Stephanie Cernivec

As the city of Chicago prepares, yet again, to dye the Chicago River green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, many beer consumers are prepped with a small bottle of green food dye for their beers.

According to the National Coffee Association (NCA), in 2012 the United States sustained its place as the largest coffee market in the world, consuming approximately 450 million cups of coffee each day, says Nina Hughes-Likins, senior marketing manager with Synergy Flavors, Wauconda, Ill.

Although Valentine’s Day has passed, stevia is still “whispering sweet nothings” into consumers’ ears. As a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that’s sweeter than sugar, stevia is capitalizing on consumer demand for natural and healthy beverages.

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.

 Last fall, a team of researchers at Hiroshima University in Japan conducted a study which found that those who looked at pictures of baby animals, such as puppies and kittens, did more productive work afterward, as reported in an article in the Washington Post.  

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.  

 We’ve finished the countdown, the Times Square Ball in New York has dropped, and it’s time to shift gears into 2013.  

 According to Bill Leber, director of business development for Buchs, Switzerland-based Swisslog, “Capital decisions cast long shadows.”  

In comic books, superheroes like Batman, Spiderman and Superman use their special powers to protect cities and the people within them from harm.