The Weekly Sip: Sanpellegrino pours juice-infused seltzer | Founders Brewing launches high-alcohol RTD cocktails

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Sanpellegrino launches juice-infused seltzer with a hint of salt

Nestlé-owned Italian sparkling water brand Sanpellegrino announced the launch of Sanpellegrino Ciao, a line of sparkling water drinks that contain real fruit juice and a touch of salt for flavor.

The drinks are available in four flavors: Peach, Blood Orange, Lime and Cherry. A can of Ciao contains 10 calories or less and no added sugar, according to the company.

“CIAO! embodies the spirit of Italy — while celebrating its craft, passion, and culture,” Sara Mayer, the senior marketing manager at Sanpellegrino, said in a statement. “We hope CIAO! brings a little more joy, a little more zest, and a lot more flavor to your everyday moments.”

The line joins the rest of Sanpellegrino’s portfolio, which now includes its standard sparkling water, as well as flavored Italian Sparkling Drinks and their zero-sugar varieties.

Sanpellegrino Ciao is available now at select stores and will be rolled out nationwide in April.

Seltzer makers have looked to spruce up the category amid declining sales. This week, seltzer maker Spindrift debuted its new line of sodas made with 20% real fruit juice.

Founders enters crowded RTD cocktail category

A leading craft beer brand has set its sights on the trendy ready-to-drink category and hopes to stand out with a line of high-alcohol canned cocktails.

Founders Brewing Co., best known for its All Day IPA, announced the launch of Devil Spiked, a line of canned cocktails that contain 10% alcohol by volume.

The Devil Spiked lineup includes four flavors: Hard Ginger Beer with Lime, Hard Lemonade, Fruit Punch and Blood Orange Soda.

Founders — which operates a brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan — is aiming to expand its product line into new categories as beer consumption continues to dip, particularly among the Generation Z demographic who are often more interested in canned cocktails or are abstaining from alcohol altogether.

The brewer pointed to IWSR data, which found RTD alcohol volumes increased by 2% in the top 10 global markets in 2024. In the first seven months of last year, beer volumes fell 3.5%, IWSR reported.

Last year, Founders debuted Hoppy Mood, a line of nonalcoholic hop water, targeting drinkers who are abandoning or moderating their alcohol consumption.

Sandy Anaokar, the chief marketing officer at Founders, told Food Dive in an interview that the brand has mulled whether to enter RTDs over the past few years as soft sales in the craft beer category intensified.

The brewer watched many new entrants enter the space, and came to the conclusion it could carve out its own niche in the segment with high alcohol content.

According to Anaokar, Founders is positioning Devil Spiked to take drinks such as flavored sodas, fruit punches and lemonades and “spike them to the nth degree.”

“The only way we know how to do things is to be very big and bold, in your face with the flavors,” Anaokar said. “That way, consumers aren’t wasting a dime on anything they buy from our facilities.”

1906’s additive can add a high to any drink

As springtime approaches, one brand is betting on younger consumers wanting to get high on the go with a little help from a drink enhancer.

Cannabis brand 1906 announced the debut of Off Duty, a hemp-derived THC-infused beverage additive. The product is a “portable, flavorless and fast-acting” shot of cannabis that can be added to any beverage, according to the company. The shots contain 5 milligrams of THC and 5 milligrams of CBD per packet, which kicks in after 20 minutes, according to the brand.

“As drinking culture evolves, 1906 is once again setting the new standard for how people unwind and connect,” Peter Barsoom, the CEO and co-founder of 1906, said in a press release. “Off Duty is a first-of-its-kind product that provides a balanced, controlled, and fast-acting experience that works with any beverage.”

Off Duty is available to purchase nationwide now on the brand’s website, it said.

Cannabis beverage brands continue to launch new products despite the lack of federal regulation permitting their sale. Many are using hemp to produce “copycat” marijuana products that contain THC through a loophole in the Congressional farm bill, which can be sold across state lines. Other brands like Jones Soda’s Mary Jones turned to infusing drinks with hemp delta 9-based THC.

The cannabis drinks segment was valued at approximately $1 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $3.9 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 17.7%, according to Research and Markets.