Sparkling waters must be hydrating and bubbly (duh), but flavor still matters. Learn how this beverage category is evolving and how flavor innovation gives manufacturers a competitive edge.

Whether you call it seltzer, bubbly, fizzy water, or even the champagne of water, sparkling water has been around for centuries. And from the early days of natural mineral water to the many flavors of La Croix, sparkling waters have a very dedicated consumer base. 

So, what’s driving the success of this beverage category? As odd as it sounds, it’s a careful balance of innovation and a commitment to tradition. 

The origin of these carbonated beverages was rooted in perceived health benefits, and today sparkling waters are meeting the demands of consumers looking for better-for-you beverages. They’re usually zero or low in calories and sugar, which is ideal for consumers who don’t want to drink empty calories. Plus, while plain seltzers will do the trick, innovative flavors are appealing to longtime consumers and new ones alike.

Read on and learn more about this evolving beverage category and how manufacturers can gain a competitive advantage by infusing their sparkling waters with innovative flavors.

Skyfarm is built with terpenes so you can brew with recognizable fruit flavors without adding sugar, calories, or mouthfeel. There are no “off flavors,” potpourri, or floral junk. Just high-amplitude fruit flavor top notes that are perfect for a variety of sparkling water beverages.

What’s Driving the Sparkling Water Beverage Category?

Similar to what led people to seek out mineral water from natural spring sources centuries ago, consumers today are often reaching for sparkling waters as a better-for-you beverage option or for their perceived health properties. Let us explain.

Phrases like “taking the waters” or “taking the cure” were references to drinking or even bathing in mineral water from natural spring sources. Doctors recommended this for everything from rheumatism and digestive woes to “phlegmatic” issues. It was so common for people to visit these areas under the direction of their doctors that local economies benefited and cities like Bath, England and Baden-Baden, Germany transformed into resort towns.

Eventually, the works of individuals like Reverend Joseph Priestley and Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman facilitated the creation of “artificial” mineral water with the sought–after bubbles and minerals. Jacob Schweppe then perfected this process and manufactured mineral water at scale. The Schweppes company is still alive and well today, and while the efficacy of doing so is debatable, you might have had someone recommend drinking a Schweppes Ginger Ale or Club Soda for an upset stomach.

So, are there health benefits to consuming mineral water or sparkling water? Honestly, that’s between you and your doctor. Either way, the perceived health benefits of these drinks drove popularity for years. Today, their status as a better-for-you option compared to sugar-filled soft drinks is keeping that demand just as high.

During and after the pandemic, people became more conscious of their health, they assessed their fitness and nutrition, and they became more interested in low-sugar or sugar free beverages. As a result, they’re less interested in “empty calories” and more interested in products that support their wellness goals. Seltzers and sparkling waters easily fit that bill.

A 2024 Circana report that analyzed opportunities from growing global interest in well-being explains that “From the Stanley cup craze to Liquid Death, to WaterTok, consumers are clamoring for ways to consume more water, whether it’s sparkling, still, from a spring or from a tap.”¹

In August 2024, Simon-Kucher noted a 16% popularity increase in seltzers/sparkling water and an 8% popularity increase in fruit juice.² Gen Z and Millennial drinking trends indicate a shift toward healthier beverages, as evidenced by the rising popularity of low-sugar and sugar-free beverages.

How Has the Sparkling Water Beverage Category Evolved?

While the category initially only included things like club soda, soda water, and seltzer water, today, the category has transformed into something much more vibrant. Brands like La Croix, Waterloo, and Spindrift are practically household names at this point, but high demand means there’s still plenty of room for newcomers that defy category expectations.

In a 2024 executive summary report from Mintel, food and drink analyst Julie Mills explains that nutrition and convenience fuel popularity for bottled water. However, she also emphasizes that category innovation in flavor and “health enhancements” can be impactful.³ That would certainly explain the boom in functional beverages and hop waters. 

Functional beverages are non-alcoholic drinks (with the exception of some kombuchas that may contain trace amounts of alcohol) that promote benefits outside of their nutritional value. Technically, energy drinks that claim to increase stamina and focus qualify as functional beverages, but the functional beverages that also fall into the sparkling water category are noteworthy.

Not only does the intent behind their demand align with that of the original mineral waters recommended by medical professionals of centuries past, but they hit all of the major selling points that consumers value today. Functional sparkling waters generally have low or zero calories, low or zero sugars, they provide hydration, and they provide additional benefits.

Hop waters, on the other hand, provide a unique perspective on changing consumer preferences. These non-alcoholic seltzers are flavored with hops, but unlike NA beer they have zero calories, zero carbs, and zero sugar. For consumers choosing to reduce alcohol consumption, hop waters are a better-for-you alternative. The reason hop water is an integral part of the sparkling water conversation is because of its category evolution. 

