Top Functional Beverage Brands Shaping the Wellness Drink Market

The global functional beverage market has well surpassed $92 billion, with current industry evaluations placing the worldwide market value between $160 billion and $193 billion. Growth is driven by consumer demand for health benefits like gut health, mental focus, and sustained energy over empty calories.

So which functional beverage brands are actually leading this? Olipop and Poppi made gut-friendly soda mainstream. Clevr Blends and Four Sigmatic are rewriting what coffee is allowed to do. Recess and Hiyo are leading the push toward adaptogenic, alcohol-free sipping. Bloom Nutrition, Happy Viking, and Blume are doing similar work through powders. Vita Coco still anchors the hydration lane that started all of this. And in the botanical relaxation space, the same wind-down occasion Hiyo and Recess are chasing — Mitra9 is carving out its own lane with Kava and Mitragynine seltzers.

Key Takeaways

• Functional beverage brands are expanding beyond traditional drinks with innovative formats and ingredients.
• Leading brands include Olipop, Poppi, Four Sigmatic, Liquid I.V., Recess, Hiyo, and Mitra9.
• Different brands are shaping categories like functional soda, hydration, botanical drinks, and wellness mixes.
• Botanical and alcohol alternative beverages are among the fastest-growing areas in the market.
• Brand innovation, ingredient transparency, and convenience are driving category growth.

Top Functional Beverage Brands At A Glance

Brand	Best Known For	Category
Olipop	Functional soda	Prebiotic soda
Poppi	Better-for-you soda	Prebiotic beverage
Clevr Blends	Functional latte mixes	Adaptogenic drink mixes
Four Sigmatic	Mushroom beverages	Functional coffee alternatives
Wildwonder	Botanical sparkling drinks	Prebiotic + botanical beverages
Bloom Nutrition	Wellness drink powders	Greens & functional mixes
Mitra9	Botanical beverages	Kava & botanical seltzers
Happy Viking	Nutrition beverages	Plant-based protein drinks
Recess	Botanical sparkling drinks	Adaptogenic beverages
Hiyo	Social tonics	Alcohol alternative beverages
Blume	Superfood latte blends	Plant-based drink mixes
Liquid I.V.	Hydration mixes	Electrolyte beverages

Top Functional Beverage Brands

Olipop

When people think about the top functional beverage brands, Olipop is often one of the first brands that comes to mind. The company helped bring functional ingredients into a category consumers already knew well: soda — creating a bridge between traditional soft drinks and the growing demand for better-for-you beverage options.

Olipop was founded in 2018 by Ben Goodwin and David Lester, who wanted to create a modern take on soda while exploring how everyday beverages could incorporate functional ingredients.

The brand’s product lineup includes popular flavors such as:

• Vintage Cola
• Classic Root Beer
• Strawberry Vanilla
• Orange Squeeze
• Ginger Lemon

Poppi

Poppi is a popular better-for-you prebiotic soda brand founded by husband-and-wife duo Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. It blends fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and prebiotics to offer a low-sugar, low-calorie alternative to traditional soft drinks.

The brand was founded in 2015 as "Mother Beverage", initially sold in glass bottles at Dallas farmers' markets.

The brand gained significant attention after appearing on Shark Tank in 2019, where the founders secured an investment from Rohan Oza. Since then, Poppi has expanded rapidly across retail channels and become one of the leading names in the functional soda category.

The brand offers a variety of flavors, including:

• Orange
• Strawberry Lemon
• Cherry Limeade
• Classic Cola
• Raspberry Rose
• Ginger Lime

Clevr Blends

Clevr Blends (often referred to as Clevr) is a popular, woman-led wellness and beverage brand based in Santa Barbara, California, that makes instant, barista-style "SuperLattes" infused with adaptogens, functional mushrooms, and probiotics. It is one of the top functional beverage brands.

The brand was launched in 2019 by Hannah Mendoza (CEO) and Roger Coppola.

Clevr Blends specializes in instant functional latte mixes made with ingredients such as adaptogens, mushrooms, probiotics, and plant-based components.

Its product lineup includes:

• SuperLatte blends
• Matcha-based beverages
• Chai latte mixes
• Coffee alternatives
• Seasonal and limited-edition blends

Popular varieties include:

• SuperLatte Starter Kit
• Mushroom Matcha
• Chai Latte
• Coffee SuperLatte

Four Sigmatic

Four Sigmatic is one of the brands that helped introduce mushroom-based beverages to a wider audience, creating a new category within the functional drink market. By combining traditional ingredients with modern beverage formats, the brand has become known for its coffee alternatives, drink mixes, and wellness-focused formulations.

