Ask most beverage innovators, and they'll tell you the most important aspect of beverage development is flavor. A beverage has to taste good to have any hope of success.
Then there's other factors such as hydration, refreshment or functionality.
Texture, however, is more associated with foods or snacks – the satisfying crunch of a biscuit or the melting sensation of chocolate. But texture is starting to get more and more important in the beverage world.
Bubble trouble
Mouthfeel, of course, has always been a part of beverage innovation.
Carbonation is a key part of the drinking experience for many drinks. In alcohol, mouthfeel is a key part of the drinking experience. The creamier a hot chocolate or latte, the better.
And beverage innovators know they need to be careful of how formulation may affect the mouthfeel of a drink - particularly when it comes to functional beverages - because no-one wants a floury experience from their drink.
But going beyond mouthfeel and thinking about texture - specifically texture as a feature and experience - takes this to the next level.
The popularity of boba tea – or bubble tea – has already brought this to the fore. Boba tea is a tea-based drink but with something inside – normally chewy tapioca balls or seaweed-based balls filled with fruit juice. The drink is often served in transparent plastic dome cups for visual effect, with a fat straw so that, as the drink is sipped, the balls come up with the liquid.
It’s been a firm favorite in Asia for decades, but recent years have seen its popularity spread further afield. In fact, Europe and North America now collectively account for 41% of tea and RTD tea launches with boba in 2023, up from just 12% five years ago, according to data from Mintel.
Why the success of boba tea? There’s a winning combination of several factors – the visually appealing aesthetics with vibrant colors, but also the fun, unexpected interactive experience of the balls.
But boba tea is only just the start.
Between a soft drink and a snack
Mogu mogu is a brand that was born in Thailand in 2001, but has since found itself a popular drink with consumers across the globe. Like boba tea, it's expanded beyond Asia and is now available in more than 90 countries, including the US and UK.
The drink - which comes in a range of flavors - contains real pieces of nata de coco to offer a unique drinking experience.
With its fan base centered around Gen Z and millennials, Mogu Mogu has seen growth of 216% in the retail channel in the UK over the past year, making it the fastest growing soft drinks brand in 2023.
“Nata de coco, also called coconut jelly, is made by fermenting the sweet, flavorful juice of young, green coconuts," Ash Chandha, sales and marketing director, told us.
"It’s a soft, chewy treat that’s naturally vegan and is versatile in terms of taste, meaning it blends perfectly with an array of different, vibrant flavors.
“Beyond flavor, nata de coco adds a bit of bite to the drinking experience – and that’s what really makes Mogu Mogu standout from the crowd. Shoppers are tiring of drinking the same energy drinks, colas and carbonates day in day out, but when looking for alternatives they want something that still ticks the box in terms of refreshment and flavor. Mogu Mogu does exactly that.
"Our flavorful drinks with chewy nata de coco pieces make for a unique drinking experience which almost straddles the line between a soft drink and a snack."
Taking inspiration from snacks
That idea of snacks is part of the inspiration for Warsaw-headquartered food and beverage company Agus. With a portfolio across snacks, beverage and dairy, it knows the importance of texture.
In July, it launched a new brand, Hello Day! Magico – a drink that combines natural fruit juice and nata de coco.
The new launch illustrates its strategy to grow, develop, and think outside the box: as the brand puts it: 'Biting into and chewing springy coconut bits is at the heart of the beverage's pleasure, providing unexpected experiences.'
“We developed Hello Day! Magico to provide consumers with a moment of indulgence,” said Jaroslaw Banda, communications director at Agus.
“Nearly 40% of consumers prioritize the pleasure of eating, according to Mintel Global Food and Drink Trends Report. Agus aims to meet these expectations by offering a product that not only tastes great, but also delivers a unique sensory experience.”
The drinks branding has been created by Italian agency Break Design: with ‘magico’ coming from the English words ‘magic’ and ‘coconut’ – or, quite simply, the word for magic in Italian.
A vehicle for flavor
Texture is an important new dynamic for beverage innovation. But it also takes the process full circle and back to priority number 1: flavor.
That's something that's been evident in the boba tea category.
“Classic flavors like black tea, green tea, and milk tea remain popular choices in boba tea, as they provide a balanced base that complements the tapioca pearls well,” said Balaji Krishnan, CEO and founder of Frazy, a beverage company which launched its first boba tea in retail August.
“Fruit flavors such as mango, strawberry, and lychee are also highly favored, adding a refreshing twist to the traditional tea base.
“Additionally, trendy flavors like matcha, taro, and brown sugar have gained traction, aligning with broader trends in the beverage category that emphasize unique tastes. These flavors work particularly well with the style of boba tea because they offer a satisfying blend of sweetness and complexity that enhances the overall drinking experience.”
Flavor has also been part of the strategy for Mogu Mogu, who doesn't rely on nata de coco alone to be the key selling point of its brand. It comes in a range of 17 flavors: led by best-sellers Lychee and Mango.
But it's not just about fresh Asian fruity flavors.
"Nostalgia is big business in UK food and drink right now and, as a challenger in soft drinks, this presented us with a not-to-be-missed opportunity to lean fully into our playful, experimental brand personality and go bold with flavors you wouldn’t expect to see on soft drinks fixtures," said Chandha, sales and marketing director at Mogu Mogu.
"That’s why we took Mogu Mogu beyond fruity flavors for the first time with our confectionery-inspired Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy flavors, both of which were specially made to bring back memories of long-loved sweets and fairground-favorite tastes with every sip.”