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Yerba Mate’s Moment?
Though we’ve seen spikes before, at this year’s Expo West the interest around yerba mate seems to be peaking, starting with its leading brand, Guayakí (Booth #2027).
The California-based brand’s slow-rolling evolution is on display this week at Expo West, as it unveils a slate of new innovation and revamped packaging designed to accelerate awareness and adoption outside of its traditional home in the natural channel.
Guayakí is releasing new flavors across all formats this spring, including Sparkling Cherry Jubilation (80mg caffeine per 12 oz can), non-carbonated Bravo Mango (150mg caffeine per 15.5 oz can), and both Summer Peach and Strawberry Hibiscus in 16 oz. glass bottles.
The idea — along with renaming existing flavors as Awakening Orange, Citrus Spark and BerryMint Bliss — is to capture some of the current momentum behind Yerba mate by accelerating innovation and bringing more consumers into the space, explained Jennifer Brush, VP of Product Innovation and Brand at Guayakí.
The new drinks are meant to balance familiarity with intrigue, Brush said, pairing yerba mate with fruit flavors “that people know and understand.” But visually Guayakí wants to be less mysterious and more direct: hence adding a bright color band to the top of each can for better on-shelf presence, and making “Yerba Mate” a bigger, bolder callout around the logo.
Still, those products won’t be pushed wide just yet, as Brush noted that the new SKUs will move through partners like Whole Foods, Sprouts and Erehwon before showing up at c-stores.
The launches come against the backdrop of big changes at Guayakí. Last month, the company confirmed the shuttering of its in-house distribution arm, The Yerba Mate Co., in the wake of announcing its full transition to a third-party model that includes national coverage through Anheuser-Busch InBev affiliates.
While Guayakí’s category dominance remains unquestioned, Canadian yerba mate brand Mateína (Booth #5798) is eager to make further inroads in the U.S. since the stateside release of its five-SKU line of organic ready-to-drink brews in 12 oz. slim cans, each packing 120mg of natural caffeine.
Those products have now been redesigned; similar to Guayakí, the emphasis on “yerba mate” has been heightened, and each flavor has its own color scheme. New flavors Mango Key Lime, Raspberry Yuzu are also joining the roster. On the formulation side, the 8 grams of cane sugar in its previous iteration has been swapped out for a combination of lemon juice, ginger juice and stevia, as zero-sugar (also called out alongside “20 calories” on the front of the can) is now a pillar of the brand. The line complements a growing portfolio of formats including loose-leaf yerba mate and instant powder sticks (boosted with added electrolytes).
Launching the RTDs, which have been sold in Canada since 2019, signals the brand’s intent to push the throttle on its U.S. business operating out of San Diego. The full line is currently available at Erehwon, with HiTouch Libations handling distribution in Southern California.
With famed podcaster and scientist Dr. Andrew Huberman backing the brand as a stakeholder, Mateína has curated slightly different messaging around yerba mate as compared to its chief competitor; press materials highlight Mateína’s single-origin supplier (as opposed to Guayakí’s farmers’ co-op model) and the plant’s “potential neuroprotective effects.”
While those aforementioned brands have built their identity around yerba mate, Daytrip’s (Booth #4944) approach to the category comes from a different perspective. Having started as a hemp-focused brand with its line of CBD-infused seltzers, the company has since evolved into a broader better-for-you platform that includes CBD gummies, organic prebiotic sodas and, launching this spring, a 16 oz. non-carbonated yerba mate energy tea.
The line’s three SKUs – Mendo Mint, Pacific Peach and Raspberry Rush – echo some of the familiar flavors seen in other yerba mate RTDs, but Daytrip’s brews are distinguished by their other ingredients. Each also contains adaptogenic mushrooms (Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi), cane sugar (from 7 to 9 grams per can) and L-theanine, while boasting a slightly higher caffeine content (200mg) that puts it in-line with the likes of C4 and Ghost.
The growth of yerba mate in single-serve RTD has also inspired Uncle Matt’s Organics (Booth #TK) to enter the category, launching at the show a 52 oz. multi-serve “Yerba Mate Energy Tea” for conventional grocery accounts.
