Here at BevReview, we have previously looked at a couple varieties of Sunkist Naturals smoothies: Strawberry Dream and Glorious Greens. Today we take a look at Sunkist Naturals Golden Mango (alphonso mango smoothie).

This drink comes in a 15.2 ounce bottle with a nice aesthetic appeal. As far as the name of the fruit, the golden mango is apparently named after the Portuguese King Alphonso, and is a trademarked name. The label tells us that the drink is: 100% juice, has no sugar added, is high in antioxidants, high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C, has 50 mg of omega-3s, and is a good source of fiber. They also note there are no GMO's for those that are looking out for that sort of thing.

Personally, when I looked at the nutrition facts, the high fiber content is what struck me first. Each serving has 3 grams of fiber, and there are 2 servings per bottle. The 6 total grams of fiber per bottle is more than one serving of many fiber cereals. Also notable is the 320 mg of potassium compared with 15 mg of sodium per serving.

The list of ingredients (without going into the full detail) includes apple juice, banana puree, mango puree, orange juice, passion fruit juice, carrot and pumpkin extracts, and Vitamin C. Apple juice is the main ingredient, which is often to be expected in juice blends, but I find the addition of carrot and pumpkin extracts especially interesting.

Moving to the sensory qualities of the smoothie, the drink has a nice golden orange color, actually looking like the old orange juice concentrate that comes in a can. It is also fairly thick compared to other smoothies I have reviewed. In all honesty it is not overly dense, but has some body to it. The scent is definitely a mix of fruits, with banana, mango, and orange seemingly present, especially the mango and banana.

As far as taste goes, the banana puree is what strikes me first, but there is also kind of a nice "sweetness" to the aftertaste. It is a fairly fresh taste. Per the body of the drink, I can almost taste the fiber, and that is what gives it some thickness and makes this more a smoothie than a juice. The drink has a coating quality also, building into this smoothie category, and I mean that in a positive way. It is a clean, but flavorful taste, avoiding the acidity that some drinks offer. The more I drink of it, the more I like it.

All in all, this is a good drink, and I would recommend it to those who like juice smoothies. I would also say it is comparable to some of the drinks made by Odwalla and Naked Juice. The freshness, nutrition, and taste combine to make this a strong entry in the smoothie market.

For those in the Chicago area, I wanted to let you know that your editor here at BevReview.com, Steve Tanner (that's me!), will be speaking at a networking/education event this Thursday night, November 19… and you are invited! This monthly series of events is called Nightstand, and they are hosted by Headstand Media, a web design firm here in the city.

Yes, that's me in this goofy photo
(the guy with glasses, not the can!)

They've asked me to share about the legal fun we had last month… you remember, that whole "Monster Energy vs. BevReview.com" thing? Yeah, that was a lot of fun, wasn't it? And even though we haven't posted any updates on that situation, it did resolve positively. (We've held off talking about it while some conversations were still taking place behind-the-scenes; we'll post a full update soon!)

Anyway, the topic of my presentation? Social Media vs. Corporate America: A Monster-ous Case Study. Here's the event overview as shared on Headstand Media's site:

What happens when corporately-crafted public relations initiatives go bad and social media lets you know about it? We'll take a look at one such situation from October that targeted the folks behind Monster Energy drink. What happened, how did the company respond, and did the mobilization of fans via the 'net have an effect on the outcome?

We'll host a conversation facilitated by Steve Tanner, Editor of beverage review website, BevReview.com. A negative product review, overly litigious law firm, microbrewery in Vermont, and a horror film actor placed Steve in the middle of a battle with the folks at Monster Energy. He'll explain how "going viral" with his situation created a positive result in the end… but he won’t be providing any Monster Energy drinks for the discussion, so bring your own!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Over the years, I've worked with some of the folks at Headstand Media on various Web-based, non-beverage projects, so I'm honored to have been invited to share.

