Have a bet on the next big trend in the craft beverage world? One of the best events to see into the future is BevNET’s New Beverage Showdown, a competition hosted each year among emerging (and delicious!) beverage brands. Some of the past winners have signaled rising tides behind kombucha, coffee and CBD well before we saw these products en masse at our local grocery stores.
The final twelve semifinalists were announced and the pitch competition will begin June 14th. Our CanSource team completed (very unofficial) reconnaissance into these semifinalists and here is what we found:
- Cans are in. About 85% of the beverage semifinalists are in cans. Beverage cans remain the dominant packaging choice for new product introductions.
- 12oz sleek cans are the dominant packaging selection with about 50% of the products packaged in this format. Check out some of the factors that beverage brands consider when selecting their can size. We saw one semifinalist in 7.5oz sleek cans too…will that help them stand out in the end?
- Better-for-you demand is here to stay. From a clean energy drink to fermented adaptogenic plants and protein-infused water, the diversity of this category continues to impress.
- Non-alcoholic canned cocktails (RTDs) get tastier and tastier. Parch stands alone as the only product in a 250ml / 8.4oz can. And you can buy this on Amazon!
We wish all of the the semifinalists the best of luck…and the judges who have a very challenging job ahead of them! For any new beverage entrepreneurs wondering how to get their product in cans, email us at Robbie.Renfro@cansource.com.