Many high street coffee chains are failing to make progress towards the UK government’s voluntary sugar reduction targets (overseen by Public Health England) with their festive milk and milk alternative hot beverages – most of which would be eligible for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – according to a new nationwide survey by Action on Sugar, based at Queen Mary University of London.

The survey, which analysed both the sugar and calorie content of the largest available sizes of hot chocolates and seasonal lattes made with milk and milk alternatives (i.e. oat, almond, coconut, soya, rice-coconut) by popular high street chains, revealed certain seasonal beverages contain almost as much sugar as three cans of Coca Cola.

All of the largest available size products surveyed would receive a red traffic light for total sugars (>13.5g/portion) – the exception being Costa’s Gingerbread Latte (Medio) (made either with milk, soya or almond milk).

When it comes to seasonal lattes, Starbucks ranks the highest with its Gingerbread Latte with Oat Milk with over 14 teaspoons of sugar (56.6g) and 523 calories per portion – the equivalent of eating 17 custard cream biscuits. If the same hot beverage was served with almond milk instead of oat milk, this would reduce the sugar content by 4.5 teaspoons of sugar (18g).

Sugar content of seasonal lattes (largest available from each outlet):

According to the survey findings, the overall worst seasonal drinks offender is Starbucks’ Signature Caramel Hot Chocolate with whipped cream, using Oat Milk (Venti). This extra-sweet beverage has 23 teaspoons (93.7g) of sugar in one drink, and 758 calories – the same as eating four white chocolate and strawberry muffins.

In comparison, Leon Hot Chocolate (regular) has just over four teaspoons of sugar (17g) and 257 calories, demonstrating that lower sugar drinks can be made and enjoyed.

While there are sugars naturally occurring in cow’s milk, the type of milk used has a large impact on the sugar and calorie content of beverages. Unsweetened milk alternatives are naturally similar or lower in sugars than cow’s milk, however many are sweetened to mask off-tastes. For example, Starbuck’s Oat Milk Venti Latte has over seven teaspoons of sugar (29.5g) and 350 calories per serve compared to Starbucks Almond Venti Latte which has under three teaspoons of sugar (11g) and 121 calories per serve.

Action on Sugar is now urging the government to ensure that the mandatory soft drinks industry levy will be extended to both sugary milk and milk-alternative based drinks in order to inform consumers and protect their health.

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Top of list was how much companies have diversified their product offerings following shifts in consumer attitudes towards health and wellness. For example, Coca-cola delivered on its promise to become a ‘total beverage company’ through acquisitions across multiple industry sectors including dairy alternatives, energy and juice drinks and its acquisition of Costa Coffee for £3.9bn.

A topic on everyone’s minds, not just in the beverage market, is the battle against waste, particularly in packaging. The strength of consumer demand for sustainable packaging solutions is driven by industry collaboration and company innovation.

Over 100 brands signed up to the UK’s ‘Plastic Pact’, while PepsiCo joined Nestlé, Danone and Origin Materials in the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. When asked about the effect of a tax on plastic products, Davison found that 79% of global consumers indicated their shopping behavior would change.

In the UK, Government and industry have reflected this sentiment in a number of actions this year. The Government continues its consultation on a UK-wide deposit return scheme (DSR) for drinks containers. Starbucks introduced a ‘latte levy’ of 5p on single-use paper cups, Clipper Tea launched plastic-free teabags and consumers are increasingly more likely to go for a reusable cup for their coffee on the go.

Functional beverages continue to remain popular, with the perceived health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) driving a surge of interest amongst young consumers in 2018.  Constellation Brands and Molson Coors made significant investments in August and both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, while not actively exploring the segment, are keeping a close eye on its developments.

Interest in plant-based drinks has grown markedly in 2018, from non-vegetarians and vegetarians/vegans alike. Davison says market volumes are set to increase by 5% in 2018 after key developments from Starbucks with its launch of its Protein Blended Cold Brew, together with launches from PepsiCo and Coca-cola’s AdeZ and Innocent brands.

GlobalData’s report, ‘‘TrendSights Overview: Individualism & Expression – Exploring the impact the Individualism & Expression mega-trend has on innovation across the FMCG space, 2018”, revealed that consumers are looking for more bespoke, individual experiences, with 61% of global consumers expressing an interest in creating their own products.

With over 170,000 ways to customize drinks in Starbucks stores alone, this isn’t a trend that will disappear any time soon. This concept could be widely adopted by ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, providing consumers with more choice by offering customization with convenience, such as tailoring the flavour and sugar content themselves by using a syrup-based sweetener stored in the cap as in Kolibri Drinks’ range of botanical beverages.

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However, a new report from Fact.MR finds that ready-to-drink (bottled) tea consumption is growing globally — not just in the APEJ and US markets. According to the study, global consumption of bottled tea is expected to surpass 41 million liters, growing at a Year-over-Year of 3.4% in 2018 over 2017. Overall growth of the bottled tea market  can be attributed to:

• Increasing appetite for specialty teas and their easier availability;
• Health-conscious consumers preference for healthful tea beverages;
• Millennials’ developing palate for different RTD bottled tea flavours;
• Accessibility of bottled tea across various sales channels.

“The bottled tea marketplace is profoundly impacted by evolving consumer sentiments wherein vendor revenues dwindled half a decade ago on the back of a contagious low- or no-sugar beverage trend,” says Sanjeevani Dubey, a senior analyst at Fact.MR. “As manufacturers ramped up the production of no-sugar tea varieties, the bottled tea market surpassed USD $47 billion in 2017 and the status quo is highly likely to continue in 2018.”

The study reveals that the demand for still variety of bottled tea will witness over 35 million liters consumption globally in 2018. However, sparkling tea revenues are set to grow at a 6% Y-o-Y in 2018 over 2017. This expansion can be attributed to growing demand among millennials and Generation Z for sparkling iced tea. New varieties of sparkling iced tea (Sound Sparkling Organic Tea, Kombucha Wonder Drink Sparkling Fermented Tea, as well as Lipton Sparkling Tea) continue to hit the marketplace as manufacturers aim to meet this demand.

Conventional bottled tea has remained the primary choice among tea lovers until the arrival of organic teas. The study finds that the consumption of conventional variants will hold over 80% of the total bottled tea consumption in 2018. However, demand for organic variants is growing rapidly wherein consumption will increase over 4 million liters in 2018 over 2017. Brick and mortar retailers globally and online channels now offer a variety of organic bottled tea.

Black tea remains the overwhelming “leader” among RTD tea, with Fact.MR’s  study showing that 30% of bottled tea consumed in 2018 to be black tea. A rise in findings surrounding black tea’s potential health benefits are contributing to its continued popularity but green tea corners the market on perceived health benefits, aiding in its growth. The study estimated green tea occupied one-fourth of the global bottled tea consumption in 2017. Traditional recognition of green tea as a medicine and a higher concentration of antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) continue to encourage green tea consumption globally.

Food and beverage trends tend to start in the foodservice channel, and RTD tea is no exception. According to the study the HoReCa (Hospitality, Restaurants, Cafés) market continues to present a significant demand for bottled tea. Keeping pace with consumer preferences for eating outside the home and for ready-to-eat foods, RTD tea companies are significantly investing in HoReCa. (See “Restaurants & Foodservice: Please Consider Premium Freshly Brewed Iced Tea” in T&CTJ May 2018.)

RTD tea’s growth, according to study, will continue its upwards steady trend following increasing consumer preference for ready-to-drink and healthier-for-you beverages and innovations surrounding flavours (new tea varieties, exotic flavour and ingredient infusions), formats (new delivery methods beyond traditional bottles and cans) and styles (unsweetened, slightly sweetened, fresh brewed, all natural, organic, high in polyphenols, probiotics, or antioxidants, etc), and as manufacturers focus on expanding their global footprints. The Fact.MR report tracks the bottled tea market for the period 2018-2027. According to the report, the bottled tea market is projected to grow at nearly 4% CAGR through 2027.

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Made from the waste of sugar cane crop, the cup will naturally break down at room temperature and will fully decompose within one year. This is by far the greenest and best alternative to the traditional plastic lined cup and plastic lid, served by many other coffee retailers that take decades to break down. The launch will help reduce the estimated 2.5 billion coffee cups sent to waste entering landfill every year and will help save countless amounts of trees.

Commenting on the launch, Alistair McCallum-Toppin, co-founder and managing director of AMT Coffee says, “It has taken years of research and development to source a fully bio compostable coffee cup and lid. Thanks to new green focused technology and our demand for change, we are delighted to introduce our new 100% bio-compostable coffee cups and lids across all AMT Coffee bars, which are made from sugar cane waste which is a natural plant-based material, and which will decompose within one year.”

The new bio-compostable cups and lids are hitting AMT’s coffee bars in time for the holiday season. “Although it has the usual festive message, this year we wanted to make a serious statement about the importance of making the change for our blue planet and all that depend on it. We only hope the others will follow,” says McCallum-Toppin.

The new cup was designed by McCallum-Toppin together with AMT’s in-house creative team. The ‘Let’s make the change’ Christmas message is inspired by the ocean, marine life and all who rely on it.

AMT Coffee Limited, is an independent, quality and customer-driven business founded in 1993. An ethically-focused company, AMT was the first national, independent UK coffee brand to move to Fairtrade coffee in 2004, and for over 10 years has served its pure double shot Fairtrade coffee exclusively with organic milk. AMT can be found in train stations, airports and hospitals. The company started life trading from a cart on the streets of Oxford. Two decades later, AMT has over 50 coffee bars across the UK and Ireland.

