Convention Scrapbook: Fancy Food

Flavored/enhanced waters were among the hottest category for new products at the 2008 Winter Fancy Food show in January. Talking Rain sampled its Twist line-up, including four recently introduced organic flavors (Mango Acai, West Indies Lime, Mandarin White Tea and Pomegranate Blueberry). Talking Rain also introduced actiVwater, a nu­tritionally-enhanced flavored water with half the calories of the market leader.

Other waters BevNET found at the show included four new flavors from Hint (Hibiscus Vanilla, Watermelon, Honeydew Hibiscus and Blackberry), a trio of premium imported still brands, Valais, Tasmanian Rain and Llanllyr, Function Water, an unflavored enhanced water from Function Drinks, Ferrarelle, Italy’s #1 sparkling water, and Fonte Ita­lia, a premium Italian mineral water in sparkling, slightly sparkling and still.

The show was also heavy in new cof­fee and tea products, including a new premium RTD from Jamaica called Jab­lum, using Jamaica Blue Mountain Cof­fee. Also showing new products were the Hawaii Coffee Company, Honest Tea, Steaz, Sweet Leaf and Republic of Tea.

BevNET was also impressed with the range of high-end and enhanced mixers for cocktails. One new brand was Mod- mix, the fi rst organic premium cocktail mixer line-up with flavors including Cit­rus Margarita, French Martini, Lavender Lemon Drop, Mojito and Pomegranate Cosmopolitan. Also present were mixer makers Mixerz, Stirrings, QTonic, Fever Tree, Stirrings and Hiball.

Also out in force were juice compa­nies, including new premium brand Sun Tropics, which works in mango and lime juices from the Philippines. Other new products came from Kaboom (Infinite Wellness Juices), Vita Coco (tangerine coconut water), Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices (an Australian importer) and Square Enterprises, with carrot-based fruit flavored nectar juices.