This week’s review roundup is here to welcome you to winter, whether you like or not, with a pair of seasonal sparkling drinks from HOP WTR and Bear Maple Farms. To submit your beverage product to BevNET for review, click here. And to browse past reviews, check the archive here.
Bear Maple Farms Cran Raspberry
Bear Maple Farms’ latest flavor, Cran Raspberry, continues the brand’s steady evolution toward being a more refined and balanced line of clean soda. Packaged in the same 12-ounce sleek can as the other varieties, this low-calorie (10 calories) and low-sugar (1g) offering blends maple water and juice with a well-rounded raspberry flavor from real raspberry puree. Enhanced with ginseng, this variety feels like a natural step forward for the brand—both in flavor polish and overall presentation.
Things that stand out:
- Consistent brand evolution—each new release shows greater refinement in taste and concept. This variety is no exception. The flavor is polished and well-balanced with nice notes of cranberry and raspberry flavor and clean, crisp finish.
- Clean ingredient panel and light calorie count fit nicely with the brand’s better-for-you positioning.
- The sleek can format looks sharp and modern, complementing the premium positioning.
Things to consider:
- The “Clean Soda Company” tagline should be pushed to the forefront to strengthen brand identity and differentiation. Simplifying some of the other elements to make this really stand out might be an approach to consider.
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HOP WTR’s limited-edition Spiced Apple flavor brings a festive twist to the brand’s sparkling hop water lineup. Packaged in a 12-ounce matte-finish can with a cheerful winter design and “Hoppy Holidays” messaging, this seasonal release captures the cozy feeling of the holidays while staying true to the brand’s zero-calorie, zero-sugar, zero-alcohol formula. Crafted with citra, amarillo, mosaic and azacca hops, plus reishi mushroom and L-theanine, it’s designed to refresh while offering a functional edge.
Things that stand out:
- Clean, crisp flavor that balances light hop bitterness with a gentle spiced apple note. It’s refreshing and easy-drinking, with a dry finish that keeps it from feeling overly seasonal or sweet
- Clever, well-executed packaging that aligns perfectly with the holiday theme.
Things to consider:
- While most holiday products tend to have assertive flavors, this one is subtle and, as a result, could leave some having different expectations for the product.
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