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Sip Away Stress Scared of flying? What if a company said you could wash away those fears with a drink—a nonalcoholic one at that. That’s the idea behind SkyWater Beverage Company’s three new drinks, powered by a blend of chamomile, passionflower, ginseng, vitamin C and hydrating electrolytes. “Travel can be stressful. You miss your connection; a bag gets lost; there are delays at the gate. It’s become so frustrating. We thought, there’s an opportunity here to create something all natural that can really help improve that travel experience,” says Chief Operations Officer Shaun O’Hollaren, who developed the

product with CEO Jeffrey Solomon. SkyWater is available on Amazon and through

the company’s website, but plans are in the works to expand to convenience stores, airport shops, subway stations and hotels. The beverage comes in three flavors: Berry, Lively Lemon and Dreamy Cherry. The drinks have zero calories, are sugar-free, have no artificial flavors or preservatives and can help keep your energy level up if you are under the weather at a conference. The best part: The bottles are 2.5 ounces, so they can be carried through airport security.

Tonic Meets Its (New) Match Tonic water is a time-tested match for gin and vodka. But what about coffee? Hours before (or after) attendees hit the booze, treat them to this new buzzworthy concoction—coffee tonics. Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon, is among the first to realize that quinine found in tonic water complements the flavor of coffee and espresso, making for new beverage options in the daytime hours. “Ours is done specifically with an Ethiopian cold-brew coffee we think works especially well with tonic,” says Diane Aylsworth, Stumptown’s director of marketing. “Any meeting planner with coffee and tonic on hand—and who doesn’t have both?—can experiment with blending and adding garnishes such as candied maraschino cherries, lemons, limes and orange peels—anything that mimics a cocktail.”

Raising the Bar These four companies don’t simply churn out delicious chocolate— they create art. Beautifully packaged bars are sure to sit pretty in welcome bags for your C-suite, VIPs, speakers or incentive winners.

CompartesThis L.A. candy-maker is famous among the celeb set for its custom truffles, and its packaging is almost too enchanting to unwrap. Flavors like Donuts & Coffee, Pina Colada and Cereal Bowl are playful takes on the ho hum bar.

Askinosie ChocolateBased in Springfield, Missouri, this family-owned company’s CollaBARation Bars are a big hit. Askinosie partners with brands like Intelligentsia Coffee and Cafe Pasqual’s to create bars inspired by their offerings.

RaakaThe black-and-white drawings adorning the labels of these organic bean-to-bar treats were created with the help of Loop, an eco-conscious textile brand based in Philadelphia. Offerings include a gift pack of three bars, four-piece truffle box or monthly chocolate subscription.

Not Your Sugar MamasRaw bars sans dairy, refined sugar and gluten from this Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts-based chocolatier come in rainbow-hued packaging in good-for-you flavors like lavender sea salt, ginger pomegranate, and rose and maca.

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