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Home » Topics » Opening Thoughts

Opening Thoughts
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Opening Thoughts: The Great Natural Color Catchup

May 15, 2026

When it comes to the transition from artificial food and beverage colors to natural colors, the US is 15 years behind Europe. And there is a concerted, even frantic effort now to catch up.

That was my biggest takeaway from this month's BevTech conference, an annual gathering hosted by the International Society of Beverage Technologists. This is where the nation's beverage scientists go to discuss "The Science of the Sip," as this year's event was themed. The 350 professionals in attendance engineer and manage everything from ingredients to PET blow molding needed to get a drink from formula to shelf. I opened the conference with an overview of industry trends before taking in several presentations and a few extremely technical breakout sessions.

Right now, there isn't a major food and beverage company that isn't working on the shift...


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Opening Thoughts: Lessons from the Olive Grove

April 23, 2026

Laura and I drove for hours across the countryside of Southern Spain earlier this month and never lost sight of an olive tree.

We pulled off the highway not far from Granada to visit, unannounced, a small olive oil producer. The gracious staff fought through a...


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Opening Thoughts: The Numbers are In. Fact Book 31st Edition

April 8, 2026

This special issue of the BD newsletter is a high-level overview of our comprehensive 31st Edition of the Beverage Digest Fact Book, which we released today. The Fact Book details all-channel sales results across the US non-alcoholic beverage industry for 2025, offering a look at the intense competition within the U.S. non-alcoholic beverage business...


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Opening Thoughts: Industry Intelligence as Competitive Input

March 25, 2026

Beverage Digest's enterprise license is becoming a popular option for organizations — including bottlers — that need to stay current on the beverage industry. It's the most efficient way to ensure intelligence flows to everyone in a company who can use it.

A single license can cover unlimited users across BD's core premium products: the BD Newsletter, the Coke and Pepsi Systems, the Keurig Dr Pepper System, and the Fact Book. Each subscriber gets an individual login and round-the-clock access. Onboarding is straightforward through a custom company page, so professionals can sign up and start reading immediately. Billing is simple: one invoice at annual renewal, no per-seat juggling.

For companies where beverage industry intelligence is a competitive input, an enterprise license converts it from a line-item expense into an institutional resource — making it easy to share BD's market insights and data with every colleague who needs them.

Some bottlers even extend access to frontline sales associates as a professional benefit, giving those associates a wider industry view. BD becomes a tool that helps create richer, more contextual customer conversations up and down the street.

For more information on enterprise licensing options, email HERE to start the conversation.


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Opening Thoughts: Coke, No Pepsi at Radical Buc-ee's

March 5, 2026

Buc-ee's has up to 120 gas pumps, bans big rigs, and has cleaner bathrooms than your house. If you haven't visited, it’s one of the wildest, most customer-friendly convenience stores you’ll ever encounter.

Inside, you can buy anything from clothes to packaged snacks and ...


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Opening Thoughts: From PMS to Skin care, Niche Brands Focus on Women

February 17, 2026

Liquid Youth, a brand highlighted in today's Noteworthy Launches, is part of a spate of health and wellness beverages seemingly—or explicitly—aimed at women. The collagen water is “designed to nourish your skin, hair, nails, and joints, empowering your beauty from the inside out." The drink, packed in...


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Opening Thoughts: Drive-Thru-Only Coffee and Coke's Costa Dilemma

February 4, 2026

During a recent trip to see family in Louisville, Kentucky, I saw firsthand the rapid rise of drive-thru-only coffee shops.

Cruising around the suburb where I spent many summers as a kid, I ran across a 7 Brew and a Scooter's within a half-mile of each other.

Since my last visit several years ago, 7 Brew has opened at least 10 locations and Scooter's at least eight in Louisville. Yet another fast-growing drive-thru chain, Dutch Bros, started moving into the city just last year.

This is a familiar suburban trend across...


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Opening Thoughts: Gratitude

January 14, 2026

My immediate family spent Christmas week in San Diego — biking, whale watching, talking around a beach bonfire. We played cards, shared meals, and took time to unwind. The twist? Four of us also work together — just like many of the beverage bottlers we serve.

Most of you know my...


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Opening Thoughts: Looking Ahead to 2026

December 22, 2025

If you joined us for Future Smarts last week, you know what a compelling and inspiring day it was. If you were unable to attend, we’d love for you to experience the insights and networking firsthand next year. I’ve...


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Opening Thoughts: Dipping Into F1

December 3, 2025

I got the chance to join a friend in Las Vegas for the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix late last month. This global motor sport has captured the attention of young US consumers, and brands are piling in with sponsorships to attach themselves to the fervor. In October, Apple agreed to pay a reported $750 million for exclusive rights to broadcast F1 races for US audiences for the next five years. Coca-Cola first put its name on an F1 car, a McLaren, in 2019.

Just this week, PepsiCo announced a global partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team starting next year. Mercedes is among the most valuable and elite teams in open wheel F1 racing. The marketing partnership covers...


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