by E. Hwang
There’s a certain magic to summer drinks. We found five beverages at the Summer Fancy Food Show that are doing something different with real ingredients and bold heritage flavors. Here are five that earned a permanent spot in our fridge door.
Founded by Philadelphia entrepreneur Shaakira DeLoatch, Ginja Snap is a small-batch, non-carbonated ginger water made with just water, ginger root, honey, lemon, and lime. Think of it as the drink your wellness-obsessed friend has been quietly making in her kitchen for years, now bottled.
ZZAI is bringing Chapman, Zobo, TamTam, and Obì, four iconic West African drink traditions, to the world in sparkling, canned form. Made with real cane sugar and a touch of stevia, each can leans into the specific botanicals that make these drinks legendary: mango and tamarind in TamTam; hibiscus and ginger in the Zobo; kola and blood orange in the Obì; and citrus and warming spice in the Chapman.
GREATER THAN built its coconut-water-based formula around female hormonal cycles, nutrient needs, and total body water content, understanding that most hydration drinks were engineered with male physiology as the default. Each can delivers natural electrolytes, a B-complex-plus vitamin blend, and prebiotic fiber, in flavors like Strawberry Lemonade and Pineapple Coconut.
Purple Drop takes chicha morada, the beloved Peruvian purple corn drink traditionally simmered with fruit and spices, and cans it for easy summer sipping. Made with purple corn (the source of its anthocyanin-driven violet hue), pineapple, lime, cinnamon, and clove, and lightly sweetened with organic agave, it’s a bright non-carbonated way to refresh and relax.
Vida Zero Salty Lychee is a zero-sugar, zero-calorie sparkling drink that plays sweet lychee against a whisper of salt, which actually brings out more of the lychee flavor. It’s zero coloring, zero cholesterol, and delivers big flavor without the sugar crash, which perfect for the summer weather!