Personal trainer to Kelly Ripa, Shakira, Alicia Keys and Sarah Jessica Parker, American fitness professional, choreographer and entrepreneur Anna Kaiser is quoted for saying: “As I get older, I think about the quality of my life and a balanced way to enjoy that. That’s true wellness — being well from inside out.”

As more consumers seek beverages to support wellness goals, functional beverage trends continue to impact the industry, including that of contract manufacturing.

“We are continuing to notice a trend in functional beverages,” says Myles Miller, vice president of operations at Brooklyn Bottling Co., Milton N.Y. “Whether that be healthier energy drinks, sports beverages, or sodas. Many of these brands are requesting smaller runs to help them start up.”

Additionally, with high inflation and soft economic conditions, companies are looking for ways to cut costs, Miller says. 

“For example, our plant now manufactures both hot and cold fill bottles,” he says. “Another capability we are adding is the ability to pack our cases with registered film rather than using cardboard trays.”

Meanwhile, to further support beverage companies, Miller notes that Brooklyn Bottling recently acquired assets of the Refresco plant in Dade City outside of Tampa, Fla., creating a new plant: Tampa Bay Bottling Co.

“We are extremely excited as this will assist us in keeping up with the strong demand of our Tropical Fantasy line,” he says. “Another reason for acquiring this plant is its capacity of producing smaller runs, the ability to shrink wrap labels, and having the capability of producing unique bottle shapes such as the square bottle that many customers are using for electrolyte sports drinks.

“Our Dade City facility at the moment is strictly a hot fill facility, but we are considering adding carbonated capabilities in 2026,” Miller continues. “With a second plant, we are able to provide volume expansion for our customers as well as having a greater geographic footprint when it comes to shipping finished goods. We can now effectively ship for our customers throughout the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Southwest.

David Gray, CEO of FedUp Foods, Marshall N.C., highlights how beverage trends have led to the company’s expansion — from brewing kombucha to becoming a private label manufacturer.

“Our growth was fueled by a mission that goes beyond just making drinks: we believe that good food and good work nourish both the body and spirit,” Gray says. “Every step of our journey, from small-batch production to now operating three facilities with over 160 team members, has been rooted in that belief. 

“... By 2015, with growing demand, we relocated to a larger facility and started dreaming even bigger,” he continues. “This led us to create FedUp Foods expanding into private-label manufacturing to make nutrient-dense, functional beverages more accessible across communities.” 

Gray also notes that, in 2020, FedUp Foods became a public benefit corporation to fully commit its values — investing in the team, giving back to the community, and partnering with regenerative suppliers.

“Today, we’re North America’s largest fermented beverage manufacturer, and our original purpose remains,” he says. “We aim to challenge convention in the food and beverage industry, pushing boundaries to create something that not only quenches thirst but also uses business as an instrument of impact through the intersection of society and the environment.

“We produce a variety of organic, functional, and fermented beverages like kombucha, kombucha spritzers, tepache, prebiotic sodas, functional energy drinks, and water kefir sodas,” Gray continues. “This year we are excited to announce the launch of our new private label multi-serve cold brew coffee line, the first of its kind to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified status.”

As far as the motivation to support co-packing the private-label side of the beverage market, Gray notes that it enables FedUp Foods to develop private-label beverages for retailers across the country. 

“This transition allows us to leverage our extensive consumer research, insights, product development, and branding expertise to create an incubator that supports store brands in advancing their beverage innovations,” he says. “We empower them to think creatively, experiment, and present the most innovative beverages and flavors available in the market. 

“These advancements play a vital role in shaping our private label portfolio at FedUp Foods, where we prioritize both scale and impact,” Gray continues. “By brewing for store brands worldwide, we’ve gained the scale and buying power to source the highest quality ingredients, making our delicious, health-focused beverages accessible and affordable for a much larger audience.”