Beverage industry veterans Duane Stanford and John Sicher analyze the latest trends revealed in the Beverage Digest Fact Book, discussing the surprising rise of Sprite over Pepsi and the continued dominance of functional beverages.

• Non-alcoholic beers gaining mainstream acceptance as daytime alternatives to diet sodas
• THC beverages operating in regulatory "Wild West" environment likely to face increased scrutiny
• Sprite overtakes Pepsi to become America's third-ranked carbonated soft drink
• PepsiCo has a long-term strategy as a "total beverage company" too
• Functional refreshment drives growth in "gut sodas" like Poppy and Olipop
• Energy drinks remain strong despite economic pressures due to functionality and flavor variety
• Liquid refreshment beverage market shows bifurcated growth—water and energy drinks up
• Sports drinks category puzzlingly weak despite functional benefits and strong brands
• Coca-Cola implementing unified "sandwich strategy" with Body Armor and Powerade
• Economic pressures and potential tariff impacts creating uncertain environment for beverage industry

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