For more information or to contact AMT Coffee visit www.amtcoffee.co.uk.

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“It’s the most wonderful time of the year and we wanted to get the entire family into the holiday spirit by offering flavours they love that are reminiscent of the season,” says Sam Ferreira, president of Gloria Jean’s Retail Food Group USA, based in Santa Fe, California. “Our new menu items have arrived just in time for winter with festive options for both non-coffee drinkers and caffeine-lovers! We invite all Gloria Jean’s fans to stop by while shopping this holiday season, on their way to work or just because, to enjoy these delicious new creations they can’t find anywhere else.”

Available for a limited time, Gloria Jean’s Coffee’s winter seasonal menu items include:
Holiday Beverages:
o Jack Frost “Latte” – Made with silky-textured steamed milk, Santa’s Cookies & Milk powder, almond syrup and ground cinnamon, topped with whipped cream and blue sanding sugar.
o Sleigh Ride Cookie Mocha – Specially made using silky-textured steamed milk, perfectly extracted espresso, GJC chocolate mint syrup and GJC white hot chocolate powder, then topped with whipped cream, crushed Starbrite Peppermints and Oreo cookie crumbles.
o Jack Frost Un-Coffee Chiller – A caffeine-free treat featuring an icy blend of GJC’s Santa’s Cookies & Milk powder, ice-cold milk, almond syrup and ground cinnamon, topped with whipped cream and blue sanding sugar. (Guests can enjoy this beverage with a shot of espresso, for an additional charge.)
o Sleigh Ride Cookie Chiller – An icy blend of the brand’s signature cappuccino base, GJC white chocolate powder, Starbrite Peppermints and Oreo cookie crumbles, topped with whipped cream, Starbrite Peppermints and Oreo cookie crumbles.

Whole Beans: All seasonal whole beans are available in 12-oz bags for purchase in-store and online.
o Egg Nog – A blend of whole beans featuring flavours of sweet cream, nutmeg and warm holiday spices, with a hint of vanilla.
o Winter Wonderland – Gloria Jean’s signature winter flavoured whole bean reminiscent of sugar cookies and caramel, lightly spiced with cinnamon.
o Christmas Morning – Enjoy the sentiments of the season with this full-roasted blend, infused with surprisingly sweet undertones and an enticing, smooth finish.
o Holiday Cheer – For an instant warm and cozy feeling, try this medium-blend featuring the flavours of buttered rum with a hint of cinnamon. Also available in decaf.
o Mocha Merrimint – The perfect balance of cool mint and rich dark chocolate. Also available in decaf.
o Cinnamon Hazelnut – Features a blend of cinnamon and hazelnut.
o Jamaican Blue Mountain – Velvety smooth and well balanced, with a silky mouthfeel and subtle notes of nutty spice. A true rarity in specialized coffee. MSRP is USD $74.99 (per 12-oz bag).
o Hawaiian Kona – Gloria Jean’s Hawaiian Kona are 100% Kona beans, no blends, and feature notes of chocolate and caramel. MSRP is USD $59.99 (per 12-oz bag).

Available through 6 January 2019, the Jack Frost Un-Coffee Chiller & “Latte” and Sleigh Ride Cookie Chiller & Mocha, along with this season’s whole bean offerings, will be featured on Gloria Jean’s menu at all nearly 60 locations in the US alongside an assortment of chillers, mochas, lattes, hot cocoa, baked goods and pastries, whole beans, and retail merchandise. For the full menu, locations and the complete list of whole beans available for purchase, visit www.gloriajeans.com.

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Christmas Strawberry Cake Milk
Japan – Strawberry Christmas cake is one Japan’s most beloved holiday traditions, made with fluffy sponge cake, whipped cream and strawberries. Starbucks new holiday beverage is inspired by the sweet confection, made with steamed milk, strawberry compote and white mocha syrup, finished with whipped cream, strawberry topping and crushed biscuit. Also available as a Frappuccino-blended beverage.

Snowy Cheese-Flavoured Latte
China – A new holiday beverage made with baked cheese-flavoured sauce blended into classic espresso and topped with light whipped cream, blueberry-flavoured sprinkles and star-shaped crisps.

Toffee Nut Crunch Latte
China, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe – Shots of rich espresso join the flavours of buttery toffee nut and subtle notes of toasted nuts in the Toffee Nut Crunch Latte. The crescendo is a whipped cream peak sprinkled in a crunchy toffee nut topping. Sip it hot or have it blended with ice for a cool and cozy treat.

Christmas Dessert Latte
China – Inspired by the traditional British Christmas pudding, Christmas Dessert-flavoured Latte combines steamed milk, espresso and Christmas pudding flavoured sauce that’s finished with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce and mixed fruit sprinkle.

Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha
Latin America – Back by popular demand, Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha, Starbucks signature espresso is combined with freshly steamed milk and luscious white chocolate, then topped with whipped cream, a tart cranberry drizzle and crystallized cranberry sugar.

Duo Cocoa Mocha
Asia Pacific – Chocolate meets coffee with the new Duo Cocoa Mocha, made with silky swirls of dark and white chocolate fancifully combined with rich espresso. Finished with whipped cream, half drizzled in mocha and the other half dressed up with a dash of crunchy cocoa nibs. Available hot, iced and as a Frappuccino-blended beverage.

Speculoos Latte
Asia Pacific – Spice cookies, called speculoos in Belgium, are a winter favourite in Europe. It’s also the inspiration for this new beverage, where caramelly sweet goodness and fragrant warm spice dance with bold espresso. The beverage is topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and spice cookies for added crunch. Available hot, iced and as a Frappuccino-blended beverage. Also known as Caramel Cinnamon Cookie Latte in some markets.

Dark Cherry Mocha
Latin America and the Caribbean – Espresso with bittersweet mocha sauce, dark cherry-flavoured syrup and steamed milk. Topped with sweetened whipped cream.

Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
United States and the Caribbean – Made with rich espresso, steamed milk and flavours of caramelized white chocolate topped with whipped cream and candied cranberry sugar.

Chestnut Praline Latte
United States and Canada, Latin America – A blend of fresh espresso and flavours of caramelized chestnuts with freshly steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.

Caramel Brulee Latte
United States and Canada, Latin America – This holiday beverage features a combination of smooth espresso, velvety steamed milk and a caramel brulée sauce. It is then topped with whipped cream and a caramel brulée topping. This beverage is sure to be a returning Christmas favourite in our markets. Also available iced or as a Frappuccino-blended beverage.

Gingerbread Latte
United States, Europe, Middle East and Africa – For the ultimate drink to get you into the festive spirit, the Gingerbread Latte has everything you need. Topped with a gingerbread whipped cream and crunchy wafer, the sweet and delicately spicy gingerbread flavours mingle with espresso and steamed milk. It is finished with a touch of ground nutmeg.

Eggnog Latte
United States, United Kingdom – The return of the Eggnog Latte is celebrated by fans around the world. Made by combining Starbucks espresso with creamy, steamed eggnog and served with a dusting of ground nutmeg, it gets everyone in the mood of the season.

Peppermint Mocha
United States and Canada – A holiday classic made with Starbucks signature espresso and steamed milk sweetened with flavours of chocolate and peppermint, all topped off with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Hazelnut Mocha
Argentina and Uruguay – This local favourite features luxurious bittersweet chocolate infused with a delicious hazelnut flavour, combined with espresso and steamed milk. Finished with whipped cream and classic mocha drizzle, this delectable warm beverage has been a new holiday classic in Argentina and Uruguay for the past couple of years. Available hot, iced and as a Frappuccino-blended beverage.

Christmas Brulee Latte
Europe, Middle East and Africa – A seasonal take on the traditional crème brulée – creamy eggnog milk is steamed with a rich crème brulée sauce and mixed with fresh espresso, then finished with a few shakes of Christmas Brulée sprinkles.

Salted Caramel Brownie Hot Chocolate
Europe, Middle East and Africa – Steamed milk and mocha sauce are combined with salted caramel sauce for this holiday treat. The beverage is topped with a salted caramel brownie whipped cream and finished with a blend of brownie crumbles and salted caramel brittle for that perfect balance between sweet and salty.

Flat White with Cinnamon Spice
Europe, Middle East and Africa – A subtle hint of cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon spice is mixed with Starbucks espresso for a Flat White with a sophisticated twist (can also be ordered as a latte). Cinnamon spice sugar is steamed into milk and poured over espresso, for a festive spark with a morning coffee.

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The Mintel Group projects that the market will reach around $18 billion by 2023. Ready-to-drink (RTD) remains a fast-growing category due to continued innovation coming from a variety of brands and broad consumer appeal. In fact, 2017 saw the greatest number of RTD coffee launches, and over half of those RTD coffee launches were cold brew. Another plus for the coffee market, the London-based global intelligence firm finds that RTD is an “also” beverage. That is, it is not the first coffee beverage, it’s an “add on.”

Starbucks introduced bottled Frappuccinos in 1996 with Pepsico. “It was not the first RTD coffee product, but it was really the first mainstream one,” said Caleb Bryant, senior beverages analyst, Mintel, who presented during the National Coffee Association (US) webinar, “What’s Brewing in RTD Coffee 2018?” He noted that the market did not really start expanding until the mid-2000s, with an explosion in coffee innovation coming in the mid-2010s.

