Rebranding of category leading products as well as no- and low-calorie varieties has helped the sports drink market rebound in dollar sales as well as unit sales.

Health and wellness continue to be points of interest for the beverage industry not just in the United States, but for other countries and regions as well. On the global scale, “no additives and preservatives” is the top health position for juice and juice drinks launched from Oct. 10, 2010, to March 11, according to Innova Market Insights, Duiven, The Netherlands.

When people describe products from Neuro Drinks, Santa Monica, Calif., the company’s President Paul Nadel has heard everything from water to energy drink to functional beverage. But Nadel would describe Neuro another way: “We really are a full lifestyle brand,” he says.

After a few lean years in the on-premise channel, analysts are predicting that establishments can expect a rebound in sales for 2011. Among the segments in the channel, alcohol sales at restaurants and bars are forecasted to increase 1.9 percent, according to Technomic Inc., Chicago.

The spirits and wine categories seemed to have stabilized their sales numbers as the economy and consumers continue to recover from the recession.

Herbs and botanicals find niche in functional beverage formulations.

Convenience stores saw a sales growth of 2.6 percent in 2010, according to data from Euromonitor International, Chicago, which was a more robust increase than the grocery market overall during the same time period.

Low-calorie, natural, organic and low-sugar are most popular claims made by beverage manufacturers targeting the younger demographic.

New formulations expand the appeal of protein category.

Ingredient solutions provide options for new beverage formulas.