After a leap into lemonade, Sparkling ICE is attempting to make a splash in another on-trend category. Talking Rain today introduced Sparkling ICE Tea, which like the brand’s flagship and lemonade lines, features an array of zero-calorie, carbonated drinks made with fruit juice, natural and artificial sweeteners and fortified with vitamins.
“Consumers are searching for refreshing beverage alternatives, and we noticed a largely untapped and growing category, which presented Sparkling ICE beverages with the opportunity to deliver a line of zero calorie sparkling teas,” Kevin Klock, President and CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co., said in a statement.
It’s the second subline for Sparkling ICE Tea, which launched its lemonade line in 2013. The citrus-tinged products are now the top-selling beverages within the shelf-stable lemonade segment, according to the company. Hoping to find similar success with iced tea, Sparkling ICE is debuting the new line with three varieties: Raspberry Tea, Lemon Tea, and Peach Tea. The drinks are formulated with brewed black tea, green tea extract and also contain added caffeine.
Promoted as “Tea Elevated with Sparkling Fruit Flavor,” the drinks come in the same 17 oz. slim plastic bottle as other Sparkling ICE products, but are differentiated by a black label. The teas are currently available in test markets across the U.S. and come in single serve bottles and a variety club pack. A national rollout for the beverages is planned for January, 2015.
Talking Rain will showcase Sparkling ICE Tea at this week’s National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show, which is being held in Las Vegas and opens on Wednesday.