Eclipse Gets Into Plant Milk, Drops Pints
Eclipse Foods’ (Booth #N1205) signature line of non-dairy frozen desserts were not to be seen at the brand’s North Hall booth on day one of Expo West. Instead, the company used the event to showcase its first beverage launch: a non-dairy milk in a 32 oz. carton.
The milk is shelf-stable and is made with chickpea and pea protein and aims to function as close to dairy milk as possible in flavor and usability; the milk will foam when blended into a milkshake or coffee drink, both of which were being sampled at the booth. However, co-founder Thomas Bowman told BevNET that the brand hadn’t yet done “the full gamut” of testing to determine if it can be used in baking as efficiently as dairy milk or not, but he said early tests suggest it “performs very well.”
While many plant-based milk makers have introduced Barista Blends and other products with similar structural properties as milk, Bowman said he believes Eclipse can compete in the segment with a product that is less heavy on gums and emulsifiers (although it does use some gellan gum in the ingredient panel).
“This one you can keep re-foaming, just like dairy,” he said. “So there’s more functionality in how we put it together. It mimics dairy versus trying to be close to it with a gum system.”
The milk launch follows Eclipse’s decision earlier this year to end production of its non-dairy ice cream pints, which Bowman said had been declining in retail. The company is still making frozen novelties with its Bonbons line, a growing segment where there’s less competition for plant-based products, he suggested.
According to Bowman, Eclipse has been growing its core business in both foodservice and retail and has distribution with KeHE and UNFI, Dot, Cisco and U.S. Food. The brand’s top retail accounts are Safeway and Kroger.
Last year, Eclipse launched in Japan with Family Mart stores and is now in around 2,500 locations in the country. Bowman said the milk will be rolling out there as well as in the U.S.
Mushrooms Do It All
Corona, Calif.-based Melting Forest (Booth #5719) has been an early and active proponent of the nascent mushroom-infused RTD space, balancing its roster with both caffeine-boosted and non-energy versions. With healthy momentum in that segment, the brand is now looking towards new formats to extend its presence across day parts and occasions.
That starts with Melting Forest Mocktails, a line of adult non-alcoholic (ANA) infused beverages launching soon in 12 oz. slim cans in four flavors: Whiskey Ginger, Rosemary Margarita, Citrus Spritz and Hibiscus Rose. With the existing core drinks already well-positioned as alternatives to alcohol, the mocktail line takes more direct inspiration from classic cocktails and sports a slightly higher price point ($4.99 each). Perhaps more importantly, it’s being pitched as a path towards a different retail set – namely c-stores – via beer DSD distributors.
Melting Forest is also pursuing non-RTD innovation with the launch of mushroom-infused instant coffee and matcha in 2.5 oz, 30-serving tubs ($29.99) each this spring. Each features seven functional mushrooms, L-thenine and rhodiola; the coffee adds cacao, while the matcha features non-stim supplement Senactiv.
Unity Wellness Goes After Energy
Former CBD and hemp-drink maker Unity (Booth #N1546) has dropped its focus on calm, going all in on Energy as it shifts packaging formats and introduces a new look aimed to better align with the saturated category.
Unity introduced new fully wrapped slim cans across the 4-SKU line of organic, non-carbonated energy drinks. The USDA certified organic beverages contain 180 mg of caffeine from green coffee bean extract as well as coconut water and ashwagandha. The items are available in Citrus Sunrise, Tropical Paradise, Berry Bliss and Peach Mango flavors.
According to a spokesperson for the brand, consumers would often confuse the product as kombucha when it was packaged in glass bottles. Additionally, the liquid is prone to settling which they believed could have been a turnoff for potential purchasers. The new cans solve that issue while making the flavor varieties more apparent and better aligning with energy drink category norms but maintaining its “organic” look and feel, a spokesperson said.
The shift into cans also opened up new channel opportunities, such as gyms and convenience stores, who were previously hesitant to carry glass bottled products.