This week’s reviews go deep into bold natural flavors from India and Southeast Asia, with Golden Tiger’s take on turmeric lemonade and Zico’s pure coconut water from Vietnam. To submit your beverage product to BevNET for review, click here. And to browse past reviews, check the archive here.
Zico Pure Organic Coconut Water
Zico Pure Organic Coconut Water is a straightforward, single-ingredient coconut water made from 100% Nam Hom coconuts. Packaged in a 13.5 ounce PET bottle, the liquid carries a subtle pinkish hue that reinforces its unprocessed and natural positioning. With 110 calories, zero grams of added sugar (24 grams of total sugar), the product delivers on its promise of clean refreshment without unnecessary additives.
Things that stand out:
- An excellent flavor profile. It’s not only the best tasting pure water that Zico has ever produced – it’s arguably the best in the coconut water category today.
- The packaging is clean and appealing, with a bold forest green aesthetic that stands apart from Zico’s traditional blue branding and it has very nice visual pop.
- Messaging is straightforward and simple. Even if the consumer doesn’t know what Nam Hom coconuts are, calling out a single source is an approach that’s worked for other premium products.
Things to consider:
- While the branding pops and messaging is straightforward, we wonder if there isn’t a bit more that could be done to communicate the difference between this product and other pure coconut water drinks on the market. It’s a minor point that could be alleviated as Zico gets this into market.
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Golden Tiger Pineapple Sparkling Turmeric Lemonade
Golden Tiger’s Pineapple Sparkling Turmeric Lemonade is a USDA Organic functional beverage that combines pineapple, lemon, and turmeric in a lightly carbonated format. Packaged in a bold yellow and blue 12-ounce sleek can, the product emphasizes plant-based recovery, immunity, and superfoods while delivering only 20 calories and 4 grams of sugar per serving.
Things that stand out:
- This represents strong progress from the brand, with clear refinement in both liquid and packaging. It’s our favorite flavor that they’ve created to date and feels well rounded in terms of the formulation and branding.
- The flavor is well balanced, offering enjoyable pineapple and lemon notes with light sweetness (from agave and stevia) and an earthy note of turmeric at its core. They’ve finished it off with black pepper (a key part of turmeric’s bioavailability).
- Bright, eye-catching design with polished messaging that communicates function and flavor effectively.
- Checks key nutritional boxes for modern consumers: low calorie, low sugar, organic.
Things to consider:
- Functional messaging is strong, but the functional beverage category is crowded and Golden Tiger should definitely keep this in mind as they continue to develop the brand.
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