The drinks debuted at the Expo West show in three flavors--Coconut, Chocolate Sea Salt and Vanilla--and will officially hit the market April 1. Aloha already sells 1lb tubs of plant-based protein powder in Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana and Mixed Berry that can be mixed into other beverages.
It also has a line of protein bars in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Mint and Vanilla Almond Crunch.
CEO Brad Charron told BeverageDaily that the company turns to its customers when looking for new ideas and understanding the shifting food and drink landscape. The new RTD cartons fit with the convenience-focused, on-the-go lifestyle so many young people are living.
“We’re launching it because the consumers asked for it. The benefit of starting as an e-commerce company is we know what consumers are looking for. They tell us--they’re very vocal, they’re very candid, they’re very conscious and they’re very savvy in terms of where food’s going,” he said.
Packaged in 11oz aseptic cartons, the new drinks contain 18g of protein, 5g of sugar, MCT oil derived from coconuts, prebiotics for gut health and electrolytes. They are made with a coconut milk base and a blend of peas and brown rice.
The formula is vegan, certified organic, non-GMO and free from gluten, dairy, soy, stevia and artificial ingredients. Charron said it’s a ‘versatile’ product that can be used to supplement workouts, but also can be enjoyed at other occasions.
“People use it for meal replacement, for snack, for diet, for sustainability. They use it for a lot of purposes because it’s got a complete amino acid profile for the protein,” he said.
The drinks will launch in singles, four-packs and 12-packs on the Aloha website and Amazon.com. Aloha products are also sold in major retailers like CVS and Target nationwide.
