The beverage industry has a long history of helping out in times of crisis and natural disaster such as this (Haiti, the California wildfires and Hurricane Katrina are examples).   Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this disaster.

While some celebrations involve alcohol, it’s also an important day not to forget about your favorite non-alcoholic beverages.  Our industry offers plenty of fun and refreshing options for your celebrations as well: soft drinks, juice drinks, sparkling waters and a variety of options you can shake up to make non-alcoholic concoctions of your own.

Here’s a list of All Recipes Top 20 alcohol-free cocktails, all of which are fun and tasty to drink, too.  So try making one at home!  Or, if you’re hosting, include one or two of these in your spread to give people a non-alcoholic option for your celebration.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, the researchers examined papers that cited two specific beverage studies. Of those papers, less than one-third were accurate in reporting the overall findings of those studies. However, more than two-thirds exaggerated the evidence — mischaracterizing the findings to suggest that reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption also would reduce weight or obesity.

According to Cope and Allison, white-hat bias is described as the “tendency to distort information about products regardless of the facts, when the distortions are perceived to serve good ends.”

Their study points out that, in the case of obesity research, results may be misrepresented by scientists operating with particular biases on topics related to weight, nutrition and the food industry, as well as biases toward products like sugar-sweetened beverages, and practices like breastfeeding.

For both the beverage and breastfeeding research, the resulting data were more likely to be published when it showed statistically significant outcomes. In fact, studies with outcomes that did not show negative consequences associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were less likely to be published. The authors urged that the public health community “be vigilant to minimize and remove these biases.”

Dr. Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy at the American Beverage Association, found this study to be groundbreaking. As a former member of the research faculty at Georgetown University, Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, Dr. Storey has served as an expert nutrition policy advisor to a Secretary of Health and Human Services and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on a broad range of nutrition, science and public health issues.

Dr. Storey commented, “We all have personal likes and dislikes. As scientists interpreting data, however, we must try to leave our personal preferences, politics and points of view outside the scientific process. Dr. Allison’s research raises a ‘red flag’ for the public health community. Now, anyone interested in health research must scrutinize the original literature to see what data may have been omitted or what results may have been exaggerated.”

Scarily, it’s art imitating reality too closely. It’s also a reminder to not be afraid to question science, the motives behind it and how researchers came to their conclusions. And check out the folks at PHD Comics who created this editorial cartoon.

It starts with the sight of pitchers and catchers reporting early as they did a week ago. Shortly after, it’s followed by the return of all our favorite players to the ball fields of Florida and Arizona. And finally, the flight of fans from the snow belts for spring vacations to see their favorite teams, escape cabin fever and fill themselves with the optimism that the days of cold and snow are coming to an end.

There’s nothing better to help enhance those happy and optimistic feelings than the crisp, refreshing taste of a soft drink while watching your favorite team get ready for the upcoming season.

What fans may not know is that most ball parks – from the spring training facilities to minor league parks to the major league stadiums – usually have agreements with a particular beverage company to provide their soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.

We thought baseball fans might find interesting the list below showing what companies serve the spring training facilities in Florida (known as the Grapefruit League) and Arizona (known as the Cactus League.)

So if you’re one of those lucky few heading to the corners of our country for some relaxation and baseball, enjoy the action with one of our refreshing beverages.

And Go Cubs – this is the year! (Like we’ve said before – there’s no more optimistic industry in the country than the beverage industy…and no more optimistic blog than Sip&Savor.)

Team(s)
Stadium
Product

GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE

Blue Jays
Dunedin Stadium
Pepsi

Rays
Charlotte Sports Park
Pepsi

Pirates
McKechnie Field
Pepsi

Reds
Ed Smith Stadium
Pepsi

Twins
Hammond Stadium
Pepsi

Nationals
Space Coast Stadium
Pepsi

Mets
Tradition Field
Pepsi

Phillies
Bright House Networks Field
Coca-Cola

Yankees
Steinbrenner Field
Coca-Cola

Red Sox
City of Palms Park
Coca-Cola

Tigers
Joker Marchant Stadium
Coca-Cola

Astros
Osceola Stadium
Coca-Cola

Braves
Champion Stadium
Coca-Cola

Marlins & Cardinals
Roger Dean Stadium
Coca-Cola

Orioles
Ft Lauderdale Stadium
Coca-Cola

CACTUS LEAGUE

Dodgers & White Sox
Camelback Ranch
Coca-Cola

Indians
Goodyear Ball Park
Coca-Cola

Brewers
Maryvale Stadium
Coca-Cola

Giants
Scottsdale Stadium
Coca-Cola

Royals & Rangers
Surprise Stadium
Coca-Cola & Dr Pepper

Rockies
Hi Corbett Field
Pepsi

Cubs
HoHoKam Park
Pepsi

Padres & Mariners
Peoria Sports Complex
Pepsi

Athletics
Phoenix Municipal Stadium
Pepsi

Angels
Tempe Diablo Stadium
Pepsi

Diamondbacks
Tucson Electric Park
Pepsi

“Sip & Savor”, ABA’s new blog, will launch in 2009. Designed to provide consumers, policy-makers, media and others with everything they need to know to make informed decisions about our products, as well as the issues surrounding our industry, “Sip & Savor” will provide readers with a “refreshing” perspective. So if you’re looking for substance rather than soundbites, keep checking back… before you know it, you’ll be able to quench your thirst for knowledge in a whole new way.