The patent pending, polyethylene terephthalate bottle is "ergonomically correct," he says, with a deep indentation in the upper half that makes the bottle easy to grip. Containers Northwest (Tumwater, WA) injection stretch/blow molds the bottles, including a blue-tinted version that adds shelf appeal to a natural water variety. The bottles' wide mouth, which facilitates "gulpability," takes a 38-mm polypropylene threaded closure from Alcoa Closures (Indianapolis, IN). Salem Label (Salem, OH) supplies the 2.75-mil PP labels, flexo-printed in four colors. Launched nationally, the suggested retail price for Ice Flavored Water is 99¢. Meanwhile, Talking Rain grabbed attention with another new package. Its Sparkling Ice(TM) microbrewed root beer in a glass bottle received a Clear Choice Award from the Washington, DC-based Glass Packaging Institute this past July. The 16-oz wide-mouth bottle is decorated via applied ceramic labeling by a variety of suppliers. It features a roll-on pilfer-resistant cap from Zapata Industries (Muskogee, OK). This Sparkling Ice product shared GPI's beverage category award with Starbucks Mazagran (See PW, December '95, p. 63).
