However you end up taking advantage of the spring weather, make sure you’re staying hydrated.  To learn all about the multitude of hydrating options our industry offers, visit the ABA products issue site.

Grab your sunglasses and your favorite beverage and get out there this weekend!  And check back in with us next week for more tips.

Many people were congregated around the Clear on Calories exhibit, taking a look at the wide array of beverages now in the marketplace with the new calorie label right on the front of the package.  Others were checking out the vending machines that reflect the choices now available in schools under our School Beverage Guidelines – which have reduced beverage calories available in schools by 88 percent since 2004.

ABA also brought out the ever-popular Innovation Bar.  Once again, it was stocked with samples of the many delicious beverages made by our member companies from across the country.  Lawmakers and staff were able to try something new, or find and sip one of their local favorites.

We at Sip & Savor would like to thank everyone who stopped by to see and share in the great things we’re doing as an industry.  We’d also like to thank our amazing membership for all of their dedication to the American people and the hard work that made this event such a success.  Please check back with us often, be our friend on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.  We’d love to stay connected with you!

And as taxes are just as ineffective in reducing obesity, they also won’t teach healthy lifestyles.  Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Health blog summed it up well.  Taxes may raise money for the government, but that’s about it.  It’s further confirmation that soda taxes are just a thinly veiled money grab.  They won’t make people healthier – calorie balance and physical activity do that.

For the American Beverage statement on this study, please click here.

There are also links to various issue sites with important focuses on water, recycling and our industry’s product categories.

You can also find information on our national School Beverage Guidelines and Clear on Calories initiatives.

As we have mentioned before, we removed full-calorie soft drinks and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverage options.  Under our national School Beverage Guidelines, beverage calories shipped to schools were slashed by a dramatic 88 percent since 2004.

And with Clear on Calories, our member companies have come together through a voluntary commitment to make the calories in their products even more clear and consumer-friendly by putting calorie information at consumers’ fingertips at every point of purchase, including containers, company-controlled vending machines and fountain machines.

So, as you can see, there is a wealth of information for you to review and share with friends and family – and we hope that you’ll do just that.  Check back in with us regularly for more updates on what’s happening in our industry!

The InterBev Beverage Innovation Awards will include 20 distinct categories, from beverages, ingredients and packaging, to initiatives in sustainability, health and wellness, hydration and consumer marketing.  A panel of judges will review the submissions prior to the show, and winners and finalists will be announced at a gala dinner on September 23, during InterBev 2010.

There is no doubt that InterBev 2010 will be the most dynamic and innovative InterBev yet, with cutting-edge live events on the trade show floor, education sessions on timely and relevant issues, an awards program and more .  Registration is now open, and Beverage Innovation Awards submissions are now being accepted. To find out more about InterBev 2010, please visit www.interbev.com; to download an entry form for the Beverage Innovation Awards, please visit www.interbevawards.com.

We look forward to seeing you at InterBev 2010, which will take place in Orlando, Fla., from September 22-24.  See you there!

Speaking of pop culture, everyone has heard about Elvis’ favorite food – fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. But do you know what Elvis’ favorite beverage was? When thirsty, his favorite drink happened to be Pepsi Cola – the flagship brand of an ABA member company. Elvis also was a fan of Gatorade and Dr Pepper.

So today (or anytime this week), in honor of Elvis, put on your blue suede shoes, listen to your favorite Elvis album on vinyl, whip out your hip-swivel dance moves and reconnect with your inner Elvis. Oh, and make sure to enjoy your favorite beverage of choice!

Because so many varieties of produce reach their peak during the summer months, it’s the perfect season to experiment with new and exotic fruits and veggies-or to rely on some of your favorites from childhood. During summertime, many cities have farmers markets which are a great way to find the freshest produce and support local agriculture. Walking through a local farmers market is a fun way to get some exercise and fresh air while also spending a pleasant afternoon with the entire family! And if farmers markets are not an option in your area, why not try growing your own fruits and vegetables? Whether you live in a city apartment or a country cottage, there are plenty of options that you can cultivate on a windowsill or a patch of land.

