Aura Bora’s expansion into non-alcoholic RTD cocktails – in the guise of the Dry Guys Olive Oil Martini, launching today – was not spurred by the ever-growing beverage category trend, but rather Andrew Benin, founder and CEO of olive oil brand Graza, who suggested the concept for a co-branded product at Natural Products Expo West last year.
Now, 18-months since the idea was conceived, and on the eve of Expo East, the two brands have debuted the result of their efforts. The new non-alcoholic cocktail, a carbonated combination of Graza Drizzle Olive Oil, Yuzu Extract and Juniper Oil, marks Aura Bora’s first co-branded product.
“Our collaboration really grew organically out of my friendship with Andrew,” said Paul Voge, co-founder and CEO of Aura Bora. “Let the record show: this was Andrew’s brilliant idea. Both brands were game to put something new on the market that no one is expecting.”
Though this particular concoction may be unexpected, it’s not a far jump from Aura Bora’s extensive LTO track record. Reminder, this is the company that created a sparkling Green Bean Casserole water last Thanksgiving. The company’s sparkling water lineup features over a dozen flavors such as Mango Chili and Lime Cardamom; its September Flavor of the Month is Peach Honeysuckle, in case you were wondering.
The Dry Guys martini contains 5 calories and no sugar or sodium. It is exclusively available on Aura Bora’s direct-to-consumer website for $48 per 12-pack of 12 oz. slim cans.
Customers can also bundle the new product with a bottle of Graza – a 12-pack of Olive Oil Martinis plus a 16.9 oz bottle of Drizzle totals $61 on the beverage brand’s website.
Voge noted that Graza immediately caught his eye upon its launch in January 2022, stating that he was drawn to its thoughtful sourcing, use of high quality ingredients and care for “creating a delightful illustrated world for our fanatical customers.” The DTC-native brand was a runaway hit at the time of its launch, selling out of all inventory the first week and initial sales generated $100,000 in revenue. The company would quintuple that revenue by April.
To distinguish the collab from Aura Bora’s core line, the duo aimed to “hybridize” both brand identities. The resulting can design combines Aura Bora’s illustrated characters and Graza’s love of green and bold branding elements. Voge said the goal was for consumers to be able to see both brands when looking at the cans – it was “a really fun puzzle to crack,” he said.
But in addition to being Aura Bora’s first collaborative creation, it also marks the sparkling water brand’s first extension behind its core category. According to a report from Nielsen IQ (NIQ), non-alcoholic and mixer drink sales grew over 20% year-over-year to a $395 million market in 2022 as alcoholic beverage consumption continued its decline.
In recent years, non-alcoholic beverage brands have opened up to the idea of crossing the divide through line extensions and LTOs: think of moves from the likes of Topo Chico, Monster, RISE Brewing and even Sunny D. Meanwhile, the rise of moderation has thrust sparkling waters like Aura Bora into a new context as sophisticated, flavor-forward booze alternatives.
“Our consumers have long been reporting that they consume Aura Bora in place of alcohol or as a mixer,” said Voge. “We wanted to create a product even more specifically crafted for that non-alc occasion to see if consumers respond well. A non-alcoholic Olive Oil Martini seemed like the perfect place to start.”
If all does go well, Voge said Aura Bora may bring more Dry Guys products to its pack down the line. It will not, however, call those new innovations mocktails: “we find [the term] comes across as patronizing in the non-alcoholic category,” he noted.’
Though olive oil-based RTD beverages may still be a niche category, Starbucks notably launched a new menu items featuring olive oil-infused coffee, called Oleato, earlier this summer.