The Weekly Sip is Food Dive’s column focused on the latest news in the rapidly changing and growing beverage sector. From inaugural product lines to big investments and controversial topics, this column aims to quench the thirst for developments in the category.
Peet’s brings a spark to summer with new drinks
Major coffee maker Peet’s is entering the warmer months with a new lineup of beverages to add some sunshine to the season.
Peet’s Coffee has announced the Bright Collection, a lineup of blends available in ground coffee and Keurig K-Cup formats.
Sun Catcher contains citric and nutty notes, with flavors of strawberry jam and honeysuckle, according to the brand. Off the Grid, a medium roast, features fruity and caramel flavors, and also contains undertones of milk chocolate, almond butter and pear. The coffee blends are available at Peet’s locations, grocery stores and on Amazon.
The brand is also capitalizing on the growth of unique, bubbly iced drinks with a new lineup of fizzy beverages at its stores, the Sparkling collection. It includes Sparkling Grapefruit Cold Brew, which Peet’s said evokes the Paloma cocktail. Sparkling Passion Fruit Black Tea contains fruity flavors and simple syrup. Sparkling Lemonade features a bubbly iteration of the classic summer drink. The Sparkling beverages are mixed with Q club soda, according to the brand.
With a fast trend cycle, big box coffee brands like Starbucks and Dunkin’ compete for consumer dollars by launching seasonal drink offerings and trendy mashups. Peet’s launch of coffee blends helps satisfy its base of coffee afficionados, while its iced drinks appeal to younger consumers. Nearly 24% of consumers drink iced coffee daily — according to a 2023 survey by World Coffee Portal — and Starbucks reported 75% of its beverage sales came from cold offerings in the third quarter of last year.
San Francisco-based Peet’s, a longtime staple of the coffee category, has steadily grown its presence in the space since its launch in 1966. Earlier this year, parent company JDE Peet’s signed a licensing deal to produce and sell Caribou Coffee for $260 million.
— Chris Casey
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Courtesy of Lipton
Lipton refreshes with green tea overhaul
Lipton is overhauling its green tea portfolio with five new varieties of reformulated blends and fresh fruit flavors.
The tea offerings, which the brand claims deliver a “great smooth new taste,” come in five flavors: Signature Blend, Decaf, Lemon, Peach and Honey Ginger. They started rolling out to major U.S. retailers and e-commerce channels in May.
“With reformulated blends and refreshing fruit flavors, I’m thrilled for tea drinkers to experience Lipton’s great tasting green tea innovations that also support well-being,” Racquel Harris Mason, president of North America Lipton Teas and Infusions, said in a statement.
As part of the rollout, the brand is launching a “2 Cups to Goodness” mantra that encourages consumers to drink two cups of tea each day as a way for them to get flavonoids — phytochemical compounds present in many plants, fruits, vegetables and leaves — into a person’s diet.
Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., and it can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. Roughly, 15% of tea consumed is green.
Fortune Business Insights estimated that the global green tea market is projected to top $35 billion by 2032, a compound annual growth rate of 8.1%, from $13 billion in 2019, due to increased awareness of its health properties.
— Christopher Doering
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Courtesy of Frog’s Leap
Frog’s Leap hopes Flycatcher wine will make a buzz
With many hazy and warm summer nights on the horizon, Napa Valley winery Frog’s Leap has debuted a new offering to consumers.
Its latest wine, Flycatcher, is a 2022 California red with a fruity taste and spicy hints of earthy-floral notes.
The wine is available (on the winery’s website, direct to consumer) for $35, and is designed for both casual and more formal settings. Frog’s Leap said on its website the wine is able to be paired with a variety of foods, from fancier offerings to just pizza.
One way Frog’s Leap aims to stand out in the wine space is through its sustainable approach to packaging. The Flycatcher wine is available in ultra-lightweight glass with a wash off label, which boosts its recyclability, according to the brand.
“This wine is not only a love letter to California’s diverse terroirs, offering a fresh, juicy, and deliciously drinkable experience, but it also carries a serious message,” said John Williams, Frog’s Leap’s founder and winemaker, in a statement. “By introducing a lightweight bottle with an easily removed label, we’re taking our first step towards a future where wine bottles are reused rather than discarded.”
While traditional wine has declined in consumption with younger drinkers in recent years, premium offerings are growing in popularity. Higher-priced wine now makes up roughly three in every 10 liters of wine consumed in the U.S., a 10% growth over the past decade, according to IWSR data. Large beverage companies are taking note; last month, Constellation Brands announced it will acquire premium pinot noir and chardonnay maker Sea Smoke for an undisclosed amount.
— Chris Casey