Vizzy Variety Pack #2
Molson Coors will launch four new flavors for its Vizzy Hard Seltzer on March 1 in a second variety pack.
Vizzy Variety Pack #2 features four dual-fruit flavors, each with the hard seltzer's signature antioxidant vitamin C from acerola superfruit: papaya passionfruit, blackberry lemon, watermelon strawberry and raspberry tangerine.
It will join Variety Pack #1, which includes pineapple mango, black cherry lime, blueberry pomegranate and strawberry kiwi.
A 5% ABV can of Vizzy contains 100 calories and 1 gram of sugar.
Vizzy Lemonade is set to follow in April with four flavors: strawberry, peach, watermelon and raspberry.
Dairy sports drink
A Chicago-based start-up has launched GoodSport, a sports drink made with 97% dairy and aims to complete nationally against leading brands.
The ‘first-of-its-kind’ sports drink – designed to be a natural alternative to drinks with artificial ingredients - is made with milk: a natural source of essential electrolytes and carbohydrates needed to provide effective hydration.
“In fact, scientific studies have shown milk hydrates better than traditional sports drinks and water,” says the brand.
“However, milk’s consistency and protein content, which slowly digests, were barriers for athletes before and during exercise. Our patent-pending formula and process cracked the code to provide naturally powerful hydration in a clear and thirst-quenching beverage. It delivers three times the electrolytes and 33% less sugar than traditional sports drinks. All ingredients are from natural sources and the beverage provides a good source of calcium and an excellent source of B vitamins.”
Hydration testing at Penn State University and published in Journal Nutrients shows GoodSport provides hydration two hours after it is consumed.
Dairy companies often ultrafilter milk and use the protein to make products such as cheese, but are unable to use the nutrient-rich permeate byproduct. GoodSport takes this permeate – ‘harnessing milk’s electrolytes, vitamins and carbohydrates’ – which creates a clear, light beverage ‘with a mouthfeel that consumers expect from a sports drink’. The drink is lactose free and shelf stable.
The drink is available via Amazon and the company’s website with broader retail distribution planned for later this year.
Fruit & veg blends
Tampico Beverages, a producer of juice drink concentrates, has launched a fruit and vegetable juice drink product line called Paired Up.
The shelf-stable beverages are available in three flavors: Beet the Day, Carrot On, and Pump It Up.
Each 8-oz serving of Paired Up contains one combined serving of fruits and vegetables with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors or artificial flavors. It also contains 100% of the FDA’s recommended daily serving of vitamin C, as well as acting as a source of vitamins A and E.
The Paired Up flavor profiles are:
- Beet the Day: beet, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry flavor blend
- Pump it Up: pumpkin, mango, coconut, banana flavor blend
- Carrot On: carrot, pineapple, orange, peach flavor blend
The line has been rolled out in 1,200 stores across the Eastern and Central US, and is currently available in more than 300 Walmart stores, as well as various independent retailers.
Beefeater: peach and raspberry
Gin brand Beefeater has launched a peach and raspberry variant in the UK, ready for the spring.
”The quintessential British flavours have been given a modern twist by Master Distiller and custodian, Desmond Payne MBE, to satisfy the sustained consumer demand for new exciting flavors,” explains brand owner Pernod Ricard.
“The fresh new expression is soft pastel peach hue in colour and provides the perfect balance between the slightly sweet peach flavor and burst of raspberry. Made in the heart of London, Beefeater Peach & Raspberry has been created using the iconic Beefeater London Dry recipe as its base, with added natural peach and raspberry flavors.”
Flavored gin represents a huge opportunity, says Pernod Ricard, as it makes up 40% of premium gin in the UK and is growing +21.6%. Beefeater’s previous launches in the category have been performing ‘exceptionally well’ since their launches: up 59.3% and 6.1% respectively.
“Introducing new and exciting flavours is not only a fantastic recruitment tool for the category, but also a great way to tap into different occasions and consumer taste profile needs.”
Mixto tequila
The founders of super-premium Tequila brand VIVIR have launched El Sueño – translated as ‘the dream’ - a new Mixto Tequila.
The 38% ABV drink has been designed to be affordable, high quality, sustainable and ideal for mixing with long drinks and cocktails such as margaritas, Tequila & tonic and Tequila & ginger ale. It is available in two expressions, Silver and Gold.
Recognising that Mixto brands are usually a drinker’s first introduction to Tequila - and that bad first experiences of the spirit can have a negative impact on the wider category – the brand seeks to create ‘an affordable Tequila for everyone’.
“Agave should be allowed to grow to full maturity before being harvested, which usually takes nine years, as the plant can then reproduce and its sugars mature. However, as Tequila demand grows exponentially, so does the pressure on agave production and farming, meaning many Mixto and even 100% agave Tequilas are cutting corners and harvesting agave too young. This not only means crops are decreasing, but there are wider agricultural and environmental implications as farmers are being undercut and losing their livelihoods in the process,” says the brand.
El Sueño is made at the same distillery as VIVIR, using lowland and highland Weber Blue Agave.
“More and more brands hide behind the 100% agave badge while using questionable production methods and very unsustainable agave,” says VIVIR & El Sueño co-founder Paul Hayes. “This is greatly damaging both the industry and farmers’ livelihoods in Mexico. We want to directly counteract this with El Sueño, which is very sustainable and at a great entry-level price point.”
