Le-Nature’s Inc. created Samurai Energy Green Tea in three flavors: Raspberry, Lemon Myst and Original. Packaged in 20-ounce plastic bottles, the green teas are blended with energy ingredients guarana, caffeine and taurine and fruit flavorings. The drinks retail for $2.99.

Ingredients: Raspberry: Water, brewed green tea, sugar, pure clover honey, taurine, Red #40, natural flavors, citric acid, guarana, caffeine, malic acid, pantothenic acid, ascorbic acid, dipotassium phosphate, calcium lactate, magnesium sulfate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Clearly Canadian Beverage Corp. reformulated and relaunched Clearly Canadian sparkling flavored water. The line up is delivered in a clear glass, maple leaf-embossed bottle, and includes all-natural, no-preservative flavor formulas in Cherry, Blackberry, Raspberry and Strawberry and two zero-calorie Splenda-sweetened varieties, Pink Grapefruit and Blueberry. Updated label graphics are reminiscent of the product’s heritage.

Hansen Beverage Co. launched Hansen’s Green Tea Sodas, a line of luxury sodas that combine the benefits and taste of green tea with natural flavors. The sodas have all natural flavors with no artificial colors, preservatives, caffeine or sodium. Diet Hansen’s Green Tea Sodas have no sugar, carbohydrates or calories, and are sweetened with Splenda. The sodas are available in Lemon Mint, Tangerine, Pomegranate and Ginger, with diet versions available in Lemon Mint, Tangerine and Ginger. The sodas maintain the taste of green tea with infused natural flavors, and are sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $2.99.

Ingredients: Pomegranate: Filtered carbonated water, glucose, fructose syrup, natural flavors with extracts of pomegranate, citric acid and Chinese green tea extract.

Fuze Beverage introduced Vitalize, a line of non-carbonated beverages that are designed to “generate inner strength” and nourish the body while they provide protection against the rigors of an active lifestyle. The three flavors – Blackberry Grape, Orange Mango and Fruit Punch – offer carbohydrates to fight fatigue, antioxidants to recover from cell damage and electrolytes for rehydration. The varieties have vitamins A, C and E, and contain 5 percent juice. Vitalize is available in 18-ounce glass bottles and retails for $1.49.

Ingredients: Orange Mango: Filtered water, crystalline fructose, orange juice concentrate, mango puree, citric acid, monopotassium phosphate, passionfruit juice concentrate, pectin, calcium lactate pentahydrate, natural orange mango flavor with other natural flavors, magnesium lactate, ascorbic acid, vitamin E acetate and vitamin A palmitate.

Coca-Cola North America expanded its Minute Maid portfolio with three new products: Minute Maid Just 10, Minute Maid Juices to Go and Minute Maid Light Cherry Limeade. Minute Maid Just 10, available in a Fruit Punch flavor, comes in an easy-to-open pouch for kids. Made with 5 percent fruit juice, the drink has 10 calories, 2 grams of sugar per pouch, and is fortified with 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C. Beginning this summer, Minute Maid Juices to Go will be bottled in 10-ounce bottles, replacing its previous 12-ounce bottles. Three 100 percent juice flavors will be sold in the new bottle – Orange Juice, Apple Juice and Mixed Berry – with a fourth flavor, Fruit Medley, slated for the education channel only. Additionally, Minute Maid Light added Cherry Limeade to its line. Made with 3 percent fruit juice with 10 calories per 12-ounce can, Minute Maid Cherry Limeade will replace Minute Maid Light Guava Citrus.  

Imported by J&S Spirits, Yes! Vodka is produced by A.H. Wanders, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and made from neutral grain spirits. The vodka is 40 percent alcohol by volume, and targeted at young professionals. A 750-ml. bottle retails for $29.95.

New Product Introductions by Category
CATEGORY	SKUS YTD 5/30/06	SKUS YTD 5/30/05	PERCENT CHANGE
Alcohol Beverages	686	582	17.9%
Coffee & Tea	506	559	-9.5%
Dairy Drinks & Alternatives, Health Drinks	201	123	63.4%
Fruit & Vegetable Drinks	325	391	-16.9%
Other Drinks	231	127	81.9%
Soft Drinks, Sports Drinks & Bottled Waters	392	282	39.0%
Total Beverages	2,341	2,064	13.4%
Source: Productscan Online (www.productscan.com)

Rudy Beverage Inc., the company founded by University of Notre Dame football player Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, released Rudy! Rudy! Flying Colors, packed with eight vitamins and minerals. Available in five flavors – Blue Raz, Black Cherry, Citrus Storm, Glacial Grape and Red Berry – the low-sugar fruit-flavored drinks are sweetened with xylitol, and are available in 8-ounce and 55-ounce bottles, the later retailing for $3.39. The company also launched Rudy Revolution, low-sugar sports drinks with high levels of electrolytes, sea salts and vitamins and minerals. The drinks contain Eon Water, “a purified structured water that is easily absorbed by the body and sustains natural energy longer,” the company says. Available in four flavors – Blue Fuel, Citrus Slam, Fruit Punch Blast and Orange Lift, Rudy Revolution is available in a 55-ounce container.

