Like consumers during Christmas and New Year's Eve, the readers of Beverage Industry feel the love for whiskey as 73 percent of voters named Stillhouse Spiced Cherry Whiskey their favorite new beverage in Readers’ Choice: New Product of the Month poll for November.

Consumers’ desires for functional, healthy, yet refreshing beverages has placed a greater demand on manufacturers’ research and development (R&D) divisions.

Although Tom’s work will not be part of Beverage Industry’s publication anymore, his legacy will be remembered by the staff and readers as a man who truly was passionate about his work.

More beverage companies are turning to contract packers to fulfill their growing needs.

In Beverage Industry’s annual Best Packages poll, the editors selected 10 package designs across the alcohol and non-alcohol beverage markets.

Heritage brands are finding more ways to ensure consumers who are looking for something new and exciting will find favor with storied brands through new product innovation. In the recent Readers’ Choice: New Product of the Month poll for October, we saw that the readers of Beverage Industry feel the same way.

To aid beverage manufacturers, color suppliers are working to develop stable and vibrant natural color solutions as more consumers seek clean-label beverages.

If social media is any indication of what millennial consumers want, it is likely that we will see more innovation coming out of these beverage categories as beverage-makers look to reach this generation.

When it launched five years ago, Suja Life LLC was focused on bringing organic, cold-pressed and high-pressure processed (HPP) juices to a broader consumer base. Now, the Oceanside, Calif.-based company has spread its wings to deliver the same quality and health benefits to more beverage categories through its new 200,000-square-foot facility.

Within the beverage market, one segment in particular has shown the power of “local” — craft beer.