Imbibe will be closed on October 3, 4, 17, 18, 25, and 26. Please expect delays in responses during this time.

Finding Function & Novelty in Retail and Foodservice

Posted: July 12, 2018
In: Trends

Interested in trying enhanced coffee, water or other functional beverages? Check out the list below for retail recommendations and where to find menus featuring these trends

MCT Oil

Caveman Coffee @ Brick, NY (coffee, grassfed butter, mct oil)
Matcha Vatte @ Hi-Vibe, Chicago
(matcha, brain octone mct, coconut cream, lucuma, xylitol)
+ Ghee or MCT @ Moon Juice, Los Angeles

Protein

Orgain Cold Brew Coffee + Protein, Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee & Protein, Bolthouse Farms Blended Coffee Protein Plus, Iconic Protein Coffee

Botanicals

Hot Maca @ The Grain Café, Los Angeles (cacao, cinnamon, maca, steamed creamer)
Golden Caffe Latte @ Peet’s, nationwide (steamed milk, turmeric, ginger infused espresso, honey)
Las Tres Flores @ Spitfire, New Orleans (latte w/ lavender milk, orange blossom syrup, rose petals)

Coffee + Fruit

Thunderbolt @ Smith Canteen, Brooklyn
(espresso, fresh squeezed lemonade, over ice)
Laura Palmer @ Supercrown Coffee Roasters, New York
(Japanese iced coffee, house-made lemonade)
The Painted Lady @ Big Shoulders Coffee, Chicago
(simple syrup, tart ginger lemonade, Colombian iced coffee, mint over ice)
- Check out more Coffee Lemonades on Eater

Cascara

Cascara Latte @ Starbucks
(milk, espresso, cascara syrup, cascara topping)
Rosemary’s Baby @ Wormhole Coffee, Chicago (Cascara, lemonade)
Cascara Fizz @ Blue Bottle, New York
(cascara syrup, soda, lemon)

Sparkling Coffee

Keeper’s, Cafe Racer, Arabica Soda, Stumptown, Matchless

Colorless Coffee

Hackamore, CLR CFF, Hal’s Coffee Seltzer (LTO)

Nitro

Draft Latte & Nitro Cold Brew @ La Colombe, 30 locations nationwide
Nitro Cold Brew @ many Starbucks locations
Nitro Cold Brew, being tested @ Dunkin Donuts
Califia Farms, Caveman Coffee, Lucky Jack, Blackeye Roasting Co.

Alkaline Water

Core, Essentia, Aquahydrate, Perfect Hydration, Alkalife Ten

Energy Water

Yerbae, Zola, Hint Kick, Avitae, Hiball, Hydrive

Plant/Tree Water

Steaz, Vita Coco, True Nopal, PLNT, Drink Maple, Tapped, Zico, Harmless Harvest, Caliwater, Sapp, Aloegloe, Sapp

Wellness Water

Karma, Suja Probiotic Water, Pervida, Wanu, Detox Water, Fat Water, Uncle Matt’s Life Juice, Perkii

Digestive Health

Shrubs, Kombucha, Tropicana Probiotics, Harvest Soul, Switchel, Drinking Vinegar, Kefir, Kvass

Adaptogens

Sapp, Califia Farms Maca-Nilla, Rebbl, Kuli Kuli, Blue Buddha, Natura Wise, Sativa, Mellow Mood

Beauty Beverages

All Beauty Water, Laco, Eviva Collagen Elixir, Raw Pressery – Glow, Cluo, Bliss Juice, Beauty & Go

beverage trends, clean label, coffee, functional beverages, functional ingredients, imbibe, nutrition, plant-based, probiotics, transparency, Water

Keep Reading:

What’s Driving Flavor in 2027 — And What It Means for Beverage Innovation

Explore Imbibe's 2027 Flavor Trends report and discover how formulation complexity, functional ingredients, and evolving consumer expectations are changing the role of flavor in beverage innovation.

Why Relaxation Beverages Require a Different Flavor Strategy

Ingredients commonly associated with calm and relaxation — including ashwagandha, magnesium, valerian root, reishi, l-theanine, and other botanicals — can introduce earthy, woody, bitter, savory, sulfurous, or lingering off-notes.

Masking Isn’t the Solution—It’s One Part of It

Considerations like format, processing, shelf life, and label constraints all influence how a solution performs in the final product. What works in one system may not translate directly to another.