RTD coffee appeals to a wide range of consumers, which is contributing to its growth. There has been an increase in cold coffee consumption by Gen Xers, but the primary consumers are young people. Bryant said younger consumers enter the coffee market through cold, flavourful coffee drinks. Data shows Generation Z or the iGen is starting to drink coffee at a younger age — even younger than millennials. “Younger consumers’ coffee preferences will change as they grow older,” he explained, so, it’s important for brands to target these consumers early and establish brand loyalty but follow them through their coffee lifestyle.

On a side note, according to Mintel, foodservice-brand RTD coffees such as coffee shop RTDs (Peet’s Coffee, Starbucks, McCafé, Stumptown, etc) are the most frequently purchased.

The future for RTD coffee remains strong as there are occasions for RTD coffees to break into new whitespaces. “Consumers are primarily buying RTD coffees for refreshment and as a treat (cold so refreshing on a hot day, a treat because they’re flavoured),” said Bryant. “Marketers can try to position them as a snack and as hydration.”

Cold brew remains a key area of opportunity as Mintel reports that 16% of respondents prefer cold brew to other iced coffee beverages. Beverage blurring is affecting all categories, including coffee –especially cold brew – and these “hybrid” drinks satisfy unique occasions. “Most have lower caffeine content than regular RTD coffees and are often sparkling,” said Bryant offering Blue Island Coffee’s Organic Kombucha Maca Cold Brew Espresso as an example along with Keeper’s Citrus Sparkling Coffee, Rise Brewing Co’s Nitro Blood Orange Cold Brew, Stumptown’s Honey Lemon Cold Brew Coffee, and Upfruit’s Ginger Hibiscus Sparkling Coffee.

Of course, for consumers, taste is still the leading indicator of quality. RTD drinkers are interested in unique flavour experiences. “Vanilla, chocolate and hazelnut are still the most popular but there are opportunities to engage third-wave consumers,” said Bryant. He pointed to alcohol as a flavour noting that alcohol flavours are an alternative to overly sweet coffees. Examples include Starbucks Gin Barrel Aged Cold Brew and Dark Matter Coffee’s Barrel Aged Series. He added that coffee mocktails may also provide inspiration for flavour innovation.

Floral flavours are trending in alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories and can be used in coffee beverages as well, such as a rose or lavender latte.

Bryant shared that RTD coffee brands can also appeal to third-wave consumers through feel-good claims. RTD coffees that focus on sustainability, are environmentally friendly, engage in ethical sourcing, “give back,” are organic (Chameleon Organic Cold Brew Coffee with Organic Whole Milk is an example), are Fairtrade and/or Rainforest Alliance-certified or non-GMO, will attract third-wave coffee drinkers.

Functional RTD coffee is yet another opportunity for brands, which can differentiate themselves through health claims. Consumers are looking for coffees that offer a multitude of functional benefits such as anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, low sugar, added protein, added probiotics, promoting brain health, as well as low caffeine and high caffeine. “There is a disconnect as many consumers are interested in RTD coffees that help them relax but many also want high caffeine,” said Bryant. Examples include Stok Espresso Creamed Protein Coffee, High Brew Cold Brew + Protein Coffee, Coffee Blenders Lean Weight Wellness Cold Brew, and Wond’er Fuel Coconut Oil Cold Brew Coffee.

RTD coffee drinkers crave innovation and there are many new areas where RTD coffee brands can find inspiration and innovate — and innovation leads to increased consumption, and in turn, increased revenues and market growth.

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“We are excited to finally unveil the Hōjicha Co brand,” says Danielle Geva, co-founder of Hōjicha Co, the first brand to specialize in hōjicha. “There is an opportunity for a broader audience to discover and enjoy the benefits of hōjicha, and we are looking forward to introduce our roasted green tea products to the world.”

Hōjicha has taken the Japanese food industry by storm with over 90 product launches in the last year, including food products from popular brands such as Haagen-Dazs and Starbucks. According to market research firm Intage Inc, hōjicha’s share of the sugar-free tea products in Japan has already reached 3.5%, and sales have been increasing steadily year over year.

“The hōjicha boom in Japan may quickly spread internationally and could overtake matcha in the near future,” says Mitsue Konishi, senior innovation analyst of consumer at GlobalData.

The idea to bring hōjicha to North America was sparked during the founders’ recent trip to Japan, when they were offered hōjicha at a small teahouse in the Shinsaibashi district of Osaka. They had never encountered a green tea with such a pleasant aroma before and were eager to share the beverage with friends and family.

Hōjicha tea originated in Kyoto in the 1920s when a tea merchant tried to make the most of leftover tea leaves, stems, stalks, and twigs by roasting them over charcoal. Shortly after hōjicha was invented, tea shops across Japan began roasting green tea as their customers were enchanted by its deep smoky aroma and round flavour.

Roasted green tea offers many of the health benefits of traditional Japanese green tea while containing virtually no caffeine or bitterness. The recent popularity of hōjicha may have been driven by these health benefits, some of which include: lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and relieving stress. Furthermore, hōjicha’s roasting process removes virtually all the caffeine content in green tea, preventing the jitteriness that coffee drinkers experience.

After sampling hōjicha from over a dozen tea fields around the Kyoto region, the Hōjicha Co team found two distinctive teas that cater to tea beginners and tea connoisseurs alike. The initial collection of two loose leaf tea products features Hōjicha Dark Roast, a deep, smoky and sweet roasted tea and Hōjicha Gold Roast, a high-grade green tea.

Both products are currently available online at https://hojicha.co. Hōjicha Dark Roast has a MSRP CAD $15 in Canada and USD $11.50 for the rest of the world. Hōjicha Gold Roast has a MSRP of CAD $20 in Canada and USD $15.50 for the rest of the world. Retail distribution is projected for 2019.

Hōjicha Co is already working on developing and launching additional hōjicha products in the coming months, and throughout 2019.

“Our goal is to source the most authentic, high quality hōjicha from Japan,” says co-founder Francois Mathieu. “We have a comprehensive roadmap of hōjicha-related products that we want to introduce to consumers in North America and beyond.”

Hōjicha Co is the first brand to specialize in hōjicha roasted green tea. The premium hōjicha is packaged fresh directly from the fields of Kyoto, Japan. The high-quality hōjicha is naturally decaffeinated, contains no additives, and no unnecessary blending or processing.

For further information, visit: https://hojicha.co.

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Crafted with Community’s Signature Blend Dark Roast coffee and sweetened with pure cane sugar, the Iced Lattes are available in mocha and vanilla. Community Iced Lattes are made with natural ingredients, contain zero artificial flavours or colouring, and have only 230 calories per bottle. Each iced latte is comparable in caffeine content to a cup of coffee and offers a coffee-forward taste.

“We’re excited to give consumers a quality iced latte option that delivers on taste, texture and ingredients,” says David Belanger, president and CEO of Community Coffee Company. “Community Iced Lattes are coffee-forward with limited calories providing a flavourful, creamy and convenient ready-to-drink beverage.”

Like all Community coffee products, the new iced coffee drinks are made with 100% select Arabica coffee beans. Community Iced Lattes can be purchased in 13.7-ounce premium recyclable glass bottles and have a MSRP of USD $2.99

Community Iced Lattes can be found in retailers throughout the southeast including Winn-Dixie, Rouses, Market Basket and at local convenience stores across Louisiana and Arkansas. Distribution will continue to expand over the next few months. To learn more and to purchase online, visit www.communitycoffee.com.

Community Coffee Company is the largest family-owned and operated retail coffee brand in America and will celebrate its 100^th anniversary in 2019. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Community Coffee is an importer, roaster and distributor of the highest-quality premium coffees and teas, using only 100% Arabica coffee beans.

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Super Coffee, a functional ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee with 10g of protein, 5g of MCT Oil, 0g of sugar, 80 calories and 150 ml of caffeine, was originally created in brother Jordan’s dorm room at Philadelphia University in 2015 under the brand name Sunniva, which means “gift from the sun.” The student athlete wanted a healthier alternative to the bottled coffee and energy drinks loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients.

As they geared up for a national launch, the DeCicco brothers realized they needed to take their original vision and figure out a way to grow it. They tapped brand development and design firm Tigre, which guided them in developing a strategy for the business based on their passion and their authentic beliefs, which included: identifying their target consumer, creating messaging to translate their beliefs internally and externally, and expanding the product line. The core message, “Change Your Energy, Change Your World,” came out of this strategy.

The DeCicco brothers decided to rename the brand, Kitu, referencing both ‘key to life’ and a nod to the Keto-type diet and the company, Kitu Life. Following the rebrand, the next step was to redesign the Super Coffee line. “We needed to clearly communicate the proposition, point of difference and benefits in a consumer friendly ‘digestible’ format,” says Tammy Vaserstein, creative principle, Tigre. “We did this through the use of colour and a strong communication hierarchy that stands out on shelf and in someone’s hand.” The original wave lines evolved into a bold stripe, reminiscent of an athlete’s jersey or a flag, providing a sense of identity and performance. When viewed standing together on shelf, they create an upward motion, further communicating positive energy.

The evolutionary design retains the white background that helps the RTD coffees to stand out on a crowded and dark shelf. The wave lines are also evident in the new Kitu brandmark, designed to communicate smooth energy and to serve as a badge or seal of approval identifying ‘better for you energy’ products. “It’s incredibly important, especially for an emerging brand, that the design is ‘noticed’ when someone is carrying it – this badge identifies them as part of a team,” notes Vaserstein. A tear off label around the cap also includes the ‘Positive Energy’ message.

