New energy, relaxation and protein beverages, particularly in shot form, ruled as leading new product trends at the NACS Show in Las Vegas.

That wine snob saying, “Life is too short to drink cheap wine,” has not reached the millions of consumers who buy at Wal-Mart. According to speakers at the recent Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, Calif., Oak Leaf Wines, which run $1.99 a bottle (California store price), may be the fastest-growing wine in the United States today. Nor has wine-snobism affected the early-adopter young consumer group who seem largely responsible for pushing 3-liter wine box sales up 29 percent in 2007.

PepsiCo , Purchase, N.Y., has elected Ian M. Cook , president and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive Co. , and Lloyd G. Trotter , vice chairman of General Electric , to its board of directors...

Celsius Holdings Inc., Delray Beach, Fla., announced several new partnerships, including RL Lipton, a beer and soft drink distributor in northern Ohio, for distribution of its Celsius calorie-burning beverage.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, has purchased a 40 percent interest in organic tea-maker Honest Tea, Bethesda, Md. Under terms of the agreement, Coca-Cola may elect to buy the remaining shares of the company at a future date.

The American Beverage Association, Washington, D.C., has named Maureen Storey senior vice president for science policy.

Rosemary Berkel Crisp, co-owner of Pepsi MidAmerica Co., Marion, Ill., and a women’s healthcare activist and philanthropist, died early this month at the age of 70 following a 12-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Food safety, probiotics, the quest for a natural low-calorie sweetener, environmental sustainability and consumer confusion are all hot topics. We’ve taken a look at the issues and industry trends from 2007 to decide which ones might carry over into 2008, and we’ve consulted several industry experts to get their take on what the new year has in store.

AVAILABLE ON DEMAND Strong leadership, innovative products, catchy marketing and, now, sustainability joins the list of necessary building blocks for a respected — and hopefully successful — business. But with a broad-based term like sustainability, what are the important elements for beverage-makers to understand and incorporate into their business plans?

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