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Within the last five years, global launches of carbonated drinks have grown significantly, according to a December 2012 report by the Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights titled “Carving New Niches for Carbonates.”

Vermont Hard Cider Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Bret Williams estimates that when he joined the Middlebury, Vt.-based company in 1996 as its first sales associate that the company shipped approximately 300,000 cases a year. In 2012, the company shipped 3 million cases of its Woodchuck Hard Cider brand, he says.

Among the pumping bass, neon lighting and professional dancers at this year’s nightclub-themed National Distributors Conference for HEINEKEN USA, White Plains, N.Y., a subsidiary of Amsterdam-based Heineken International B.V., the company announced that, for the first time in five years, Heineken Lager is back in the black.

For cold and flu season, allergy season and everything in between, drug stores provide consumers with the advice and relief they need for their ailments.

For brands with a rich history, the challenge often is to find fresh ways to stay relevant to new generations of consumers.

“It can be intimidating to walk down that wine aisle,” says Danny Brager, vice president of beverage alcohol for Nielsen, New York. “There are so many items, sometimes it’s difficult to navigate down the aisle because you just see this sea of bottles.”

The old saying goes, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” It’s not too hard to apply that saying to the U.S. beer market as analysts recognize the role different tiers and segments play in the category’s efforts to bring its case and dollar sales positioning back to pre-recession levels.

When consumers are enjoying a glass of cucumber water after a massage, purchasing a pint of their favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, or ordering a cocktail at the bar, they’re typically not thinking about how these everyday decisions could be affecting the spirits they find at retail. 

 Whether it’s the ambiance, celebrity sightings, exclusivity, cocktails or a combination of all of the above that attract consumers to nightclubs, it’s clear that the “cool factor” is a must-have for success.  

 Chicago-based Fair Oaks Farm Brands Chief Executive Officer Steve Jones knows the importance protein plays in a balanced diet.