Four Sigmatic was founded in 2012 by Tero Isokauppila, a Finnish entrepreneur with a background in natural ingredients and fungi.

The brand’s name comes from the concept of “four sigmatic foods” — foods that contain compounds considered rare and valuable within their category.

Its product lineup includes:

• Mushroom coffee blends
• Mushroom hot cacao mixes
• Instant coffee packets
• Protein powders
• Drink mixes featuring ingredients such as lion’s mane, chaga, and reishi mushrooms

Some popular products include:

• Mushroom Coffee
• Mushroom Hot Cacao
• Mushroom Elixir Mixes

Wildwonder

Wildwonder is a gut-healthy sparkling beverage brand founded in 2020 by Rosa Li. The company offers organic, vegan drinks that combine both prebiotics and probiotics with heritage-inspired herbal blends and fruit flavors.

The brand donates 5% of profits to empower women and marginalized communities.

According to NCBI, prebiotic ingredients work by selectively feeding beneficial gut bacteria, which is the underlying science fueling much of this category's growth.

Product Details

• Ingredients: USDA Organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and caffeine-free.
• Nutritional Profile per Can: 5 grams of prebiotic fiber, 1 billion live vegan probiotics, 6 grams of sugar, and 40 calories.
• Popular Flavors: Raspberry Lychee, Strawberry Passion, Guava Rose, Mango Gold, Peach Ginger, and Pink Pomelo Limeade.

Bloom Nutrition

Bloom Nutrition is a popular health and wellness brand known best for its viral Greens & Superfoods powder. Founded in 2019 by Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVecchia, the company offers accessible, approachable supplements tailored to support digestion, reduce bloating, and boost daily energy.

This functional beverage brand gained massive popularity through TikTok and Instagram marketing, scaling into a multi-hundred-million-dollar enterprise.

The product lineup includes:

• Greens & Superfoods: The flagship powder containing fruits, vegetables, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes (priced around $33.99).
• Sparkling Energy Drinks: Zero-sugar, 10-calorie functional beverages featuring natural caffeine from green coffee beans.
• Other Supplements: Clear protein powders, collagen boosters, and supergreens gummies.

Mitra9

Mitra9 is a functional beverage brand founded in 2021 and headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, specializing in non-alcoholic, plant-based seltzers and drinks infused with kava and kratom (mitragynine). Led by CEO Dallas Vasquez, the company positions its products as a social, better-for-you alternative to alcohol.

As consumers continue exploring alternatives to traditional beverage categories, Mitra9 represents the shift toward innovative botanical formulations and new beverage experiences.

It is worth noting that while many functional beverage brands focus on categories such as gut health, hydration, or mushrooms, Mitra9 represents the expansion of the market into botanical beverages. The brand focuses on Kava and mitragynine-based drink formats, including seltzers, shots, and drink mixes, creating a distinct segment within the growing alternative beverage landscape.

Brand Mission & Strategy

• Alcohol Alternative: Targeted primarily at afternoon and evening social settings where consumers want a mood lift or relaxation without consuming alcohol or heavy stimulants.
• Clean Label: Formulated to be low-calorie and free of synthetic aftertastes or artificial sweeteners.
• Distribution: Available via the official Mitra9 Website and expanding rapidly through major U.S. beverage distributors and specialty retailers like Total Wine & More
• You can also use the Mitra9 Store Locator to find the stores near you.

Core Products

• Mitragynine Seltzers: Ready-to-drink botanical seltzers featuring mitragynine-based formulations in flavors like Tangerine, Raspberry Lime, and Black Cherry.
• Mitra9 Kava Drinks: Sparkling botanical beverages featuring kava-based formulations in convenient canned formats.
• Mitra9 Drink Mixes: Powdered stick packs available in Mitragynine and Kava options designed for convenient preparation with botanical ingredients.
• Mitra9 Shots: Concentrated liquid formats offering a portable botanical beverage option.

Read more: Best Kava Drinks of 2026: Top Functional Beverages For Relaxation Ranked

Happy Viking

Happy Viking is a plant-based superfood nutrition brand co-founded by tennis champion Venus Williams. The company specializes in nutrient-dense meal replacement shakes designed to boost energy, support lean muscle growth, and improve digestive health.

