As functional mushrooms have grown more prevalent in RTD beverages, everyone seems to agree on their desire to use them — even though they seemingly can’t agree on how.
Take Odyssey Wellness as a perfect example. The Florida-based brand emerged in 2021 as an early adopter of bringing functional mushrooms into the RTD space with its family of beverages, including cold brew, energy drinks, and tea. Yet spreading the young brand across three distinct categories proved a challenge, according to CEO Scott Frohman. As its focus shifts from those products exclusively to its four-SKU sparkling elixir in 12 oz. cans, Odyssey is looking to make a splash in the highly competitive energy drink space by taking on the traditional players with a high-potency, mainstream-friendly product.
BevNET caught up with the Odyssey CEO last week at Natural Products Expo West to discuss:
- How the company's high-concept functional drink is making inroads with consumers
- How the brand has realigned around its flagship product
- What’s next for Odyssey after its recent fundraising round
