Dive Brief:
- Spindrift, best known for its seltzer made with fresh squeezed fruit juice, is jumping into better-for-you soda with the launch of Spindrift Soda.
- The drinks do not contain “superfluous ingredients and sweetener systems,” such as prebiotics, stevia or added sugar, Spindrift said in the press release. The sodas contain 20% fruit juice that is not from concentrate and fewer than 8 grams of naturally occurring sugar.
- The company is pitching the line as a clean-label alternative to rival sodas such as Poppi and Olipop. The line includes five flavors: Concord Freeze, Ginger Ale, Orange Cream Float, Shirley Temple and Strawberry Shortcake.
Dive Insight:
Spindrift Soda is not the company’s first foray into the soda category. At its inception 15 years ago, the brand launched citrus-based sodas in flavors such as Grapefruit and Orange Mango. It was discontinued in 2017 amid the rising popularity of seltzer drinks.
A lot has changed since then. Today, better-for-you sodas touting gut health-focused ingredients are booming. Spindrift, which positions itself as a less artificial seltzer, is taking a different approach than most brands in the fledgling functional soda category.
The company’s decision to eschew prebiotics — which proponents say improve the gut microbiome — could be the product’s key differentiator on shelves.
Spindrift’s founder Bill Creelman said in a statement the company sought to take its approach of creating drinks made with real beverages to its “most extreme.”
“Spindrift SODA is our most ambitious product to date. There’s nearly 3/4 of an orange in every can of Orange Cream Float! For the first time, Drifters can enjoy bold soda flavor without compromising on ingredients,” said Creelman.
Spindrift Soda is available on the company’s website and Amazon before it debuts in retail stores later this year.
As Poppi and Olipop have gained popularity in recent years with their prebiotic alternatives to traditional soda, firms across the beverage industry are aiming to replicate their success.
This month, soda giant Coca-Cola entered the trend category with Simply Pop. In 2024, kombucha maker Health-Ade launched SunSip, a line of prebiotic sodas. Jones Soda launched Pop Jones, which contains fiber and features 30 calories per can in five flavors last fall.
The functional drinks market is projected to be more than $350 million by 2030, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%, according to Grand View Research. At the same time, Spindrift’s primary beverage category, seltzer, has seen sales slump in recent years.
Sparkling water volumes declined 4.9% and 3% in 2022 and 2023, respectively, according to a report last year published by the Beverage Marketing Corporation.
Spindrift, which debuted 15 years ago, is betting the increase in consumers looking to limit their sugar intake will help sales of seltzer and soda.
Last month, private equity firm Gryphon Investors bought a majority stake in the company and former Boston Beer head Dave Burwick was named CEO. The company also has a foot in the alcohol category with Spindrift Spiked hard seltzer, which debuted in 2021.
