Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/986636
The Stats According to the Specialty Food Association's "State of the Specialty Food Industry 2018" report, specialty beverage sales hit $11.7 billion in 2017—which amounts to about 18 percent of the total specialty retail market. Between 2015 and 2017, beverages grew 18 percent. The refrigerated RTD tea and coffee category made up a big part of that increase—up a whopping 63.2 percent in dollar sales and 65.1 percent in unit sales during the same period. RTD tea is thriving. According to Mintel's "Tea & RTD Tea US August 2017" report, RTD leads the tea category, representing more than half of dollar sales. The segment, which delivers on convenience and variety for time-strapped, thirsty consumers, is also responsible for the lion's share of gains, growing 29 percent from 2012 to 2017. While 79 percent of U.S. adults drink tea, 60 percent drink RTD options such as low-calorie, varieties mixed with juice or herbs, category spotlight NEW PRODUCTS Blue Buddha Organic Wellness, Raspberry Hibiscus. Made with organic brewed green tea, and sweetened with organic fair trade cane sugar, organic raspberry flavor, and organic hibiscus flowers, this RTD brew boasts healthful attributes coming from Ashwagandha extract, organic chamomile, organic Indian gooseberry extract, and organic maitake mushroom powder. bluebuddha108.com Bulletproof Cold Brew Original + Collagen Protein. Cold brew coffee made from Bulletproof's proprietary bean blend (certified to be free of 27 toxins), grass- fed butter, and signature "Brain Octane oil," a refined form of medium chain triglyceride oil from coconuts, includes 13 grams of collagen protein from pasture- raised cows. Packed in tetra pack. bulletproof.com Green Energy. Powered by pressed kale juice, coconut water, and green coffee bean extract, this sparkling organic green tea beverage offers "a clean boost of energy without the crash." drinkgreenenergy.com GT's Alive Sparkling Probiotic Cider with Pu-erh Root. A fermented beverage with therapeutic plant adaptogens and beneficial nutrients. Pu-erh root is combined with a trio of medicinal mushrooms, earthy Pu-erh tea, raw apple cider vinegar, root beer spices, and sweet Grade B maple syrup. gtslivingfoods.com HeyDay Cold Brew, Vanilla. This Fair Trade Certified cold brew is sweetened with pure cane sugar and monk fruit extract. Made with reduced-fat milk and natural vanilla flavor, it has 80 calories per 11-ounce can. drinkheyday.com Honest Tea Organic Mango Mate Black Tea. Brewed black tea with yerba mate extract, mango puree, and sweetened with organic Fair Trade Certified cane sugar, one 16-ounce bottle has about half the caffeine (79 mg) of 16 ounces of brewed coffee. USDA Organic. honesttea.com Ito En Matcha Love Cucumber + Mint Ice-Steeped Cold Brew. Through a Japanese process called Mizudashi, this tea is ice-steeped three to four times longer than normal resulting in a naturally smoother taste. Full of antioxidants and crafted with the cool taste of cucumber and fresh mint, whole leaf green tea, and finely ground matcha to deliver sustained energy. matchalove.com MatchaBar Hustle. Sparkling matcha energy drink with 120 mg of caffeine powered by ceremonial grade matcha. Contains caffeine, l-theanine, and antioxidants. With hints of lemon and lime, the original flavor is sweetened with natural cane sugar, and the sugar-free variety has five calories. matchabarnyc.com Remedy Organics Cold Brew Energy Coffee. Made with almond milk, MCT oil, maca, and probiotics, this brew is 100 percent plant-based and contains 12 grams of protein. Functional ingredients include probiotics for digestive health, MCT oil for fat burning, and maca for enhanced energy. remedyorganics.com Sail Away Coffee Co. Nitro Sea Salt & Caramel Cold Brew. Cold brew steeped for over 24 hours and then infused with nitrogen, this canned brew features sea salt from the Amagansett Sea Salt Co. sailawaycoffee.com Shaka Tea. Naturally sweetened with monk fruit, and caffeine-free, Shaka tea is made from māmaki, a plant indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands and known for its antioxidant and health benefits and rich mineral content (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper) Available in Pineapple Mint, Mango Hibiscus, Guava Ginger Blossom, and Lemon Lokelani Rose. shakatea.com 78 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com