Coca-Cola, Keurig expand agreement to hot brewing system

Honest Tea marks first Coca-Cola brand available in K-Cup packs

Waterbury, Vt.-based Keurig Green Mountain Inc. and Atlanta-based The Coca Cola Co. expanded their partnership to offer select beverages from The Coca-Cola Co.’s still brands portfolio for the Keurig hot brewing system in the United States and Canada. Honest Tea will be the first brand from The Coca Cola Co. available in K-Cup packs, the companies say.

In February, the companies signed a 10-year agreement to collaborate on the development and introduction of The Coca Cola Co.'s global brand portfolio for use in Keurig’s forthcoming Keurig Cold at-home beverage system, which is expected to be available in Keurig’s fiscal year 2015. As part of that agreement, The Coca-Cola Co. acquired a 10 percent minority equity position in Keurig and subsequently announced its intention to increase its stake to 16 percent.

“As we began to collaborate with The Coca Cola Co. on the development of their brands for our Keurig Cold system, the opportunity to incorporate certain Coca-Cola brands, like Honest Tea, into our Brew Over Ice selections for our Keurig hot brewing system became an exciting possibility,” said Mark Wood, senior vice president of global hot systems at Keurig, in a statement. “Whether hot or cold, adding great brands like Honest Tea to the Keurig system is a part of our ongoing mission to provide consumers with unparalleled choice and variety.”

Available to U.S. consumers on www.keurig.com beginning Sept. 4, the new Honest Tea K-Cup packs will feature two products initially — unsweetened Just Green and Just Black iced teas. Both products are certified organic and use Fair Trade Certified tea. The new beverages will join Keurig’s current Brew Over Ice collection, a line specially crafted to brew hot beverages over ice with the Keurig hot brewing system.

“There is growing consumer demand for beverage variety and functionality,” said Deryck Van Rensburg, president of Coca Cola/Keurig Ventures, in a statement. “Offering people more of the brands they love in the popular Keurig hot brewing system is a natural extension of our strategic partnership while development of our sparkling and still brands for the innovative Keurig Cold at-home system continues.”

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

The Non-Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at Beverage Marketing Corporation detail how established categories ― like carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, fruit beverages ― and emerging beverage segments ― such as plant milks, ready-to-drink coffees and teas ― are navigating these shifts.

This important industry event is a learning and information sharing experience for warehousing, distribution and fleet management professionals who will have the opportunity to continue to share ideas and network with their industry peers in a safe and productive format as we continue to navigate these challenging times.