The shelf-stable Super Coffee line features four 12-oz RTD coffees (maple hazelnut, vanilla bean, cream black, smooth mocha) in plastic bottles with shrink wrap.

Primarily targeted to male, ‘Ath-lifers,’ who live a healthy and active life style and approach life with an athlete’s mindset; sense of drive, passion, teamwork, the rebrand is also designed to appeal to a secondary audience of men and women ages 18 – 40.

“Our goal with Kitu is to be America’s healthy energy alternative to all of the sugary options that exist today. While our original packaging did a good job of articulating the functional benefits of the product, it didn’t tell the story of what the brand stands for,” says Jim DeCicco, CEO, Kitu Life. “Tigre was able to take three years of brand building and communicate it succinctly in an attractive visual design and a messaging hierarchy that captures our culture in a concise platform,” DeCicco adds.

A sub brand of Super Creamers is also being introduced in flavours: Original, Vanilla and Hazelnut in 32-oz format. Super Creamers allow anybody to enhance their coffee, tea, or smoothie experience with zero sugar, lactose-free protein, and healthy fats from coconut oil.

Super Coffee and now Super Creamer is sold in grocery stores, convenience stores and fitness locations such as Wegmans and Fairway in the Northeast US. To drive trial, the company plans large-scale field marketing and in-store sampling.

Kitu Life Inc was founded in 2015 by Jordan, Jake and Jim DeCicco. The DeCicco brothers were each collegiate athletes with a passion for nutrition and wellness. Today, the New York City-based company has 17 full time employees and has secured several million in seed funding from private investors. Kitu is poised to raise its Series A round of funding in Q4 of 2018.

For more information visit www.kitulife.com.

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Thirst may be the first reason a consumer reaches for a beverage, but it’s the packaging that may seal the deal at the point of purchase. Increasingly, beverage manufacturers are looking to captivate customers with packaging that offers some form of personal resonance.

Whether referencing a lifestyle choice, a fond memory or an important goal, a beverage label that can connect with consumers on a deeper level has the power to stick. Consider packaging that aims to motivate workouts, sparks memories of a favourite vacation or reinforces the value of a healthy lifestyle — prompting engagement in the product experience before the consumer even twists off a cap, pulls a tab or pops a lid.

Given the growth of the market, it’s no wonder manufacturers are in a race to capture the hearts, minds and loyalty of consumers. Currently worth USD $30.1 billion, the beverage packaging industry in the United States is expected to experience 4.5 percent growth in the next decade, according to the 2018 Beverage Trends in Packaging and Processing Operations by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. In today’s competitive landscape for beverage products, more brands may take bolder steps to amplify the essence of what’s inside on the outside — particularly utilizing the power of print effects. Today’s consumers will likely not reach for a drink when they simply feel thirsty, but instead when they feel understood.

Tugging at the Heartstrings

Choosing a career path, moving to a new city or buying a home — these are all decisions highly dictated by emotion. But what about beverages? Can a person have an emotional reaction to a drink on a store shelf, and can this connection really influence their decision to purchase the product?

The answer may be “yes” as consumers continue to choose beverage products that feel familiar or strike a certain chord of nostalgia. Consider the “Share a Coke” campaign from the Coca-Cola Company, which created a way to literally attract consumers by calling their names. For Coca-Cola, which had long established its foothold in the carbonated beverage sector, this campaign strengthened customer loyalty and created buzz around the brand.

Creating this kind of label variety was no small feat, even for such a major brand, but advancements in printing technologies made the campaign possible. According to an article on Label & Narrow Web’s website, to run labels that pulled from a list of about 250 names, Coca-Cola tapped a domestic label and packaging converter company, which coordinated with printers equipped with HP Indigo digital printing technology to get the job done. With this technology, the varied labels could be done on short runs and still reflect high-quality printing.

On an international scale, South Africa-based magazine Packaging & Print Media reported that Coca-Cola repeated this collaboration with converters and partner printers to create thousands of names in multiple languages. Some international printers utilized flexographic printing as opposed to digital printing, so careful colour matching was done in order to achieve the same “Coke Red” shade across different types of printers.

Some brands have found a way to speak to customers less directly, but still with intimacy or a level of personalization that can be hard to beat. Whiskey brands Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker are actively pursuing different segments of the market and looking to expand their reach with a range of tailored products. Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack whiskey aims to reach a segment of the market that associates fine whiskey with a premium sipping experience.

According to PMMI’s report, unique packaging is what premium brands use to differentiate themselves from value brands, so mid-tier brands are now using packaging to emulate the look of top-shelf brands. With its Gentleman Jack edition that features a metalized label resembling a stamped silver plate, Jack Daniels is attempting to appeal to consumers who value finer, more original details over a traditional paper label. Some craft spirits are taking premium package printing a step further by turning to technologies that use tinted glass and other tactile labels, allowing for a more sophisticated, expensive look.

Johnnie Walker recently created “Jane Walker,” a special-edition iteration of their Black Label product, to appeal to the female demographic typically not considered a whiskey-drinking group. To substantiate the message, Johnnie Walker is donating proceeds of each bottle of the Jane Walker Edition sold to organizations supporting women’s progress.

Packaging for the Health- and Eco-Conscious

Personalization may not be the only key to sales. With an equally large demand for products that support healthy, active and clean lifestyles, more beverage manufacturers are producing drinks that come in smaller cans or bottles with fewer calories. The dainty servings not only meet demands for lower-calorie, lower-sugar products, but also reinforce the idea of portion control in a departure from decades of oversized servings.

In this era of clean labelling, consumers are also looking for natural and additive-free drinks, however, this type of beverage comes with its share of challenges for manufacturers and processers. Many of the more organic or natural beverages, like juices, are non-homogenous and become separated when standing still on the shelf. To avoid possible negative reactions from customers, brands are using shrink wraps to hide the inner contents of a bottle.

The push for clean labelling has also spurred some changes along the production line, with manufacturers having to add agitation equipment or adapt filling machinery to handle the different behaviours of more natural beverages.

For the athletes shopping in the beverage aisle, the extra aid that sports drinks promise can offer a massive appeal. Some brands have introduced a way to target different types of athletes, taking customization to a new level. Gatorade, for example, developed a product line that provides multiple drinks to be consumed at specific stages in a workout. If this product line speaks to a particular athlete’s established routine, Gatorade may have just increased a customer’s purchase from only one drink to three — right at the point of sale.

On top of nutrition, brands can also gain selling power in sustainability. By offering an eco-friendly product that can claim it creates less waste, a brand is able to connect with growing consumer concern for the environment. One way that manufacturers are addressing this shift is by using digital printing, which in general is considered more cost-effective and environmentally friendly for the short runs that occur with label variation. Digital printers, like the HP Indigo technology used for the “Share a Coke” campaign, have been recognized for their eco-friendly benefits of reducing energy and supplies in each round of printing.

Some beverage manufacturers are also going green by utilizing eco-friendly materials like vegetable oil-based inks or water-based inks, which can be used in conjunction with digital printing technologies. These inks not only dry quickly and deliver a high-quality print, but also minimize the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are usually heavily present in traditional solvent-based inks. UV inks offer similar benefits in that they “cure” at rapid rates and release minimal VOCs, and they also allow for high-quality digital direct printing on glass or PET bottles.

Advances in Printing Propel Brands

The beverage variety that we see on the shelves today can be tied to the growth of technologies that enhance the flexibility of lines, speeding and simplifying changeover between different product runs. With increasing consumer demand for a wide selection of beverages, manufacturers require the ability to swap labels out and change production over many more times than they likely had to in the past. Changeovers that used to happen only once a day or week now may happen three times in one shift in order to generate the masses of personalized or targeted products customers crave.

To achieve this rapid changeover, many manufacturers have turned to digital printing, which allows for labels to be diverse and to be prepared and quickly applied. With this technology, generating a graphic for a label is a more efficient process and can be done in a more immediate timeframe, reducing costly downtime. The speed of this equipment also coincides with the need for products to be delivered to the store in as fresh of a state as possible. Packagers can generate digitally printed labels closer to the time of production; ensuring consumers receive beverages that did not spend months in storage before shipment.

The prevalence of digital printing systems is a result of the technology becoming more accessible every day. At a price point that doesn’t break the bank, the adoption of digital printing is an easier choice to swallow. Now that the technology can be used for shorter runs of products like 30,000 units, it is arguably becoming a more difficult decision to stick with traditional printing technology.

Beyond digital printing, technologies that create larger and bolder imagery are taking hold. Shrink sleeve technology is being used more on cans and bottles, according to PMMI’s report. For example, a craft brewer might place a shrink sleeve over an entire six-pack. This style of package printing facilitates easier packaging line changeover and is helpful for companies that produce a variety of beverage types or flavours in the same can shape.

Yet, some brands prefer paperboard over shrink sleeves, because paperboard can retain its imagery and shape after being opened, whereas shrink sleeves become ripped, distorted and likely discarded at the first use. In many cases, the brand may choose paperboard as the outer packaging in the hopes that a consumer will keep the container in the refrigerator or on the counter. Regardless of the choice in material, either option provides a brand the added benefit of more images, more information and the chance to tell a greater story about the product.

