Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Icee enters the grocery store with soda collab
Icee has turned its iconic movie theater treat into a soda through a collaboration with better-for-you brand No Cap.
The two brands are partnering on a canned soda inspired by Icee’s “most recognizable flavors,” according to a release. The products, which will launch nationwide in January, have added electrolytes plus zero sugar, zero caffeine and no calories.
The drinks will be available in 16-ounce cans as well as in 7.5-ounce minis in variety packs. The variety packs will include one with core flavors and one with seasonal collaborations between No Cap and Icee.
In the statement, Elisha Joffee, partner at Design Plus, which represents the Icee brand through a licensing agreement, said in a statement that the collaboration “captures what's driving today’s beverage innovation.”
“ICEE has been part of American pop culture for generations, and NO CAP! is redefining what modern soda can look like,” Joffee said. “Together, they’re proving that nostalgia and wellness don’t have to be opposites — they can coexist in a way that excites both retailers and consumers.”
No Cap and Icee said that their products were targeting a “new kind” of soda customer that “craves flavor and fun without compromise.”
The healthy soda market is dominated by prebiotic and probiotic brands, such as Olipop and Poppi. Big names like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are following suit with their own launches.
No Cap and Icee are joining a new group of better-for-you soda companies that seek to maintain classic flavors with less calories and sugar, but without prebiotics.
— Laurel Deppen
Sour Punch puckers up for pickles
Sour Punch Straws is confident its dill-icious innovation will stand out in a plethora of pickle products.
The American Licorice Company-owned brand is launching Sour Punch Pickle Straws, a concept that began as an April Fool’s joke in 2023. The brand received positive feedback for its pickle prank — which hid one pickle straw within a green-colored pack of traditional flavors.
Now, the company is going all in on pickles even as the trend becomes oversaturated with options. Dozens of food and beverage companies have debuted their own pickle products, from dill-infused canned cocktails to pickle-flavored Goldfish.
Sour Punch thinks its launch will differentiate itself because it gives consumers a new way to enjoy the trend. The brand said the candy’s sweet and sour mix enhances the pickle flavor.
“Despite the continued influx of pickle products on the market, the brand believes this new release will stand out because of what fans have always loved about Sour Punch candy: its classic soft and chewy texture, and signature smother of sour sugar coating,” a news release said.
All Pickle Sour Punch Straws will be available on American Licorice's website in mid-November.
— Sarah Zimmerman
Boston Beer
Craft pioneer Boston Beer’s efforts to push the boundary have left its latest product banned in 15 states.
The Sam Adams brewer released its latest barrel-aged beer, which has an alcohol by volume of 30%. The limited-edition beer, one of the strongest ever brewed, is bottled in individually numbered ceramic vessels and comes with a suggested retail price of $240.
“When we first began the Utopias journey over thirty years ago, we set out to explore the limits of what beer could be,” Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Boston Beer, said in a statement. “Reaching 30% ABV is a remarkable milestone for Utopias — not for the number itself, but for what it represents: the relentless pursuit of craft without compromise.”
Boston Beer said Utopias 2025 went through a lengthy production process. The beer was brewed and fermented in the company’s Cincinnati Brewery before moving to the Utopias Vault in Pennsylvania for barrel aging.
Utopias was first launched by Boston Beer in 2001, and the company has released a version of the drink for the last 14 years. One of its goals was to “reach the auspicious goal of achieving 30% ABV.” Prior Utopias have averaged between 24% and 28% ABV.
The ale includes vintages aged up to 30 years and achieves its flavor through a blend of liquids finished in Irish Whiskey, Amarone and White Port barrels, along with traditional Ruby Port, Carcavelos, Cognac and Scotch casks.
After that, brewers blend the beer with previous vintage Utopias before it’s bottled.
The beer is legal in 35 states, including California, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois and Pennsylvania. But more than a dozen states have ABV limits for beer, meaning Utopias can’t be sold there.
— Christopher Doering
