Innovative drinks launched in Germany in 2017

The organic product comprises cucumber juice, leaf vegetables, quinoa, wheatgrass, spirulina and matcha. A growing number of brands in Germany have made veganism a more relevant positioning, in line with Mintel’s 2017 Global Food & Drink Trend ‘Power to the Plants’, which looks at how consumers now want healthier and ‘cleaner products’, formulated with botanicals. Germany’s Voelkel is particularly active in that segment, with its health and ethically positioned Für brand promoting the use of “green ingredients from species-appropriate farming”

This raw, organic, all-natural and vegan product comprises strawberries, lemon, cherries, raspberries and rice syrup. It has been cold pressed and never heated. Rawganic Revoltion prominently features the V-Label in the shape of the ‘V’ sign hand gesture, which is used as an international symbol for peace, and calls out “we are vegan”, tapping into consumers’ growing interest in the vegan lifestyle.

The product comprises fruit purées and juices with 3% chia seeds. Viboo Vegan overtly features the vegan descriptor as an integral part of their brand name, another example of the vegan descriptor becoming more and more important for consumers. With growing ranks of German consumers interested in health and wellbeing, the inclusion of the superseed chia is likely to be additionally enticing.

Frank Juice Mocca Caffeinated Cashew Drink is made with coffee, cashew, agave, vanilla and water. This cold brewed product is described as “caffè latte without latte” and has not been heated. While cold brew coffee went from niche to standard in just a few years in the US market, the segment is only just emerging in European retail, and Frank Juice is an interesting example, combining the current vegan trend in Germany with the emerging interest in this new type of coffee.

ManuTeeFaktur Cold Brew Genmai Cha Tea Drink is known as a Japanese popcorn tea and is made with green tea and roasted brown rice. The emerging trend of cold brew coffee in Germany is taken a step further with this cold brew tea, a newly emerged beverage category. German consumers show an increasing sense of adventure in their food and drink consumption, with 48% saying they like trying new food and drink products they haven’t tried before, according to Mintel research.

My Love My Life Curcuma Almond Drink is described as an organic and vegan golden almond drink with curcuma. Curcuma, a spice also known as turmeric, is creating a buzz in the healthy drinks arena. Now, turmeric latte drinks have found their way from foodservice into the retail sector, with Germany taking a leading role in European innovation in this innovative new drink segment. Hale My Love My Life Curcuma Almond Drink is an especially interesting new product as it takes the health drink and makes it vegan.

Red Tea with Lemon-Pomegranate Flavour is made with hibiscus tea, rooibos tea and pu erh tea and contains 2% fruit. It is notable for its high end and aspirational positioning within the ready-to-drink market and quality ingredients. Striving for differentiation, brands increasingly promote the use of specific tea types in ready-to-drink teas, with Taste of Asia specifically promoting the little known red tea, showcasing the premium ingredients used in the product.

Krombacher 0.0% Alcohol-Free Pilsner Beer is described as a naturally refreshing pilsner beer with a fine malt sweetness. This beer was brewed according to the German purity law, and has a full-bodied flavour thanks to a newly developed brewing method. It is said to be the ideal alternative for drivers and athletes. In Germany, consumers’ growing awareness of the adverse health impacts of alcohol consumption puts pressure on traditional offerings. Krombacher’s offering is aiming to fill this void.

Carrying the Ecovin, Demeter and EU Leaf logos, this dry wine has the fragrance of pear and forest soil and is suitable for dishes with pasta, mushroom and rosemary. The organic boom in Germany has given a boost to the development of the German organic wine sector, with the share of organic wine in the total wine market rising from 0.6% in 2008 to 4.8% in 2015. Besides tapping into the consumer desire for health and naturalness, organically grown wines will resonate well with the locavore movement, as well as with the rise of sustainab
le consumption.