Here's the best part… if you are in the area, you can attend too! This is a free event; all you have to do is RSVP before Thursday night to attend. How about that?

It all takes place at…

Headstand Media
333 W. Wacker Dr.
Suite 850
Chicago IL 60606

Informal networking & food begins at 6 p.m. (yes, there's free food and drink!), introductions start at 7 p.m., followed by some beverage review guy talking at 8:30 p.m.

Here's the official information about the night. Just reply to that post with your RSVP information.

Hope to see some of you there!

- Steve

Jones Zilch Pomegranate Soda

The first thing you note about the Zilch lineup is the creative package design. The same iconic Jones Soda glass bottle is in use, but this time, it has white screw on-caps. The white motif carries down the label itself, with an updated take on Jones' traditional combination of logo/photo/flavor display.

Jones Zilch Vanilla Bean Soda

Fan submitted photos are displayed on the bottles in black and white, but they are given a far more stylish credit notation to the left of the image than used in the past. It does a better job of Jones showcasing these photos rather than just displaying the name of the photographer like it was nothing more than a copyright credit.

Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda

The top of the label features the revised, bolder Jones name (note the lack of "Soda Co." in the reference), with a colored version of the word "Zilch" pseudo-stamped next to it. The words "Zero Calorie" can also be found under the logo.

In contrast to traditional Jones Soda offerings, the flavor name shifts from above the photo to below it, printed inversely against the color that defines the flavor.

The rest of the label contains nutritional information, an encouragement to recycle the bottle, short promotion for creating your own custom label via the MyJones service, and the following brand pitch regarding Zilch:

Same Great Taste. No Sugar. No Calories.

Chances are you're reading this because you care about what's in your soda. Well, you've come to the right bottle. That's because you're sipping a Jones Zilch. Same great flavors as a regular Jones, without the calories or sugar. And just in case your conscience needs a little more peace of mind, we put some vitamin C in every bottle. Remember: it's your photo, your soda, your brand.

Zilch is another one of the new products that Jones has rolled out this year, which has also included specialized takes on Orange Cola, the Jones GABA lineup, their limited edition run of Hispanic flavors, and the crazy Jones Jumble Soda. While some of those are just more goofy takes on flavors, others like GABA and Zilch, are big product line extensions. Previous sugar-free offerings from Jones, which are now retired, included:

• Sugar-Free Green Apple
• Sugar-Free Cream Soda
• Sugar-Free Root Beer
• Sugar-Free Cola
• Sugar-Free Black Cherry

Retired Jones Soda Sugar-Free Flavors
(Source Images: JonesSoda.com)

Of the initial list, only Black Cherry is seeing the light of day once again as a Zilch flavor. Like the original Sugar-Free lineup, Zilch uses sucralose (you know, Splenda) as its artificial sweetener. The difference this time out is that Jones takes a page from the current trend of adding nutrients to beverages and ups the Vitamin C to 30% of your recommended daily allowance.

Jones Zilch Pomegranate Soda

Pomegranate is a popular flavor these days, as evidenced by reviews we've written for ViB Pomegranate Berry, Hansen's Natural Pomegranate Soda, and Pomegranate 7Up. The Jones Zilch take on the flavor comes to us with a pinkish-red color and has a recognizable pomegranate taste. It's not a super sweet flavor, but rather deep, which we think would be a good compliment for food. Still, you can tell that this is a diet drink given the aftertaste, but overall, it's not a bad sugar free installment.

Taking a dive into pomegranate?
Photo 11104 by Jennifer Fullbright-McLellan of Fayetteville, AR

Here's what's inside:

Carbonated water, natural flavors, apple, carrot, and hibiscus juice for color, citric acid, sodium benzoate (as preservative), sucralose, potassium sorbate (as preservative), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)

A 12 oz. bottle of Jones Zilch Pomegranate contains 0 calories, 35 mg of sodium, 1 g of carbs, and is caffeine free.

