Green Tea Shots, a line of four ready-to-drink herbal, vitamin and mineral green tea blends from Manhattan Beach, Ca.-based Robeks Corporation, have launched in tall slender 25-ounce bottles with three-color PETG shrink sleeves by America-Seal (www.america-seal.com). The beverages come in four “life-enhancing” blends—Green Tea Fat Burner, Green Tea Energy, Green Tea Antioxidant and Green Tea Immunity—and are designed to be consumed, one one-ounce shot at a time, with smoothies or other drinks. The bottles retail for $29.95 a piece at Robeks juice stores across the country or at Robeks.com.

American outlooks on tea are set to change as Lipton introduces pyramid-shaped gossamer tea bags to the mass market. Used in Japan since the 1980s and recently adopted in the United States by a limited number of specialty tea brands, pyramid-shaped tea bags are said to allow premium long-leaf teas more room to unfurl. “The bag allows the tea to flow freely for a truly authentic tea infusion,” says Patricia Zenobi, marketing director for Lipton U.S.. Lipton Pyramid Teas are available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $4.49 for a 20-count box.

HBO Video released a box-set of Rome: The Complete First Season in what is said to be a first-of-its-kind carton produced by Ivy Hill in New York (www.ivyhill-cinram.com). According to the brand, high density fiber board was chosen for the packaging because it allowed for very little warp-age, provided a clean closure and achieved the goal of creating an old world feel. “We sampled various substrates but found that only high density board would provide the consistency we desired,” says Nick Ciallelo, vice president of creative services at HBO Video. “The first impression is that of a classic, sturdy structure.” Iconic images from the show are printed inside the carton and are revealed through clear DVD trays.

Tequila brand Milagro has undergone a redesign by Pearlfisher (www.pearlfisher.com) to have more impact on-shelf and a more cohesive look as a family. The overall look for the baseline Silver, Reposado and Anejo variants is lively, modern and unmistakably Mexican. Bottle copy has been given greater definition and space to enhance back bar and shelf stand-out, and the agave plant icon has received a more prominent position and a more contemporary look. Bottle caps match the bottles to enhance the premium feel and to maintain the color coding through the entire package. Milagro’s redesigned bottles launched in June and are currently rolling out nationwide.

A California company has introduced a condom compact under a corporate mission to help women “Love well. Love wisely”. Engineered and manufactured by World Wide Packaging (www.wwpinc.com), the acrylic Just in Case compact features a mirror and a hidden compartment that holds two condoms. “There is a lot of sex going on and it’s killing some of us,” says Marsha Graham, founder of Just in Case Inc. Because the compacts are so discrete, Graham says, they give women confidence to protect their health by carrying, and ideally using, condoms. Just in Case compacts retail at specialty boutiques for $30.

A shot of alcohol in a flexible pouch. That’s the simple concept behind Pocket Shot, a new 50ml flexible stand-up pouch of 80- proof alcohol, including whiskey, rum, vodka, gin and tequila varietals. Resembling a miniature bottle, complete with a bottleneck for easy pouring, the pouch consists of three layers that are laminated to produce a film that is FDA approved for contact with alcohol. The creator behind the concept, Jarrold Bachmann says the idea for the product came after he saw workers at his farm in South Africa buy crude 25ml plastic sachets of alcohol to celebrate payday. Distribution has started in California, and line extensions (different spirits and mixed drinks) are in the works.