The largest annual gathering of natural and organic CPG companies, Natural Products Expo West, kicks off this week in Anaheim, Calif., featuring thousands of new products.
FoodNavigator will be on the ground, reporting new trends across food, drinks, supply chain, technology and more. After highlighting protein innovations in late February, our focus turns to beverages.
Here is a preview of new drinks debuting at the show.
Pura Soda (Booth N2316)
Better-for-you drink company Pura Soda launched in South Africa in 2017, offering low-calorie drinks with four ingredients: sparkling water, fruit extracts, organic cane sugar and natural flavoring, the company said in an email.
The brand offers 10 SKUs, five of which come in cans – Cranberry, Cucumber Lime, Lemon Elderflower, Pomegranate, Seville Orange – for adults and five more for kids – Lemonade, Mixed Berry, Peach, Pink Apple, Watermelon.
The company is launching Cola as its newest flavor at the show.
Malk creamers (Booth N322)
The popular plant-based dairy substitute Malk, which offers “fewer ingredients, no gums and no oils,” has grown its brand nearly 1,000% over the last three years, the company said.
Malk is sampling its latest launch at the show, Coconut-based Creamers, which it says is the cleanest coffee alternative on the market.
“The clean-label products are available in three varieties – Vanilla, Sweet Cream and Unsweetened. Organic coconut milk is used to provide creaminess without the need for additives,” the company said. “All three varieties are USDA Organic, non-GMO and glyphosate residue-free.”
Blue Monkey reboot (Booth 5113)
Following its purchase of Local Weather Sports Drink, beverage company Blue Monkey is launching its new rebranded packaging at Expo West.
The Boston, Mass.-based company offers beverages with real fruit juice, no added sugar, no filler juices and non-GMO ingredients.
The company is expanding its US retail footprint with private-equity backing from Boyne Capital and Fifth Ocean Capital.
“The Expo West debut marks an important milestone for Blue Monkey as we continue to invest in the brand and support our retail partners,” said Blue Monkey Beverage CEO Steve Beck. “The redesign is part of Blue Monkey’s broader strategy to strengthen shelf impact, improve consumer clarity and support expanded distribution nationwide.”
Nixie soda (Booth N435)
Nixie Beverage Company is growing its portfolio with new flavors and packaging formats at Expo West, following a nationwide launch at Albertsons/Safeway a year ago.
The Boston-based company, which offers organic, sugar-free sodas, is launching its new four-pack format at the show along with two new flavors – Cherry Cola and Strawberry Cream.
“This is Nixie’s moment,” said founder and CEO Nicole Bernard Dawes. “We’ve built a reputation in the natural channel for having the best-tasting modern sodas and are ready to expand. We’ve spent the last few months building a direct-store delivery (DSD) network, adding key players to our team and developing new products and packaging formats, and now it’s all happening at once.”
Beyond Meat’s first beverage (Booth 3087)
Beyond Meat is living up to its name by expanding beyond food and launching Beyond Immerse, the company’s first line of drinks.
“Building on early momentum, the brand is adding four invigorating flavors to its lineup: Cherry Berry, Strawberry Lemonade, Piña Colada and Cucumber Grapefruit – delivering more ways to enjoy a functional beverage,” the company said.
The line of sparkling protein drinks features plant-based ingredients, including protein from peas and fiber from tapioca.
“We challenged ourselves to redefine the protein drink, designing a beverage that immerses the body not only in protein but more broadly in the remarkable power of plants,” said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat. “Available in 10g and 20g protein varieties and packed with 7g of fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes, Beyond Immerse fuels and nourishes the body.”
Tractor Beverage digs in (Booth 2041)
It’s been a big year for Tractor Beverage Company, which launched its first canned beverage Haymaker in late 2025.
The launch is getting the company recognition at Expo West, where Tractor was named a finalist in the 2026 NEXTY Awards in two categories: Beverage and Product Design & Storytelling.
“We’ve always believed ‘Business as Unusual’ isn’t just a tagline. It is how we build,” said Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage Company. “To see Haymaker recognized not only for what is inside the can, but for the story and intention behind it, means a great deal to our team.”