‘Niche’ is the Key to Market Growth

The importance of differentiation in the beverage industry is perhaps best witnessed in the bottled water market, where, arguably, the same liquid is being portrayed as an entirely different product depending on the customer toward whom it is being marketed. Brands design packaging and labelling elements to match their target demographic, and these elements become differentiators that can justify a product’s shelf space.

For example, Evian and Fiji waters present themselves as clean, natural waters that are sourced from exotic locales around the globe. Their use of clear bottles that reveal an inside label showing striking landscapes along with declarations of purity help communicate this message. Meanwhile, waters like Core, Essentia and Smartwater sell themselves as waters that boost physical and cognitive health and ‘go the extra mile.’ Then there are brands like Vitaminwater and La Croix, which are still considered ‘waters’ despite adding flavours and/or carbonation to their products to appeal to those seeking something just a little different from regular water.

Convenience and Innovation

But the trend for finding a niche falls across all beverage sectors, where companies clamor to be different and stand out during selection. Sometimes that niche can be found by offering reliable convenience, such as a Capri-Sun pouch with a straw, or sports drinks with flip-top caps. Other times, it can stem from an original packaging innovation, such as beer giant Coors’ Coors Light label featuring thermo inks that react to temperature changes. This label conveys information that the beer has reached the perfect chilled temperature and is ready to drink, and it also offers an interactive feature that is simply fun for the customer.

This type of ‘cool’ can graphic is a more recent development, as metal packaging graphics have traditionally improved at slower rates than paper labels. Improvements like thermo inks, light-responsive, glossy, matte and tactile inks are all a result of better coating technologies, PMMI’s report states. Overhauls in can printing quality and capabilities have also occurred over the last five years, with dots per inch (DPI) increasing from 120 to 130 and high-definition separation work, platemaking and printmaking all improving.

Still, while utilizing emerging technologies and finding the right niche is crucial to operations, manufacturers must also focus on staying relevant. Claiming ownership over a unique space in the market is only sustainable for as long as the brand is willing to adapt and adjust to consumer concerns and lifestyles. Beverage brands that hone in on their product’s differentiator but can continuously transform its appearance are likely to quench customer demands for decades to come.

Tom Egan is vice president, industry services, PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies). PMMI represents more than 800 North American manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials as well as providers of related equipment and services to the packaging and processing industry.

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“We intend to disrupt the USD $5 billion ready-to-drink tea market by introducing organic products specifically created to meet growing consumer demand for heathy, good-for-you, great-tasting drinks,” says Roy G Warren, CEO of Gratitude Health, Inc. “Our tea tastes better and is healthier than the over-brewed, sugar-saturated offering generally available to American consumers. We are excited to have completed our inaugural production run and our team is moving quickly to arrange distribution for our ready-to-drink teas to retailers.”

Warren founded Gratitude Health this year. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-based company produces beverages that promote and support healthy aging. All Gratitude Tea flavours have an average of 417 mgs of polyphenols per bottle (in a recent study, the Journal of Nutrition reported that greater than 650 mgs per day is demonstrably effective.) Polyphenols are the phytonutrients found in vegetables and plants, which are very rich in antioxidants and have proven to be great fighters of free-radicals, which cause numerous diseases.

The new Gratitude Heath RTD teas feature unique packaging delivered to consumers in a 15-oz, mason-jar-like bottle designed to be “upcyclable” or repurposed. Each feature one of five debossed pieces of art displaying five elements: the sun, the moon, the ocean, the earth and love. Each design is unveiled by the consumer when the beverage label is peeled off. The designs are covered at random, are not flavour specific and are intended to be a surprise value-add to the customer’s drinking experience. The bottle foot-print fits in all store refrigerated display racks and automobile cupholders.

“Glass is the most ecofriendly container in the world and our bottle is potentially more so because people may just want to keep it,” said Andy Schamisso president and COO of Gratitude Health, Inc. “We anticipate some upcycling, some artistic customer creations, some useful re-use and repurposing and some love from what we believe is a welcome change to the typical presentations on the shelf today.”

For more information, email: info@organicgratitude.com.

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1. Today, four in five (79%) adults drink coffee at home.
2. Drunk by 62% of adults, instant coffee is the nation’s number one coffee drunk at home, followed by ground coffee (24%) and coffee pods (15%).
3. However, as many as one in five (20%) say they would be embarrassed to serve instant coffee to their guests. But it is the nation’s young (aged 16-34) who are Britain’s top coffee snobs, 31% of whom would be embarrassed to serve a cup of instant coffee.
4. 32% of coffee drinkers say they are interested in making cold brew coffee at home, rising to 53% of 16-34-year-olds.
5. Almost half (46%) admit they find it difficult to get going in the morning without a cup of coffee.
6. A third (32%) of British coffee drinkers add sugar to their coffee, while 68% add milk or cream to their cup and 5% add a flavoured syrup.
7. The high streets may be lined with coffee shops, but 71% of coffee drinkers believe takeaway coffee cups are bad for the environment. Opting for a more environmentally-friendly approach to their brew, three in ten (30%) coffee drinkers take a thermos/flask to drink on the go.
8. Keeping with sustainability, 83% of coffee drinkers would like coffee packaging to be fully recyclable, but just 41% of coffee launches in 2017 carried an environmentally-friendly packaging claim. A further 45% of coffee drinkers are interested in reusable coffee pods that they can fill with their own coffee.
9. While caffeinated coffee is most popular, 20% of coffee drinkers have decaffeinated coffee in their diet. Overall, 18% of Brits worry about being too reliant on caffeine, while 46% say it’s difficult to know how much caffeine is safe to drink.
10. A quarter (26%) of coffee drinkers say they drink coffee before a workout to boost their exercise performance and 46% believe drinking coffee has its health benefits.

Anita Winter, Mintel research analyst, said: “The British have become a country of coffee drinkers. While instant coffee is the nation’s most favoured variety, the popularity of artisan coffee shops has helped some coffee drinkers, especially younger ones, to regard themselves as coffee connoisseurs. Many consumers are even ashamed to give their guests the instant version, perhaps because they believe that some instant coffee is cheaper and therefore inferior.

“Cold brew has enjoyed an increasing profile in coffee shops, so much so that many Brits are considering making it at home. Brands can make the most of this by highlighting specific coffee variants that are particularly suitable for making cold brew and increase new usage opportunities.”

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As I watched the tea bags remain in both cups, I thought about how plastic in tea bags has become quite an issue this year, but more so in the United Kingdom than in North America. In its 2018 Tea Report, Tetley revealed that one in five consumers are drinking more tea than they did a year ago. According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, British consumers drink 60.2 billion cups of tea every year, 96% of which are brewed using tea bags. Many of the most popular British tea-bag brands reportedly use a sealing plastic called polypropylene to fasten the tea bags and retain their shape.

The subject of plastic-free packaging for food and beverages has become of greater interest to British consumers following Sir David Attenborough’s program, Blue Planet II, a 2017 British nature documentary series on marine life that showed how much plastic is in the world’s oceans and seas, and the damage it is causing (its predecessor, Blue Planet, debuted in 2001).

“There has been a wave of interest from both the consumers and the press in plastic free, with many companies scrambling to become plastic free by 2020,” said Andy Byron, sales and trade marketing executive for Brentford, England-based Teapigs, in “Demand for Plastic Free Tea Bags Affects Packaging Changes,” by Anne-Marie Hardie, which appears in the July/August 2018 issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The concern surrounding the harm that plastic is doing to the planet is real (I’m sure most of us have seen videos of turtles, dolphins and fish ensnared in the plastic rings found on six-packs of soda cans). However, whether plastic in tea bags is negatively affecting our health, remains to be seen. Some say the UK is over-reacting as the amount of plastic traditionally used in tea bags is minimal. The main components of tea bags are constructed of natural fibers – the plastic is used to thermally seal the bag – and filter papers adhere to all food regulations. “The concern over plastic in teabags is completely unfounded. Tea has never posed a health risk to consumers. Tea is a healthy beverage and messages like this do a great disservice to a product that does us good,” Shabnam Weber, the new president of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, told T&CTJ in a Q&A that appears in the September issue.

In her presentation, World Tea Trends, at Tea & Coffee World Cup, Jane Pettigrew, well-known author, tea expert and the director of studies at the UK Tea Academy, said that for some time now pyramid gauze tea bags have been available and have been promoted as ‘bio-degradable.’ However, she explained that, they are not “unless they are treated at very high temperatures. So, these do not break down in garden composters or council landfill sites.”

Many companies are now promoting PLA for cups and for tea papers. PLA – polylactide or polylactic acid – is a resin made from the carbon stored in plants by photosynthesis in the form of dextrose sugar. (The carbon and other elements in these sugars are then used to make a biopolymer through a process of fermentation and separation. The resulting resin is called PLA.) Pettigrew explained that although companies that use PLA claim it’s biodegradable — it apparently is not.

Quoting Biosphere Plastic, Pettigrew said, “PLA is not biodegradable, it is degradable. Enzymes which hydrolyze PLA are not available in the environment except on very rare occasions.”

She concluded by saying, “I’m afraid it’s still a case of ‘watch this space’ when it comes to biodegradable materials for take away cups and tea bags.”

I agree that it is a case of ‘watch this space.’ It seems that for now, at least, we will all have to wait to see what happens next when it comes to plastic-free tea bag solutions.

