6 New Packaged Beverages for C-Stores to Consider

CHICAGO — New releases in packaged beverages give retailers many options when it comes to what to stock in their cold vault.

Drinks to keep an eye out for include a blue kombucha, a lighter version of a favorite beer and a CBD drink.

Click through to see the new releases …

Soylent Nutrition Inc., Los Angeles, has released energy drink Soylent Stacked. The 11-ounce, ready-to-drink product contains plant protein, healthy fats, slow-burning carbs and essential nutrients, the company said.

It also features a nootropics “stack,” which can enhance focus, accuracy and the ability to successfully switch between tasks, according to Soylent.

The drink has 180 calories and 3 grams of sugar in each bottle, along with 15 grams of plant protein and 36 essential nutrients. It comes in chocolate and is sold at Soylent.com/stacked.

Craft Brew Alliance, Miami, has launched La Rubia Blonde Ale in two new markets: New York and Connecticut.

La Rubia, which translates to “the blonde one,” was created by a father and son from Puerto Rico. The light-colored ale has grown in popularity across south Florida, according to the company, and is easy-drinking, like a lager or a pilsner.

La Rubia sees an opportunity to grow La Rubia Blonde Ale among U.S. Hispanic adults, who gravitate toward easy-drinking, light-colored beers that can be enjoyed at any occasion, said Marime Riancho, senior brand director for La Rubia Blonde Ale.

GT’s Living Foods, Los Angeles, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special edition Sacred Life drink: a blue kombucha that will be available only this year. Sacred Life Kombucha is made with fresh pressed ginger, coconut water and alkaline-rich blue spirulina that naturally gives the liquid a vibrant blue color, according to the company.

The drink will be available at specialty, natural and conventional grocers nationwide.

Molson Coors Beverage Co., Chicago, has released a lighter version of its Blue Moon beer. Blue Moon LightSky is a 95-calorie, light citrus wheat beer that launched Feb. 1.

The beer is brewed with tangerine peel and has 4% ABV.

“We wanted to brew a beer that had all of the flavor and qualities of Blue Moon but in a lighter profile,” said Sarah Irizarry, associate marketing manager for the brand. “Drinkers are shifting to more premium yet lighter offerings. But they’re still interested in flavor and they still want to drink beer. We know Blue Moon LightSky delivers on that.”

The beer comes in 12-ounce slim cans and 16-ounce single-serve cans.

CBD producer Ojai Energetics, Ojai, Calif., is partnering with LifeAid Beverage Co. to create a new CBD drink.

LifeAid CBD contains fast-acting Ojai Energetics CBD and has 40 calories per 12-ounce can, according to the companies. The Herbal Lemon-flavored drink is made with lemon balm and rosemary and has no sodium, caffeine or artificial sweeteners or flavors.

LifeAid Beverage Co., Santa Cruz, Calif., makes the fitness and recovery drink FitAid.

Italian wine company Riunite, New York, is launching its Canned Sangrias in April. The wine-based drinks will come in red and white sangria varieties and will be sold in four-pack cases of 250-mL cans at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Riunite’s Red Sangria combines flavors and aromas of dark berries, strawberries and peaches with a hint of citrus. Riunite’s White Sangria features notes of white peach, citrus and spice. Both are made with orange juice and other natural flavors, according to the company.