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Among the newest products in the genre is "Purple," an
antioxidant-heavy blend of seven different fruits that the
company bills as a healthful drink on its own and one that
can counteract the effects of excess to boot. And under the
slogan "Detox while you tox," it is clearly the latter
it is pushing heavily at this show.
Ted Farnsworth, chief executive of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Purple Beverage
Co., said that mixing it with alcohol actually gives the antioxidants more
of a punch -- and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is.
While he said he encourages responsible consumption, Farnsworth
vowed, "You drink (Purple) and vodka until you can't walk
and if you have a hangover, I will buy it back from you --
including the vodka."
Duane Updike, a founding partner of Natural Patches USA, isn't
offering a money-back guarantee but claimed his product, a
nicotine-patch style formulation of vitamin B1, is 98% effective
in preventing hangovers.
"You put one on before you start drinking and it maintains
20% to 30% hydration," he said, thus foiling one of the
main culprits of morning-after agony.
High energy high-test
And then there are the beverages designed to keep you from
getting to bed at all. Among them: Wide Eye, a new line of
schnapps liqueurs from Constellation Brands (STZ). In flavors
including Cherry Bomb and Mango Chili, a standard 1-1/2 ounce
pour of the 60-proof drink contains about the same amount of
caffeine as a can of PepsiCo's (PEP) Mountain Dew, or about
55 milligrams, equivalent to half a standard espresso.
Also on display was VS vodka, an 80-proof product infused
with caffeine and taurine, from wine and spirits importer Wingard
USA.
"There are a lot of people drinking vodka and Red Bull
and rum and Coke," said James Goldstein, Wingard's president. "V2
allows the people to have a lot of the elements they want in
a lot of different flavor combinations."
And even more are on the way, he adds, including R2, a rum
version and T2, for tequila drinkers.
While all alcohol labels have to be approved by the federal
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, an arm of the Treasury
Department, the advertising and packaging of supposed energy
drinks that come already infused with alcohol has come under
scrutiny by activist groups and some politicians. Earlier this
month, a probe by a group of state attorneys general into the
marketing of such beverages put a pair of the world's largest
brewers on the defensive. Anheuser- Busch and Miller Brewing
have vehemently denied that the products in question -- which
include A-B's Tilt and Miller's Sparks line -- are deceptively
labeled or target minors.
That trouble was only compounded on Thursday after the nonprofit
Center for Science in the Public Interest told and that it's
going to sue them over the products, charging young consumers
of them are "more likely to binge drink, become injured,
ride with an intoxicated driver, or be taken advantage of sexually
than drinkers of conventional alcoholic drinks." The Washington-based
group wants a permanent injunction that will bar the companies
from combining stimulants with alcohol and "disgorgement
of the companies' profits from Bud Extra, Tilt, and Sparks" into
a charitable fund.
'Mixability' the new push
So, all things considered, it might be a better idea to let
the consumers concoct on their own -- and the show featured
plenty of "mixability" options along those lines.
For instance, front and center at Coca-Cola Co.'s (KO) booth
was a combination of its lime-flavored Full Throttle with Brown-Forman's
(BFB) Finlandia vodka. Well-known energy drink makers like
RockStar and Monster were also highly visible, as were some
newer, licensed products including one under the Playboy (PLA)
name that the adult entertainment company touts as a way "to
give consumers a taste of the lifestyle that has always been
associated with the Playboy brand
And then, seemingly counterintuitive to the age of the category's
target demographic, is the Jimi Hendrix Liquid Experience's
Voodoo Vibe. Aging baby boomers aren't big consumers of energy
drinks, something the Calabasas, Calif.- based company hopes
to change while still tapping into the newer generation. After
all, Hendrix, the rock star who died of a drug overdose in
1970, remains far more popular than even many of today's biggest
stars, said Kelly Kalichman, chief creative officer.
"This guy had an early demise -- 37-plus years ago --
and still sells over 2 million recordings a year," he
said. "That's a note that most new bands can only dream
of."
Frost Shots to riding coolers
One of the more unusual products -- and one that could draw
some fire should it become a hit -- is Frost Shots, a Colombian-made
blend of various spirits that the company bills as the world's
first frozen liquor shot. The company superheats the beverage
to over 320 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping the temperature
to -212 degrees -- and then puts in it a sleeve measuring 10
by 2 inches that can be frozen and refrozen at will.
The result resembles nothing so much as a grownups-only version
of a Fla-Vor- Ice. Juan Echeverri, the Miami-based parent company's
president, stresses the product comes in child-proof packaging
and won't be marketed to minors.
"We just want adults to be able to lick their liquor," he
said.
Other out-of-the-ordinary offerings on display included:
* FlipShotz, wooden paddles with magnetic shot-glass holders
spaced apart so that a group of people can all down them at
exactly the same moment. Inspired by the classic "yard
of ale" chug, President Tony Rizzaro says they have lined
up as many 24 people at one time -- "and with less spillage
than you might think."
* Pop'n Shots, a package of granules similar to the famed
Pop Rocks candy designed to be put in the moth prior to taking
a shot. Try it once, said Lynn Hesson, CEO of Raven Manufacturing
and a drinker will quickly be getting his or her friends to
do the same. He sells them to bars for a dime each and said
the response so far has "been crazy -- just off the charts." Bartenders
can offer them as a bonus with a shot of the patron's favorite
poison.
* O2, a British import that claims to be the "world's
first-ever sparkling vodka" made by a "process that
had been previously deemed impossible." The company declines
to reveal just how it makes the stuff but hastens to add its
method is already patented.
* The Cruzin Cooler, a line of motorized ice chests that can
carry a case of beer and a bag of ice -- along with a rider
-- at speeds of up to 13 miles per hour. With pneumatic tires
and disc brakes, prices range from $399 for a 300 watt electric
motor to $599 for a one with a four-stroke gas engine and range
of 30 miles. It works best on flat, paved surfaces, said company
head Kevin Beal, " but we have a 4-wheel-drive model on
the way."
* Chilldisc, a round, stainless steel bartop insert that gets
the cooler down to 26 degrees within 10 minutes and can keep
a drink "cold and fresh for virtually an infinite amount
of time."
MuchoTe Hope
Many, if not most, of the new products launched at trade shows
like this one are doomed to fail -- quickly or slowly. But
hope always springs eternal in the still-robust and relatively
recession-proof booze business. And perhaps nowhere more so
than in the hearts of Dave and Will Elger, twin brothers and
veterans of the tequila business who have struck out on their
own with the launch of MuchoTE, a 100% agave reposado with
a name that means roughly "a whole lot more."
Priced at $29.99, MuchoTE is aimed at luring drinkers away
from higher-priced brands like Patron without, they said, sacrificing
any of the quality.
"We put all the money into what's inside the bottle," said
Will Elger. "We are keeping the price down with a very
simple product, a very simple bottle -- everything we could
do."
They feel they've learned enough to go up against the big
guys in a category that, while still the second-fastest growing
spirit, is also increasingly crowded. But they do not lack
confidence.
"No more company credit cards for us; everything comes
right out of our back pockets," Elger adds. To launch
it, "I sold two condos and he (Dave) sold everything he
had."
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