Ingredients: Revolution Orange Lift: Water, maltodextrin, sucrose, crystalline fructose, citric acid, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, sodium benzoate, L-arginine, L-carnitine, sea salt, gum acacia, potassium sorbate, Yellow 6, glycerol ester of wood rosin, natural flavors, niacin, pantothenic acid, brominated vegetable oil, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Island Beverages Inc. is marketing Butt Monkey Beer, a “lifestyle brand” for consumers who don’t take themselves seriously, but do take beer serciously, the company says. Butt Monkey is brewed and bottled by The Lion Brewery, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Available under the brand are Chimp Chiller Ale, Ape Ale, Lemur Lager, Baboon Brew and Orangutan Juice. A six-pack retails between $6.49 and $6.99.

New Attitude Beverage Corp. launched Vortex H20, which it describes as a spun-activated water. Produced in Canada, the product is based on a spin technology that activates purified glacier water from Vancouver, British Columbia. The process includes a high-intensity series of electromagnets, which alter the ionic structure of the activated water. Seconds before entering the filler, the water goes through a high-speed spinning whirlpool built 1 foot above the filler, which the company claims substantially increases the absorption of oxygen that is infused into Vortex water. Targeted to health-minded and active consumers, Vortex retails for $1.79, and is also available in 12-packs.

Produced by The O-Company in the Netherlands, OGO Oxygen is imported by Verve Brands LLC. OGO contains water from a spring, and is infused with oxygen to deliver 35 times more oxygen than regular water and a smooth taste, the company says. The patented spherical OGO bottle, created in collaboration with Parisian designer Ora Ito, holds 11.2-ounces and retails for $2.59.

The Boston Beer Co. is celebrating the first American brewers and the country’s founding fathers by introducing the Samuel Adams Brewer Patriot Collection. The collection includes Traditional Ginger Honey Ale, James Madison Dark Wheat Ale, George Washington Porter and 1790 Root Beer Brew, four brews that combines the styles and ingredients of the colonial era with the craftsmanship of Samuel Adams brews. The collection of four beers in 12-ounce bottles will be available in select specialty beer stores for $9.99.

Kagome Inc., Foster City, Calif., has added Golden Peach Garden and Burgundy Berry Blossom to its blended 100 percent juice line. Both are 50 percent vegetable and 50 percent fruit juice without added sugar, artificial additives, preservatives or genetically engineered ingredients. Each 8-ounce glass provides a full serving of vegetables and a full serving of fruits. An 11.5-ounce bottle retails for $1.99 and a 30-ounce bottle retails for $3.59…

Tahitian Noni International, Provo, Utah, offers a new, sportier 500-ml. bottle of its Tahitian Noni Juice. The new bottles come in two-packs, and are priced at $46…

La Certeza is now imported into the United States by Boisset America, Sausalito, Calif. The 100 percent blue agave tequila will be available in select markets for $40 for Blanco, $45 for Reposado and $60 for Añejo.

Palm Bay Imports, Boca Raton, Fla., released Blue Fish Riesling 2005, a contemporary wine from Niederkirchen in Germany’s Pfalz region. It retails for $9.99 per 750-ml. bottle…

Hood River Distillers, Hood, Ore., offers Cockspur Rum from Barbados. The line includes 750-ml. bottles of Cockspur 12 ($35), an aged rum served on the rocks; Cockspur Fine Rum ($20) for mixing; and Cockspur Rum Punch ($10) to be enjoyed over ice…

Velocity International, Nashville, Tenn., is importing a selection of Sirromet wines from Queensland, Australia, including two lines, Seven Scenes and Reef, which offer both white and red selections…

1800 Tequila, distributed by Skyy Spirits, San Francisco, offers 1800 The Ultimate Margarita, a Margarita cocktail made with 100 percent blue agave tequila. The mix is available in two sizes: 1.75 liter ($24.99) and 750 ml. ($14.99)…

