If you're looking to toast the holiday season with a little eggnog, you'll have a few more options this year.
Almond Breeze, the almond milk brand owned by Blue Diamond Almonds, has put its own spin on the holiday beverage, creating its first-ever eggnog in two flavors — classic and vanilla chai spice.
Almond Breeze isn't the only almond milk brand to offer an eggnog substitute. Rival Silk, which is owned by WhiteWave, also sells a version of the holiday beverage.
Adding a new flavor profile to Almond Breeze's lineup, especially for the holidays, could help boost sales for the company. Limited time-only flavors, like a holiday blend, generate buzz for food companies in the same way that limited-time menu items drive traffic at fast food chains.
Almond milk has been a trendy beverage for lactose-intolerant customers or those who adhere to a vegan or paleo diet. Sales of almond milk jumped 4.2 percent last year, nearing $1 billion, according to IRI research, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Technavio, a market research company, predicts that the global almond milk market will grow 15 percent between 2016 and 2020, driven by growing numbers of people with lactose intolerance or a desire for a vegan diet. Almond milk also is seen as having health benefits and a premium positioning.
No doubt, consumers can expect to see more flavor variations of non-dairy milks in the future.