You have to respect today’s supermarket beverage buyer. He or she is getting inundated with new products, promotional deals and merchandising fixtures, while planograms for store shelves need constant review, revision and redistribution. Manufacturers are turning out new and improved mixes, bottles and cans to match consumer demand for convenience and health.

The whole process seems to be going into overdrive this spring. Of course, that’s not too surprising when you remember that a lot of the new beverages target kids who, after 10 months cooped up in the classroom, are ready for summer. Kool-Aid, the iconic powdered drink mix, is entering the era of wellness with four reformulated products, and one new one. Among them is Sugar Free Kool-Aid, updated to taste more like regular unsweetened Kool-Aid than the original version, introduced in 1983.

The new product is Kool-Aid Burstin’ Waters, a ready-to-drink flavored water beverage that comes in a squeezable plastic bottle. Burstin’ Waters is caffeine free, comes in three flavors and is only 35 calories per serving.

Three of those on the annual multi-state car trip to see Aunt Ida and that’s not the only thing in danger of Burstin’.

For the more mature drinker, there’s a new line of six ready-to-drink options from a partnership between Jamba Juice and Nestle USA. On the smoothie side, there’s Strawberries Wild w/Energy Boost; Orange Dream Machine w/Immunity; and Banana Berry w/Heart Healthy Boost. The Juice varieties include Orange Strawberry Banana w/Protein Boost; Mango Orange Peach w/Fiber Boost; Very Berry w/Calcium Boost.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing developments in this continuing beverage saga has been the lack of interest by the big companies in rolling out new carbonated soft drinks (sodas, pops — whatever you want to call them). These most recent introductions just go to prove that the heyday of the soda (the term I grew up with in New York) is indeed over. Today it’s all about boosted fruit drinks, infused teas and energy concoctions. What’ll you have?

While in Boston over the Memorial Day weekend, I ended up at Hatch Shell in the Charles River Esplanade - site of the 15th annual EarthFest. I did not expect to work, but as I walked the aisles of grass and pinballed from booth to booth, I suffered a flashback. Hey! I know you!… Don’t tell me, Expo West, right? East? Ah, right!

I was impressed by the number of food companies that turned out. Whole Foods Market had its very own, very large tent filled with samples of its 365 private label line, including soaps, cookies and chips. Employees greeted attendees wearing bright green T-shirts and primed with plenty of talking (shouting might be more accurate) points. Also working the crowd of 50,000 were Morningstar Farms, Annie Chun’s, Kashi, Steaz, Nantucket Nectars, Nature’s Path, Barbara’s Bakery, Honest Tea, Stonyfield Farms and Cape Cod Potato Chips.

People certainly enjoyed the food (the bulging, reusable shopping bags filled with freebies attested to that), but the truer spirit of the event could be found at the non-profit and local community group section, promoting various causes ranging from bicycle transportation to energy efficiency. There were fewer giveaways here, but plenty of information and ideas and inspiration on ways everyone can reduce their individual impact on the environment.

Then there was the music. A few of the five bands were from my college years. I was glad to see they were still around (like me) and still looked pretty good (hopefully, like me). One of them was a favorite when I was in school — the BoDeans, a great, Milwaukee-based duo that I hadn’t seen in more than 10 years, closed with what’s probably they’re best-known song, “Closer to Free.”

Closer to Green is more like it. At least, we can hope. It’s impossible to say just how many people actually took time to look through the free samples and giveaways, to the message and goals behind Earthfest. Purchasing ethically processed foods that respect the earth is certainly one way to demonstrate a commitment, but it’s only one part. Let’s hope next year the bike rack will be more full and nonprofit tables busier. Anyway, thanks WBOS 92.9 for putting on a great show and getting us all to keep thinking green!