Humm Kombucha is the latest to enter the burgeoning functional soda category with its newest innovation, Humm Probiotic, a line of shelf stable sodas and seltzers positioned around gut health and immunity benefits.
The new drinks, which launched today on the brand’s website, are divided into two lines: sodas, available in Berry Cream and Lemon Lime flavors, and seltzers, offered in Peach and Raspberry Lime. While the products feature similar can designs, the sodas use allulose syrup and approach a taste and mouthfeel closer to traditional CSDs, while the seltzers strike closer to sparkling water and are Whole30 approved. Each 12 oz. can contains zero sugar and zero calories and will retail for about $2.50, or $14.99 per 6-pack.
While the products do use kombucha as an ingredient, Humm CEO Matt Witherell said the products are intended to compete outside of the kombucha set, a first for the brand. With the launch of Humm Probiotic, the Bend, Oregon-based company joins the emerging category for functional sodas that has become a popular space for better-for-you beverage brands to innovate. Fellow kombucha maker Health-Ade and elixir brand REBBL have debuted gut health friendly “Pop” lines over the past year, while similarly positioned startups like Olipop, Poppi and Culture Pop have seen a swift uptake with natural and conventional channel consumers.
Witherell told BevNET that the brand is following the lead of consumers who are looking for a healthier soda replacement, but find kombucha to be too much of a departure from their current habits.
In recent years Humm has tailored its innovation towards providing healthier kombuchas, using a proprietary sugar reduction process to roll out Zero Sugar and Whole30 approved products. This fall, the brand also expanded its functional platform with an Energy kombucha that debuted at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show in October. Now, as the brand explores its potential as a cross-category platform brand, Witherell said Humm is adopting the moniker of “The Drink Better Company.”
Humm Probiotic is launching direct-to-consumer to start, but is expected to roll out to retail in the new year, he said.
The launch follows an October announcement that Humm had opened an $8 million line of credit with Naturally Gerber Finance, a move that would allow the brand to hire new staff and fund “large-scale retail programs and marketing initiatives.” The expansion also comes as the 12-year-old company is reporting double digit year-over-year growth for 2021.
While Witherell wouldn’t speak to specifics, he said Humm’s move beyond kombucha will likely include more innovations in the future, simply saying that the company has a “big pipeline” ahead.