Venus Williams created the brand following her 2011 diagnosis with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease.

Core Product Features

The brand's flagship product is its Complete Plant Superfood Nutrition powder. The formulation is built around a strict "30/10 Rule":

• 30g Plant Protein: Sourced from a highly digestible blend of yellow peas and brown rice.
• 10g Dietary Fiber: Formulated to support gut health and keep you feeling full.
• 100+ Superfoods: Packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients equivalent to a cup of fruits and vegetables.
• Clean Formula: The products are completely free from dairy, soy, gluten, artificial ingredients, and erythritol.

Flavor Options & Availability

You can purchase the products directly from the official Happy Viking Website or through the Happy Viking Amazon Storefront. Main flavor profiles include:

• Triple Chocolate
• Vanilla Bean
• Strawberry Smoothie
• Berry Parfait

Recess

Recess is a prominent functional beverage and lifestyle brand known for creating sparkling waters, craft mocktails, and mood-enhancing powders designed to promote calm, focus, and mental balance. Founded in 2018 by Benjamin Witte, this functional beverage brand positions itself as an alcohol and stress-relief alternative for modern consumers.

Core Product Lines

• Recess Mood: Sparkling waters infused with magnesium and adaptogens (like L-theanine and lemon balm) to support emotional balance and calm focus.
• Recess Zero Proof: Ready-to-drink craft mocktails (such as Lime Margarita and Watermelon Mojito) formulated with adaptogens and guayusa to mimic social drinking without the alcohol or hangover.
• Mood Powders: Mixable functional drink powders created to help consumers unwind or refocus during the day.

Brand Philosophy & Market Position

• Focus on Moderation: Rather than pushing complete abstinence like many non-alcoholic brands, Recess promotes general lifestyle balance and mindful moderation.
• Aesthetic & Identity: Recognized for its minimalist pastel packaging, the brand targets creative professionals, Millennials, and wellness-oriented consumers looking to manage everyday stress.
• Availability: Products are distributed widely through major online channels and nationwide retail partners like Target.

Hiyo

Hiyo is an organic, non-alcoholic social tonic brand founded in 2021 by Evan Quinn, George Youmans, and Cygne Cooper. The name stands for "happy in your own" skin. It offers functional seltzers designed to provide a mood-boosting, stress-relieving effect known as "the float" without any alcohol.

Ingredients & Product Details

• The Float Effect: Uses a proprietary blend of adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals like ashwagandha, L-theanine, lion’s mane, lemon balm, passion flower, and ginger.
• Nutrition: Certified USDA organic, 0% ABV (alcohol), vegan, gluten-free, low calorie, and low sugar (around 30 calories per can).
• Flavors: Blackberry Lemon, Peach Mango, Passion Fruit Tangerine, Strawberry Guava, Watermelon Lime, and Pineapple Coconut

Blume

Blume is a Vancouver-based functional beverage brand founded in 2017 by Karen Danudjaja. It specializes in organic, plant-based, and caffeine-free superfood latte blends and gut-health hydration elixirs like SuperBelly.

Brand Overview & History

• Origin: Began in 2017 as a line of dry superfood latte blends initially sold in Canadian coffee shops.
• Growth: Expanded to over 6,000 retail stores across North America, including major partners like Whole Foods and Target.

Core Products

• Superfood Lattes: Functional, caffeine-free blends designed to support sleep, energy, and relaxation using ingredients like Reishi, Matcha, Turmeric, and Blue Lavender.
• SuperBelly: A line of gut-building hydration drink mixes containing probiotics, prebiotics, and trace minerals in fruit flavors like mango passion fruit and lemon ginger.

Liquid I.V.

Liquid I.V. has become one of the most recognizable names among functional beverage brands by transforming hydration products from a niche category into an everyday wellness beverage. Through its convenient powder format, strong retail presence, and focus on hydration innovation, the brand has helped make electrolyte drinks more accessible to a broader audience.

The brand was founded in 2012 by Brandin Cohen, who created the company after recognizing an opportunity to improve how people approach hydration. In 2020, Liquid I.V. was acquired by Unilever, further expanding its reach through global distribution channels.

Liquid I.V. specializes in powdered hydration mixes designed to be added to water.

