Beverage innovators continue to diversify their portfolios with formats aimed at consumers seeking more functionality, stronger flavour cues and greater convenience. Across retail and foodservice, demand is rising for products that bridge consumer needs for refreshment, wellness and indulgence.
Shoppers look for low‑sugar options with added electrolytes, vitamins or clean‑label formulations, and so functionality remains key. Brands are also investing in pack formats that suit on‑the‑go consumption, especially where it isn’t expected.
Nostalgia continues to excite consumers, with companies using familiar tastes and heritage brands to tap into emotional connections. This trend spreads across alcohol and non‑alcohol categories as legacy names continue to grow in popularity.
Meanwhile, the drinking occasion itself is broadening, with more crossover innovation seeping into cocktails, mocktails and standalone occasions. As consumers explore experiences beyond traditional categories, manufacturers are leaning into flavour intensity, versatility and brand storytelling.
Double Dutch Sun & Sea
Double Dutch Drinks has renamed its Riviera Tonic Water to Sun & Sea Tonic Water as the premium mixer brand works to secure long‑term global brand ownership and support its international scale‑up.
The liquid remains unchanged, with the new name introduced to ensure stronger global resonance while maintaining the existing positioning in the mixer category.
Sun & Sea Tonic Water uses the same base as Double Dutch’s Indian Tonic Water, layered with aromatic thyme and rosemary, bittersweet wormwood and a bright lemon finish. The variant has previously collected awards for its flavour profile, and the company says the new name better reflects its ambition to grow distribution across multiple markets.
Co‑founders Raissa and Joyce de Haas said the Sun & Sea name retains the same golden‑hour energy associated with the original while giving the brand a platform that can scale confidently overseas. The rollout forms part of Double Dutch’s broader strategy to solidify IP ownership and strengthen export growth.
Jel Sert Alkaline
The Jel Sert Company is expanding its Pure Kick portfolio with Pure Kick Alkaline Singles To Go, a powdered drink mix designed to convert standard water into pH‑balanced alkaline hydration.
The launch comes as functional hydration, low‑sugar formats and convenient wellness solutions continue to influence category growth across US retail.
Pure Kick Alkaline delivers an 8.5+ pH profile in a portable stick format, offering consumers an alternative to pre‑bottled alkaline water at a lower cost and with easier on‑the‑go use. Each stick flavours 16–20 oz of water and is available in Cucumber Lemon, Berry, Watermelon and Unflavoured. Packs of 20 and 30 are listed on Amazon, Walmart and major national retailers.
The formula contains no sugar, no sweeteners or additives and five calories per stick, aligning with the broader shift away from high‑sugar hydration products and alcohol‑heavy routines. Jel Sert says this simplicity is key to attracting consumers seeking functional benefits without compromising on clean labels.
The brand has partnered with model and wellness advocate Olivia Ponton to demonstrate how alkaline hydration fits into everyday lifestyles, aiming to broaden awareness as the category continues to trend within wellness, fitness and lifestyle channels.
Q Mixers Refreshers
Q Mixers is entering the functional sparkling segment with Q Refreshers, a new canned line designed for cocktails, mocktails or standalone consumption. The 7.5oz products are available in the US on Amazon and roll out nationally in April, debuting as a NEXTY Award finalist at Natural Products Expo West.
Q Refreshers combines fruit‑forward flavour profiles with an electrolyte blend and added vitamins, aimed at consumers seeking lower‑calorie, functional alternatives to traditional soft drinks. Each can contains 40 calories, 10g non‑GMO sugar, 50% DV vitamin C and 20% DV B vitamins, along with sodium, potassium and magnesium for hydration. The line comes in four variants: Pineapple Passion, Raspberry Lemon, Watermelon Lime and Peach Nectarine.
The range builds on Q Mixers’ position in the premium mixer aisle, offering a format that can serve as a cocktail or mocktail base while also targeting everyday hydration occasions.
With fruit‑based RTDs and hard seltzers dominating US alcohol categories, the company sees an opportunity for a versatile product that bridges functional soft drinks and mixable beverages. The eight‑pack variety SKU carries a $7.99 MSRP.
Golden Road Más
Golden Road Brewing has expanded its fruit‑forward wheat ale line with Más, a higher‑ABV extension of its Mango Cart brand.
The new launch builds on the popularity of the original beer while targeting occasions where consumers seek a stronger single‑serve option.
Más delivers an 8% ABV wheat ale made with real mango, offering a fuller flavour profile than the 4% Mango Cart. It rolls out in 19.2oz cans across convenience stores and will also be poured on‑draft at Golden Road Brewing sites in Southern California.
The beer is positioned as a bolder take on the brand’s established LA street‑cart inspiration, aiming to keep Mango Cart loyalists while appealing to drinkers trading up to higher‑strength fruit beers. Sampling is available for trade partners, and a Golden Road spokesperson is open for interviews.
f’real Creamsicle
f’real has partnered with Good Humor to launch the Orange Creamsicle Milkshake, a limited‑time extension that brings the flavour of the number one-selling Creamsicle bar into the brand’s blend‑it‑yourself frozen format.
The collaboration targets rising demand for nostalgia‑driven treats and interactive, customisable experiences across convenience and foodservice.
The milkshake combines real milk with orange and vanilla cream flavours designed to echo the original Creamsicle profile, offering a balance of sweetness and refreshment in a frozen drinkable format.
It is prepared using f’real’s in‑store blending system, which allows consumers to customise thickness in under one minute. The brand positions the launch as suited to everyday impulse occasions, including travel, study breaks and on‑the‑go snacking.
Both brands aim to leverage their respective equities in indulgent treats and playful flavour mashups, responding to consumer interest in familiar profiles tied to childhood memories. The release forms part of f’real’s broader strategy to deliver seasonal and co‑branded innovation within frozen dispensed.
The Orange Creamsicle Milkshake is available US-wide across convenience stores, college campuses and cinemas, including Kwik Trip, Sheetz, Circle K, Yesway, RaceTrac, Weigel’s and Royal Farms. The 12oz SKU carries a suggested retail price of $3.99.
Rumple Minze Cinnamint
Rumple Minze has expanded its long‑standing peppermint schnapps line with Rumple Minze Cinnamint Whiskey, a 100‑proof flavoured whiskey combining cinnamon heat with the brand’s signature peppermint chill.
It is the brand’s first major innovation in several years and aims to capitalise on the rise of fire‑and‑ice shot combinations increasingly popular across US bars. The new expression is positioned to refresh the shot occasion while retaining the bold, high‑proof character that has contributed to Rumple Minze’s enduring presence behind the bar.
Cinnamint Whiskey layers cinnamon warmth with a cooling mint finish supported by a caramel‑rounded whiskey base. Diageo says the profile captures the familiar bar‑call pairing of cinnamon and mint in a single bottle, offering bartenders and retailers a simple option without needing to mix two products.
The launch comes as heritage spirits brands experience renewed engagement from younger, adult consumers drawn to nostalgic aesthetics and established bar culture. Early fan activity around the product has already gained traction on social channels.
The new variant rolls out nationally from March 2026 across multiple formats, including 750ml at an SRP $19.99, with 375ml, 50ml and 1l bottles also available.