Jones Zilch Vanilla Bean Soda

This is a flavor we looked forward to trying because frankly, there aren't a whole lot of stand-alone vanilla-flavored sodas out there. Upon opening the bottle, you'll find that there really isn't much of a scent. The drink is colored yellowish, similar to the Halloween limited edition Monster Mojito, but a tad bit clearer and less bold. Unfortunately, the flavor was disappointing. There wasn't much vanilla taste present and quite a bit of a medicinal flavor. The weak, unfocused flavor, combined with the use of artificial sweeteners, made this our least favorite of the new Zilch offerings. It's a diet drink and tastes like it… poorly. This was quite disappointing. We had hoped for a solid vanilla experience, something along the lines of OOBA's Vanilla installment.

Vanilla Bean = Great Wall of China?
Photo 11075 by Sarah Etter of Azusa, CA

Here's what's inside:

Carbonated water, natural flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate (as preservative), sucralose, potassium sorbate (as preservative), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)

A 12 oz. bottle of Jones Zilch Vanilla Bean contains 0 calories, 35 mg of sodium, 0 g of carbs, and is caffeine free.

Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda

This moves us on to our favorite of the new Zilch flavors, Black Cherry. Incidentally, it's also the only carry-over from Jones previous Sugar-Free lineup. The beverage is colored dark red, somewhat similar to a red wine. Opening the bottle will greet you with a deep cherry scent, hinting at sweetness. This cherry experience continues in the taste, with a quality flavor. Yes, you can tell that artificial sweeteners are used, but the combination with the flavor choice actually works out quite well. Black Cherry is a nice, sweet treat; it's our choice of the batch if you are needing something without calories.

Who doesn't love old school Polaroid?
Photo 11026 by Amy Millen of Belfast, Ireland

Here's what's inside:

Carbonated water, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate (as preservative), sucralose, potassium sorbate (as preservative), Red 40, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Blue 1

A 12 oz. bottle of Jones Zilch Black Cherry contains 0 calories, 40 mg of sodium, 1 g of carbs, and is caffeine free.

Overall, we're fans of the Jones Zilch rollout, even though we weren't completely sold on all 3 flavors. The branding does a nice job of making diet something "cool", it still has that eccentric Jones feel, and there are some unique tastes that aren't currently part of the regular Jones lineup. Still, there is room for improvement in some of the flavors, namely Vanilla Bean. Loved the idea of a non-mainstream flavor, but execution left something to be desired. Here's looking ahead to the next Zilch experience!

Here's the press release from Jones outlining the limited edition flavor:

Jones Soda Debuts "Tofurky and Gravy" Flavor for Thanksgiving
Save a turkey, Drink Tofurky!

SEATTLE –November 2, 2009 – This Thanksgiving instead of devouring one of the nation's most treasured birds, drink Jones Soda's Tofurky and Gravy, or at least have it on hand to please the non-meat eaters in your life.

"One of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, declared the turkey to be a bird of courage and a true, original American," said Joth Ricci, president and CEO of Jones Soda. "While many think that eating turkey is the only way to celebrate Thanksgiving, we at Jones Soda suggest that this year you try something new and toast the noble bird with a cold bottle of Tofurky and Gravy."

Jones Soda's Tofurky and Gravy is also on a mission to help consumers become healthier during this notoriously over-indulgent holiday. Tofurky® vegetarian products are low in fat and have zero cholesterol; Jones Soda's Tofurky and Gravy is vegan friendly and sugar free.

To help Americans get back on the health track after Thanksgiving, Jones Soda will be including a bottle of each flavor of their new zero-calorie Jones Zilch with each Tofurky and Gravy purchase. Zilch is fortified with 30% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and is available in Pomegranate, Vanilla Bean and Black Cherry.

"This promotion with Jones Soda encapsulates the two major components of the holiday season for us: Fun and Giving," said Seth Tibbott, CEO of Tofurky's parent company Turtle Island Food, Inc. "We hope this will bring some good times and laughter to everyone's holiday celebration and at the same time supports a great cause! Happy Tofurky® Day to all!"

