Tag : new energy
Call it Red Bull for kids. That's how Ilie Ioncescu described KoolCow, his "vitamin-enriched carbonated milk drink," one of theproducts on display at the Americas Food and Beverage Show, heldthis week at the Miami Beach Convention Center. "It's an energy drink for children," said Ioncescu, vice presidentof Global Beverage Enterprises, which makes Kool Cow. About 250 companies from around the world came to the Americas Foodand Beverage show to introduce new products and look fordistributors. At this, the 11th annual show, energy drinks were allthe buzz. Energy-drink consumption is up 20 percent this year, with salesexpected to top $9 billion in three years, according to BeverageMarketing Corp. As well as targeting children, the 30 energy drinkcompanies in attendance went after niches as specific asvideo-gamers and lovers. A Toyota pickup truck was emblazoned with the logo of Cuba HerbalEnergy Juice, a drink featuring ginseng, yerba mate, guarana andgreen tea. "Cuban people are very vibrant and fun," said C.J.Johnson, president of Cuba Beverage Company of San Diego, Calif."We took that name and promoted it." Nearby, Ray Lequerique offered samples of Latin Lover Energy Drink."It's an emotional drink," he said. "It definitely gives you theappearance of an aphrodisiac." Latin Lover, which includes taurineand ginseng, is popular in Europe, and available at some cornermarkets in Miami. Game Juice, a new Miami company, makes a neon-green ginseng-appledrink aimed at video-game players. "It's not designed to be mixedwith alcohol," said Matt Rosenberg, the company founder. Several unusual Florida companies also hoped to get noticed. AtVanna's Tropical Fruits and Vegetables booth, Carole Culverhouseshowed off bulbous sugar apples, spiky star fruit and bright pinkdragon fruit. Vanna's, based in Doral, grows these and other exoticfruits in Homestead, then sells them to Publix and Asian markets."The general American public doesn't know these fruits,"Culverhouse said. "But once they do, they keep looking for them." Manny Wang, CEO of Fullei Fresh of Miami, handed out free shots ofwheatgrass juice, which he said has health benefits. "Instead ofpopping pills to lower your blood pressure, you can drink somewheatgrass," he said. Fullei Fresh grows sprouts and wheatgrass ata hydroponic facility in Miami. Ron Shouse, marketing director for Florida Orange Groves andWinery, manned a colorful display of wines made not from grapes,but from fermented mangoes, key limes and peaches. The St.Petersburg company already has $20 million in sales, but is lookingto further expand nationally. "We're after that 40 percent of themarket that doesn't like wine," Shouse said. Brazil had the largest international presence at the show.Christian Katopodis found a Florida buyer for his line of Bottarga,a Brazilian caviar, and will soon be sending 800 kilograms a monthto a distributor on Doral, Fla.. "The U.S.A. has the largestimmigrant community in the world," he said. "This is a tradition ofmany different cultures." Near the Brazilian pavilion, scantily clad girls passed out condomsand samples of another energy drink, Cocaine. The Cocaine brand waspulled from the shelves last year after the FDA determined thecompany was "illegally marketing their drink as an alternative tostreet drugs." Cocaine has tweaked its marketing now and is back inbusiness. "There's 500 energy drinks out there," said vicepresident of sales Jeff Jefferies. "But if you see one calledCocaine, you've got to try it."