Unboxed: 7 new and notable ready-to-drink beverages
Unique drinks can boost basket size with novelty, efficacy and unexpected ingredients.
This refreshing fruit-infused lemonade features, per the product name, just four organic ingredients: purified water, maple syrup, lemon juice and raspberry purée. It’s slightly high in sugar (25 grams per 12-ounce bottle), but we love the ultra-clean ingredient list and the robust flavor from the maple syrup. Also available in blueberry and straight lemon flavors.
Like a clean-label energy shot, the contents of this handy two-ounce container is rich, ethically sourced cold brew black coffee that contains around 130 mg of caffeine—about the same amount in two cups of coffee. Also available in Vanilla and Caramel flavors.
A zero-calorie, zero-sugar beverage that contains the relatively underused ingredient organic nopal purée (popularly known as cactus). Also inside, you’ll find lemon juice concentrate, filtered water and nopal natural flavor.
Flavorful add-ins such as coconut cream and ceremonial-grade matcha tea are blended with milk protein concentrate for an on-the-go breakfast or hearty snack. We’re impressed by the very low sugar content (just 3 grams for 11.5 ounces), made possible by combining monk fruit juice with organic cane sugar.
One of the first brands to widely tout the benefits of coffee fruit (the tart fruit surrounding the coffee bean/seed), KonaRed makes the ingredient into a more palatable beverage by blending it with other fruit juices including pineapple juice and apple juice.
A unique functional beverage designed to support tooth and mouth health. The star ingredient in this 30-calorie beverage is a branded ingredient called XyVita, made from xylitol, vegetable glycerin, sodium bicarbonate and sodium alginate. XyVita lowers the acidity in your mouth, reducing risk of tooth decay.
Repurposed Pod salvages landfill-bound cacao fruit (the fruit that encases cacao beans made into chocolate) and juices them into this sweet, tart beverage that’s perfect for blending into cocktails or mocktails.
Repurposed Pod salvages landfill-bound cacao fruit (the fruit that encases cacao beans made into chocolate) and juices them into this sweet, tart beverage that’s perfect for blending into cocktails or mocktails.
Beverages seem ready-made to inspire impulse purchases. Often bought with a grab-and-go meal, ready-to-drink beverages (both refrigerated and shelf-stable) offer just enough innovation and portability, and a relatively low price point, to urge consumers to buy with little thought.
There is impressive creativity brewing within the beverage category. From new ingredients that incorporate normally landfill-bound food waste into tasty juices, to products that help consumers maintain oral health throughout the day, aisles are awash in exciting new SKUs.
Why the surge? Market fragmentation is certainly a chief reason. Whereas old-school soda corporations (cough, Pepsi and Coca-Cola) used to dominate shelf space, smaller brands that prioritize health and natural ingredients have gained important ground in grocery stores—particularly functional beverages that promise improved energy, well-being, nutrition, sleep and more. According to data collected by Nutrition Business Journal, in 2016 beverages made up 65.9 percent of the functional food and beverage market, and in 2017, sales of functional canned and bottled drinks grew 8.8 percent to $6.43 billion. Evidence suggests that the category won’t slow down any time soon. By 2021, NBJ estimates, functional canned and bottled drinks will grow to $8.5 billion. Bottom's up!
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