The cult-favorite Tofurky® is made from a special combination of organic tofu, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed non-GMO canola oil and a secret blend of herbs and spices. This symbiotic relationship between the soy and wheat gives Tofurky its bold, meat-like texture.

Tofurky and Gravy Gift Pack will be available exclusively at www.jonessoda.com. The gift pack will contain three bottles of Tofurky and Gravy, one bottle each of Zilch's three flavors, stickers and temporary tattoos all in a commemorative retro-styled lunchbox for $11.99. Available for a limited time, $1 from each Tofurky and Gravy Gift Pack will go to PAWS, a non-profit that advocates for animals through education, legislation and direct care.

It's interesting how Jones seems to be using the "disgusting" flavor to push their new Splenda-sweetened lineup of diet drinks, Jones Zilch. We look forward to tasting these soon!

2009: Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash

This drink was first introduced in 2006, returned in 2007 with a diet version, and both drinks came back in 2008.

2009: Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash

For 2009, the formula is the same, but the look is dramatically different. It took a little while for Pepsi's controversial logo redesigns to hit Cranberry Splash, but they are in full effect this year.

2006-08: Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash

Contrast the new look with the design we've seen from 2006-2008. You'll also note a name change on the diet installment from "Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash" to the more normal "Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash" — apparently, "Free" is dead.

In any case, as we noted in our review, this is a Sierra Mist flavor that is actually good… so don't miss it!

We recently had over 120 entries in our Starbucks "What's Your Story?" Contest, with folks sharing some pretty crazy stories about coworkers in their workplace. If you haven't done so already, give them a read. Some stuff that will just make you laugh in there!

Winners get this Starbucks Prize Pack

For this contest, we randomly selected 5 winners of a Starbucks Prize Pack, which includes:

• Stealth Switch™
• $5 Starbucks® Card
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

Thanks to everyone who contributed stories and spread the word about the contest. After analyzing our large pool of entries, the official BevReview Random Prize Machine has selected 5 winners:

• Drew Bartell (Milwaukee, WI)
• Tracy Beckham (Fresno, CA)
• Alan Colgren (East Lansing, MI)
• Kate Davis (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Bryan Sampson (Chicago, IL)

Hear are some excerpts from their submitted stories:

Drew Bartell (Read Story)

The other day I left the fryer basket down while I finished plating up a lunch for a waitress. She looked at me completely aghast and asked, "Don't you think you should take the basket out of the oil if there's nothiong in it?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, isn't that going to ruin the basket?"

Tracy Beckham (Read Story)

One of our employees learned a special lesson on why you don't put naked pictures of yourself on your work computer. In doing a computer check, I discovered that, at least, I had proof that he had zero body fat… though, that wasn't a way I really wanted to find out. It was so difficult to look him in the eye after that, and not start snickering.

Alan Colgren (Read Story)

One of my co-workers found a bun that had fallen behind one of the tables and had turned rock hard. What does one do with a rock hard hamburger bun? Exactly! Play Frisbee. We had been throwing back and forth for a while, the manager was in the freezer taking inventory, when we decided to play long range. We had made a few successful attempts from the front of the dining room all the way to the back of the kitchen when the manager stepped out of the freezer right into the flight path of the rock hard bun. A bloody nose, split lip, and an exploded case of milkshake mix later, we both got written up and were put on cleanup duty for 3 weeks.

Kate Davis (Read Story)

I once had a coworker who could not figure out how to work the coffee maker in the office. You would think it was rocket science or something. She would always ask "where do I put the water again" or she would forget to put a filter in, or forget to put the carafe back on. There would be a coffee emergency/mess in the break room at least once a week. It got to the point where the management had to have a talk with her and tell he she was banned from touching the new machine (they had replaced several others she destroyed). She was bawling after that, dithering about how she was just trying to be helpful.

