Coca-Cola’s Powerade will reassert itself in the US this year with increased marketing and advertising spending, and two major product introductions. A new Powerade Power Water will go head-to-head with PepsiCo’s Propel fitness water for the first time since Propel’s introduction 20 years ago. Like Propel, the sugar-free electrolyte- and vitamin-enhanced Power Water will target lower-impact workout occasions or casual daily hydration. The second new product, Powerade Ultra, will focus on endurance workouts ranging from triathlons to body building...

Pepsi Café. PepsiCo has announced a new coffee-infused cola to launch in April. Pepsi Café will be sold in 12-oz slim cans in original and vanilla for a limited time. The drink comes with almost twice the caffeine of a regular Pepsi, according to the company. The product appears to...

Keurig Dr Pepper Chief Commercial Officer Derek Hopkins has been as close as anyone to the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple. Hopkins served as chief integration officer for the transaction and before that was president of Keurig Green Mountain’s US business. His experience in the global beverage industry is deep, with stints at Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Bacardi and Guiness Diageo. The following is a recap of his Future Smarts conference interview in Dec. 9 in New York.

7-Eleven hosted its second-annual “Brands With Heart” event to get an early and organized look at the crowded pipeline of US food and beverage startups. BD spoke to Harkness to better understand 7-Eleven’s strategy around emerging brands.

Coca-Cola has now confirmed details of its mainstream sparkling water launch, which we first wrote about in August (BD 8/29/19). Called Aha, the brand’s March debut will challenge National Beverage’s LaCroix and PepsiCo’s Bubly. Until now, Coke has resisted entering the mainstream sparkling water category with a sweeping challenger, opting instead for line extensions of Dasani and Smartwater, plus Topo Chico. Aha marks a reversal of that strategy as Coca-Cola aims to capitalize on the struggles of market leader LaCroix while slowing down the relatively unchecked growth of category disruptor Bubly. Aha’s success will depend largely on Coke’s ability to grab consumers’ attention in a crowded category that offers little differentiation between mainstream formulas.

Convenience store retailers are among those looking to better understand the hectic and uncertain US market for CBD-infused beverages. A raft of CBD products from ready-to-drink coffees to relaxation shots have flooded the market since Congress legalized industrial hemp production late last year, even though the FDA hasn’t legalized CBD for use in foods and beverages. To help store owners make better sense of the market, the convenience store trade group NACS hosted CBD workshops and a “CBD Pavilion” at the organization’s annual trade show, held this year in Atlanta. The CBD display area was a first for NACS. Underscoring the challenges of the emerging category, the CBD Pavilion ...

A photo gallery with this story catalogs the 25 beverage products on display at NACS’ CBD Pavilion.

This year's NACS trade show in Atlanta, with exhibits that covered the space of almost two football fields, offered a first look at innovation being sold into retailers for 2020. The products pictured are some of the newest innovations from Coke, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper and Nestle. These products mostly launch late this year and early next year.

The meal replacement shake category is worth watching. One such purveyor, Huel, is planning a bricks-and-mortar expansion in the US, according to CEO James McMaster, who spoke to BD this week from New York...