3 beverage mashup trends

The U.S. beverage market is benefitting from the added intrigue of new innovations and formulations in recent years. Such efforts by marketers and manufacturers have given the beverage industry the buoyancy necessary to stay afloat and thrive, according to U.S. Beverage Market Outlook 2019, a report by market research firm Packaged Facts.

Among the most important recent innovations, according to the report, involves three mashup trends — or the crossover fusion of two or more beverage products that traditionally wouldn’t be expected to go together. They are:

• Coffee jolts soda, energy drinks, juice and bottled water.

More frequently, coffee is being integrated into sparkling beverages, energy drinks and juices. This is a trend that should see continued expansion as consumers seek the indulgence and flavor of coffee while also thirsting for the effervescence of a carbonated beverage, the additional boost of energy ingredients, and/or more taste options, according to the report.

• Tea brews up healthier flavor fusions that appeal to millennials.

On a similar development trajectory to coffee, tea is increasingly being incorporated into sparkling beverages, energy drinks and juices, according to the report. The results impart tea’s health benefits into beverages with energy ingredients, carbonation and flavors that often have a wider appeal to younger adults.

• Energy and sports drinks created with more “natural” caffeine sources.

According to the report, there is an increasing blurring of the lines between sports and energy drinks across several beverage categories. An excellent example of that are hybrid ready-to-drink energy teas and coffees.

To read the report, click here.