PepsiCo’s SodaStream has new competition from kitchen appliance maker Ninja. The Ninja Thirsti Drink System launched in late July. The company sent me a unit to try. Here are my observations:

— The primary difference in Thirsti versus SodaStream is that drinks are produced by the glass instead of by the bottle. With SodaStream and most other sparkling water appliances, including Aarke and Drinkmate, water is carbonated inside a multi-serve bottle. The user removes the bottle and pours in flavor syrup, shaking the mixture by hand. With Thirsti, water is drawn from a reservoir that is refillable and removable for fridge chilling. Changeable concentrate pods automatically release...

If you haven’t yet listened to BD’s new podcast, The Breeze With Beverage Digest, I hope you will.

Our debut episode, “Is Gatorade Beatable?” explores Coca-Cola’s mission to use a combined BodyArmor and Powerade to overtake sports drink leader Gatorade in the coming years. Coke leaders are through being an also-ran in this category, and PepsiCo has no plans to give up its supremacy. That will make for great competition, even as the category shifts beneath both companies’ feet with the emergence of “rapid hydration.”

Episode 2, “Is Sprite Beatable?” delves into PepsiCo’s Starry lemon-lime soda launch and the company’s plans to disrupt the dominance of Coca-Cola’s Sprite. We discuss how Sprite spent decades embracing hip-hop and the NBA to build a loyal consumer base, and how PepsiCo has decided to start from scratch with Starry to reach Gen Z consumers after years of struggles with lemon-lime brands including Sierra Mist.

I’m joined for both podcasts by...

CEO Says Tractor ‘Not Looking to Get into Any Battle’ With Soda Giants. 

A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

PepsiCo-owned SodaStream is evaluating how to expand its March launch of Pepsi syrup mixes beyond California, US General Manager Mark Fenton told BD in an interview.

Carbonated soft drink (CSD) pricing at US retail for the first six months of 2022 jumped more than +13.0%, and that was before pricing increases that were added this month by...

The beverage industry is full of niche and regional brands that find ways to remain relevant as consumer trends come and go. We drop into two such brands today – Jel Sert and Ale-8-One. Each has a century of history that started with determined founders.

Jel Sert began life in 1926 making instant gelatin desserts. Founders Charles and Lillian Wegner created the product using...

Concentrate pricing for major soft drinks brands including Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and Dr Pepper rose in the US by between +6.4% and +8.0% in 2022 compared to 2021, according to pricing memos obtained by BD. Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Coke Zero Sugar rose...

This week’s issue covers important discussions swirling within the US bottling systems for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. One story relates to Coke’s new alcohol beverage strategy (pg. 6). The other involves to PepsiCo’s distribution strategy for Gatorade (pg. 2). Make sure not to miss them. Separately, recent product launches including Coca-Cola Starlight (pg. 15) and Nitro Pepsi (pg. 16) got me thinking about how important it is for snack and beverage brands to reach young consumers. As a beverage writer, I am fortunate to have a built-in focus group...