Back before “Functional Beverages” were trending, we were creating functional drinks with breakthrough ingredients. In the early aughts, South African entrepreneur Joe Heron approached Flavorman to develop a line of soft drinks. His goal was to offer an ever-expanding line of drinks to provide real wellness benefits while tasting great and satisfying four consumer expectations:
- Revitalize consumers with healthy nutrients,
- Allow consumers to pass the diabetic test with flying colors,
- Appeal to students as a refreshing alternative to sugar-laden sodas,
- And mix well in colorful cocktails, mocktails, and smoothies.
That was quite a challenge, but Flavorman met and surpassed every requirement. Natural fruit flavors were combined with meaningful levels of vitamins and minerals to improve wellness with every sip. The drinks were sold as Nutrisoda, a refreshing carbonated nutrient-enhanced sodas with zero sugar, caffeine, sodium, or aspartame.
With our support, that small company grew and positioned itself for an alliance with a leader in the national beverage industry. Strong sales led to Nutrisoda being acquired and ultimately discontinued by Pepsi. This freed up Joe to pursue other beverage development ventures, both times choosing Flavorman as his R&D partner (a prime example of how we collaborate with our clients over many years).
As with Nutrisoda, the partnership brought both subsequent projects to great success. Crispin Hard Cider was acquired by beverage giant MillerCoors and has since become a nationally recognized brand. Meanwhile, Joe now focuses efforts on growing his successful brandy distillery, Copper & Kings, located in Louisville, KY.
When you’re ready to talk about your drink idea, give us a call at (502) 273-5214 or get started by telling us your story here. To learn more about Flavorman, see our process.
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