CHICAGO -- The line between sparkling waters and carbonated soft drinks got a little thinner this winter as beverage makers added flavors to their current lines or created completely new brand extensions, combining water or juice with carbonated soft drinks (CSDs).
Most recently, Polar Beverages, Worcester, Mass., introduced Seltzer'ade, a line of flavored sparkling waters in five flavors: Raspberry Pink Lemonade, Mango Limeade, Watermelon Lemonade, Blueberry Lemonade and Tart Cherry Limeade.
The zero-calorie drinks are packaged in 12-ounce cans and available in 12-packs.
Marketed as "[bubbling] with the charm of your favorite lemonades, but none of the guilt," Polar Seltzer'ade embraces the healthier side of carbonated soft drinks.
Here are six other recent rollouts that walk the same line ...
Talking Rain's Sparkling Ice has made the intersection of water and CSDs its raison d'etre, producing zero-calorie, sparkling waters in a wide variety of flavors. The newest is Grape Raspberry, but the Preston, Wash.-based company has also made moves into sparkling lemonades and iced teas.
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. unveiled its new take on sparkling water, called Minute Maid Sparkling, this past fall. The new beverage is made with 6% juice. It launched in March in 16.9-ounce slim bottles with 35 calories per bottle. Flavors include Fizzy Lemonade, Mixed Berry, Tropical Citrus and Fruit Punch.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo heralds its Izze Fusions sparking juice drinks as the "next generation" of carbonated soft drinks, "sort of a soda, sort of juice and sort of sparkling water," the company said.
Izze Fusions have 60 calories per 12-ounce can and are available in Orange Mango, Strawberry Melon and Lemon Lime flavors.
Another new carbonated beverage line is called Lemon Lemon, a sparkling lemonade in three flavors: original, blackberry and peach.
The drink will be marketed globally under the 7UP trademark, which PepsiCo owns in all markets outside of the United States, where it is controlled by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plano, Texas.
Lemon Lemon contains 70 calories per 12-ounce can.
Bai has embraced a low-calorie, antioxidant-rich formula since the beginning of the fruit-flavored beverage in 2008. Today, Bai Bubbles moves the brand closer to the CSD category, while line extension Bai Black—shown during the NACS Show in October— will add traditional CSD flavors to the mix.
Bai was purchased by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in November.
First, Nestle Waters North America, Stamford, Conn., brought flavor variety to its San Pellegrino sparkling waters. More recently, its Perrier made the move with 11.15-ounce cans in three flavors: Lime, Strawberry and L’Orange.
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