[M]inimally-processed, lightly sweet, and healthier beverage options are topping consumer trend lists—and brands have taken notice (cue: mocktails, sparkling water, and lower-ABV cocktails). Spring is a natural time to refresh your single-serve offerings and give your customers fresh, new flavors. We’ve compiled a short list of palate-pleasing bubbles (some alcoholic, some not) we think your customers will love.
Go with Your Gut
The OG of national kombucha brands, Kombucha Wonder Drink’s shelf-stable, prebiotic kombucha is the perfect entry-level beverage for skeptics of this fermented delight. Wonder Drink’s four oolong tea–based flavors offer antioxidants and gut health benefits with a touch of sweetness and no vinegar finish. Available in Traditional (oolong tea), Asian Pear & Ginger, Green Tea & Lemon, and Niagara Grape.
Tree of Life
Support Vermont’s working landscape and rural economy, and rehydrate while you do it. Sap! is carbonated, 100 percent pure maple sap, tapped directly from the trees during Vermont’s maple harvest. (No trees are harmed in the making of this product.) Available in seltzer and soda varieties, Sap is full of electrolytes, naturally occurring sweetness, antioxidants, manganese, and over forty other vitamins and minerals.
No Bartender, No Problem
Led by former employees of San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing, Cutwater Spirits distills whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum, and uses them in their line of canned cocktails. Cutwater’s cocktails come in four varieties—Bloody Mary, Rum & Ginger, Rum & Cola, and Gin & Tonic—and are a super-simple way to add a craft cocktail menu to your shop.
Bubble, Bubble, Bubble Tea
Sixty calories, non-GMO project verified, fair-trade certified, and organic. Bhakti’s line of sparkling teas has it all, and offers a healthier alternative to traditional soda that everyone can enjoy. Available in Lemon Ginger Black, Mango Lime Matcha, Mint Mate, and Tart Cherry Rooibos, each twelve-ounce bottle is made with fresh ingredients and comes with Bhakti’s classic punch of ginger.
Summer in a Can
Hard Frescos’ fruit-forward flavors will make you think you were poolside, beachside, or floating down a river. These cold-fermented alcoholic aguas frescas are brewed like craft beer and made with only natural ingredients, clocking in at 5.7 percent ABV. Packed in twelve-ounce cans and available in three flavors—Guava Citrico, Juicy Jamaica (Hibiscus), and Tangy Tamarindo—these fruity blends are an excellent way to booze up your brunch menu.
