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The Leftovers is a look at some of the product ideas that are popping up everywhere. Some are interesting, some sound amazing, and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write everything we suggest, so here are some leftover items from our inbox:
Icee has entered grocery stores with a soda collaboration.
Icee has teamed up with better brand No Cap to turn the iconic movie theater snack into a fizzy drink.
The two brands are reportedly teaming up to launch a canned soda inspired by Icee’s “most recognizable flavour.” This product, which is scheduled to be released nationwide in January, has added electrolytes, no sugar, no caffeine, and no calories.
The drink is available in various packs: 16-ounce cans and 7.5-ounce mini cans. Variety packs include packs containing core flavors and seasonal collaboration packs between No Cap and Icee.
Elisha Joffee, a partner at Design Plus, which represents the Icee brand through licensing agreements, said in a statement that the collaboration “captures what is driving today’s beverage innovation.”
“ICEE has been a part of American pop culture for generations, and NO CAP! is redefining what modern soda looks like,” said Joffee. “They are proving that nostalgia and wellness don’t have to be opposites – they can coexist in ways that excite retailers and consumers alike.”
No Cap and Icee said their products are targeting a “new breed” of soda customers who “crave taste and fun without compromise.”
The health soda market is dominated by prebiotic and probiotic brands such as Olipop and Poppi. Famous companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are also following suit and launching their own products.
No Cap and Icee join a new group of better-for-you soda companies looking to maintain classic flavors without the use of prebiotics while cutting calories and sugar.
—Laurel Deppen
Sour Punch Pucker for Pickles
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Provided by American Licorice Company
Sour Punch Straws is confident that its incredible innovation will stand out from the crowd of pickle products.
The American Licorice Company-owned brand plans to launch Sour Punch Pickle Straws in 2023, a concept that started as an April Fool’s Day joke. The brand received positive feedback for its pickle prank, which involved hiding a single pickle straw inside a green traditional flavor pack.
Now the company is going all in on the pickle, despite the trend toward options oversaturation. Dozens of food and beverage companies have introduced their own pickle products, from dill-infused canned cocktails to pickle-flavored goldfish.
I think Sour Punch will differentiate itself in that it provides consumers with a new way to enjoy trends. The brand says the candy’s sweet-and-sour mixture enhances the taste of the pickles.
“Despite the continued influx of pickle products on the market, the brand believes this new product will stand out because of what fans have always loved about Sour Punch candies: the classic soft and chewy texture and signature sour sugar coating,” according to a press release.
All Pickle Sour Punch Straws will be available on the American Licorice website in mid-November.
— Sarah Zimmerman
boston beer
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Boston beer provided
Craft pioneer Boston Beer’s push to push boundaries has resulted in its latest product being banned in 15 states.
Sam Adams Brewery has released its latest barrel-aged beer at 30% ABV. The limited edition beer, one of the strongest beers ever brewed, is bottled in individually numbered ceramic containers and has a suggested retail price of $240.
“When we first began our utopian journey 30 years ago, we set out to explore the limits of what beer could be,” Boston Beer founder and brewer Jim Koch said in a statement. “Reaching 30% ABV is an incredible milestone for Utopias. It is not the number itself, but what it represents: the relentless pursuit of uncompromising technology.”
Boston Beer said Utopias 2025 has had a long production process. The beer was brewed and fermented at the company’s Cincinnati Brewery and then moved to Utopias Vault in Pennsylvania for barrel aging.
Utopias was first launched by Boston Beer in 2001, and the company has been releasing versions of the drink for the past 14 years. One of the goals was to “achieve the auspicious goal of achieving 30% ABV.” The average ABV of previous Utopias ranged from 24% to 28%.
These ales include vintages aged up to 30 years and are derived from a blend of traditional Ruby Port, Carcavellos, Cognac and Scotch casks, as well as liquids finished in Irish Whiskey, Amarone and White Port barrels.
The brewer then blends the beer with previous vintage Utopia before bottling it.
The beer is legal in 35 states, including California, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. But more than a dozen states have strength limits on beer, meaning Utopias can’t be sold there.
— Christopher Doering