Bryan Sampson (Read Story)

In our office there was this particular email that had gone through several iterations so to hide its true purpose… to turn up your volume all the way and yell, "Hey everybody, I'm watching porn over here!!!"

I work in cubicle land with only half walls, so there is aboslutely no privacy around. Unfortunately, it was accidentally sent to someones boss instead of a co-worker. This was the nicest man I had ever worked with… an older man with high moral value that did everything by the book since his days in the military… yes, your picture perfect grandfather.

So you can imagine the surpirse from the floor when suddenly, out of nowhere, this loud vocie begins to proclaim that someone is watching porn. His response… how did you guys know? The email was retired after that day.

Read the rest of the stories by clicking here.

Thanks again to everyone who participated and to the folks at Starbucks for making this giveaway possible!

In the past at BevReview, we have discussed multiple drinks from Zola Acai, ranging from Superfruit Juice to the many smoothie varieties. In this installment, we look at the Zola Acai Daily Wellness Shot. Because of the many reviews already on Zola, for information about the Acai berry or the Zola company, it may be helpful to look at the Superfruit Juice review.

The Daily Wellness Shot is an intriguing idea. It combines the positives of the Acai berry into a small, quick shot that can be ingested daily for supposed health benefits, such as (they claim) protecting the body from free radicals, helping the immune system, and giving energy.

The shots come in a large 32-ounce bottle, and the recommended dosage is one ounce per day, although according to the label more can be taken each day. The active ingredient list is as follows: "26,000 Proprietary Organic Acai Blend (Organic Acai Puree & Organic Acai Juice Powder) And Organic Acerola Juice." (As an interesting side note, the active ingredients seemed to be printed in a right justified font, so the third line is kind of stretched out. Just a funny aesthetic quirk I noticed.) The other main ingredient is organic apple juice. The product contains soy, but is gluten free.

As far as the look of the drink goes, wow! That is a dark purple. I would keep this away from clothing, because it definitely looks like it stains. It has the look of straight cranberry juice concentrate before water is added. The smell is that of a strong berry; it is very concentrated. This scent is similar to their other products, just more intense, and has that familiar Acai aroma.

The taste is not bad. It looks much more intense than it tastes. There is a little bit of a tang to it, and a slight aftertaste, but there is a feeling of an energy burst that follows, so maybe that is some of the health benefit or just the feeling of drinking something fresh tasting. It could definitely be the Acerola juice coming through. The feel is similar to that of drinking prune juice, both in color and in taste. In addition, the consistency of the drink is slightly thick, but very much in line with other Zola products.

Overall, the taste is very potable, which, for a health supplement is all that is really needed in that realm. If you choose to drink the Zola Acai Daily Wellness Shot, you are probably doing it for health reasons and not for only taste. As I stated previously, however, the taste is not bad and really less intense than the look of the drink seems to indicate. You will have to decide if the cost and health benefits are worthwhile for your individual needs.

2009 is no exception, except that Jones Soda went with a bunch of reruns this year, showcasing 3 bottled drinks and 4 familiar cans. We've reviewed every one of these flavors before, so for your reference, here's our take on the tastes in this year's lineup:

• Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda
• Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda
• Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda
• Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda
• Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda
• Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda
• Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda

Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda

This flavor first appeared in 2008 as a unique take on orange. "It's fruity, but also bitter and somewhat grapefruit-like. Could be better, but as a limited time offering, not bad."

Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda

Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda

Also a carryover from 2008, where we weren't much of a fan. "With a name like Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda, you'd hope for a great new take on an apple soft drink. Well, unless you like carbonated Jolly Rancher candy, you aren't going to find it. It comes up short."

Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda

Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda

A Halloween veteran flavor, first appearing in 2006, then back in 2007, last year, and once again in 2009. "Somewhat medicinal in taste, has a dash of citrus and a unique taste."

Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda

Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda

Returning flavor from 2008 that tastes a lot like a Strawberry Jolly Rancher candy. "Just a tad bit kiwi, with a strong influence of strawberry. Overall, a very drinkable 8 oz. novelty beverage from Jones."

Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda

Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda

"Featuring more of an herbal-infused taste instead of the expected cherry or pomegranate flavors, Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda surprises the tastebuds… and that's not a bad thing." New in 2008, returns for 2009.

Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda

Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda

"Jumping back to the original 2006 flavor, Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda revives the lemon-lime-without-the-lime drink category by dropping the sour flavor of 2007's version and delivers a very sweet, but uniquely bitter tasting beverage."

Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Returning for a record 5th appearance as part of the Jones Soda Halloween collection, it's the gag reflex-inducing Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda… a drink we ceremoniously described a few years back as "dirty urine". Yeah, do you really want to try this one?

It's too bad we didn't see any new flavors in 2009, but for those of you who like (at least some) of the Halloween tastes, you are in luck!

Win this Starbucks Prize Pack

The kind folks at Starbucks dropped me a line the other day and asked me to spread the word about a new website they just launched called EnergyPlusCoffee.com. What's it all about? Well, it's a website designed for you to be distracted and entertained, keeping you from doing work while you are actually at work. (Wait a minute… isn't that why you are visiting BevReview? Hmmm….)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
(Click for review)

It's actually a pretty clever idea in that it looks like a standard news site, but has embedded features that do cool things (besides doing this beverage review thing, my "day job" is working with Web development, so I appreciate this stuff… trust me!) Of interest is the "Boss Cam" that activates any internal webcams you might have on your computer, creating an electronic "mirror" that you can use to see if anyone is walking up behind you.

Visit EnergyPlusCoffee.com

There's also some humorous video situations presented via webisodes (if you remember Sierra Mist's Summer 2007 campaign for Lemon Squeeze, you'll get the idea). You'll also find some embedded Flash games such as a version of Tetris called "Meeting Blocks" and a Breakout-clone called "CellBreak".

So, I know what you are saying to yourself. "That's great, Steve. But what's in it for me? And how come Starbucks hasn't gone after you like the folks at Monster?" Well, I'll just answer that first question, thank you very much. (We'll leave the 2nd question for our crack legal folks!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
(Click for review)

See, here's the idea… You are at work, yet who really wants to work? One way to stay awake during this whole process is by partaking of a Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee beverage (ah, see that product placement there… and we're not even as bad as The Jay Leno Show on NBC!) If you recall, we actually have reviewed all of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks before… and I actually found them to be pretty good. Of course, as I mentioned, I'm not a coffee drinker, so if they're pretty good to me, I'm assuming someone else just adores them! To recap the flavors:

• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Mocha
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Vanilla
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee

So, combine these drinks with EnergyPlusCoffee.com and you'll have a grand ole time!

But wait, what if you don't have any of these drinks? I'm glad you asked, because I'd like to hook you up.

Prizes

Starbucks has provided me with 5 Prize Packs to giveaway. And when you are in a recession, what's better than free stuff?

The Starbucks Prize Pack includes:

• Stealth Switch™
• $5 Starbucks® Card
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

The Prize Pack is valued at $30, which isn't too bad given that you pay nothing to read this website, right? Oh, and you may be wondering about that "Stealth Switch" thing. I was too. Officially, it's "the World's first desktop cloaking device. StealthSwitch™ uses patent pending technology to instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just minimized, they are made invisible." Seriously, go check out their website. (Note that it only works on Windows machines. Mac folks like myself are kinda out of luck, but hey, think of the profits you could generate on eBay!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
(Click for review)

So, I'd love to give you this stuff. But first you need to do something for me. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Let's get creative and go over the rules…

Contest Rules:

1. Reply to this post
   • Don't forget to include your e-mail address (which will be hidden) so you can be contacted should you win
2. Share an idiot-story about someone you have worked with
   • Obviously, you have, ahem, focused on work all the time, right? Others, not so much. So let the dirty laundry fly! Share the story of a coworker or boss that did something to just make your eyes roll. One story per post, please (which means you can share multiple stories, thus giving you multiple entries!)
3. Entries are due by Tuesday, November 3 at midnight CST.
4. Enter as many times as you'd like!
5. 5 winners will be announced no later than November 5
• We'll be using a random selection model, however you can improve your chances by being creative in your storytelling!
6. Contest limited to folks in the continental United States

Pretty easy, huh?

