Is Caffeinated Sparkling Water the Future of Carbonated Drinks?

The popularity of sparkling water amongst consumers is on the rise. Manufacturers will now have to add something to make their products stand out from all the others; caffeine just might be it. BevNet reports that the decline in carbonated drinks and sugar-filled sodas probably has something to do with the rise and success of sparkling drinks.

Limitless Coffee & Tea recently released a lightly caffeinated sparking water. The Chicago coffee roaster and retailer was able to create this product by infusing the caffeine removed from its decaf coffees into the beverage. The carbonated water comes in six flavors: grapefruit hibiscus, blood orange, lemon lime, watermelon, cucumber pear and ginger mint. Each 12-ounce can, contains 35 milligrams of caffeine.

As the competition between carbonated water and soft drinks heats up, soft drinks seem to be winning in one category – caffeine content. Now that this line of sparkling water contains the ingredient, will consumers be more attracted to this beverage? It’s definitely healthier than regular soda, considering its reduced sugar content. It seems even the soda manufacturers themselves agree; PepsiCo has already added Bubbly, a sparkling version to its Aquafina product line. Coca-Cola has also acquired a sparkling mineral water brand called Topo Chico.

Limitless might be on the right track by adding a beverage that is both a healthy alternative to sodas and contains the caffeine and carbonation that consumers love.

“Our brand promise is powering productivity through clean caffeine,” Co-founder and brand director of Limitless told BevNet.

According to a survey taken in 2016, 50 percent of consumers said they drink soda regularly and 21 percent said they buy drinks from coffee shops and cafes. With the rise in consumption of carbonated drinks, other brands have attempted to add similar beverages to their line. 7 Eleven launched a line of sparkling cold brew coffee drinks in self-chilling cans. However, this year it seems that sparkling water is taking the cake – especially with millennials. With this new and healthier demographic, beverage manufacturers will have to keep up with the trend in order to stay in the game.

Limitless isn’t the only sparkling water brand. LaCroix, Glaceau’s Smart Water, Nestlé’s sparkling spring water, and as stated before, PepsiCo’s Bubble and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are also carbonated brands available for consumers to purchase. So, the question remains, is all of this investment worth it? According to the International Bottled Water Association, around two-thirds of adults said sparkling bottled water is one of their preferred beverages.

Whether or not that percentage will go up is yet to be determined. However, Limitless might have just saved consumers a trip to their local coffee shop with their caffeine-containing sparkling water beverages.