El Sueño launches into the UK off-trade this month with listings in supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s.
Functional coffee
Laird Superfood has launched a new functional coffee line in the US: with Boost Coffee and Focus Coffee.
Boost Coffee is a coffee blend made with Vitamin D mushroom powder, botanicals and functional mushroom extracts. It contains 15% of the RDV of Vitamin D, along with ingredients such as Red Reishi, Maitake and Olive Leaf.
Focus Coffee blends botanicals and functional mushroom extract.
“As the most popular beverage with over 400 billion cups consumed each year, coffee is pure and naturally produced, but lacks any inherent functional benefits,” notes the brand.
“Co-founders of Laird Superfood, big wave surfer Laird Hamilton and Paul Hodge, recognized the growing desire for a truly functional coffee blend and set a goal to bring the first functional coffee blend to the superfood industry. The full-bodied flavors of both Boost and Focus Coffee won’t taste like the functional mushroom extracts within, you will just reap all the benefits of them!”
Spindrift unsweetened lemonade
Sparkling water brand Spindrift is launching an unsweetened lemonade range: crafted with ‘a uniquely balanced pairing of real squeezed lemons and limes’.
Spindrift’s Unsweetened Lemonade Sparkling Waters come in three twists on the classic drink: New Lemon Limeade, Strawberry and Pink Lemonade Spindrift. The drinks contain 0-1g sugar and 3-10 calories per can.
“We’re excited to introduce our newest flavor innovations to lemonade lovers and all of our loyal Drifters, who continue inspire our real-fruit sparkling water vision,” said Bill Creelman, founder and CEO of Spindrift.
“Lemonade is a classic beverage enjoyed by all. But with concerns about health and diet at an all-time high, we challenged ourselves to reimagine what this traditionally sugary drink could taste like with a Spindrift spin—real ingredients, uncompromised taste and legible calories.”
Hydrant's Sleep
US wellness brand Hydrant is launching SLEEP: a product containing ‘a combination of electrolytes to hydrate the body overnight and melatonin, magnesium, L-theanine, GABA, and chamomile extract to promote serene sleep.’
The drink comes in an elderberry flavored mix, “which is the perfect combination of sweet and earthy, it continues to provide the light, refreshing taste of all Hydrant products. Not to mention the berry has become extremely popular for being rich in antioxidants, nutrients and helping to boost immunity.”
The drink can be made hot or cold by mixing 4oz-8oz of water with SLEEP about 30 minutes before bed.
A pack of 30 sticks retails for $43.75 or via subscription for $35.
Beauty and Detox shots
US wellness brand So Good So You has reformulated two of its popular shots, Beauty and Detox, to enhance their nutritional properties.
“For our Detox reformulation, we wanted to increase the shot’s ability to solve the problem of removing impurities and keeping your body’s natural filter operating at 100%,” explained founder Rita Katona.
The pro-immune system health Detox shot, with its blend of organic pineapple and orange juices plus one billion CFUs of probiotics, will now use organic Spirulina in place of its previous blue green algae.
“Spirulina is a cyanobacteria with superfood status due to its reserves of Vitamins B1, B2, B3, Copper, and Iron. This is a more consumer-friendly superfood with similar properties to blue-green algae. We also added extra detoxification with 150mg of Actazin Kiwi Fruit Powder, which feeds and supports the probiotic bacteria, making them live longer in the gut to help resist invading toxins.”
Meanwhile, the new Beauty shot has added Biotin and increased levels of Silica.
“Five mg of Biotin, a B vitamin legendary for its abilities to keep hair and nails strong and lustrous, will be added to the shot’s blend of organic grapefruit, apple, and aronia berry juices and its one billion CFUs of probiotics, which support digestive and immune health,” said Katona. “The amount of Silica, a natural ingredient that aids the body in the production of collagen, will be increased from 10 mg to 20 mg in the new recipe.”
CBD seltzer
US brand CarryOn has launched a CBD seltzer: ‘a light bubbly option to help you relax and recover with no sugary crash’.
Available in two blends, Relax and Recover, CarryOn contains vitamins C and E, no added sugar, and contains 10 calories per 11.5 fl oz can (retails for $4.99 MSRP).
Relax is a sparkling blueberry flavor that features l-theanine to help support relaxation and 20mg of CBD.
Recover features nutrient boosters to support muscle and brain function and 10mg of CBD in a sparkling grapefruit flavor.
Truly Citrus Squeeze
Truly Hard Seltzer is adding Citrus Squeeze to its Citrus Mix Packs.
Citrus Squeeze replaces Truly Orange in the pack.
“As the hard seltzer with the most flavors in market, Truly understands the importance of variety because no drinker is just one flavor!
"Citrus Squeeze – like Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer before it – is the latest example of Truly’s dedication to flavor variety, drinker satisfaction, and innovation,” says the brand.
Mike's Hard Lemonade Seltzer
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer has launched in the US: blending the flavor of lemonade with the attributes of hard seltzer.
“Crafted from the ultimate lemon trifecta – a proprietary blend of three specialty lemon varietals – Mike’s lemonade flavor delivers a unique taste and crisp finish. Using a special cold pressed method, more lemon flavor is extracted into their lemonades and consumers can taste the difference. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and gluten free,” says the brand.
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer comes in a 12-can variety pack of four flavors: lemon; strawberry; mango and pineapple.