Folonari Wine, imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, launched Folonari Pink Pinot Grigio, a fruity, off-dry rose for $7.99…

Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, released Banana Coconut Frappuccino blended coffee, and Bananas & Crème blended crème for the summer season…

Coffee Legends Inc., Little Rock, Ark., released Gentle Java, a full-bodied coffee for those who can’t handle the acidity of roasted coffees. Gentle Java uses a purification process that eliminates or reduces more than 70 percent of the impurities found in coffee. The product is available in six assortments, including Wake-Up Blend, Evening Blend and French Roast, and range in price from $7.95 to $10.95…

Procter & Gamble Co.’s Folgers brand launched Simply Smooth, a stomach-friendly coffee that limits certain phenols that may be associated with stomach discomfort…

The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, which owns the Juan Valdez trademark, will be offering Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee, which is grown according to social and environmental standards. Juan Valdez Cafes began selling the coffee worldwide in May…

Global Beverage Enterprises Inc. launched The Original Mabi Drink made from the tree bark of the mabi tree in the Caribbean…

Lifeway Foods released ProBugs made with organic whole milk kefir for kids age two to nine. ProBugs contain 10 live and active kefir cultures that give a boost to the digestive and immune systems, the company says. ProBugs, a reference to probiotics and “friendly” bacteria found in kefir, help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in a child’s digestive system. ProBugs are available in two flavors – Sublime Slime Lime and Orange Creamy Crawler – are certified organic, and come in a no-spill 5-ounce spout pouch in packs of four for $4.50.

Ingredients: Orange Creamy Crawler: Organic grade A pasteurized cultured milk, organic cane juice, natural orange juice concentrate, inulin, vitamin A, palmitate and vitamin D3.

Pepsi-Cola North America created Dole Sparklers, a line of sparkling juice drinks. The light beverages come in four flavors – Pomegranate Blueberry, Orange Tangerine, Cranberry Raspberry and Pink Grapefruit – and contain B-complex vitamins and 50 percent less sugar and calories than regular juice drinks, the company says. Available in 16.9-ounce plastic bottles with a bubble design embossed into the packaging, the product launches in October.

Pom Wonderful created Pom Tea, powered by POMx, a highly concentrated blend of polyphenol antioxidants made from the same pomegranates used to make Pom Wonderful juices. Using a proprietary cylindrical package with a lid-style cap, Pom Tea’s package is designed to be reused as a drinking glass. Available in Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea, Pomegranate Blackberry Black Tea, Pomegranate Lychee Green Tea and Pomegranate Black Tea, the 16-ounce glass-packaged drinks retail for $3.

Ingredients: Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea: White tea (water, white peony tea leaves), fructose, Pom Wonderful Pomegranate juice from concentrate, POMx (Pom Wonderful Pomegranate antioxidant extract), peach juice from concentrate, passionfruit juice from concentrate, natural flavors, citric acid and pectin.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade released two new premium malt cocktails under the Mike’s Hard Lemonade brand: Mike-arita, a Margarita-flavored cocktail, and Mike’s Hard Frozen Lemonade, a lemonade cocktail. These ready-to drink cocktails require chilling (and in the case of Mike’s Hard Frozen Lemonade, preparation in a blender with ice). The Mike-arita is 9.9 percent alcohol by volume and the Frozen Lemonade is 11.9 percent. The company is urging retailers to stock Mike-arita and Mike’s Hard Frozen Lemonade in the beer section rather than with the mixers, claiming it will be an incremental purchase for imported brew fans. A four-pack of Mike-arita retails for $8.99, and is also available, along with Frozen Lemonade, in 750 ml. ($8.99) and 1.75 liter ($14.99) sizes.  

Diageo launched Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Tropical Malt Beverages containing 10 percent fruit juice. The malt-based beverages are available in three tropical flavors: Wave Runner, a combination of passion fruit and mango flavors; Sunset Surf, a blend of pineapple and orange flavors; and Matava Blue a mix of berry and kiwi flavors. Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Tropical Malt Beverages are 5 percent alcohol by volume. The 11.2-ounce bottles are packaged in an island inspired six-pack for $7.49. A 12-pack version combining all three flavors will be available beginning mid-August.

RushNet Inc. introduced e-water, a bottled water that contains more than 50 ionic electrolytes, including trace minerals. The thirst-quenching water contains fulvic acid, a natural extract from plants that is said to enhance the availability of nutrients and makes them more readily absorbable. Available in Southern California, Midwest and East Coast supermarkets and convenience stores, e-water retails for $6 for a four-pack of 12-ounce bottles.