Its product lineup includes:

• Hydration Multiplier
• Energy Multiplier
• Sleep Multiplier
• Immune Support drink mixes
• Sugar-free hydration options

Popular flavors include:

• Lemon Lime
• Strawberry
• Passion Fruit
• Watermelon
• Seaberry

Summing Up

The rise of functional beverage brands shows how quickly the beverage industry is changing. From Olipop and Poppi redefining the soda category to Four Sigmatic and Clevr Blends expanding the market for mushroom and adaptogen-based drinks, each brand is creating a unique space.

What makes these functional beverage brands stand out is their ability to combine familiar drink formats with new ingredient categories, including probiotics, botanicals, hydration blends, plant-based nutrition, and alternative beverage formulations.

As consumer preferences continue shifting toward more diverse beverage options, newer categories such as botanical and alcohol alternative drinks are gaining momentum. Brands like Recess and Hiyo have helped introduce this space, while Mitra9 is contributing through its range of botanical beverages, including Kava and mitragynine-based seltzers, drink mixes, and shots.

From functional sodas to botanical seltzers, today’s leading functional beverage brands are redefining what consumers expect from everyday drinks.

The bigger question is: what will the next breakthrough beverage category look like?

FAQs

What are functional beverage brands?

Functional beverage brands create drinks that include specific ingredients or formulations around categories such as hydration, probiotics, botanicals, mushrooms, vitamins, minerals, or plant-based nutrition. Unlike traditional beverages focused mainly on taste, these brands often position their products around additional functional attributes.

What are the best functional beverage brands?

Some of the best functional beverage brands include Olipop, Poppi, Four Sigmatic, Clevr Blends, Wildwonder, Bloom Nutrition, Mitra9, Happy Viking, Recess, Hiyo, Blume, and Liquid I.V.

What is the difference between functional beverages and regular beverages?

Traditional beverages are primarily meant for refreshment, while functional beverages typically include added ingredients that differentiate them from conventional drinks. Functional beverage brands often focus on categories such as hydration, probiotics, plant-based ingredients, botanicals, mushrooms, or nutrition-focused formulations.

Why are functional beverage brands becoming popular?

Functional beverage brands are gaining popularity as consumers look for more variety in everyday drinks. The category has expanded through new formats, innovative ingredients, and alternatives to traditional beverages such as soda, coffee, energy drinks, and alcoholic drinks.

Which functional beverage brands focus on gut health?

Brands such as Olipop, Poppi, and Wildwonder are known for creating beverages positioned around gut-focused ingredients. These brands have helped grow the functional soda and botanical beverage categories by combining familiar drink formats with newer ingredient approaches.

Which functional beverage brands offer mushroom-based drinks?

Four Sigmatic is one of the best-known mushroom beverage brands, offering products such as mushroom coffee and drink mixes. Clevr Blends also incorporates functional mushrooms into its latte-style beverage blends, helping expand the mushroom beverage category.

Are functional beverages replacing traditional drinks?

Functional beverages are not replacing traditional drinks entirely, but they are creating new categories within the beverage market. Brands are expanding consumer choices by offering alternatives across soda, hydration, coffee, wellness powders, and botanical beverages.

What should you look for in a functional beverage brand?

When comparing functional beverage brands, consider factors such as:

• Ingredient transparency
• Product format
• Brand reputation
• Category focus
• Lab test reports
• Packaging and convenience
• Availability

Which functional beverage brands are alcohol alternatives?

Brands including Recess, Hiyo, and Mitra9 are part of the growing alcohol alternative beverage category. These companies focus on creating new beverage experiences through botanical ingredients, sparkling formats, and ready-to-drink products.

Are functional beverages the future of the beverage industry?

Functional beverages represent one of the fastest-growing areas of the beverage market. As brands continue innovating with ingredients, formats, and consumer preferences, functional beverage brands are expected to remain an important part of the industry’s evolution.

Which functional beverage brands are best for on-the-go use?

Brands like Liquid I.V., Bloom Nutrition, Clevr Blends, and Mitra9 offer convenient formats such as stick packs, powders, and ready-to-drink beverages. These formats make functional beverages easier to incorporate into everyday routines.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and provides an overview of notable functional beverage brands shaping the wellness drink market. Brand details, product offerings, ingredients, availability, and company information may change over time. Readers should refer to official brand websites for the most current product information, formulations, and purchasing details. This article does not represent an endorsement or guarantee of any specific brand or product.