A month after its exit to private equity, sparkling water innovator Spindrift is making the leap to full-flavor CSDs with Spindrift SODA.
The SODA line is launching with five flavors, including a few that look to step off the beaten path of offerings by mainstream soda brands: Concord Freeze, Ginger Ale, Orange Cream Float, Shirley Temple and Strawberry Shortcake. Each flavor contains 20% not-from-concentrate juice, which provides up to 8 grams of sugar per 12 oz. can.
The line is launching direct-to-consumer online and through Amazon today, with a brick-and-mortar roll out into select retailers expected later this year.
“The origin of Spindrift SODA came from a simple question: could we take our way of making real ingredient beverages—which we have mastered over the last 15 years—and take it to its most extreme?” Bill Creelman, founder of Spindrift Beverage Company, said in a press release. “The answer is ‘yes,’ and it’s delicious.”
Calling SODA its “most ambitious product to date,” Creelman noted that the focus for the line is to provide a CSD product that consumers can enjoy “without compromising on ingredients.”
The company also took a sly swing at the functional soda trend in the release, noting its products will be free from “unnecessary ingredients like added sugar, stevia, or prebiotics.”
“While other sodas rely on added sugar, artificial sweeteners, flavoring systems, or claims around gut health, we chose the simpler, more authentic path,” said Spindrift SVP of Innovation Jon Silverman in a statement. “Our soda gets its delicious taste the way nature intended: from real squeezed fruit. No tricks, no shortcuts, just all the goodness.”
The launch comes at a significant time for the Massachusetts-based brand, which sold a majority stake in January to San Francisco-based private investment group Gryphon Investors.
That deal – estimated in December to be in the range of $650 million – also saw Creelman step down from his post as CEO, handing the chief executive role to experienced executive Dave Burwick.
Spindrift has consistently been among the fastest growing sparkling water brands in the U.S., differentiating itself from the category through its use of real fruit juice as a flavor agent. In the 52-weeks ending December 28, 2024, Spindrift dollar sales surpassed $275 million with volume sales up 22%, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis of NielsenIQ data.
Its launch into soda comes as other emerging beverage manufacturers have also thrown their hats into the category with better-for-you takes on CSDs. This month saw the relaunch of the Slice brand, also made with real fruit juice, from Suja Life, while kombucha maker Health-Ade introduced its SunSip line of functional sodas last year.
The CSD set has seen a renaissance in recent years thanks to the rise of functional soda startups like Poppi and Olipop, as well as a focus on new flavor innovations from the top strategics with Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper turning to Zero Sugar lines and LTOs to recharge sales and drive incremental growth.
Spindrift has also dabbled in expanding its use occasions through other innovations, including its alcoholic Spindrift Spiked hard seltzer line, and mocktail-styled flavors such as the Nojito and Cosnopolitan, which reposition its core sparkling water products as adult non-alc alternatives.