So, let's recap… new website to visit, opportunity to share funny work stories, and chance to win free Starbucks stuff. Sounds good!

Shameless Self Promotion
But wait, here's the plea from your humble little BevReview Editor. You see, the folks at Starbucks, they are kinda sneaky. Obviously, they want me to tell you about EnergyPlusCoffee.com and promote their energy drinks. But to sweeten the pot a bit, they've actually had the nerve to pit BevReview.com against other blogs in a blogger-vs-blogger contest to see who can get the most entries in our contests. (Those of you studying social media marketing, take note!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
(Click for review)

So, for the 2 week period of the contest, the Contest Overlords at Starbucks will be watching the entries closely. Not only will they be providing you prizes for our contest, but they will also be awarding the Top 3 site owners with prizes as well based on contest volume. That probably doesn't mean as much to you, since you always have a chance to win. But as a person who runs these things, I always have to exempt myself from the prizes, so to get a chance to actually win something is rather cool. They're offering site owners the same Starbucks Prize Packs, along with a branded messenger bag and a pretty cool set of noise canceling headphones.

Care about the happiness and overall welfare of BevReview.com? Help us beat the pants off these other sites participating in the contest. Don't just do it for me. Do it for beverage-review-websites-that-always-feature-photos-of-trees everywhere! It's your duty (and thanks!)

The Fine Print
Believe it or not, sometimes review websites get into legal trouble. Thus, please pardon us while we rattle off this fine print that Starbucks asked us to post in regards to this contest:

• This promotion is solely sponsored by BevReview.com and has not been endorsed or approved by North American Coffee Partnership. By entering, you agree to look solely to Steve Tanner & BevReview.com for any claims in connection therewith, and not the North American Coffee Partnership.
• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Subject to Contest guidelines. Open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends 11/3. Void where prohibited.
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee sent me samples of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks and here's what I think. All the opinions expressed here are mine.

Here on BevReview.com, we not only like to review beverages (it's sort of in our name), but also speculate and discuss trends & patterns we often see in the industry. We don't claim to be experts on the matter, but hopefully, we give you something to think about every now and then.

And while we've been reviewing beverages in various capacities since 2001, something interesting happened last week. Apparently, a company didn't like what we were doing and decided to send their lawyers our way. Fun stuff!

Here's the context… I received what appeared to be a legitimate message from a law firm last week, submitted via a web-based contact form attached to my personal discussion forums, TannerWorld Junction. (Without actual mail headers, we cannot confirm if this message is authentic, but we have our hunches.) The message was written in regard to a beverage review I wrote in March 2007 and posted on those forums, in a time before we formally launched BevReview.com.

Monster Energy
(Photo by Steve Tanner, March 2007)

The complaint referred to this review of Monster Energy — which can also be found cross-posted here on BevReview. Just so you know, Monster Energy is owned by Hansen Beverage Company. Read the original review for yourself and see what you think.

Original review via TannerWorld Junction
(Source: forums.tannerworld.com)

For those interested, here's the text of the complaint, received via e-mail on Wednesday, October 7 at 9:31 a.m.

