What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches - from energy drinks to whisky

ZOA Energy: Green Apple

ZOA Energy is introducing Green Apple, a new flavor for its Zero Sugar beverages line-up.

Infused with ZOA Energy’s signature blend of B & C vitamins, electrolytes and zero sugar, Green Apple complements the brand’s core flavors: Tropical Punch, Strawberry Watermelon, Frosted Grape, Wild Orange, Cherry Limeade, White Peach, Super Berry and Pineapple Coconut. 

“We are thrilled to unveil a fresh new flavor that’s perfect for our ZOA fans. This delicious new flavor tastes like you’re biting into a crisp green apple, and we can’t wait to share this great taste with our consumers,” said Melanie Hellenga, Chief Marketing Officer of ZOA Energy. “Driven by innovation, over the past year, we’ve enhanced our formula, launched new products, and broadened our distribution channels to provide more great tasting flavors, accessible in more locations, for our ZOA Warriors.”  

ZOA Energy launched in 2021 with co-founders Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson, Chief Energy Officer; Dany Garcia, Chief Visionary Officer; Dave Rienzi, Chief Innovation Officer; and John Shulman, Chief Positivity Officer. 

The brand’s formula touts 160mg of caffeine from green tea and green coffee beans.  ZOA is formulated to bolster healthy immunity and concentration, while supplementing amino intake and giving consumers a smooth and balanced energetic feeling. 

Shake Baby Shake

UK RTD cocktail brand, Shake Baby Shake, is adding three new flavors to its portfolio.

Lemon Gin Fizz has a tangy gin base with a splash of lemon juice, Pink Berry Margarita mixes raspberry, margarita flavour and vodka, and On the Peach comprises a smooth blend of peach, orange, coconut and vodka.

The cans have an ABV of 3.4% and are presented in a 250ml single can format, with an RRP of between £1.55-£1.60 per can.

Shake Baby Shake’s RTD range expansion comes on the back of exponential growth in the canned cocktail segment, with the strategic decision to launch in single can format formed from it being the biggest driver of value growth YOY, according to category insight.

Brand Manager at Shake Baby Shake, Emily Seddon said: “Each flavor has been crafted with our customers in mind – we’ve seen increasing demand for more exotic taste profiles – particularly during the summer months when we see an increase in consumption of fruity flavors.”

Danish whisky

Stauning, a distillery situated on the west coast of Denmark, is launching HØST, a 40.5% ABV rye and single malt blend.

The latest edition to Stauning’s portfolio, HØST – which translates to ‘harvest’ in Danish’ – honors the natural beauty of the West Denmark landscape and the season that provides the grains essential to Danish whiskies.

HØST is described as a flavorsome, fruit-forward whisky with floral undertones, a result of its aging process. It is aged in bourbon and heavily charred new American white oak casks before being finished in port barrique casks, delivering notes of vanilla, beeswax and citrus on the nose. When sipped, meadow honey, toffee, apple and red berries shine through, with a syrupy cinnamon, oak and subtle spice finish.

“Ideal for sipping and bold enough to elevate classic whisky cocktails, HØST is the perfect whisky for beginners and connoisseurs alike,” says the distillery.

New look for Sparkling Ice

US sparkling water brand, Sparkling Ice, has rolled out new labels across its bottles.

Talking Rain Beverage Company has created the refreshed label to position a ‘bold, clean and more modern-looking Sparkling Ice logo above the familiar fruit-filled ice cube.’

The new design is optimized to promote brand recognition, improve visibility on the shelf, and boost relevance with target consumers: particularly among a sea of ready-to-drink options.

The logo refresh will be reflected on all Sparkling Ice products by the end of 2024.

Red Bull Summer Edition

Red Bull has launched its newest flavor, Red Bull Summer Edition Curuba Elderflower.

The new offering, which is now available across the US, ‘delivers the benefits of Red Bull Energy Drink with a burst of curuba, citrus, melon, and an elderflower finish’.

Red Bull Summer Edition Curuba Elderflower comes in a new chartreuse can and will be available as an 8.4 fl oz and 12 fl oz can, and as a single serving or in a 4-pack, while supplies last.

Four Loko

Premium US vodka-based RTD brand Four Loko has extended its range in the UK with the launch of a new flavor: Dark Berry Burst.

Available in the UK, Dark Berry Burst has a mix of ‘vibrant, tangy blackcurrant flavors’ and comes in 440ml cans (8.4% ABV) with a RRP of £3.49. 

Dark Berry Burst joins the existing Four Loko line up of eight flavors - White, Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical, Blue, Fruit Punch, Gold, Sour Blue Razz and Sour Apple (all 8.4% ABV), and like the rest of the range, is caffeine-free.

Four Loko, a US brand, launched into the UK in 2021 and how counts itself as one of the fastest growing RTD brands in the UK.

Dark Berry Burst debuted at the National Convenience Show last week.

General Admission: The latest innovation from The Boston Beer Company

The Boston Beer Company – the company behind Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard and Dogfish Head – has debuted a ‘first-of-its-kind’ non-alcoholic beverage General Admission.

Described as an ‘exceptionally refreshing non-alcoholic fruit brew’, General Admission combines the flavor attributes of a non-alcoholic beer and a fruited seltzer water.

General Admission is available in four deliciously fruit-forward flavors – Lemon-Lime, Orange Ovation, Grapefruit Groove and Raspberry Remix. 

General Admission is currently available on shelves in Albany, New York, Raleigh, North Carolina, and throughout the state of Indiana: or available to order online.

“The non-alc category is seeing explosive growth (up more than 30% in 2023, according to NIQ) and it is becoming a sizable piece of the industry. In fact, non-alc is now bigger than hard cider,” said Tim Kerrigan, The Boston Beer Company’s Assistant Head of Innovation.

“Knowing that, we wanted to create a new type of product that offers a much broader view of what we believe non-alc can be. We believe it’s actually alcohol drinkers that are the primary consumers of non-alc products, and we must find a way to make something that appeals to everyone, whether they drink spirits, beer, wine or only non-alc. That was the inception point for General Admission, and we’re excited to see how consumers will respond to this unique brand and its distinct proposition.”

General Admission is the first brand from Boston Beer that will utilize direct to consumer shipping as a method of product distribution.

“With General Admission, we’ll be testing not only how drinkers respond to the product itself, but also how we can best leverage a direct to consumer platform as an impactful sales tool for the future,” Kerrigan adds. “Because General Admission is non-alcoholic, we have the opportunity to simultaneously test and market our hypotheses on both a regional and national scale, both at traditional retail locations and through the growing e-commerce channel – it’s really a win from all angles.”