Food & Beverage Insights by Beverage Experts at Imbibe

This episode gives a nod to the top 10 trends we're predicting for 2021.

Spoiler alert:

- Immunity Boom: Shout out to the following brands for launching immunity products in 2020: Propel (immune support), Sway (Energy + Immunity), Uncle Matt's (Ultimate Immune), B1U (Ocean Spray, I Want Immunity Water), and Cloud Water (+ Immunity)

- Mood Boosters: Products that help reduce stress and anxiety will continue to surge.

- Transparency: If you're not on the transparency train, you may be left behind. This is an important consideration for players throughout the supply chain.

If any of the trends we've identified spark ideas for you, Imbibe is here to help. Email us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.imbibeinc.com to jumpstart your project.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is touted for its many perceived benefits (both in and outside of food/beverage). Some proponents suggest that this abrasive ingredient helps with weight loss, regulating blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and contributes to a healthier gut thanks to it being a natural source of probiotics.

Listen to this sound bite for brands to support if you're interested in tasting a more palatable version than straight ACV (though we know some consumers prefer their daily shots of vinegar).

Shout outs to brands that are incorporating vinegar into their product line(s): Bragg's, Kevita, Neuro beverages, Shivelight, Horballs, Element and Shire City.

For more on beverage development: www.imbibeinc.com or email us at [email protected]

The CSD sector has been on the decline for the past 15 years, with 2020 showing a 19% decline in the U.S. (statista), much of which can be attributed to Covid-19's impact, especially in the foodservice sector. Still, Covid hasn't prevented some innovators from spicing up this category with nutritional profiles and ingredient statements that better align with consumers' priorities of today (and in some instances, this is accomplished with actual spices).

Shout out to a few better-for-you brands that didn't make it into the episode, but that we are watching: Zevia, Olipop, Wave Soda, and Xoca.

For more on food and beverage trends: https://imbibeinc.com/category/trendspotting

Email us at [email protected] to learn how we can support your beverage development process.

Ingredient spotlight on l-theanine, as this amino acid rose 87% on packages from 2017-2019, and we expect growth to continue. It's naturally found in tea (higher doses in matcha), and may have several benefits, including enhancing cognitive performance. That's just one of the reasons we're expecting more brands to incorporate and call out this ingredient as a star in their formulations. If you're looking to develop or flavor a beverage, reach out to us at [email protected] or sign up for trendspotting on our website: www.imbibeinc.com. Keep imbibing!

White Claw sales were up 250% in 2019, but new entrants are popping up left and right in the spiked seltzer subsegment. Listen for insights on the hottest drinks that'll cool consumers down this summer and beyond. Shout out to brands that didn't make the episode but continue to be contenders in this space: San Juan Seltzer, Lift Bridge, Middlecoast, Oyster Bay Brewing, Crook & Marker and Evil Genius. Have a beverage idea and need support? [email protected] or www.imbibeinc.com for more info.

At Imbibe, we talk a lot about plant-based, but we're usually talking about the alt-milk that will follow in oat's footsteps. Today, we wanted to present an emerging sector, that we're designating the other kind of plant-based - apple cider vinegar and juice based drinks that exist to make consumers feel better. Though many of these products are premium and may have a higher than average price tag, we predict that more mainstream brands will be talking about their super-tonics, super-herbs and super-elixirs in the coming years. Shout out to brands who didn't make it into this episode (we see you): Herbert Sparkling Phytotonics, Proper Wild, Ethan's, Yerbary and Favor Shots. Email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.imbibeinc.com to learn more about how we can make your beverage pop in the marketplace.

The recommended daily value of fiber is between 25g and 38g of fiber, but according to a 2017 article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, only 5% of Americans are getting an adequate intake of fiber. This leaves tremendous opportunity, and we’re starting to see more beverage brands capitalize on this consumer need by injecting fiber (and a corresponding front of pack fiber claim) into their beverages. Shoutouts to brand that didn’t make it into this podcast but that are on our radar: Iconic Protein Kids, Wanu Water, Premier Shake with Oats and all of Koia’s products. Listen to learn more about where fiber is finding itself in the beverage sector. Email us at [email protected] to keep the fiber conversation going.

Magnesium is a critical mineral that assists with nerve and muscle function and energy production. Adults need between 310 and 420 mg a day and though it's naturally found in many nutritious foods (leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, avocados, figs, salmon and tuna) there are also many supplemental products coming to market to support healthy magnesium levels. Listen to this 5 minute bit on beverages that are calling attention to this macro-mineral. Do you have a magnificent magnesium mixture that you want to incorporate into a beverage product? Email us at [email protected] to tell us about it!

Listen for insights on how the alcohol landscape is changing. In case you forgot, wine consumption was down 1% - representing the first fall in 25 years. Beer and cider was also down in 2019. Though we're seeing DIY cocktail kits and restaurants offering cocktail and alcohol delivery in response to closures brought on by coronavirus, we still expect a lot of innovation (especially in the way of spiked seltzer) in the No and Low (NOLO) alcohol sector. Shoutout to hard seltzer brands: Arctic Summer, Bold Rock, Briggs, Colorado Spiked Seltzer, Crook & Marker, Ficks, O & A, Wild Basin, Willie's Superbrew and Vista Bay ~

In times of distress, we often see an uptick in nostalgic products and flavors across categories, and the Coronavirus pandemic is definitely inducing collective stress, panic and fear among many consumers. We see bread baking taking hold, whipped coffee, and other DIY kitchen experiments, but this episode focuses on CPG and some beverage segments and brands in particular that have seen a surge in the wake of this virus crisis. If you want to know what consumers are drinking in the era of Corona, you've come to the right place.