Name:
Legal

E-mail Address:
Legal@ce-ip.com

Comments:

Re: Hansen Beverage Company Trademark Infringement

To Whom It May Concern:

As I am sure you are aware, Hansen Beverage Company ("Hansen") is responsible for the production of the Hansen brand juice, teas and energy drinks and the Monster brand energy drinks. Relative to this business, Hansen owns many valuable designs, trademarks, trade dress and copyrights, which it uses to identify and market its Hansen and Monster brand products ("the Hansen Marks"). The Hansen marks are of great value to Hansen, as they are used to indicate that goods or services are affiliated with and monitored by Hansen. Considering this, every time the Hansen marks appear in the marketplace, Hansen's good name and reputation are on the line.

Hansen Beverage Company
(Source: hansens.com)

Legally, it is the responsibility of trademark owners to protect and control the use of their trademarks. Often the need and obligation to protect its marks places Hansen in a very difficult position. If Hansen allows its marks to be used in any way that does not signify that Hansen is the source of good or service, then the value and meaning of Hansen marks are diminished. If Hansen allows these issues to go unaddressed, it may lose its rights to the Hansen marks.

Hansen is fully aware of the fact that it would not be as successful as it is without the continued passion and devotion of Hansen and Monster enthusiasts. However, the way in which Hansen allows its trademarks to be used is strictly prescribed by law. Hansen simply cannot allow the Hansen marks to be used without its explicit authorization. For this reason, Hansen is forced to consistently monitor the use of the Hansen marks or risk losing ownership of those marks.

Continental Enterprises
(Source: ce-ip.com)

Continental Enterprises ("Continental") has been engaged by Hansen to help control the use of its mark. You are receiving this letter because Continental has received information that you advertised and/or sold products bearing one or more of the Hansen marks, or confusingly similar derivations thereof. We understand that the inclusion of the Hansen marks on your product may have been an oversight. However, on behalf of Hansen, Continental must demand that you discontinue your advertisement and sale of these products.

Upon your receipt and review of this letter, please contact our offices so that we may work toward a resolution of the issue that is satisfactory to all parties involved.

Sincerely,
Darlene R. Seymour
General Counsel
1292 East 91st St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

P 317.818.0523
F 317.566.2453

http://forums.tannerworld.com/showthread.php?t=8751

The firm sending the complaint is identified as Continental Enterprises, which according to their website, "is an intellectual property consulting firm that takes a novel and aggressive approach to brand protection and infringement issues."

After the initial shock wore off, along with questioning "is this for real?", I talked with some associates who run similar websites that also feature reviews. After some consultation, we decided to withhold a response, waiting to see if a second communication would arrive and/or to verify the authenticity of the original complaint.

Well, yesterday, another e-mail arrived in our Inbox, again through the same web contact form. This time it arrived at 1:48 p.m. on October 18:

Name:
Legal Dept

E-mail Address:
Legaldept@ce-ip.com

Comments:

Re: Hansen Beverage Company Intellectual Property

To Whom It May Concern:

I have yet to receive a response to my prior correspondence with you.

Hansen Beverage Company considers this a serious matter and, if you do not take immediate steps to resolve this issue, they will be forced to take more aggressive action to protect their intellectual property rights.

I await your immediate response.

This correspondence is being sent in an attempt to achieve a prompt and informal resolution of this matter, and is thus privileged.

Nothing contained in and/or omitted from this letter or any prior communications is intended to be or should be considered an admission of any fact or a waiver of any right or defense, all of which are expressly reserved.

Sincerely,
Darlene Seymour
General Counsel
1292 East 91st St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240
P 317.818.0523
F 317.566.2453

Link of violation: http://forums.tannerworld.com/showthread.php?t=8751

First of all, to the folks at Hansen and Monster Energy… what the heck? Ever hear of "fair use". I fail to see anything in my reviews that could be considered us having "advertised and/or sold products bearing one or more of the Hansen marks, or confusingly similar derivations thereof."

Of course, the more ironic part… Hansen Beverage Company has previously provided BevReview.com with samples of their beverages for the purposes of online review. Perhaps the marketing/PR department should talk to the legal folks!

What's your take on all this? Post in the comments!