The Hain Celestial Group Inc., Melville, N.Y., entered into a letter of intent to acquire New York-based BluePrint, a raw juice category brand.

Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka, a brand of London-based Diageo plc, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Esquire have teamed up to spread a message this holiday season about “Responsible Celebration.” The initiative is designed to elevate the conversation around smart decision making and keep consumers safe during and after holiday celebrations, the company says.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a two-day superstorm that left a trail of destruction in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut including snow storms, floods, power outages, fires, billions of dollars in property damage and an estimated 110 U.S. deaths to date, according to a Nov. 4 article on CNN.com, beverage companies are doing their part to send relief aid to the affected Northeast communities.

Mondelez International Inc., Deerfield, Ill., announced its plans to invest in making its coffee business more sustainable. The company’s “Coffee Made Happy” campaign will invest a minimum of $200 million to empower 1 million coffee farming entrepreneurs by 2020.

Bacardi Limited, Hamilton, Bermuda, announced the planned retirement of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jacques Croisetière. Effective Dec. 3, he will be replaced by Joseph J. Schena, who will be responsible for the company’s global accounting, treasury, financial policies and reporting, as well as budgeting and forecasting.

Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass.-based Ocean Spray North America launched two new variations of its flagship cranberry juice cocktail: Ocean Spray Low Tart Cranberry Juice Cocktail and Ocean Spray 2/3 Less Sugar Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Both juice drinks pair the health benefits of cranberry with the great taste consumers have come to expect from Ocean Spray, the company says.

Dublin-based C&C Group, manufacturer of cider brands in Ireland and the U.K., will acquire Vermont Hard Cider Co., Middlebury, Vt., for $305 million.

Foster City, Calif.-based The FRS Co. announced a new marketing campaign featuring professional football quarterback Tim Tebow to promote FRS Healthy Performance drinks and related products.

Smirnoff, a brand of Norwalk, Conn.-based Diageo, added new dessert-flavored vodkas to its portfolio to kick start the holiday season.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, reported strong third-quarter and year-to-date 2012 results, with solid volume and revenue growth and continued volume and value share gains in total non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages, as well as across nearly every beverage category in which the company competes.