New Name in Vodka
Mark Anthony Group, Vancouver, B.C., extended its White Claw hard seltzer brand into vodka. Its new line includes bottled White Claw Premium Vodka in original as well as three flavored varieties:

Mango, Black Cherry, and Pineapple (in 1L, 750ml, and 50ml bottles). Also new are ready-to-drink canned White Claw Vodka + Soda in Pineapple, Peach, Wild Cherry, and Watermelon flavors.

"We disrupted the industry, creating an entirely new taste in the Hard Seltzer category with White Claw by bringing new thinking, technology breakthroughs, and our unmatched iconic flavors to market,” said Anthony von Mandl, O.C., O.B.C., founder & CEO.  “The same innovative spirit and technological know-how inspired the creation of our premium vodka—we believe the vodka category is ready for its White Claw moment."

Flavorful Appeal 
Waterloo Sparkling Water Corp. Austin, Texas, extended its sparkling waters line with two new “nostalgic and uniquely refreshing” flavors.

“Waterloo Orange Vanilla is inspired by the frozen orange treats of warm summer days, with a hit of zingy, sun-ripened orange that mellows out to a smooth, rich vanilla,” the company says. “And, Ginger Citrus Twist features a balance of ginger notes and zesty citrus—provoking soothing memories of ginger ale with the sophisticated, grown-up flavors of ginger beer.”

Waterloo Orange Vanilla and Ginger Citrus Twist Sparkling Waters are available at select retailers nationwide.

New Taste in Hard Tea
Molson Coors Beverage Company, Chicago, extended its Arnold Palmer Spiked Half & Half line with a new flavor: Spiked Raspberry. Officials say it delivers “the classic taste of iced tea and lemonade flavor you know and love, now with a splash of natural raspberry flavor and 5% ABV.”

"The hard tea market is booming and consumers are looking for fresh innovations from the brands they already know and love," said Joy Ghosh, vice president of Above Premium Flavor at Molson Coors Beverage Company.

Arnold Palmer Spiked Raspberry Half & Half comes in 24oz single-cans and is distributed in 24 markets nationwide (primarily Midwest, Northeast).

Essence Flavors, Zero Sugar
The Clearly Food & Beverage Company Ltd., Toronto, announced two new additions to its Clearly Canadian line of premium sparkling waters.

New Clearly Canadian Essence comes in two flavors: Grapefruit and Limon. They contain only sparkling Canadian spring water and natural vegan flavors no added sweeteners and only natural ingredients. Debuting this July is Clearly Canadian Zero Sugar in four “true-to-fruit” flavors: Forest Blackberry, Fresh Cherry, Citrus Medley, and Tropical Splash.

Both Clearly Canadian Zero Sugar and Clearly Canadian Essence 11oz bottles will be line-priced to the current "Originals" portfolio.  

New Regular Flavor
Keurig Dr Pepper, Frisco, Texas, added Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream—in Regular and Zero Sugar varieties—to its permanent line-up. Official say this latest flavor innovation “will be the only strawberry and cream-flavored dark soda in the market today.”

"Our expert team of flavor scientists are constantly innovating to bring to life new varieties that will surprise and delight treat seekers and our existing dedicated fans," said Senior Vice President of Dr Pepper Brand Marketing John Alvarado.

Milk Tea
milkadamia, Burr Ridge, Ill., closed last year by introducing milkadamia mult-serve Milk Tea, a ready-to-drink, lightly sweetened Milk Tea with black tea and macadamia milk. Officials say milk tea’s global popularity is growing with Millennial and Gen Z consumers and its possibly the first in the United States to be packaged in 32oz cartons.

“Our new Milk Tea served with friends ignites moments of classic social fluency. So many friendships can be traced back to sharing tea together,” said CEO Jim Richards.

Milkadamia’s Milk Tea has 100 calories per serving and debuted in January in major retailers and clubs with an MRP of $6.99. The tea also is available for foodservice.

New Formula, Zero Sugar
PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., greeted the new year by introducing “new and improved” Pepsi Zero. Officials say the product’s upgraded recipe “uses a new sweetener system to land a more refreshing and bolder taste profile” than the previous Pepsi Zero Sugar variety.

"At Pepsi, we put our consumers at the forefront of everything we do," said Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer – brand Pepsi. "Our R&D team leveraged the best new beverage technology to upgrade our Pepsi Zero Sugar product to give fans the best tasting cola in the zero-sugar category. The product is truly a breakthrough as it is the best zero sugar cola we've ever had – period. We're so confident in its taste, that we are making up to 10 million free Pepsi Zero Sugars available to consumers so that people can try it for themselves."