PepsiCo has ventured into the alcohol industry and is introducing a liquor blender

PepsiCo has not yet joined the bubble water trend. But it wants to be part of your family cocktail experience by releasing a brand new blender mixer line.

Neon Zebra will be launched on March 1 and comes in four non-alcoholic flavors: Citrus & Margaret, Strawberry Lime & Strawberry Daikili Cocktail, Lime Mint & Mojito and Lemon & Whiskey Sour. Each product is accompanied by an image to show consumers how to use the product. The "recipe" is simple: add half a can of strawberry daikiri mixture to 1.5 ounces of rum, which is strawberry daikili. Tequila with Margaret blend, rum with mojito blend, whiskey with whiskey acid mixture, and voila!! You have a Pepsi-sponsored bar at home.

The huge success of sparkling water inspired non-alcoholic beverage companies to conduct experiments in space. Coca-Cola is launching an upgraded version of Topo Chico, and AriZona Beverages has a range of cutting-edge products.

PepsiCo does not rule out the possibility of entering the alcohol industry. When CEO Ramon Laguarta was asked in an analyst call in October whether PepsiCo would consider selling sparkling water, he said: "We look at every opportunity. We'll be making a decision in the coming quarters as to whether that's an area that PepsiCo wants to get involved in. Emily Silver, vice president of beverage innovation and capabilities at PepsiCo North America, said PepsiCo currently wants to shake up the market for non-alcoholic mixed beverages. "We've seen the mixer category grow very fast over the last few years," Silver said. More and more consumers aged 21 to 30 are drinking cocktails at home. This was already the case before the coronavirus outbreak, and it was only accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that the trend is expected to continue after the pandemic ends.

Donna Hood Crecca, technomic's lead in leading adult beverage practices, said the mixer was highly competitive. She said the field was "very crowded, highly competitive, and very fragmented." She thinks it's a difficult field to enter. In recent years, new mixer brands have emerged, peddling high-quality ingredients.

Crecca said that before the outbreak, bars and restaurants began using fresh juices and homemade blenders. This trend translates into retail packaging mixers, such as those made by Cheeky and Q Mixers, avoiding manual ingredients. Silver's team also noticed the trend — neon zebras don't contain artificial sweeteners and use fruit juice (but also use a lot of sugar, 36 grams per can). PepsiCo wants the 7.5-ounce can size to be attractive to customers. "Agitators are usually packed in these large bottles," Silver says. You can buy one for a party, drink a little, and put it in the fridge for a few years. "These cans are sold in six single-flavored packs for about $7 or $8 each.