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Special Feature GOURMET NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 www.gourmetnews.com SPECIAL FEATURE 2 0 C R A F T B E V E R A G E S Health Concerns Add Sparkle to Growing Craft Beverage Market BY LORRIE BAUMANN Encouraged by growth in the American market for nonalcoholic beverages, the natural products industry is jumping in with both feet. According to market re- search firm Lucintel, the global beverage industry is expected to reach an esti- mated $1.9 trillion by 2021 and is fore- cast to grow at an annual rate of 3.0 percent between now and then. The trend to natural flavors and sweet- ener to meet consumer health concerns and increased interest in exotic flavors are helping to drive this market growth, according to Lucintel. Mooala, for in- stance, is introducing two lines of or- ganic almond milk and two lines of dairy-free banana milk to its range of or- ganic plant-based milks. The Dallas, Texas-based company makes its Bananamilk in Original and Chocolate flavors from pureed bananas, cinnamon, sea salt and sunflower seeds. Its Almondmilk is offered in Original and Vanilla Bean flavors. The company's products are organic, kosher and vegan, and 48 fluid- ounce bottles re- tail for $5.99 from the refriger- ator case. The dairy-free milk products contain 60 calories per 8- ounce serving, and the Original Bananamilk con- tains no added sugar. Aiya's Matcha to Go offers con- venience as well as an appeal to both the health-con- scious and adventurous consumer. Matcha to Go comes from a 130-year-old company that's the largest supplier of matcha powdered green tea in the world. The Matcha to Go is packaged as a box of 10 sachets, with each sachet containing enough hand- rubbed ceremonial matcha to flavor a 500-ml (or 16- ounce) bottle of water. The user just opens the packet, drops the tea into the water bottle and gives the bottle a shake. The box of 10 sachets retails for $14.99. Up Mountain Swizzle and Sparkling Switchel are four flavors of switchel, the traditional beverage made of water mixed with vinegar. It's often seasoned with ginger, as is the com- pany's Origi- nal flavor, which is made with or- ganic ginger root, organic maple syrup and raw or- ganic apple cider vinegar. A d d i t i o n a l flavors are Yerba Mate, Lemon and Cayenne. The Sparkling Switchel is made to the same recipe as the Original, except that it's carbonated for bubbles. The four flavors of Switchel are sold in 16-ounce bottles that retail for $3.99, while the Sparkling Switchel is sold in a 12-ounce can that retails for $2.99. Each contains 54 calories per 8-ounce serving. Powell & Mahoney Craft Cocktails of- fers four non-alco- holic sparkling cocktail mixers that also work as beverages drunk right out of their 12-ounce cans. Original Ginger Beer, Original Sparkling Mojito, Original Sparkling Tonic and Blood Orange Ginger Beer are all handcrafted from natural ingre- dients are retail for $5.99 for a four-pack. Limitless Coffee & Tea is bottling craft cold brew coffee in 10 fluid-ounce bot- tles that retail for $3.49. The coffee beans are air-dried indoors, dehusked and roasted for a brew that delivers fewer toxins and cleaner flavor than conven- tional coffee drinks. The company offers Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Original fla- vors as well as Sweetened Matcha green tea. The Chicago-based Limit- less Coffee & Tea company is just a year and a half old, and it was started by a founder who wasn't pleased to learn that the beans for conventional coffees are generally dried out in open fields, where they're suscep- tible to con- t a m i n a t i o n by local l i v e s t o c k , according to Hilal Tabsh, the com- pany's Executive Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy. In the Limitless process, the beans are wet-washed and then air roasted with a machine that's rather like a giant popcorn pop- per. The result is a brew that's free of off flavors that can be intro- duced by contamination from the envi- ronment, Tabsh said. "When we talk healthy, we walk the talk," he added. "We're here for the long haul and not just to be another cold brew." Diabolo is a line of French sodas of- fered in six flavors packaged in 16-ounce cans. The sodas are fortified with B vita- mins and are all natural, with no sodium and no artificial sweeteners – they're sweetened with cane sugar and stevia. "It has to do two things important to the French – it has to taste good, and it has to be low calorie," said Michel Langlais, the company's Owner and Founder. Langlais started the company six years ago, but he reformu- lated all of its prod- ucts three years ago to be all natural as well as uncompromising on taste, he said. The sodas are moder- ately carbonated and contain just 30 calories per serving, with two servings per 16-ounce can. Flavors are French Lemonade, Mint Lemonade, Tangerine Pomegranate, Blueberry Lemonade, Dragonfruit Plum and Acai Berry Guava. The French Lemonade and Acai Berry Guava are labeled Diabolo Loco and con- tain some caffeine to be energizing. Dia- bolo retails for $1.49 per can. "It's a quality product at a price point which is affordable for more people," Langlais said. Finally, TREO is a brand of organic birch water infusions. The company points out that birch water, which comes from hand-tapping birch trees, much as maple syrup comes from tapping maple trees, is a unique ingredient that bright- ens flavor, contains naturally occurring micronutrients and antioxidants and contains naturally occurring xylitol, which adds sweetness. The TREO birch water beverage is offered in four flavors: Strawberry, Peach Mango, Blueberry and Coconut Pineapple. It's sold in 16-ounce bottles and each serving contains just 1 g of sugar for a 10-calorie count. To make the beverage, hand-tapped birch water from Vermont trees is added to fruit juice concentrates. There are no ar- tificial flavors or colors, and they're USDA-certified organic as well as Non- GMO Project Verified. The 16-ounce bottle retails for $2.49 to $2.79. GN

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