Dive Brief:
- Connerstone Laboratories found COCO Cocktail, manufactured by Healthy Beverages, has a significantly greater nutritional value compared to a market leading Pinot Noir, according to a news release.
- COCO Cocktail adds vitamins and minerals from all-natural, non-GMO food sources without any fortified, artificial or synthetic ingredients. The product is made with 70% coconut water, SuperFruits and 5.6% ABV from OTS Orange Wine.
- COCO Cocktail is available throughout retail locations in Florida, Texas, Indiana and Ohio.
Dive Insight:
People are drinking wine and spirits in record numbers, and millennials especially are looking for craft cocktails that offer premium ingredients not loaded with sugar. This kind of thinking opened the door for companies such as Healthy Beverages, which has two flavors of mineral-enhanced wine that is attracting the attention of consumers.
“Many consumer trends are demanding clean, natural ingredients,” Franz Tudor, Healthy Beverages’ CEO and co-founder, told Food Dive. “Why would taking out artificial GMO-loaded ingredients take the fun away? Natural food derived vitamins for natural energy, potassium for heart and muscle health and low sodium to reduce bloating …seems like fun to me.”
As consumers continue to experiment with alcoholic beverages, sales are expected to continue in all categories. It remains to be see whether consumers will drink alcoholic health beverages, but the major factors that will draw consumers in could come down to price and taste. Regardless, it's a smart move by Healthy Beverages to try to appeal to the wine-loving, health-conscious consumer with a new beverage and see if it works.
Moderate red wine consumption already is associated with prolonging life and protecting against heart disease, diabetes and other ailments, and researchers are close to developing a pill that contains the benefits of the alcoholic drink. Ultimately, some consumers may find it hard to forgo their favorite beverage in favor of a healthy alcoholic one no matter how good it tastes.