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Aroma and taste descriptors are most easily understood when primary flavours are referenced for the perceived attribute. When attributes are categorized into groups it becomes difficult to understand their meaning without additional training or explanations. Confusion is created when conclusions are used for flavour descriptions or when adjectives or verbs are used in place of nouns when presenting descriptions. The use of primary food terminology adheres to the tenants of TRUE descriptions. A primary food word is one that has a tangible reference found in nature, at a grocery store, or within a set of calibration standards. Familiarity with basic taste terms is developed through sensory training using calibration samples for aroma and taste and aligning with other cupper and tasters for the appropriate use of the terms.

When there is confusion, additional discussions are required to identify the actual taste or aroma character being perceived. This becomes inefficient for an operation and may result in inappropriate or incorrect descriptions being used for coffee. These additional discussions are challenging when cuppers/tasters are working to understand each description across language, regional or cultural differences. Examples of conclusion or category words that are to be avoided when communicating coffee descriptions:

• Green – describes coffee that is early-crop harvest, under-ripe, recently milled, or has not has enough time to rest before analysis. Specific tastes that could be identified individually include: grassy, green pepper, green bean, onion, and broccoli, among others.
• Aged – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Past crop – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Old – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Tired – a measurement of time not taste, used as a conclusion when coffee presents tastes and aroma of paper, malt, cereal, cardboard, oats, peanut shells, and rice.
• Processed – often used to describe decaffeinated coffee and thought to indicate over-processing to remove caffeine or the character of the water used in decaffeinated coffee processing. Specific tastes that could be identified individually include: hay, straw, paper, cereal, malt, cardboard, peanut shells, nut skins, and rice.
• Low-grown character – often used to describe coffee that lacks intensity of flavour, mild acidity, thin body, and may also include grassy, dirty or earthy undertones.
• Roasty – used to describe the effects of roasting instead of the character of the coffee, for example the taste of burnt sugar, earthy, dirty, smoky or ashy characters found in dark roasted coffees or coffees exposed to exhaust smoke.
• Edgy – used to describe coffee that is not clean and/or not sweet.
• Harsh – also used to describe coffee that is not clean and/or not sweet.
• Off-cup – used to indicate a coffee cup that lacks uniformity with other cups, or has an unidentified taint or fault.
• Bright, Crisp & Sharp – terms used to describe organic acids that are astringent, tart or lack sweetness.
• Sound – A term used to indicate when coffee is free of defects.

To avoid confusion when creating reviewing coffee sensory descriptions, it is most efficient and effective to use primary food words, which have a single item that can be used for calibration, either from a grocery store, or a flavour training kit.

Training and sensory acuity may affect the words used in creating coffee descriptions. Also, the quality of the coffee is a key contributing factor to the degree of generalization or specificity of the descriptive words used. Eg, a coffee may be described as having fruity, spicy, and nutty characters. By this description it is unknown if the cupper is a novice and has not been fully trained in identify and describing taste, or if the quality of the coffee does not allow for more specific taste characters to be perceived and listed.

Fruity is a category descriptor that obviously includes all fruits. This category can be divided into citric and berry, thus diverging on the fruit identity and increasing the level of specificity. Further detail perceptions would be to identify the actual citric fruits perceived or berries perceived. Many specialty coffee descriptions identify the individual variety of lemon or lime. This level of great details requires a highly trained cupper who is calibrated to lemon and lime standards and a high-quality coffee that has the inherent taste characteristics. Without one or even both to occur, a description that may include Kaffir Limes, Key Limes, Limequates, Meyer Lemons, Rangpur Limes, Tahiti Limes and Eureka or Lisbon lemons, will lack both credibility and believability.

Coffee Product Descriptions

Merchandising is the promoting of items for sale. Any action that stimulates the buyer’s interest and entices consideration for purchase intent is merchandising, including advertising, packaging, price, and promotion. It is most effective when the buyer understands the information which is presented in a clear and concise manner. When descriptions create too many questions, or present incomplete or include technical jargon, merchandising will adversely affect the buyer’s purchase decision.

Industry jargon and abbreviations are appropriate only when the seller and potential buyers are both familiar with the terms and a communication short-hand is appropriate. However, armatures, home-roasters and consumers may be confused by our verbal short-hand.

When offering products to consumers, additional explanations and more detailed descriptions are required, specifically answering why the information presented is important and how it will affect the quality of the coffee. Consumers expect TRUE descriptions. Information that is obvious to professionals may be unknown to consumers, thus it is always recommended to identify the information being presented to avoid confusion. Green coffee descriptions are commonly used to merchandise roasted coffee products, illustrating the relationship and importance of describing descriptions accurately and appropriately.

Each company should adopt a standard format for coffee description, which over time, will become familiar to returning customers. An important note: regular customers will gradually gain knowledge and sophistication, so before changing the format of coffee descriptions carefully consider how those changes will affect new and novice consumers. What benefits one consumer group may alienate another. Detailed explanations for coffee descriptions may be presented on the company’s web page, within the foodservice menu or retail display, and are not always feasible to include on the coffee packaging. In the foodservice environment, TRUE product descriptions and detailed explanations should always be part of employee training and available to any employee who needs to answer a consumer’s question.

Green Coffee Descriptions

Commonly used to establish provenance, promote the sourcing practices, or explain the quality of the coffee, green coffee descriptions are obviously a critical component to merchandising green coffee products and are not more common when merchandising roasted coffee products. Often a point of differentiation from one product or company to another, green coffee descriptions establish the expectations for quality, value and sensory experience.

Green coffee descriptions may require explanation relevant to quality, sensory profile, and price:

• Regional Identification – What is a Yirgacheffe or Huehuetenango?
• Varietal/Cultivar – Why is Bourbon or Geisha important to state?
• Altitude/Density & Other Identifiers – What is meant by PW, EP, HB, SHB, HG, MCM, SHG?
• Processing Types – How are the different methods significant?
• Certification – Why is it significant and what does it mean?

Recently, a colleague visited a local coffeehouse that offers specialty quality coffees in their pour-over station. The featured coffee was Panama Pacamara and the price was USD $9 for a 12-ounce cup. When compared to usual prices for pour-over, French press and vacuum pot preparation in the US, this drink is about two to three times more expensive. The merchandising and description for this expensive handcrafted beverage, Panama Pacamara, was grossly incomplete, and was further exacerbated when the barista was asked about the coffee provenance and roast development. The barista’s only response was Pacamara coffee from Panama. This exchange and poor description is tantamount to merchandising a bottle or can of craft beer as ale from Colorado and selling it for two to three times the usual price.

Both are examples of descriptions that are not TRUE.

Roasted Coffee Descriptions

The message of hospitality is to never give the customer a reason to shop elsewhere. Confusing and incomplete merchandising may force buyers to look elsewhere for coffee. When buyers are unable to connect with the product through the description there is low confidence of purchase or repeat purchases.

As professionals, we know our industry has many differences of opinions and company-specific terminology regarding quality identifications for coffee. TRUE descriptions are not vague and are aligned with the industry as whole. Examining roast level’s descriptions, the roast development spectrum may be divided into categories, there has been limited industry alignment on the use of light, medium, and dark description. Recognized roast terms used in merchandising, such as: American, cinnamon, city roast, full city roast, Vienna roast, continental roast, French roast, Italian roast, etc, are not standardized and often create confusion for the consumer. When comparing several packaged coffees that all use the same roast level identification, there will surely be several different levels of roast development or coffee colour, often with a wide range from light to dark. Consumers are further confused when seeing company-specific references. Eg, a light roast from a company that specializes in dark roasted coffees may be darker than a dark roasted coffee from a company that specializes in light roasted coffees. Standardization or a universality of roast development language or roast colour identification would contribute to greater understanding by consumers.

Descriptions are not TRUE when confusion is created and consumer expectations are not met. Flavour descriptions, roast description, coffee quality, origin information, etc, must always follow the TRUE model or a point if disconnection will occur between the seller and the buyer, or between the professional and the consumer.

Knowing the details of the contents within a coffee package or of a coffee beverage through the use of TRUE descriptions will help prevent disappointment and purchases of coffee that will not suit the preferences of the consumer.

Spencer Turer is VP of Coffee Enterprises in Hinesburg, Vermont. He is a founding member of the Roasters Guild, a licensed Q grader, and received the SCAA Outstanding Contribution to the Association Award. Turer is an active volunteer for the Specialty Coffee Association and the National Coffee Association of the USA.

The post Describing Descriptions Part II appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The One Earth Tea Bag was certified biodegradable and compostable on 17 May 2018 by Organic Waste Systems (OWS), a Gent, Belgium-based organisation that tests and certifies biodegradability and compostability of different types of materials.

One Earth is an all-natural filter media, sourced from sugar cane, providing the most natural tea drinking experience possible. One Earth’s inventor and president, Stephen Foss, created this product for the loose-leaf tea drinker. His priority is for tea drinkers to have the convenience of drinking tea from a bag without the concern of contaminates. “Our tea bag provides a great cup of tea in record time with full taste neutrality and goes completely clear when wet, which enhances the appearance of tea,” says Foss.

One Earth comes in rolls with different weights and widths. This material can be used for tea, coffee and dusty products. The material can also be embossed with a company name and/or logo. One Earth is manufactured in the USA from non-GMO biodegradable fibres, and FDA compliant.

For more information, visit: www.one-earth.world.

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The beverage segment most on trend for “multicultural inspiration” is tea, according to the Rockville, Maryland-based market research firm’s US Beverage Market Outlook 2018, which was released earlier this month. “Teas are a beverage category in which the appeal of foreign ingredients plays a role,” says David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts.

