As consumers continue to adjust to the new year, their thirst for healthier versions of favorite beverages also continues. In the Readers’ Choice: New Product poll for January, Beverage Industry readers’ selected Frankly Organic Vodka as their favorite new product release.

Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar, both brands of The Coca-Cola Co., released a new flavor variety: Orange Vanilla Coke and Orange Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar. 

smartwater, a brand of The Coca-Cola Co., introduced two new additions to its lineup: smartwater alkaline and smartwater antioxidant. 

Diet Coke, a brand of The Coca-Cola Co., released two new flavors of its zero-calorie sparkling beverage: Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava. 

To keep operations streamlined and humming along, the Coca-Cola system in North America embarked on a milestone commitment nearly a decade ago to reshape its North American bottling operations by returning ownership to local partners.

Sprite, a brand of The Coca-Cola Co., launched Sprite Lymonade, a blend of the original Sprite flavors with a splash of lemonade, the company says. 

The agreement is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of high-grade recycled content PET for use in bottles used by The Coca-Cola Co.

Alcohol brands Bacardi and SVEDKA and Dunkin' launched new marketing campaigns. Bud Light announced a music festival to coincide with the 2019 Super Bowl game in Atlanta.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, has completed the acquisition of Costa Ltd. from Whitbread PLC. The $4.9 billion transaction follows approval from regulatory authorities in the European Union and China. The acquisition was first announced Aug. 31, 2018.

Helping to guide the legacy company through this latest evolution is James Quincey, The Coca-Cola Co.’s president and chief executive officer (CEO).