Shock Coffee, New York City, announced its ready-to-drink Triple Lattes and Mochas will be available in some 7-Eleven stores in the Northern California and Northern Nevada.

Sweet Leaf Tea, Austin, Texas, has relocated its headquarters to the South Congress, or “SoCo,” area of the city. According to the company, the move was about finding a location that fit the attitude of the brand and the company’s employees.

Boston Beer Co. has partnered with City Brewing to brew some of its beer in the former Rolling Rock brewery in Latrobe, Pa. The two companies will implement upgrades in the facility, and production of Samuel Adams beers is expected to begin in the second quarter of the year. Boston Beer says the arrangement should not affect production at the company’s Cincinnati or Boston breweries.

Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, has selected a site for its new roasting facility in St. Matthews, S.C. Construction on the new 150,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin by the end of the year, and operations are planned to begin in early 2009. The facility will receive, roast, package and ship coffee to Starbucks distribution centers. The company says it chose the location based on workforce availability, transportation access, quality of life and support from local and state leaders.

Ocean Spray honored Sharon Alemian, operations manager for new products; Doug Heffron, sales manager for Wal-Mart operations; and Cindy Taccini, marketing manager of public relations, with the company’s Directors Award of Excellence at the 2007 Grower Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ocean Spray Chief Executive Officer Randy Papadellis said of the three: “I am excited to work with such a talented group of employees. They are the best of the best. It is indeed an honor for me to present these awards to such dedicated and gifted people who truly believe in the Ocean Spray brand and its grower-owners.”

Celsius Holdings, Delray Beach, Fla., announced its calorie-burning soft drink will be distributed by Skokie Valley Beverage Co. on Chicago’s north side as well as western Cook County in Illinois. The product also will gain access to the New Mexico market through Primo Beverage Co., based in Albuquerque. 

The Rainforest Alliance has formed new agreements with Whole Foods Market and Holiday Inn hotels. The partnership with Whole Foods, called the Whole Trade Guarantee, is part of an effort to ensure that agricultural products from developing countries are produced using socially and environmentally responsible farm practices and meet quality and labor standards. It includes coffee, bananas and chocolate from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, as well as tea, cocoa and other products that meet program requirements.

Holiday Inn hotels will offer Rainforest Alliance certified coffee at nearly 1,000 locations in the United States. The agreement makes Holiday Inn the largest hotel chain to serve Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee.

SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, will go “carbon neutral” with the help of MxEnergy Inc., Stamford, Conn. The partnership will allow SweetWater to offset the microbrewery’s CO2 emissions from operations. SweetWater will pay an additional penny per therm of natural gas used in its facility, and MxEnergy funds the planting of trees that absorb CO2 emissions to help reduce the effects of global warming. According to MXenergy, if all its customers went "carbon neutral," the environmental impact would be equivalent to removing 700,000 cars from the roads each year.

Roy Cecchetti, co-founder of Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellar, has launched Cecchetti Wine Co. The company will carry the Redtree and 39 Degrees labels.

Crystal Food Service Co., Indianapolis, has sold its western Kentucky branch, Coffee Etc., to the John Conti Coffee Co., Louisville, Ky. Coffee Etc. operated three routes throughout western Kentucky, and portions of Missouri and Illinois.