But it’s also important to remember that there are other ways to “squeeze” in your recommended fruit and vegetable servings. In fact, here at the ABA, we are proud to have member companies that make a variety of fruit and vegetable juices which are both wholesome and refreshing. Juices are not only delicious, thirst-quenching beverages, but are also an easy way to get a serving of fruit and vegetables at home or on-the-go. Our members are constantly innovating with new flavor combinations of these essential fruits and vegetables that can satisfy even the choosiest palette — like that of your three-year-old son Max, who only eats mac-n’-cheese.

As parents, we want to teach our kids how to incorporate fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, dairy and lean protein, into their diets. Teaching proper nutrition and encouraging regular physical activity are important steps in making sure our children have the necessary tools to lead balanced, healthy lifestyles. So this afternoon, slice up an orange — or pour a tall glass of orange juice — and celebrate “Fruit and Vegetable Month” with your family. We know we will.

We’re always happy to see young entrepreneurs achieve success in this dynamic industry. Today’s story is of two young Wisconsin girls who founded “Haley & Annabelle’s Vanilla Root Beer” just two years ago to save money for college and raise money for charity.

Since that time, these enterprising young women have had their root beer placed in Wisconsin “Soup Market” stores. We first learned of their endeavor when it was covered by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2008, and we were pleased to read a follow-up story this Memorial Day.

The girls are still hard at work, and, with the help of their dad, have sold over 10,000 cases of their root beer. And 25 cents of every bottle goes to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where Haley had surgery as an infant. “It’s always good to give back,” Dave Jurena, the girls’ father, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “This helps the girls realize you have to support the people who support you.”

The girls say their concoction makes a great root beer float, but we especially like Haley’s simple endorsement: “It tastes good. It’s for a good cause. And it tastes good.”

The non-alcoholic beverage industry has one of the oldest associations in America. The American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages (ABCB) was established in 1919 with an active membership of 600 bottling plants. That number has changed over time – as has the industry and the association name. But throughout its history, American Beverage Association members have been responsible for more than 90 percent of all soft drink production in the United States.

In 1966, ABCB changed its name to the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA). A primary objective of the association at the time was to standardize product quality. In fact, it was not uncommon in those days to have the NSDA truck go out and visit bottling plants to help them get the “beverage mix” right!

As sure as the number of products Americans have demanded to quench their thirsts over the years have grown, so too has the beverage industry. With the increase in product categories, such as juices, waters, sports drinks, teas and energy drinks, the association found itself looking for a new name to reflect this diversity. And so, in 2004, the American Beverage Association was born.

ABA today represents hundreds of beverage producers, distributors, franchise companies and support industries. Our members employ over 220,000 citizens with good-paying, American jobs.

So when you grab your favorite non-alcoholic beverage today, wish the industry that made it a happy 90th birthday!

First, a bit of background – and a promise that our blog posts won’t be as long as this introductory piece. The American Beverage Association represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry – more than 1,800 members and facilities that provide a wide range of enjoyable beverages. Our members make and distribute soft drinks, diet soft drinks, bottled water, 100 percent juices, ready-to-drink teas, energy drinks, juice drinks, flavored waters, enhanced waters and more. These include products that are among the most trusted and iconic brands in America.

Our members are some of the most innovative companies in the world, from global corporations to entrepreneurs based in communities just like yours. It’s through this innovation that you have so many beverage choices today – literally a beverage to meet your every taste and every particular moment of the day.

Our new blog coincides with the redesign of our home page. Please take some time to click through the site. It’s full of information about our products, their ingredients and the issues (such as water resources and recycling) that may be of importance to you. We think you’ll find our modern site informative, entertaining and easy-to-use.

We’re a fun and responsible industry that makes fun and refreshing beverages. There’s no more important priority to our companies than their consumers.

But as with any industry, our work comes with a responsibility to provide our customers not just high-quality products, but to serve them well on the issues they care about. You’ll find that our industry is fully committed to being the same strong leaders in their communities and the public policy arena that they are in the consumer products marketplace.

What we will offer with this blog is perspective — a complement to the facts and science that populate our website. We may not always agree with each other. But we hope you’ll turn to this blog as a place where you can “sip and savor” some honest viewpoints based on facts and rooted in common sense.

In fact, check back later today, when we’ll jump into the issues with a blog about Sanjay Gupta as perhaps the next Surgeon General.

So grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair and keyboard, and let’s chat….or blog, rather.