The owners of “spiked prebiotic soda” PopSips have boasted of a marked growth in the brand’s US off-premise footprint, from 325 locations to 2,000, in the two years since its launch.
The company, whose namesake RTD sits in both Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors Beverage Co’s “independent wholesaler networks”, is now available in retail multiples including Albertsons, Kroger, Safeway, Target and Walmart. Launched in “late” 2024, the founder-owned business has increased the number of US states that the brand is sold in from five to 18 – a trajectory that it has claimed “very few alcohol start-ups are able to achieve this fast”.
The brand’s distribution expansion is being accompanied by a marketing campaign including “high-profile creator partnerships”. Digital activations will be coupled with in-store displays and POS in “key markets”, PopSips said. Global Drinks Intel has asked for more details on these plans.
“The growth highlights a meaningful shift away from large traditional alcohol brands and provides a glimpse into the future of drinking culture for this generation who have grown up loving prebiotic sodas like Poppi and Olipop,” the brand owner said in a press release today (18 June).
“The next phase is about scale … . After two years of building quietly through product and community, PopSips is stepping into a much louder room.”
PopSips’s range carries an ABV of 6%, with the brand’s website stating that the alcohol source is “cold-brewed fermented sugar cane”. The portfolio comprises four variants: Berry, Ginger Lime, Raspberry Rose and Strawberry Lemon. The 22cl cans are available in four-packs and newly-launched variety eight-packs.
In April, Molson Coors agreed the acquisition of Monaco RTD owner Atomic Brands. Three months earlier, the group’s CEO, Rahul Goyal, identified what he believed were “gaps” in its ‘Beer and Beyond’ portfolio, pointing to the likes of RTDs as potential M&A targets.
