Enhanced water is a category of beverages that are marketed as water with added ingredients, such as natural or artificial flavors, sugar, sweeteners, vitamins and minerals. Most enhanced waters are lower in calories than non-diet soft drinks.
PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and other companies market enhanced water. The marketing usually capitalizes on the healthy image of water combined with the perceived health and taste. Bottled water was introduced to the United States by television commercials in 1977. After the television commercial, bottled water sales increased by 3,000 percent from the year 1976 to the year 1979. In the year 2004, Americans spent $9 billion on bottled water. [1] Many companies produce enhanced water in the United States. The enhanced water category of beverage continues to grow in volume every year, and as of 2007 [update] was the fastest-growing segment of the still beverage category. [2] In 2001, flavored and enhanced water sales were estimated $80 million, and 2002 proved even more successful with $245 million in sales. [3] The U.S. wholesale market for enhanced water was $170 million in 2004. [4]
Enhanced waters vary from zero-calorie beverages certified organic and flavored with natural herb extracts, such as Ayala's Herbal Water, [5] [6] to the Glacéau brands of beverages owned by The Coca-Cola Company. In May 2007 Coca-Cola bought Energy Brands, the maker of Glacéau Vitamin water, for $4.1 billion to narrow its gap with competitor PepsiCo. This was the largest acquisition in the company's history. [7] PepsiCo owns several brands of enhanced water such as SoBe, Propel Fitness Water, and Aquafina Flavorsplash. Coca-Cola owns the brands smartwater, vitaminwater and Dasani. [8]
Water | Flavors | Calories per 8 US fl oz (240 ml) serving | Servings per container |
---|---|---|---|
Aquafina Flavor Splash | Grape, Wildberry, Strawberry-kiwi, Raspberry, Peach-mango, Lemon | 0 | 2.5 |
Ayala's Herbal Water | Lemongrass mint vanilla, Lavender mint, Lemon verbena geranium, Cloves cardamom cinnamon, Cinnamon orange peel, Ginger lemon peel | 0 | 2 |
Clearly Canadian | Mountain Blackberry, Orchard Peach, Wild Raspberry, Black Cherry | 25 | 4 |
Dasani flavored water | Lemon, Strawberry, Grape, Raspberry | 0 | 2.5 |
Fruit 2o Essentials | Cranberry Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, Cherry Acai, Citrus, Blueberry Pomegranate | 0 | 2.5 |
Hint | Cucumber, Raspberry-lime, Blackberry, Honeydew Hibiscus, Mango-grapefruit, Pomegranate-tangerine, Watermelon, Lime, Strawberry-kiwi, Pear | 0 | 2 |
Skinny Water [9] | Orange Cranberry Tangerine, Lemonade Passion Fruit, Raspberry Pomegranate, Goji Fruit Punch, Acai Grape Blueberry, Peach Mango Mandarin | 0 | 2.5 |
Metromint | Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemonmint, Orangemint, Chocolatemint, Cherrymint | 0 | 2 |
Obrilo [10] | Sour Apple, Lemonade, Orange Squeeze, Lemon Lime, Blueberry Lemonade, Cherry Limeade, Grape Drink, Passion Fruit Orange Guava, Wonder Melon, Berry | 0 | |
Owater | Original, Wild berries, Lemon & lime, Peach, Strawberry, Mandarin orange | 0 | 2.5 |
Powerade | Orange Mountain berry blast Fruit punch Grape Lemon lime Sour melon White cherry Strawberry lemonade Mystic mountain blueberry | ||
Powerade Zero | Mixed berry Grape Strawberry Lemon lime Orange | ||
Propel | Lemon, Berry, Grape, Kiwi-strawberry, Blueberry-pomegranate, Black-cherry, Peach-mango | 0 | 2.5 |
SoBe Lifewater | Agave Lemonade, Goji Melon, Orange Tangerine, Strawberry Kiwi, Pomegranate Cherry, Blackberry Grape | 40 | 2.5 |
SoBe Lifewater zero | Cherimoya Punch, Strawberry Dragonfruit, Yumberry Pomegranate, Fuji Apple Pear, Black and Blue Berry, Mango Melon, Acai Fruit Punch | 0 | 2.5 |
Twist Organics | Mandarin white tea, Marionberry, Mandarin, Peach, Lemon, Pomegranate blueberry, West indies lime, Mango acai | 10 | 2.5 |
VitaminWater | Dragonfruit, Acai-blueberry-pomegranate, Fruit Punch, Orange-orange, Kiwi-strawberry, Grape, Raspberry-apple, Tropical Citrus, Lemonade, Berry-cherry, Grape-blueberry, Jackfruit-guava | 50 | 2.5 |
VitaminWater Zero | Grape-Raspberry, Mixed Berry, Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate, Peach-Mandarin, Orange, Green Tea, Lemonade, Dragonfruit, Fruit Punch, Strawberry-Kiwi, Strawberry-Guanabana | 0 | 2.5 |
WaddaJuice | Apple, Wild berry, White grape | 50 | 1 |
Zing Anything | Blackberry-Mint, Ginger-Peach, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Strawberry-Cucumber | 0 | 2.5 |
Ingredients used as enhancements in the water include hydroxycitric acid, chromium picolinate, epigallocatechin gallate, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.
Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas originally contained caffeine from the kola nut, leading to the drink's name, though other sources of caffeine are generally used in modern formulations. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His non-alcoholic recipe was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863.
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo. As of 2023, Pepsi is the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long-standing rivalry in what has been called the "cola wars".
Aquafina is an American brand of purified bottled water that is produced by PepsiCo, consisting of both unflavored and flavored water. The Aquafina brand name is also licensed for use on multiple skin care products, including lip balm and wrinkle cream. It was first distributed in Wichita, Kansas in 1994, before becoming more widely sold across the United States, Canada, Spain, Peru, Lebanon, Turkey, the GCC countries, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India to compete with The Coca-Cola Company's Dasani and Dr. Pepper Snapple's Deja Blue. As of 2009, Aquafina represented 13.4% of domestic bottled water sales in the United States, making it the number one bottled water brand as measured by retail sales. There are over 40 Aquafina Purification Plants in the United States and Canada. These locations are unknown at this time.
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as simply Fuze, is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize. The use of vitamins, amino acids, and herbs, and alternative sweeteners such as crystalline fructose places Fuze products in what is known in the industry as the new age beverage category.
SoBe is an American brand of teas, fruit-juice blends and enhanced water beverages owned by PepsiCo. The name SoBe is an abbreviation of South Beach, named after the upscale area located in Miami Beach, Florida. In the past, the SoBe name has also been licensed for gum and chocolate products. SoBe switched from glass bottles to plastic bottles for all of its beverages in 2010.
Fresca is a grapefruit-flavored citrus soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company. Borrowing the word Fresca from Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, it was introduced in the United States in 1966. Originally a bottled sugar-free diet soda, sugar sweetened versions were introduced in some markets.
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a component of the DJIA and the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indexes.
Powerade is a sports drink created and sold by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo.
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of its products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc., PepsiCo has since expanded from its namesake product Pepsi Cola to an immensely diversified range of food and beverage brands. The largest and most recent acquisition was Pioneer Foods in 2020 for US$1.7 billion and prior to it was buying the Quaker Oats Company in 2001, which added the Gatorade brand to the Pepsi portfolio and Tropicana Products in 1998.
Vault was a sweetened energy drink and carbonated beverage that was released by The Coca-Cola Company in June 2005 and marketed until December 2011. It was touted as an artificially flavored hybrid energy soda. Coca-Cola was marketing Vault as a combination with the slogan "Drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink," as well as "The Taste. The Quench. The Kick." "Get it done, and then some", "Chug & Charge", and "Get to it!".
Enviga is a Nestea carbonated canned green-tea drink. Enviga is a trademark of Nestlé licensed to Beverage Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and Nestlé. It is available in three flavors: Green Tea, Tropical Pomegranate, and Mixed Berry. According to Coca-Cola, Enviga burns 60 to 100 calories per three 12-oz.(330 ml) cans due to its high EGCG and caffeine content. The makers of the drink were sued for making fraudulent health claims about weight loss, and agreed to settle and cease repeating them.
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May 1996 by J. Darius Bikoff with an electrolyte enhanced line of water called Smartwater, Energy Brands initially distributed its products to health food stores and independent retailers in the New York area. Adding Fruitwater and Vitaminwater to its line in 1998 and 2000, respectively, the company expanded to nationwide distribution in the early 2000s.
Naked Juice is an American brand that produces juices and smoothies. The company is based in Monrovia, California and is owned by PAI Partners. The first Naked Juice drink was produced in 1983 and sold in California under the name "Naked Juice", referring to the composition of no artificial flavors, added sugar, or preservatives. Distribution has since expanded, and Naked Juice products are distributed in the United States, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France, among others.
Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless, Reign and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juice products. The company renamed itself as Monster Beverage in 2012.
Blue Sky Beverage Company was a beverage company that produced soft drinks and energy drinks. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Monster Beverage Corporation. The company was established in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1980, where it remained until it was purchased by Monster in 2000. Coca-Cola North America took ownership of Blue Sky Sodas, Hansen’s Juice Products, Hansen’s Natural Sodas, Hubert’s Lemonade, Peace Tea and other non-energy drink brands as part of Coke’s partnership with Monster Beverage Corp on Jun 12, 2015. Blue Sky Beverage Company now operates out of Corona, California. The southwestern look and feel of the artwork on the soda cans is reminiscent of the company's roots in New Mexico.
Cherry cola, a distinctive soft drink blend of cherry-flavored syrup and cola, traces its roots to the United States, where it gained prominence in the realm of soda beverages. The origins of this concoction can be situated within the nostalgic ambiance of old-fashioned soda fountains, where it has been consumed by consumers for years.
The Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, formerly known as Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, is a bottler of Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and Canada Dry soft drinks in the New England region as well as almost the entirety of upstate New York. The Coca-Cola Company does not own an interest, as the company is 100% owned by Japan-based Kirin Brewery, who until 2018 also owned the rights to the Moxie soft drink nationwide.
A functional beverage is a conventional liquid food marketed to highlight specific product ingredients or supposed health effects.