Sprinkle explains that US tea consumers are currently enjoying the many varieties of tea such as matcha, moringa and sencha, which have long been staples of Japanese and other Asian cultures. “In the US, these are marketed as individual types and used as components in tea beverages that have additionally flavoured with fruits and spices. Each of these teas also are favoured for their widely recognized health benefits, which is attractive to today’s consumers who are trending away from surgery soft drinks and juices,” he says.

In the State of the US Tea Industry 2017-18 report, Peter F Goggi, president of the New York-based Tea Association of the USA, writes, “Consumer interest sparked by tea’s healthfulness, variety, availability and sustainability, will hold steady, if not grow throughout 2018.”

Given these trends, Packaged Facts has outlined three international teas and a processing method to watch in the coming years that will likely drive growth in the US tea market from USD $8 billion in 2017 to $10 billion by 2022:

• Matcha Tea – matcha is a highly nutritional form of green tea with high concentrations of potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and fiber as well as high levels of L-theanine, an amino acid that is said to have a calming effect on consumers, despite having substantial amounts of caffeine. L-theanine offers health benefits in terms of strengthening the immune system as well as providing an energy boost. While matcha has been available in the US for a number of years in select markets, it has now entered the mainstream market. Evidencing this, Unilever introduced its first home-brewed matcha teas to its Pure Leaf line of hot and iced tea products in 2017.
• Moringa Tea – with origins rooted in India, moringa is a tea made from the leaves of the moringa oleifera tree that is rich in antioxidants. Benefits attributed to moringa include increased energy and rapid recovery after exercise, mental and emotional balance, and healthy blood sugar levels. Ready-to-drink (RTD) moringa teas are limited, but there are many companies offering moringa teas for brewing. Packaged Facts notes that one of these companies is Terrasoul Superfoods, which has a goal of making nutrient-dense foods more affordable and accessible to consumers.
• Sencha Tea – sencha is a variety of green tea that is still relatively new to the US market (according to Packaged Facts, it is considered the most popular tea in Japan where it originates). Sencha, reported to contain more antioxidants than matcha, is available in leaf and powder form, as loose tea and in tea bags. Currently, most of the brands sold in the US are imports from Japan, but there are US companies offering sencha, as well.
• Mizudashi (Cold Pressed Tea Process) – the US is an iced tea-drinking nation and the cold-brewing process – which has found immense success with coffee – has begun spreading to the tea category. As with coffee, the cold-brewing process results in a smoother and less bitter beverage. Furthermore, cold brewing is said to better preserve the health benefits of the tea than preparing it through a hot-brewing method. In March 2017, ITO EN North America, the US division of the Tokyo, Japan-based company, launched a lineup of ice-steeped, cold brew RTD teas in the US. The beverages leverage authentic Japanese cold brew processes, ice-steeping the tea to bring out the smooth, naturally mellow sweetness of green and black teas. They are available in retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Wegmans, and online at Amazon.com.

Companies looking to enter or raise their profile within the competitive and crowded US tea market, might want to explore opportunities within one of these key areas.

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The Best of the Grocery Store Coffee survey had no coffee criteria according professional cupping protocol like those used by the Specialty Coffee Association or Cup of Excellence, rather, it was based on the taste preferences of the editorial team and cost (a daily, morning cup from a coffee shop valued at USD $3 was deemed too steep).

A surprise criterion was the “microwaveability” of the coffee. This aspect was important to the author who felt that coffee should not be wasted by throwing it out because it had cooled. Instead, cold coffee could be microwaved and should therefore still taste good when reheated. The author stated the he owns an automatic drip coffee maker, two French presses, and a pour-over, so he’s familiar with the various methods.

The survey judged both canned and bagged grocery store coffee — all ground, no whole beans. Basic varieties – original, house blend or breakfast – were used, and were prepared via a ceramic pour over with unbleached paper filter and consumed black with no sugar. The coffees were tested at brew temperature, room temperature and after being microwaved to brew temperature. The coffees were assessed on four “more or less objective” metrics: flavour, price, thermal shift; whether/how flavour changes as the coffee cools; and microwaveability; whether/how the flavour is affected by reheating.

The overall best of the brands was Maxwell House, which, in terms of flavour and cost, ranked the highest but “lost points due to not being good when microwaved.” At USD $4.19 per 11.5-oz can, the flavour was deemed tasty enough and cost efficient. The runner up, was New England Coffee, which costs less than $10 per bag. If consumers wanted to “splurge,” Dunkin Donuts ranked the best at-home version of a chain store brand ($9.29 per 12-oz bag).

In cans, Maxwell House ($5.83/lb or $4.19 per 11.5-oz can) was the standout, having the “best flavour of the bunch” while still being affordable. The runner up was Café Bustelo (the least expensive option when purchasing the vacuum-packed at $5.58/lb or $6.38 per pound) but did not withstand being microwaved. Folgers Classic Roast House Blend ($6.20/lb or $3.99 per 10.3 oz tub), ranked third. (The author did admit that it felt “disingenuous to make pour over coffee from Folgers in a plastic tub” but the “results were quite drinkable.”)

In bagged coffee, New England Coffee came out on top (“reheats well” and costs less than $7.49 per 12-oz bag) followed by Green Mountain (Breakfast Blend, $9.99 for a 12-oz bag, an “impressively good coffee for the price”) and Eight O’Clock Coffee ($7.69 per 12-oz bag “but tastes more expensive”).

It was serendipitous finding this survey as during a recent National Coffee Association (NCA) Coffee Supply and Demand webinar (http://www.ncausa.org/Industry-Resources/Webinars/Coffee-Supply-Demand-2018), one of the presenters, James Watson, senior analyst, in Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness Research & Advisory Group, noted that Folgers and Maxwell House rank among the top six most popular grocery store brands with YOY growth, followed by Café Bustelo, which “has had moderate growth by carving a niche between lower priced and higher priced grocery store brands.” He added that there is “probably room for brands priced above mainstream/lower price point and premium priced grocery store brands.”

The JM Smuckers Company aims to fill this gap with its new 1850 Coffee, which is a “premium style coffee at an affordable, accessible price point.” The brand name, 1850, honours the founding date of Folgers Coffee. Launched in April, 1850 Coffee targets younger consumers – millennials and Generation Z – but “has multi-generational appeal,” Geoff Tanner, senior vice president of consumer engagement and quality at Smuckers, told me during a recent 1850 media event. 1850 has an MSRP of $7.49 per 12-oz bag. (See: https://www.teaandcoffee.net/19614/news/lead-news/folgers-new-premium-1850-coffee-brand-targets-millennials/.)

Watson stressed that any company looking to enter the market with a new brand must have enough equity to support the new brand and that a new brand must be relevant. Smuckers is supporting 1850 Coffee with a multi-platform campaign including television, print, and a heavy digital/social media contingent to reach the target demographic “where they live.” 1850’s digital campaign includes a “Bold Pioneer” entrepreneur contest in partnership with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. (See: https://www.teaandcoffee.net/20036/news/1850-coffee-alexis-ohanian-partner-for-new-bold-pioneer-contest/.)

It’s not the survey or the results that are significant — it’s the packaging format and retail channel that are. While there is much focus on specialty coffee and coffee house sales/growth, it’s important to remember that that the US market for packaged and ready-to-drink coffee sold at retail is a more than $13.5 billion industry. By 2020, market research firm, Packaged Facts, expects sales of packaged and ready-to-drink coffee in the US to close in on $18 billion. Ground coffee is still the largest contributing segment to the category, although single-cup has been quickly closing the gap. And while some consumers, who came of age being exposed to specialty coffee, may consider items like “canned coffee” outdated or unpalatable, many older and more traditional consumers are still purchasing ground coffee in cans. And those retailers that tried to shift their assortment to address the new coffee consumer by making major cuts in canned coffee found that they had alienated an important shopper segment.

The key takeaway is that whether it’s opening price point or premium, canned or bagged, the overall supermarket/grocery story coffee category is on a solid growth trend – with some segments experiencing strong growth – so those consumers should not be overlooked or ignored.

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Tea bags have been in existence for over a century offering consumers a convenient alternative to enjoy their favourite cup of tea. However, in the last decade, the industry has seen a dramatic shift in the solutions from the nylon pyramid sachet which responded to the premium market to sustainable materials. Today, consumers are taking a deeper look at what is in their tea packaging and demanding manufacturers respond to their need for a plastic free, biodegradable alternative. These concerns have resulted in a dramatic shift in the industry, with manufacturers actively looking for the right solution for their target market.

Sustainable solutions are not new for the tea industry. In fact, companies have been providing ecological alternatives for over a decade. Manufacturers are looking at the sustainability of the materials, the ease in manufacturing and how the product infuses the tea, including that the material is taste neutral.

“If you are selling specialty teas, you have to be concerned that your packaging accomplishes a couple of things,” said Ned Heagerty, president of Silk Road Teas, based in San Rafael, California. “One, the packaging [must] in no way interrupt the flavours, that is, the taste the tea maker has created in the tea. You want the packaging to allow the maximum amount of flavour to make it to the cup. Secondly, you want the packaging, in this case, a sachet, to facilitate the leaves opening fully thus bringing the full extent of the aroma and taste to the consumer.” Silk Road Teas uses corn starch as the base ingredient for its tea bags.

