As consumers become more discerning about ingredients, the search for a wider, more user-friendly range of natural color options continues to dominate beverage color development. Ingredient companies are finding new sources for color and new systems to make them more stable in finished formulations.

The formation of Craft Brewers Alliance this summer from the merger of Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, Ore., and Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville, Wash., created a portfolio of non-competing craft beers that only could be possible with the creativity of craft brewers.

Craft Brewers Alliance Inc.’s integration during the past year not only included the challenges of merging finance, sales and administration businesses, but also brewery operations and supply chain.

Icelandic Water Holdings opened the doors of a new bottling facility in Ölfus, Iceland, in September, hoping to bring a taste of Iceland to the rest of the world through its Icelandic Glacial bottled water.

In bottles, shots or mixes, performance beverage sales are growing almost as fast as the number of enhancements they provide.

Sky-high fuel prices took a toll on convenience stores early this year, say industry experts. But surprisingly, those same costs have come back to benefit convenience store retailers as the year has progressed.

Neville Isdell, chairman of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, speaks often about the qualities necessary for success in 21st Century business, and at first, many of those attributes sound like they have little to do with beverages, or even business itself. But Isdell has based his leadership at Coca-Cola on the idea of sustainability, and in his view, that encompasses everything from product innovation to the environment to consumers’ perceptions of the company as a social entity.

Coconut water may seem foreign to many U.S. consumers, but O.N.E. Natural Experience, Los Angeles, made O.N.E. Coconut Water, as well as Acai, Coffee Berry and Cashew Juices, beverages that are growing nationwide.

A profiteer of double-digit sales growth for the past several years, the convenience/still bottled water category recorded sales growth of 4.6 percent to $4.1 billion in food, drug and mass merchandise outlets (excluding Wal-Mart) for the year ending Aug. 10, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago. Bulk/still water and sparkling waters showed less favorable results. Bulk/still water’s sales sank nearly 5 percent to $712.8 million, and sparkling waters dipped more than 2 percent to $330.1 million.

Beverage companies offer promotional packages to solve some of the gift-giving woes and worries.