Asian-Inspired Coffees Aim to Break Out
East Asian-inspired flavors were everywhere at this year’s Expo West show, with ingredients like yuzu and moringa reaching into new categories like sparkling water (Sanzo) and juice (Kimino Drinks). Coffee was no exception as formulations inspired by Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian traditions could be found throughout the halls.
San Francisco Bay Area-based Little Green Cyclo, which markets a variety of Vietnamese culinary products, shared three new condensed milk latte flavors in 9.5 oz. cans that are designed to broaden the Vietnamese coffee experience, including a Matcha-coffee SKU and vegan-friendly Plant-Based Coconut and Plant-Based Mocha varieties made with coconut milk. The new products each contain 130 calories and vary in caffeine content (319 mg of caffeine for the Matcha and 250 mg each for the plant-based flavors. All of the coffees are roasted in California from single origin beans sourced from family farms in Vietnam.
Little Green Cyclo’s move into the RTD coffee category provides some extra competition for San Jose, California-based Omni Bev, another Vietnamese coffee brand that launched in 2019 and which also features plant-based cold brew offerings including Coconut and Coconut Matcha drinks which launched during the pandemic and made their trade show debuts last week in refreshed packaging (including a “Warning: Super Strong” banner at the top of its core Vietnamese coffee SKU calling out its 300 mg of caffeine per 10 oz. serving). The brand is now working to expand its home coffee business, debuting a specialty brewing kit packaged with its Vietnamese coffee beans.
Meanwhile, other styles of indulgent coffee are also making their way to U.S. retailers. Java Trading Company, a subsidiary of Distant Lands Coffee, introduced a ready-to-drink Thai coffee line, including a Thai Iced Coffee Latte (180 calories with cardamom and milk) and Thai Sweetened Black Coffee (80 calories). Whereas the Vietnamese brands are aiming to enter mainstream accounts, Distant Lands president and COO Kazuhiro Hoshi said its Thai coffees are primarily focused on the Asian specialty channel with chains like H Mart and 99 Ranch Market, but the company is also working to expand into more convenience accounts.
Finally, Los Angeles-based startup Good Vibes Society exhibited in the show’s Indonesia international row. According to founder Agung Wimboprasetyo, the bootstrapped company is aiming to bring Indonesian superfood ingredients to mainstream American consumers through its portfolio of coffees, oat milks and elixirs. Among the cold brew coffee offerings are Cafe de Olla (clove, cinnamon, orange peel, star anise and brown sugar), Brown Sugar (oat, chicory root, MCT oil, Himalayan salt and brown coconut sugar), and Cafe con Leche (oat, cinnamon, vanilla, MCT oil, monk fruit and Himalayan salt). Each 12 oz. bottle retails for $5 and the brand is currently available online and in Southern California retailers including Erewhon and Fraser Farms.
Founded in 2019, Wimboprasetyo, a former graphic designer, said Good Vibes Society is currently run by a three person team and he brews the products himself, but is aiming to expand rapidly with eyes on launching in Whole Foods in the near future. He said the unique flavor profile of its beverages has helped the brand to gain an online following, and he has sold over 18,000 units individually through the company’s Instagram account over the past year. In addition to coffee, the brand also produces a purple corn elixir and Churro and Ube oat milk drinks.
Beyond Asian-inspired flavors, other coffee innovations seen at the show included Florida-based startup Thunder Coffeemilk, which produces a high-caffeine Australian-style indulgent coffee, and Big Watt Beverage Co.’s Cold Press Coffee line. Functional coffee brands like Oaza and Taika also unveiled rebrands at the show and Hawaiian bottled water maker Waiakea announced an upcoming expansion into the coffee space with two “Hawaiian Volcanic” RTD lattes.
Twrl Milk Tea Builds on Plant-Based
Vietnamese Coffee isn’t the only Asian beverage tradition seeing plant-based innovation. San Francisco-based startup Twrl Milk Tea showcased its three-SKU line of nitro-infused beverages made with pea milk in Expo West’s North Hall.
Launched in February 2020, Twrl’s 7.5 oz. canned line includes Original Black, Hojicha Roasted Green Tea and Supreme Jasmine varieties. The drinks feature low sugar (6-7 grams per can) and low calorie (45 – 50 calories) and the cans include plant-based and Fair Trade Tea callouts. The line retails for $3.49-$3.79 per unit and can be found in Northern California retailers like Berkeley Bowl, Molly Stone’s and Gus’s Community Market, as well as online direct-to-consumer and on Amazon.
The brand was co-founded by CEO Pauline Ang – a former product branding designer whose clients included Anheuser-Busch In-Bev, Annie’s, Campbell Soup Company, Pepperidge Farm, and ITO EN – and CMO Olivia Chen, a former marketing director at cancer research nonprofit My Blue Dots.
According to Ang, Twrl has been bootstrapped to date but is now looking for outside investment as the brand aims to expand nationwide. She noted the popularity of milk and bubble tea cafes has risen in the U.S., but until recently brands have struggled to bring the product to market as an RTD due to formulation difficulties. However, Twrl has designed its drinks around rising trends like plant-based and nitro beverages, while also introducing traditional Asian flavors like Hojicha to new consumers.
“As Asian-American moms, we think there’s no one better to tell the Asian milk tea story,” Ang said.
Twrl is not the only brand hoping to establish the category stateside, however. Last year saw the launch of Joy Milk Tea, a dairy-based product made with brewed black tea, milk, cane sugar and acacia gum. Each 11 oz. can contains 160 calories and 15 grams of added sugar, as well as 130 mg of caffeine. Emerging brands like RISE Brewing Co. have also introduced similar products; last year the brand launched a 7 oz. nitro London Fog latte made with earl gray tea and oat milk.
Also at Expo West, Los Angeles-based dessert bar B Sweet featured its canned tea drinks, including a previously launched Thai Tea Latte and a new Ube Tea Latte with purple yam; both products are made with oat milk.
Organic Valley Innovates for Moms
Organic Valley is aiming to highlight dairy’s critical role in early stage childhood development by providing new and expectant mothers something more flavorful. The dairy cooperative introduced organic Pre- and Post-Natal smoothie powder mixes at the show, packaged in 14 serving tubs that will retail for $17 at Walmart and $19 in additional retail accounts.
According to Organic Valley missions and public relations manager Josh Fairfield, the new products bring innovation to the relatively stagnant category with limited options for pre- and post-natal vitamins. The mixes are made with the company’s nonfat milk and come in Chocolate (prenatal) and Vanilla (postnatal) flavors that he said are “more palatable than pills” and contain 17 grams of whey protein per serving.
Beyond the new line, the company also introduced reformulated versions of its flavored coffee creamers. The Sweet Cream and French Vanilla flavors are lactose free and now contain 40% less sugar, Fairfield said.