Health-Ade Kombucha announced today the launch of Health-Ade Booch Pop, a line of kombucha-based prebiotic drinks that marks the brand’s first product extension into shelf-stable sets.
Health-Ade co-founder and CEO Daina Trout said the line is the first new innovation outside of kombucha and is centered around the concept of “Feel Good Bubbly Beverages.” Though Booch Pop is kombucha-based, the company is also developing new lines in additional categories, she noted.
Booch Pop features organic Lemon Lime, Pom-Berry and Ginger Fizz varieties and contain 40-60 calories per 12 oz. can. Using kombucha as a base, each SKU also includes cold pressed juice. The drinks retail for $2.49 per unit, $20.00 for an 8-pack and $30.00 for a 12-pack.
At launch Booch Pop will be available online via Amazon and in Gelson’s Markets stores in California. The line is expected to be available in about 1,600 retail locations by the end of the year.
Trout compared the line to a better-for-you soda intended for “celebration” and relaxation use occasions, noting that as consumers look for alternatives to CSDs they’re often left with limited options, such as unsweetened sparkling waters or polarizing zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia, erythritol and monkfruit.
“We were thinking about where do you take soda?” Trout said. “I would take it to the beach, when I was on an airplane, I would have it at a club. So this is a challenge that kombucha will have as it really tries to compete with that occasion in full.”
Although she said regular kombucha products can meet similar use occasions as Booch Pop, the category faces several hurdles as it seeks to compete with soda, including glass packaging, a lack of shelf-stability and a divisive flavor profile. In recent years, Health-Ade and the kombucha category at large have made strides towards the mainstream, more widely embracing aluminum cans while others such as Oregon-based Humm have introduced zero sugar options.
However, Trout said Health-Ade did not want to compromise on taste or functionality to its core line and instead sought to expand its brand platform through a prebiotic drink that could “redefine soda.”
The new line also rolls out as various prebiotic soda brands have emerged in the natural and specialty retail channels, with startup brands such as OLIPOP and Poppi positioning themselves as low sugar competitors to mainstream CSDs. With Booch Pop as Health-Ade’s entry into this space, Trout said she recognizes the potential for prebiotic drinks to grow into a category all its own.
“We’re planning on really launching this as not just as a product, but also as the launch of a new mission for Health-Ade to step into this world of feel good, bubbly beverages and hopefully name a category with these products behind them,” she said.
In addition to portability, having a shelf stable option gives Health-Ade the opportunity to grow its presence in channels such as convenience while also expanding its presence in grocery to the dry shelf. Booch Pop will also allow the brand to expand its ecommerce platform, which Trout noted has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. A significant portion of the marketing for Booch Pop will be focused on driving online sales through social and digital campaigns, she said.
“So far, what’s been really cool about this is it’s seen almost 100% acceptance from retailers, so there’s something special about that,” Trout said. “That wasn’t something we really expected, especially since we were really starting to talk about it right at the beginning of COVID.”