Nutrition that supports both physical and emotional well-being is thriving.

The scissor-like precision and accuracy of robotics technology is boosting efficiency and driving success in beverage plants worldwide.

To quench consumers’ thirst for healthy hydration, more value-added waters, flavors and innovative choices are hitting store shelves.

To keep up with clean-label trends, beverage-makers are releasing a wider array of options that deliver functional benefits in addition to refreshment.

During a cultural immersion trip to Baja, Hungary and Hatzfeld, Romania, Managing Editor Barbara Harfmann and a group of 92 members of the Danube Swabians immersed themselves in cultural programs, singing, dancing and tasting new wines, beers and schnapps.

With increasing automation, new technologies and burgeoning SKUs driving the beverage industry, forklifts now are being used to gather data and intelligence on productivity, cost management and output within warehouses.

It can be rare in the increasingly competitive wine and spirits world to get a fresh start, but that’s exactly what happened three years ago when two family owned, multigenerational mega distributors of alcohol beverages — Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s — joined forces to become Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS).

Food safety, health-and-wellness and clean-label trends are influencing more beverage-makers to invest in high-pressure processing (HPP) equipment.

As beverage warehouses take on more SKUs and distribution centers consolidate, single-source centers must be equipped to handle high throughputs and mixed pallet scenarios. In turn, stretch wrapping equipment must ensure the product’s integrity.

To educate consumers about the brewing process or how handcrafted spirits are made, many breweries and distillers operate as “go-to” destinations complete with tours, taprooms, samples and merchandise.