We’ve provided a lot of information about our member companies’ products and programs, including our Clear on Calories and School Beverage Guidelines initiatives.  And that includes clearing up the misinformation surrounding energy drinks and other beverage categories. And speaking of misinformation, sadly we found a number of articles out there this year that needed more information to complete the story – or just didn’t get the facts straight.

We covered counterfeit soft drinks, discriminatory taxes, over-the-top and outrageous studies and the misuse of federal stimulus money that is going to fund smear campaigns aimed at our products as written about by The Heritage Foundation and U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.).

Fortunately, we share information from an industry that has accomplished plenty of good work and continues to be a leader in developing meaningful solutions.  We are so proud to be working with Knoxville, Tenn., on its “Do Your Part with the Cart” program – an initiative that will provide the option of curbside recycling services to thousands of residents.  We also covered some other unique and thoughtful recycling initiatives.

But, that’s not all we have going on in communities.  Across the country, our industry and its employees are very involved in their local communities.  Here in our backyard of the nation’s capitol, the American Beverage Association and the D.C. Beverage Association announced in September our support for afterschool programs run by DC SCORES.  Check out our blog post on this by clicking here.

And we can’t forget the myriad beverage options available in the marketplace.  Or how proud we are of Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association, who received the Seton Hall University Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations’ Global Citizen of the Year Award just a few weeks ago!

Thanks for checking in with us this year.  We appreciate you keeping up with us, whether it’s Earth Day or Food Day.  Every day we hope to provide you only the best and most interesting information from the non-alcoholic beverage industry.

Ingredients

• 1 quart cranberry juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, ground cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of water and heat over medium-low heat, gently stirring, until the cranberries pop and are well coated with the sugar mixture.
3. When cool enough to handle, thread 3 to 4 berries each on 4 decorative toothpicks or skewers. Pour the mulled cranberry juice among 4 mugs and garnish with the cranberry swizzle.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with some recipes of your own as well. Browse through our products issue site and see what recipes you can create.

The good news is that you never have to sacrifice taste to enjoy America’s non-alcoholic beverages. Our member companies provide many flavorful low- and no- calorie options to keep you refreshed and satisfied whether you’re just watching your holiday weight or counting calories all year round. Between 1998 and 2008, the beverage industry has cut the total amount of beverage calories brought to market by 21 percent. This significant reduction is due in part to the introduction of more low- and no- calorie options and smaller portions.

Additionally, the beverage industry has come together through a voluntary commitment to put calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack we produce. By putting calorie information right up front on our packaging, our industry is making it easier for consumers to make informed choices about the beverages that are best for themselves and their families.

So, keep enjoying the holiday season – and your favorite beverages!

And, if you are taking part in tomorrow’s shopping deals during Black Friday, don’t forget to stay hydrated and energized while tackling your holiday shopping!

Have a safe, happy and hydrated Thanksgiving!

If you dig a little deeper you’ll find information on our national School Beverage Guidelines and Clear on Calories initiatives, too.  So, while you are visiting with family and friends this week, be sure to stop by our digital space and check us out.  You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest beverage industry news on the go!

The Statue of Liberty, standing proudly on Liberty Island over New York Harbor, has served as a symbol of American independence since her arrival in New York on October 28, 1886. The statue was actually a gift to the U.S. from the people of France as a memorial to the American Declaration of Independence nearly a century earlier on July 4, 1776.  Every year, more than 3 million people visit the Statue of Liberty from all over the world. For the birthday celebration today, Lady Liberty will be outfitted with web cameras on her torch that allow Internet viewers to gaze out over New York Harbor as if they were on top of the statue.

On this significant day for our country, we’d like to take a moment to recognize an industry that is woven into the very fabric of American culture – the non-alcoholic beverage industry.  From manufacturing to delivery, our industry provides 220,000 jobs across the country and has a direct economic impact of $178.5 Today, take a moment to reflect on – and celebrate – this great country, and enjoy your favorite American beverage.

From an iconic American industry to an American icon, we salute you!

These are but just a few examples.  Whether you’re shopping for bottles or cans, multi-serve or single serve, the choices are numerous.

Consumers clearly are taking advantage of the substantial growth in beverage choices available today.  The total beverage calories industry has brought to market has decreased 21 percent from 1998 to 2008 due to the innovation and production of more no- and low-calorie beverages as well as smaller-portion beverages.   And the beverage aisle tells the story.

We here at Sip & Savor hope you’ll use our new Clear on Calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack we produce when you are shopping so you can better make the choice that’s right for you.

It is, however, anything but a holiday for the candidates making a bid for the White House in 2012.  They’ll be out and about across the country — giving speeches, holding town halls meetings and marching in Labor Day Parades.

For most of us though,  it’s quality time with our families as we take a last dip in the pool or go for a bike ride and then put something delicious on the grill and sip our favorite beverage.  We at Sip & Savor hope you enjoy the day, relax and replenish for the busy fall and winter months ahead.

Besides the myriad of beverages available and consumer information at your fingertips, we post Sip & Savor five days a week, sharing information on important beverage – and consumer-related issues, discussing the latest innovations from our member companies and reporting on new industry initiatives.

We hope you’ll connect with us by commenting in the box below.  You’ll also find additional information on our website and you can check in with us on Facebook and Twitter as well as tune in to our YouTube channel.

Surely lawmakers see shortfalls in their review of the state’s budget, but singling out one item in the grocery cart is not the solution.  Not only that, a shell game proposal like this hurts families and negatively impacts jobs in the beverage industry and related businesses.  With already double-digit unemployment rates, can hard-working families in Tennessee really afford to lose more jobs?

Using soft drinks and other beverages as a scapegoat for this proposal is bad science and doesn’t line up with what’s happening in the real world.  All sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, juice drinks, sports drinks, flavored waters, etc.) account for only 7 percent of the calories in the average American’s diet, according to an analysis of government data by the National Cancer Institute. That means Americans get 93 percent of their calories from other foods and beverages.  And, from 2000 to 2009, sales of regular soft drinks have declined year-over- year by nearly 12 percent, according to Beverage Digest.  Yet, at the same time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that adult and childhood obesity rates continue to rise across the country.

We agree that obesity is a serious national challenge – but it will take all of us working together on a comprehensive solution.  Our member companies are doing their part.  For instance, they have reduced the total amount of beverage calories they produce for the marketplace by 21 percent from 1998 to 2008 due to innovation and production of more no- and low-calorie beverages.  And as we have blogged about before, our member companies removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools across the country and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverage options.  Under our national School Beverage Guidelines, our member companies have slashed beverage calories shipped to schools by a dramatic 88 percent since 2004.  And with Clear on Calories, America’s leading beverage 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.

Common sense tells us that taxes don’t make people healthier.  And real world data backs that up.  West Virginia and Arkansas are the only two states with an excise tax on soda, yet both states rank among the 10 states with the highest obesity rates in the country, according to the CDC.

As Raymond Thomasson, president of the Beverage Association of Tennessee, said on WKRN-TV, News Channel 2 in Nashville:

“It is offensive, arrogant and insulting to Tennessee shoppers to argue that they need the government to tell them what is essential or non-essential when it comes to their personal grocery purchases and health.”

Lawmakers in Tennessee should address the budget and complex budget health issues, but adding to the burden of hard-working families that are already stretched thin is not the answer.