Keeping up to date with the industry’s latest innovations, insights and ideas is critical to maintaining a competitive advantage on the fast-moving beverage shelf.
Our round-up of beverage NPD is here to help you develop, unveil and expand beverage innovation.
Italian vibes
Global Italian sparkling beverage brand Sanpellegrino has launched Sanpellegrino Ciao, a new line of sparkling flavored waters with real fruit juice.
Inspired by Sicily’s tradition of blending sparkling water with citrus juice and a touch of salt to enhance flavor, the new beverage line features four delicious flavors: peach, blood orange, lime and cherry.
Each can is crafted with real fruit juices, a pinch of Sicilian salt, contains 10 calories or less, and has 0g added sugars.
Sanpelligrino Ciao is available at select retailers and expands nationwide in April, with a suggested retail price of $5.99 per 6-can pack.
Ciao is the newest sparkling offering in the Sanpellegrino flavored beverages portfolio, joining the Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks and Sanpellegrino Zero Grams Added Sugar Italian Sparkling Drinks portfolios.
Toasted Marshmellow and Rhubarb syrups
Monin, the top syrup brand in the UK on-trade, has introduced two new flavor innovations.
Toasted Marshmellow evokes the idea of indulgent s’mores, and offers a decadent way to upgrade a hot or iced chocolate, latte, mocha or frappe – or even cocktails.
Meanwhile, Rhubarb joins the portfolio to add a familiar yet innovative flavor to cocktails, mocktails, lemonades, iced teas and frappes, ready for the British rhubarb season this spring.
New LaCroix flavor
LaCroix Sparkling Water by National Beverage Corp. has introduced its newest launch: Sunshine.
Sunshine is a ‘bright and sparkling blend of citrus and tropical zest that conveys the refreshing essence of a sun-kissed day in every sip’.
Korean tea
Luxury Korean based tea brand, Osulloc, has expanded to the US with offerings now available at Erewhon and Amazon.
Loved by Jessica Alba & Gwyneth Paltrow, Osulloc is sourced from the pristine environment of Jeju Island reflecting over 40 years of dedication to crafting rich, flavorful teas that are deeply rooted in tradition, benefitting from the island’s volcanic soil and unique climate for an exceptional tea experience.
Among the line-up is Sejak Green Tea, Premium Matcha Powder, Jeju Volcanic Oolong Tea, Pure Green Tea and Cold Brew Green Tea.
KXR Ready-to-drink
Sports nutrition brand VMI Sports has announced an official multi-year licensing agreement with PEZ Candy: with a partnership bringing PEZ flavored products across multiple beverage and powder categories, starting with KXR Ready-To-Drink.
KXR RTD will be ‘one of the most advanced performance pre-workout drinks on the market today, featuring a unique combination of Citruline, HydroMax Glycerol and VMI’s proprietary tri-caffeine blend.’
“Being a staple in sports nutrition, we knew we needed a partner that aligned with our brand and customers,” said VMI Sports President, Tom Reilly. “After a year of reviewing options, PEZ emerged as the perfect fit. This global iconic & nostalgic brand shares our Northeast roots.”
The rollout of PEZ flavored beverages starts at select Gold’s Gym Corporate locations as well as One Life Fitness Clubs and other health club chains at the beginning of March.
Unwell Hydration
Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper is dropping her newest flavor for Unwell Hydration: Kiwi Pineapple.
The latest flavor is described as ‘bright and refreshing with the perfect balance of tropical kiwi and sweet pineapple flavors’. Joining the lineup of Strawberry, Orange Hibiscus and Mango Citrus flavors, Kiwi Pineapple contains electrolytes and B-complex vitamins with natural green coffee extract to serve up rapid hydration and focus.
Alex Cooper – whose podcast is the most listened to podcast by women on Spotify - first launched Unwell Hydration at the beginning of the year to tap into a white space of hydration options designed specifically for women.
NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer
Anheuser-Busch’s NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer has launched its latest flavor: NÜTRL Lime.
After a limited release in 2024, the citrus-forward flavor is rolling out in four-packs nationwide.
The new flavor is accompanied by ‘Keep It Tasty’, an integrated, national campaign that will come to life with four unique 15s spots and five 6s spots highlighting the taste and real ingredients of the brand.
Smirnoff Miami Peach
Smirnoff has added Smirnoff Miami Peach – a 35% ABV vodka-based spirit drink – to its portfolio in the UK.
The new innovation is accompanied by a 5% ABV RTD version mixed with lemonade.
“Smirnoff has driven the growth of spirit flavours in the off-trade with previous launches like Cherry Drop, Mango & Passionfruit, and Raspberry Crush,” said Jessica Lace, head of Smirnoff GB at Diageo. “Our brand is an expert in this space, with Raspberry Crush being the biggest flavored spirit launch in the last three years.
“Peach is the flavor of the moment, and Smirnoff Miami Peach gives shoppers the opportunity to experiment with different mixers to create their own peachy summer serve.”
Luxardo Del Santo Herbal Liqueur
Luxardo, an Italian liqueur brand, has introduced Luxardo Del Santo Herbal Liqueur in the US.
The blend is an infusion of various herbs and roots: such as achillea moscata, mace, galanga, cinnamon, carnation, aromatic calamus and many others.
Produced in the historic Luxardo distillery in Torreglia, Italy, Del Santo is imported by San Francisco’s Hotaling & Co. with a SRP of $34.99 for a 750ml bottle.
