Beverage Management

Beverage management controls the process by which all stages of the lifecycle of a beverage. Beverage development and product marketing are different but complementary efforts with the same objective to maximize beverage sales revenues. The role of beverage manager spans many activities from strategic to tactical. While involved with the entire product lifecycle, the focus of beverage management is on driving new product development and sales of existing drinks.

Carbonated Soft Drinks History

Currently, Coca-Cola is still the largest soft drink manufacturer in the world. The American beverage industry is comprised of many different categories. Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and their diet counterparts, continue to be some of the most popular, hence the extensive network of soft drink manufacturers. Since the early days of our nation's history, carbonated soft drinks have occupied a unique place in the hearts, minds and palates of the American consumer thanks to the soft drink manufacturers. The term soft drink comes from the phrase 'soda water,' dating back to 1798. Local pharmacists handled soft drink creation and soda fountains. Experience with chemistry and medicine were the needed skills. As the local drugstore evolved into the central attraction in most American towns and neighborhoods, the pharmacist was integral in providing beverages that were part pharmacology and part refreshment. In 1835, the first bottled soda water marked the beginning of carbonated soft drink manufacturing in the U.S. By 1876, root beer entered the marketplace, but it was not until five years later that the first cola-flavored beverage was unveiled. Soft drink manufacturers were about to become very busy. It would be more than 70 years before the introduction of the first 'official' diet soft drink in 1952. This marked a significant change for the soft drink manufacturing industry. In 1958, RC Cola introduced Diet Rite, the first nationally distributed diet soft drink. Tab, Fresca and Diet Pepsi entered the marketplace in the 1960s; Sugar-free 7UP in 1970; and Diet Coke made its debut in 1982. Soft drink manufacturers were in full stride by this point. According to Beverage Digest, in 2006 the U.S. carbonated soft drink market totaled 10.16 billion cases. Most of these products came from the American soft drink manufacturing industry.