Skip to content

WHITE PAPER: Flavor and Functional Ingredients in Dairy Beverages

As demand for functional beverages grows, dairy’s innate nutritional benefits and creamy sensory experience make it a compelling choice for consumers. But with added functional ingredients — like vitamins, minerals, superfoods, and mushrooms — the formula introduces off-tastes that turn consumers away. Read the white paper to find solutions to overcoming taste challenges in functionalContinue reading “WHITE PAPER: Flavor and Functional Ingredients in Dairy Beverages”

WHITE PAPER: Exploring the Open World of Gaming

Over 3 billion people worldwide play video games, connecting deeply with beloved characters, stories, and other players. Food and beverage products can connect with this audience through the games they love, with functional ingredients to help with focus, energy, or relaxation – all while delivering a taste they crave.   Our team of flavor experts exploreContinue reading “WHITE PAPER: Exploring the Open World of Gaming”

Next Trend Up: Scrumptious Strawberry Pairings

The time of year is irrelevant – the taste of sweet strawberry can follow us all year round. Long considered one of the “classic three” flavors alongside vanilla and chocolate, we have a particular affinity for the sweet, tart bite of strawberry. We all love strawberry and the other fruity classics, and for good reason.Continue reading “Next Trend Up: Scrumptious Strawberry Pairings”

WHITE PAPER: Say Cheers to the Alt Drink

The habits of everyday Americans dramatically shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As public spaces began to reopen, many of the lifestyle changes consumers adopted while sheltering at home endured: among those, alcohol consumption declined among U.S. adults. The changing cultural paradigms around drinking, catalyzed by the pandemic and driven forward by post-Millennial generations, are propellingContinue reading “WHITE PAPER: Say Cheers to the Alt Drink”

Flavor Wave of the Alt Drinks Movement

Wine down Wednesdays and Saturday pregaming. Boozy patio brunches or date-night dinner and drinks. Crushable camping beers and snifters for evening sipping. Drinking is synonymous with American culture and has been since its inception. Fact is, sometimes we just need a drink. That is, until the pandemic happened. Just as the COVID crisis impacted soContinue reading “Flavor Wave of the Alt Drinks Movement”

From Season to Reason: The Expansion of Sweet Spices

Pumpkin spice latte. Spiced cider. There’s a reason there’s a season for sweet spices – or at least there used to be. But the love of everything-spiced is bringing about new ways of adding what have historically been fall and winter flavors to applications all year round. At the heart of it, spiced flavor profilesContinue reading “From Season to Reason: The Expansion of Sweet Spices”

RANKED: 2022 Flavor Trends That Will Shape Innovation

As we cruise through the first part of 2022, we’re ranking all the top trending flavor combos that’ll tease the tastebuds. From our gold medal winners all the way to the honorable mentions that have followed us from the last year, there’s a lot to look forward to. Take a scroll – and reach outContinue reading “RANKED: 2022 Flavor Trends That Will Shape Innovation”

Functional fungi in sports nutrition

Rising awareness of adaptogenic mushrooms presents an attractive opportunity in sports nutrition and active lifestyles from pre-workouts to recovery. Reishi, chaga, cordyceps, and lion’s mane among others have the potential to regulate the body’s stress response, lower fatigue, increase attention and reduce other stress-induced impairments. Virginia Dare recently published an article through Natural Products InsiderContinue reading “Functional fungi in sports nutrition”

Classic flavors: straight or with a twist

No matter how adventurous consumers become in their quest for unique or complex taste experiences, classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry unequivocally hold their own as the fan favorites. Beverage Industry recently featured a perspective from Virginia Dare and how brands can innovate by adding a twist; a flavor category we call elevated classics.Continue reading “Classic flavors: straight or with a twist”

Tea varietals and wellness flavors are flourishing

As health and wellness becomes the top driving force behind consumer goods, holistic nutraceuticals and ancient medicine rally back to the spotlight with tea leading the functional fight. Beverage Industry recently featured Virginia Dare’s taste perspective on trending wellness flavors and herbal varietals in tea beverages. “By integrating wellness flavors into their applications, tea brandsContinue reading “Tea varietals and wellness flavors are flourishing”