Global paper supplier, Glatfelter CFBU, has invested heavily in creating sustainable paper options. Much of the Gernsbach, Germany-based company’s paper pulp comes from high quality abaca (manilla hemp) and other natural fibres, providing a sustainable basis for filter papers for their tea and coffee clients. A natural fibre derived from the leaf sheaf around the abaca plant, the plant thrives without the use of insecticides and pesticides, while also preventing damage from soil erosion. Glatfelter founded the Catanduanes Abaca Sustainability Initiative (CASI) and had partnered with the Rainforest Alliance (RA) to ensure that the abaca was sourced sustainably. This investment has improved the income of over 500 smallholder farmers as well as providing their clients with a sustainable renewable resource for RA-certified filter paper.

Ahlstrom Munksjö, based in Pont-Eveque, France also invested in sustainability over a decade ago. “For us it’s not a new story,” said Veronique van Zyl Delannoy, head of marketing, food pack and beverage. “We invested in the polylactic acid (PLA) trend over 10 years ago, when bioplastics was still fairly new in the market; the change was simply a no brainer.” Ahlstrom Munksjö’s initial sustainable fibre, Bioweb, offered specialty tea manufacturers an alternative to the standard nylon sachets. The new format was constructed from a transparent premium polylactic material, that was taste neutral, and could be manufactured on either ultrasonic or heat-sealing equipment.

UK-based Teapigs also placed sustainability as a top priority. From the beginning, its tea sachets were manufactured from biodegradable cornstarch. However, in 2017, wanting to be known as the greenest tea company out there, Teapigs converted all their polypropylene clear inner bags to the wood pulp film NatureFlex, produced by Futamura, Nagoya, Japan. This innovative biofilm, which is heat sealed, has been certified industrial and home compostable. In addition, Teapigs’ tags are printed with vegetable-based ink ensuring that they will decompose in an industrial compost. In May, Teapigs was awarded the Plastic Free Trust Mark from A Plastic Planet in recognition of its plastic-free products (see page 27).

Growing numbers of tea drinkers have recently become acutely aware of tea-bag packaging and are asking for change. “There has been a wave of interest from both the consumers and the press in plastic free, with many companies scrambling to become plastic free by 2020,” said Andy Byron, sales executive and trade marketing, Teapigs, Brentford, England.

When it comes to the plastic in tea bags, Kai Wulff, marketing director, Glatfelter, stressed, that is important for consumers to first understand that the amount of plastic traditionally used in tea bags is minimal. The main components of tea bags are comprised of natural fibres; the plastic, which has been brought up in the media, is simply used to thermally seal the tea bag. “All ingredients in filter paper adhere fully to all the food regulations and the final filter papers are completely safe for use and do not adulterate the tea liquor,” he explained.

However, alternate solutions do exist – in fact, Glatfelter invested in a biodegradable thermoplastic solution for heat sealable papers some years back, but the market was still not ready for it. “At the time, the concern about plastic and degradability of filter paper was still fairly minimal,” said Wulff.

Partially propelled by the TV documentary Blue Planet 2 in the UK, there has been an increased push for the reduction of plastic in the grocery aisles, including a plastic free aisle. At the same time, there has been a growing awareness of what was in fact in the tea bags, and a dramatic response from consumers requesting that manufacturers change their tea bags.

It was the residue in his home compost that alerted Wrexham, England-based gardener, Mike Armitage, that there was plastic in tea bags. After further research, he identified that this residue was a direct result from the plastic sealant in his PG Tips tea bags. Motivated to make a change, Armitage started a petition addressed to Unilever, which markets the PG Tips brand, to remove the plastic from its tea bags. The petition garnered over 200,000 signatures and has shifted how tea bags are being produced throughout the UK.

“It’s been a big wake up call, consumers are addicted to single use plastic and there is now a motivation for change,” said Byron.

Making the Sustainable Switch

Co-op Food, based in Manchester, England, in partnership with Ahlstrom and Typhoo, was one of the first major brands to convert its material to a sustainable alternative, opting to use Fibre+. Ahlstrom launched its sustainable packaging solution in March, responding to the need for a cost-effective biodegradable tea bag. “The material responds to the requirements of the plastic-free label,” said van Zyl Delannoy. “At the same time, it can be used on existing machinery without any change in appearance.”

For consumers, there is essentially no difference in their experience, aside from the affirmation that they are now opting for a plastic free product. Unilever’s PG Tips followed close behind announcing that all polypropylene-sealed tea bags on the market would be replaced with biodegradable, polylactic acid, derived from cornstarch, by the end of 2018.

For tea companies that are seeking a non-GMO alternative, One Earth, based in Naples, Florida, has recently released a polylactic filter paper comprised of sugar cane. “Consumers are seeking tea bags that are non-GMO and completely transparent so that they can see the tea,” said Erin Heryford, managing director, One Earth, adding that consumers also want gluten and allergen-free tea. One Earth’s rolls can be used to create tea bags in a variety of widths and shapes, including pyramids and the ability to seal the bag in the middle so that a logo/brand name can be easily embossed on it. The product will work on any new machinery, although Heryford recommends an ultrasonic heat sealer as the product currently doesn’t include a string or tag. “We are currently seeking a compostable string or tag alternative,” she said. “For now, our clients can have their logo directly embossed onto the bag.”

BAM Packing, Inc, a co-packer based in Los Alamitos, California, has recently developed a partnership with One Earth providing the sugar cane biodegradable alternative to their tea packaging clients. “Sugar cane filter paper is the new and upcoming thing,” said Donna Cook, president, BAM Packing. “It responds to so many packaging concerns including transparency, biodegradability and non-GMO.”

When planning the packaging for its teas, Silk Road Teas made two immediate decisions. “First, we put the highest grade of tea leaf we could into a sachet format. Traditionally, teas in tea bags and sachet packaging have been typified by lower grades of tea and blends,” said Heagerty. “Secondly, we believed that we could create local jobs by doing more packaging in-house. Toward that end, we have adults with disabilities packing our sachets into bags and tea boxes. We took a job that is usually automated and gave it back to workers creating job opportunities.”

The Need to Educate Consumers

To respond to the environmental concerns of consumers, manufacturers need to educate how to properly dispose of the polylactic bags. Home composts, such as the one that initially created the concern in the UK, will not be able to break these bags. PLA (polylactic acid) requires particular conditions, including temperature, oxygen level and microbes to fully biodegrade. These conditions can only be achieved at an industrial compost. To ensure that the bags are disposed of appropriately, consumers need to be advised of these parameters and how to dispose of the bags.

“Here in the UK, 78 percent [of consumers] cannot get their products to industrial compost, due to the lack of infrastructure,” shared Chris Law, sales and marketing manager, Union Papertech Ltd, Heywood, England. “The remaining 22 percent either send [their waste products] to an industrial compost or anaerobic digestion.” This has posed a challenge for Union Papertech, and the industry at large, as without the appropriate infrastructure available, the PLA tea bags will not decompose.

Law hopes that the infrastructure will catch up and respond to the industry’s need. But in the meantime, Union Papertech is actively seeking an alternate solution to provide to consumers, one, that ideally will biodegrade at a home compost.

Finding a material that maintains the same strength as polypropylene is a challenge,” said Law. “In tests, polypropylene will retain its seal for up to two hours when brewed in boiling water. PLA will last approximately ten seconds, which is not long enough to brew tea.” One of the key challenges is finding a viable alternative that can respond to the commercial capability. This includes the cost of the new material and cost to modify the existing machinery.

Union Papertech is working with A Plastic Planet to find ways to improve the infrastructure as well as to educate consumers on the terminology. Their goal is to find a product that will fully break down in a home compost. “Are we there yet? No.,” said Law. “But we think it will be in the short term. We will find the right solution.”

Van Zyl Delannoy said there is no question that consumer demand is driving where the materials are going. “There is an increased preference for premium teas, consumers want to know what is in it their tea. Overall, it has been a huge awakening for the consumers, so it should come as no surprise that the sustainability aspect has become a factor.”

Anne-Marie Hardie is a freelance writer, professor and speaker based Barrie, Ontario. She may be reached at: annemariehardie1@gmail.com.

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“Peet’s Coffee is excited to launch Nespresso Original Line compatible capsules for fans of intense espresso,” says Robyne Eldridge, senior director of CPG marketing, Peet’s Coffee, Emeryville, California. “The Peet’s Espresso aluminum capsule format gives coffee connoisseurs the freedom to be their own barista at the ease of a button, enjoying the complexity of our signature dark espresso conveniently at home or at the office. In less than a minute, anyone can enjoy a perfectly pulled, mess free, beverage.”

Peet’s Espresso flavours range from 8 to 11 in intensity and come in 10-count cartons with a MSRP of USD $7.50 each:

• Ricchezza — layered textures of complex espresso with notes of blossom, berry, brown sugar. Intensity 8.
• Crema Scura — thick espresso inspired by Peet’s coffee bars with full-bodied earthy, nutty notes balanced by a creamy enduring finish. Intensity 9.
• Ristretto — delivers a touch of chocolaty truffle complemented by crushed spice, rich fruit and bold espresso smoothness. Intensity 10.
• Nerissimo — an indulgent balance between espresso’s bitter bite and a crème brûlée sweetness. Intensity 11.

Peet’s Espresso is now available at select retailers throughout the United States such as Target, as well as at Amazon.com and Peets.com. To learn more, visit www.adeeperdark.com.

For more information on Peet’s Coffee, visit www.peets.com.

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