Unguilty Pleasures
Looking for drinks that are not only not bad, but actively good.
<<<BACK TO LIQUIDzine
Consumers are increasingly looking for drinks that are not only not bad for them, but actively good. But what does that actually mean? And what products are chasing this growing segment?
As sure as eggs are aquafaba, and Barry’s Bootcamp is a Lululemon-clad magnet for masochists (we’re just jealous), the health-conscious trend is going nowhere. And while it’s taken a little longer for that trend to truly permeate drinks, it’s now here to stay.
According to tea and coffee supplier, Finlays, in 2020, 55% of soft beverage launches carried a natural/non synthetic claim, compared to just 24% in 2010. Consumers are more educated than ever on what they’re consuming. Clean and all-natural claims are becoming the norm as shoppers reject synthetic or overly-processed ingredients. However, they’re increasingly concerned with why they should consume it too. In soft drinks, functional benefits beyond hydration are becoming expected.
But what makes something ‘good’? Is it a lack of additives? Is it the addition of functional ingredients? Is it being low calorie? What about being plant-based and all-natural? Brands across the world are taking notably different approaches to appeal to consumer demands.
Trending ingredients
Tapping into culinary trends is also something we’re seeing across both full-strength and non-alc.
For those seeking overtly healthy drinks, ingredients with a wellness halo are key; think superfoods, alongside entirely plant-based options. We’re seeing this combination most commonly applied to the drinks already in consumer’s everyday repertoires.
First up, coffee. Germany’s Plant Magic Co offers functional oat-milk lattes. Ticking off a veritable feast of buzzword ingredients, the range uses matcha, maca, turmeric, moringa, and ginger. All of which promise adaptogens, essential nutrients and antioxidants for a drink that’s said to strengthen the immune system, boost energy and focus, and relieve stress. The classic iced coffee element has been swapped out with the superfood mushroom, reishi, which contains as much caffeine as an energy drink but with no added sugar.
Healthy alternatives to everyday drinks are a major focus. UK-brand The Good Level again targets the beverages we consume most; tea and coffee. And though you’d think they had functional benefit enough, its addition of CBD claims to restore balance in the mind. Need calm? A CBD chamomile tea is there to unwind. Need a boost? Coffee infused with cold-pressed hemp gives a pick-me-up, again, without the caffeine crash.
Healthy alternatives
And perhaps the most obvious target for a better-for-you rebrand, are energy drinks. Sugar-laden, and almost entirely unnatural by way of using synthetic caffeine, they are in many ways the antithesis of an unguilty pleasure. Data, again from Finlays, 66% of female consumers believe that energy drinks feel ‘unnatural and unhealthy’. They’re therefore, an untapped market.
Plant-based options using green tea, ginseng and guarana, are emerging. In the US, the trend is being led by the renaissance of Yaupon, North America's sole native caffeine source. Brands such as Sacred Energy (available in a range of flavours) and Parch (using ingredients such as turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger to aid digestion) are positioning themselves as the clean, all-natural, eco alternative to traditional energy beverages for an active, yoga-loving crowd.
Naughty but nice
But we can’t ignore alcohol, or drinks associated with alcohol. Perhaps one of the most well-known participants in this growing shift to moderate indulgence comes from cocktail syrup brand Monin. It’s a sure sign of the times when a brand focused on sugar-based flavour additions to cocktails, launches a wellness line. Step forward Monin Beverage Boost.
Both Monin Hydration Boost (containing magnesium, potassium, and sodium), and Monin Energy Boost (with natural caffeine and plant extracts) are billed as electrolyte-filled additions to any drink, from sparkling water, to smoothies, lemonade, or cocktails. Which is a pretty interesting premise.
Reaching further
And whilst booze can never claim to be good for you, we’re seeing brands that are additive and colouring free, doing the best thing they can by labelling themselves as ‘clean’. Granted, it’s an indefinite term, but one which holds growing sway over purchasing behaviour. In October, Patron tequila added an additive-free label to its bottles, for example.
The growing reach, the growing desire for something good, something less bad for you when it comes to drinks is only set to accelerate. The race is on for brands to either highlight what they’re doing right; from being all-natural, to offering low calorie serves; or to shift gear and align with a functional benefit, be it a better-for-you serve, or a focus on a superfood ingredient.
What’s core to this trend is that crucially consumers are not looking to substantially change their habits, or at least most aren’t. Instead, they’re looking for added virtue from the kind of products they already consume.