Consumers will naturally compare NA beers to the alcoholic beers they’re mimicking. Hop waters, however, don’t necessarily have an alcoholic version to be compared to. Sure, hops may be the flavor thread that ties them together, but we’re seeing more and more hop waters infused with innovative flavors that aren’t typical of NA beers.

For example, a New York Times article⁴ recently discussed ten popular brands of hop water and found flavor combinations included white tea and Citra®, Lemondrop and Simcoe®, blood orange, black cherry, ginger limeade, and the list goes on. Sure, flavored sparkling waters aren’t a new thing, but the potential for flavor innovation in this category has only just begun.

Differentiate Sparkling Waters with Flavor Innovations

While there will always be consumers who reach for that mineral-forward taste found in some sparkling waters, having interesting flavors is vital for any beverage category. The difficulty here, however, is creating innovative flavors without sacrificing the features that consumers expect from sparkling waters. Namely, minimal to zero calories and sugar. 

Formulating great-tasting beverage flavors without added sugar, however, poses several challenges. Sugar doesn’t just make things sweet. It can alter texture by acting as a swelling agent, act as a preservative, suppress unwanted flavors that may be bitter or salty, and even change a beverage's appearance. For beverages with added functional ingredients, sugar can be a practical way to mask undesirable flavors. This is where fruit flavors come into play.

For functional sparkling waters, fruit flavors help meet the demand for delicious-tasting drinks. The Prebiotic Sparkling Waters from NextFoods’ GoodBelly “contain gut-healthy, sustainably-sourced blue agave prebiotic fiber, which supports healthy digestion.”⁵ They’re organic, made with real fruit juice, low calorie, they don’t have any added sugars, and they come in Lemon Lime, Mango Pineapple, and Mixed Berry.

Regardless of the actual sugar and/or calorie content of a beverage, fruit-flavored drinks often appeal to health-conscious consumers. When people see a beverage with certain flavors, it can cause associations with “healthy” ingredients (citrus and Vitamin C, melons and hydration, etc.). 

While the association between fruit and nutrition isn’t baseless, beverages that use real fruit, fruit juice, or fruit puree are problematic for consumers who prefer sugar-free and calorie-free sparkling waters. 

Flavor Sparkling Beverages With Skyfarm Terpene Brewing Solutions

Using ingredients like fruit or fruit puree is one strategy for infusing flavor into sparkling beverages. Unfortunately, the list of drawbacks is extensive.

First, fruit is seasonal, highly perishable, and it can be expensive since the price of sourcing, transporting, and storing fruit adds up fast. Then there’s the long hours of peeling, pitting, chopping, and then hoping it all gets done quickly enough to avoid spoiling or oxidizing. Sourcing fruits with consistent flavors and acidities can also be incredibly difficult. Fruit purees cut down on some of these issues, but they still require additional cleaning time since they can gunk up your tanks.

Fortunately, terpene brewing solutions like our Skyfarm Series will give your sparkling waters those bold fruit flavors with none of the headache. These blends are built from the ground up using isolated terpenes to provide the brightest, most vibrant fruit flavor possible. They won’t add any sugar or calories, and you can just list “natural flavors” on your ingredient list. 

Skyfarm is also TTB-approved, shelf-stable, the flavor is always consistent, and it requires less storage space. That means greater scalability, ease of use, and it’s significantly less expensive than real fruit. If that wasn’t enough, our Skyfarm blends are highly concentrated, so much less will be needed to achieve the fruit flavors you want in your sparkling waters.

Abstrax Hops | Craft Delicious Sparkling Waters with Terpene Brewing Solutions

At Abstrax Hops, we provide novel solutions for beverage manufacturers looking to streamline, innovate, and gain a competitive edge. With our knowledge, technology, and extensive resources, we’ve crafted our Skyfarm Series to make it easier than ever to add the most aromatic fruit flavor top notes to beverages.

We also recognize that creating a successful, consumer-friendly product sometimes means formulating custom flavors that have never been seen before. Want something high-intensity that fuses several tropical flavors together? Having flavor issues with your functional ingredients? We’ve got you covered.

Contact us today and let’s create the best-tasting sparkling water beverages with customized flavors your customers will crave.

1. Tapping Into the Global Consumer Well-Being Opportunity. Circana. (2024).
2. From Bubbles to Budgets: What’s Driving Beverage Trends in 2024? Simon-Kucher. (2024, August 12). https://www.simon-kucher.com/en/insights/popular-drinks-beverage-trends-2024
3. US Bottled Water Market Report 2024: Mintel. Mintel Store USA. (2024, May 7). https://store.mintel.com/us/report/us-still-and-sparkling-waters-market-report/
4. Keough, B. (2024, April 19). Hop Water Isn’t Trying to be Beer. That’s Why We Like It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-hop-water/
5. Prebiotic Sparkling Water. GoodBelly. https://goodbelly.com/prebiotic-sparkling-water/