Dive Brief:
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Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a Portland, Ore.-based coffee company, has launched a line of RTD sparkling cold brew coffee in 12 oz. cans, according to Bev Net. Flavors include original, ginger citrus and honey lemon varieties. They will be available in select retailers starting this month.
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Stumptown developed the beverage products after baristas at the company's New Orleans location began blending soda water with cold brew concentrate, creating concoctions like a coffee-spiked mint julep. The company found that bright flavors, carbonation and reduced calories and caffeine performed best with their consumer base.
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The development of the product marks the first time a ready-to-drink innovation was developed from on-premise experimentation at one of the company’s own cafes.
Dive Insight:
Who would have thought that New Orleans baristas, in a city better known for alcoholic excess, would develop a coffee-based drink that a major beverage company like Stumptown would manufacture and market? The company's new sparkling cold brew products shows just how popular premium coffee products have become among millennials and other consumers.
This demographic is consistently on the hunt for niche and exciting product innovations, and citrus-flavored carbonated coffee is certainly different. This particular beverage also may hint at a convergence in millennial interest in craft sodas, sparkling waters and coffee-based drinks. The sparkling water segment has seen meteoric growth in the past few years, mainly because consumer distrust of added sugars are driving them away from the soda industry.
Sugar or not, consumers still love carbonated, sweet drinks, as evidenced by their enthusiasm for this Stumptown product and other small-batch craft beverage products. It's likely that recent state soda taxes have further discouraged consumers from buying and drinking Big Soda products like Coke and Pepsi, but there is still opportunity for manufacturers to innovate in the carbonated beverage space. Formulating beverage products with natural sweeteners and fresh-sounding ingredients like mint, citrus and ginger are a good way to lure health-conscious consumers.