Trading up for premium spirits and wine is a trend that Richard Hurst, senior vice president of beverage alcohol for The Nielsen Co., Schaumburg, Ill., knows all about. Growth levels for wine and spirits were high in previous years because of consumer interest in premium beverages, Hurst says. Recently, though, the dramatic downtown in the economy has affected growth in certain wine and spirits categories, and specifically where that growth is coming from.

MillerCoors, the North American joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors, seemed to have timing on its side when it launched last summer. The partnership became official only weeks before news that its largest competitor, Anheuser-Busch, would soon become part of the even larger InBev. The news could have been troubling to the new partnership, but becoming a more powerful competitor is exactly what brought the two brewers together and what it spent months preparing for ahead of the merger.

The MillerCoors joint venture has created an expanded brewery network throughout the United States that allows the company to move beer production closer to distributors, increasing product freshness and reducing the number of miles beer is trucked to its ultimate destination. Miller Brewing’s hometown brewery in Milwaukee, Wis., for example, is set to take on production of some Coors brands and put it closer to the 125 Midwest distributors it serves.

The continual development of health and wellness beverages also has advanced the application of hydrocolloids. These ingredients used as emulsifiers, stabilizers and gelling agents include acacia gum, pectin, carrageenan and xanthan, among others.

In this tough real estate market, house staging has become key with homeowners’ efforts to make their houses stand out from the rest. Much like a homeowner tries to present the best looking option, shrink and stretch labels make it their jobs to bring consumers’ eyes to the beverage bottle, can or container...

Founded by spirits mogul Sydney Frank and hip-hop artist Lil Jon, Crunk Energy Drink, Roswell, Ga., is more than “another energy drink,” says Tom Mahlke, president and chief executive officer of Crunk. It’s a brand that combines the flavor of botanical ingredients with a high-energy music concept.

“True beauty comes from within,” says the host of ABC’s new reality television show “True Beauty.” Many beverage formulators would agree with that philosophy, and add to it the science of beauty-enhancing ingredients. With consumers’ interest in improving their appearance, beverages offer an ideal medium to deliver beauty from within.

Want to know where the economy is headed? Look at vending sales, say industry experts.

Cap and closure innovations this year are targeting cost saving, sustainability, safety, differentiation and interactive packaging solutions.

Despite challenging economic forecasts for 2009, more than half of respondents to Beverage Industry’s annual Product Development Survey expect their research and development budgets to remain in line with last year’s spending, and more than one-third believe they will see an increase.