Welcome to our top beverage packagers list. This year, we are bringing you the top 25 beverage packagers, most of which are the large household names in the industry. Our top 25 beverage packagers list shows yet again that Coca-Cola is the beverage giant of today. The company has a reported $46.85 billion in revenue for 2013. A close second is Anheuser-Busch InBev with a reported $43.20 billion in revenue.

These two global giants recently released some interesting new packages and used unique platforms to launch them. Coca-Cola’s video introducing its new Friendly Twist Bottle recently went viral. The video depicted the first day of college and featured a Coca-Cola machine set up with the new packages inside. The kicker here is that the bottle cannot be opened without another bottle’s cap; it takes two people, using their caps together to open both bottles. We linked to this video in the Food and Beverage LinkedIn group – join today and check it out. Anheuser-Busch InBev also used video to introduce a new package. The company showed the world its new 16-ounce Bud Light Cool Twist reclosable aluminum bottle in a Super Bowl ad. The blue bottle is designed for convenience and on-the-go consumers as it is reclosable and the aluminum keeps the beer ice cold.

The beverage industry is changing and expanding with new packaging formats to not only “wow” consumers, but also to bring a new level of convenience and fun to users. Now that’s something I think we can all toast to.

Emerging trends that make us say Cheers!

New soft mesh single-serve coffee cup

Boyd’s Coffee® is launching a new generation of single-cup coffees for brewers that accept K-Cup® portion packs. The cups’ soft mesh filter offers the same convenience as other single cups, only with significantly less packaging than the traditional rigid-side format. The mesh filter also enables coffee drinkers to experience the fresh-roasted coffee’s aroma.

Popularity of the single-cup format is growing among consumers, with single-cup sales now accounting for more than a quarter of every dollar Americans spend on coffee to drink at home. By 2018, market-research firm Mintel expects consumers to spend nearly as much on coffee pods as they do on bulk coffee. The single-cup format is also growing in foodservice operations, including restaurants, hotels, convenience stores and offices.

Single serve wines pour innovations for the masses

When it comes to the wine business, the 750ml bottle with five servings is standard, and some form of glass packaging has been standard since the 1700s. But increasingly producers are recognizing that not all their customers think this packaging grows better with age.

Prompted by a new generation of consumers who think differently about convenience, price and quality, wineries are creating innovative new containers that go beyond the glass bottle. Gaining most notice and acceptance is the single-serve package.

According to the Wine Market Council, Millennials are second only to Baby Boomers in wine consumption, making up 28% of wine drinkers. (Baby Boomers make up 40%.) Because Millennials grew up consuming beverages from pouches, cans and plastic packages that were designed for single-serve, on-the-go consumption, they are more apt to stray from traditional glass bottles. The convenience provided by these packages make them more attractive to active Millennials because they can be easily consumed at parties, events and other activities. With openness to packaging and an interest in wine, innovations are being welcomed by this younger age group.

Flexible packaging is moving into the wine market and is garnering a lot of attention. Like other glass alternatives, pouches are shatter-proof and require little secondary packaging. They are also lightweight for easier shipping that uses less fuel. In 2012, House Band Wines launched the first single-serve 375ml wine pouch. The pouch features a reclosable screw cap and the option to hang it from a lanyard. This portability eliminates the trouble of handling an open, plastic tumbler of wine at events like music festivals.

Vegetable and fruit juices on the rise

Juice drinks are a $15.5bn market in the U.S., according to market researcher Mintel, and a fast-growing one in terms of new products. Both fruit and vegetable juices are squeezing their way into more consumers’ fridges. Consumers are picking up healthier drinks with lower sugar, natural ingredients and ready-to-drink varieties in packages like carton and pouches.

Hirzel Canning Company & Farms, producers of the Dei Fratelli brand, has added Truly Tomato! and Truly Veggie! juices to its extensive line of tomato products. The two ready-to-drink juices from Dei Fratelli are an expansion of the brand’s line of freshly canned tomatoes. Truly Tomato! and Truly Veggie! are not-from-concentrate juices packaged in resealable, 33.8-ounce shelf-stable aseptic cartons from Sig Combibloc. The carton provides an environmentally-friendly and convenient package. Because the carton is comprised of 75% paperboard, which is 100% renewable, it has earned the certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 

To view the Top 25 Beverage Packager list, click here

Additional reporting by Rebecca Schweitzer and Packaging Strategies