cafe, Princeton, Mass., has introduced single-serve and one-pot packets of coffee concentrate for “Perfectly brewed coffee, without the grind.” The coffee has a 128-day shelf life without special storage, and can be mixed with either hot or cold water. The packets also contain no foil so they can be used for transportation applications such as airlines and trains. Additionally, single-serve packets can be used in locations such as hotels, businesses, hospitals, colleges and universities, and convenience stores. The larger packets are perfect for vending, bars and taverns, and catering applications.

Diageo has updated the look of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum with a more defined bottle shape that has crisp shoulders to better stand out on the shelf. Embossed glass imagery has been added to the front and back of the bottle, and the label has been changed to portray the captain against a watermarked ocean scene to reflect the context and history of the brands. Changes will appear on all sizes of Captain Morgan, from 50-ml. to 1.75-ml.

Pernod Ricard has made over Hiram Walker liqueurs, with a contemporary look that includes actual photography on the labels to reflect its all-natural flavors. The bottle also features ridges on the collar for better grip and pouring. The new logo and package design is being phased in during the summer and fall, beginning with Hiram Walker Sour Apple Schnapps. The entire line will be complete by December, and will be backed with on- and off-premise programming such as consumer sampling, trade education, and an increased advertising budget.

“More than 100 hours of bartender and consumer research was conducted before refining our packaging to make certain we were staying true to Hiram Walker’s proud history,” says Lisa Pfenning, brand manager for Hiram Walker. “The result is a unifying look among product lines.”

The most popular bottle of the summer might be the new Budweiser aluminum bottle, created by Exal USA, Youngstown, Ohio. Demand for the new package has been so high, Anheuser-Busch says it will double capacity for the bottle by this fall.

“We knew people would love the aluminum bottle because it is cool and different,” says Mike Owens, vice president of sales and marketing at Anheuser-Busch. “We are excited by the magnitude of interest in this new package. Young adults, particularly in bars and clubs, tell us they really like the way it makes drinking cold beer a tactile experience. In fact, this package is so popular that it’s selling out, and it’s doing its job to help enhance the beer drinking experience.”

Molson Coors, is getting ready for football season with a new NFL-themed packaged for Coors Light. The company will offer a series of football cans, bottles, kegs and coolers, and offer NFL promotions throughout the season. New packaging includes the NFL 18-pack plastic bottle cooler box with football themed bottles. The cooler box is designed to go from retail package to ice cooler, and the bottle label will feature pigskin texturing on the front and back of the bottle.

The Coors Light 5-liter Commemorative NFL Kickoff Mini Keg will mark the first time a domestic brand has been offered in the mini keg. The 24-ounce Commemorative Kickoff Can and the 24-ounce Commemorative Monday Night Football Can will both offer chances for consumers to win football prizes. Each can will carry nine-digit entry codes that will allow consumers to win prizes at coorsbeer.com.

W.J. Deutsch & Sons, White Plains, N.Y., has rolled out new packaging for the Georges Duboeuf 2004 Cotes du Rhone. The new label includes a bold, abstract design and a bright yellow screw-cap closure. The company carried the new look through to the carton, which can be stacked at retail to create a striking design.

Source Beverages, Greensboro, N.C., added a new 16-ounce option to its line of energy drinks, but it didn’t stop with the can. “Our original Burn 8.4-ounce is so strong, we couldn’t just double the formula for our 16-ounce,” says Tyler Benedict, president and founder of the company. “So we tweaked the formula and added new ingredients to enhance its effectiveness.”

Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., has introduced the new Heineken DraftKeg, a 4.75-liter keg designed to keep beer fresh for weeks. Unlike other mini-kegs, which use a gravity-fed pull-tube dispensing system, the DraftKeg uses a special, integrated carbon-dioxide cartridge inside the can that keeps beer tasting fresh for 21 days after tapping. Another unique feature is the ability to dispense beer from the top of the can, making it easy to use and more portable. The package contains 21 8-ounce servings.

“Our stand-out technology gives consumers exactly what they have been craving in a mini-keg — a cleaner beer dispensing process and long-lasting premium taste that endures weeks after its original tapping,” says Andy Glaser, brand director at Heineken USA. A comprehensive rollout of the product will occur this fall.

Brown-Forman, Louisville, Ky., has created a new design for Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum’s V/X and Extra varieties. The focus of the upgrade was the cartouche and label, while small refinements were made on other parts of the bottle. The new look features a contemporary design and an artist’s expression of the Estate scene. The cartouches have been redesigned to highlight the different brands in the range and have added the phrases “Estate Distilled” and “Hand Blended.”

Unilever has introduced new Lipton Premium Tea Pods, a line of four teas designed to be used with the Home Cafe brewing system. The Home Cafe is a single-cup system that uses pressure brewing technology that brews a cup in less than a minute. The new Lipton pods are available in English Estate, Vanilla Hazelnut, Raspberry Truffle and Citrus Blossom Green Tea. The pods will be available in the coffee and tea aisle of the supermarket for $4.39 for a pack. beginning in September. The Home Cafe retails for $39.99 to $119.99 depending on model and manufacturer.

Graham Packaging Co., York, Pa., recently created a new PET package for Sunny Delight’s expansion from the refrigerator case to the shelf. The bottle features the raised image of the sun and a deeply grooved neck. The package will be used on Sunny D Baja and Sunny D Intense Sport.

“When we became a privately owned spin-off from Procter & Gamble in August 2004, we immediately initiated work to better meet the needs of consumers who prefer shelf-stable options,” said Richard Zimmerman, senior vice president for global marketing and innovation at Sunny Delight Beverages.