Beverage Formulation

Once a company or an entrepreneur has decided to develop a new beverage, a lengthy decision process begins. Depending on the outcome of your preliminary research, you can determine a target market and consumer base. This target demographic will have specific tastes, likes and dislikes. Your goal is to create a beverage that your group can identify with. Tracking trends in the beverage industry will also be vital to making the connection with these consumers. 

Based on the research of your target demographic, you will see patterns of consumption trends. An experienced researcher in the field will be able to predict upcoming trends and tendencies in beverage sales. This leads to the next step in the process known as beverage formulation. This is the exciting part of the process because it is when your actual product is developed to your specifications, but it is also a challenging task. Beverage formulation requires knowledge of the market, creativity, innovation and scientific skills.

By now, this may seem like an impossible challenge but fortunately, there are beverage industry experts who you can contact for collaboration in all areas of the beverage industry. Choose a company with in-house labs and food scientists who specialize in beverage formulation. These same companies can handle the preliminary research for you as well.

You will want to consult with a firm with extensive experience in the beverage industry. The best firms will offer creativity, adherence to your concept and unbiased opinions on your beverage formulation. This customized service will lead to innovative flavors and formulas for your beverage. 

The beverage formulation will come up with a prototype that will be linked statistically to consumer tastes for your target demographic. Your consultants will provide in house testers along with consumer testing for the prototype. Without consumer acceptance, your beverage formulation will obviously not succeed.

Some of the many aspects taken into consideration when developing a beverage formulation are sensory criteria. Does the drink taste great? Does it smell good?  Does the liquid look appealing? If your beverage formulation will boast values like enhanced waters or energy drinks, then identifying nutrient targets is essential. Nutritional analysis and labeling, inclusive of allergen restrictions and kosher conditions are all part of the package and can be handled by your beverage industry experts. 

Another important factor when developing a beverage formulation is the shelf life and shelf stability of your beverage. These will be tested scientifically to determine whether the beverage formulation changes over time. Some flavors increase or decrease in intensity. Some formulations change visually over a period of time. Each of these factors is important to determine before the beverage goes to market. 

Your beverage formulation needs to meet the criteria as described in your original concept. A reliable and experienced industry expert will provide you with test samples at various intervals in the process to verify that the beverage formulation meets your standards. They will also respect your budget and timeline and remain within these boundaries. Be clear about your expectations and desires and the result will be a that is ready for marketing.