This audio was auto-generated. Please let us know if you have any feedback.
The Weekly Sip is Food Dive’s column focused on breaking news in the fast-changing and growing beverage sector. From first product lines to big investments and controversial topics, this column aims to quench your thirst for developments in the category.
5 hours of more intense energy
5-Hour Energy is energizing the barbecue sauce category.
Energy products Sweet and sour peach mango flavor We're working with the National Food Lab to create a sauce that contains 60 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which will be available for a limited time on DTC. 5-Hour Energy's website.
“As we continue to redefine what 5-hour ENERGY is and can be, we’re excited to be the first energy brand to provide hard-working BBQ lovers with just what they need: a source of caffeine to help them stay focused and keep the party going,” Jeff Sigouin, president and chief operating officer of Living Essentials, creators of 5-hour Energy, said in a statement.
While sales of BBQ sauce are unlikely to replace 5-Hour’s presence in shots and drinks, the condiment should provide additional awareness to the brand, which competes with several other energy products on the market. The sauce is currently the only food-based product sold online by 5-Hour Energy.
5-Hour noted that BBQ is a popular way to unlock big connections and bigger flavors, and that nearly three-quarters of Americans don't. I need a special occasion to fire up the grillThe brand said this, citing Statista data:
Grilling season is in full swing across the United States, with the Fourth of July marking the start of the season. BBQ sauce sales are nearly flat, averaging about $2 billion annually in the United States. According to data from Statista.
— Christopher Dohring
Selected captions
Free AF provided
Free AF offers a non-distilled whiskey ginger flavor
A new non-alcoholic beverage brand is introducing a classic cocktail.
Free AF’s latest offering, Whisk#y Ginger, is inspired by the whiskey ginger cocktail, which traditionally mixes the spirit with ginger beer and lime. The drink, according to the brand, has a smoky, tart flavor, is low in sugar, and features natural ingredients. It’s designed to be enjoyed in a highball glass garnished with lime or orange peel.
The drinks are available online and in Sprouts stores. Free AF began selling some of its products at Target and Walmart earlier this year. The company sells six non-alcoholic cocktails: Apero Spritz, Cuba Libre, Vodka Spritz, Cucumber G&T, Paloma, and Sparkling Rosé.
Free AF said the new proposal compliments, rather than disapproves of, “Dry July,” a similar movement to Dry January that encourages abstinence from alcohol.
The non-alcoholic cocktail market continues to gain momentum, with plant-based alternatives like Kin Euphorics and more mainstream products like Mingle Mocktails gaining greater distribution in the past year. According to Natural Origins, the non-alcoholic spirits market is expected to be worth $156 million by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9%.
— Chris Casey
Selected captions
Courtesy of Red Barn Distillery
Round Van Launches Low-Calorie Canned Cocktail
Summer brings a new entrant into the crowded ready-to-drink cocktail market, and a small-town Michigan beverage company is the latest to enter the fray.
Round Barn Distillery, which produces craft beer, wine and spirits, has four new RTD cocktails that are 7% ABV. The Lemon Elderflower Vodka Soda and Moscow Mule feature Round Barn’s Divine Vodka, made with grapes. The Blackberry Gin Zimlet features botanical notes from the brand’s 269 Gin, with lime and syrup. And the Strawberry Margarita features the brand’s fruity agave liqueur.
The alcohol manufacturer emphasized the drink's health benefits. According to the brand, the 100-calorie product is available online, at local stores and at Round Barn stores.
Canned cocktails are driving innovation in the alcohol category, from vodka teas to tequila seltzers. According to Future Market Insights, the global ready-to-drink cocktails market is expected to grow from $19 billion a year ago to $33 billion by 2033, at a compound annual growth rate of 6%.
— Chris Casey
