Beyond a catch-all ‘functional cold brew,’ Taika has further defined itself as “fueling creativity”; it just so happens that ceremonial grade matcha appears to be the preferred octane.
The San Francisco-based brand’s 8 oz. matcha latte – launched on the back of fresh investment in 2021 – has emerged as its clear portfolio heavyweight and bestselling SKU across conventional and natural channels, said co-founder Michael Sharon, as well as becoming the third-best selling RTD matcha nationwide, though some distance behind the leaders. That’s given Taika confidence to step further into the category with its sixth permanent flavor: Strawberry Matcha, available now.
“It’s definitely redefined a little bit of how we think of ourselves,” said co-founder Michael Sharon regarding the success of Taika’s matcha latte.
In pursuing this particular innovation, the conditions allowed Taika to play to its strengths as a nimble startup. Along with the strong sales data, Strawberry Matcha was partially inspired by its popularity on TikTok and as a limited-run menu item at Starbucks. Taika’s new SKU was brought from concept to market in just four months — record speed for the company, said Sharon — and represents its first time launching a product with a fully mapped route to market. The product debuted at Fresh Thyme and Erehwon last month and online earlier this month, with Rally’s stores in Northern California next up.
“Every single product launch we’ve done up until this point was ‘we have this thing, we’re gonna launch it on the website, then we’ll take it to Sprouts and Whole Foods and everybody,’” Sharon said. “This time, we started to have those conversations a month after we did the design.
Matcha may be the immediate focus, though Taika is still predominantly about cold brew, representing four of its six total SKUs. But the combination of matcha, adaptogens and macadamia milk (and now strawberry essence) gives the brand a differentiated proposition from the glut of RTD coffees fighting for shelf-space — an attribute made more valuable by Taika’s exclusivity in single-serving cans.
The launch could also be a shot in the arm for RTD matcha, which has struggled to catch fire even as interest in natural energy and functional drinks keeps climbing. Similar to Taika, brands like Pop & Bottle, Califia Farms, Chamberlain Coffee and Remedy Organics feature matcha as an option within a range of functional ingredients, while import brands like Ito En (Matcha Love) and Toro Matcha have experimented with their own takes on positioning matcha to maximize consumer appeal.
For a company primarily found in California, having a niche in matcha may be a valuable card to play as it expands to more locations in the East Coast and Midwest. If their fans are asking for more matcha, the company is happy to oblige them.