In a 2025 Innova Market Insights report titled “Beverage Flavor Trends in the US and Canada,” the market research firm notes that fusion beverage flavors have become a go to for their unique blend of familiar and adventurous tastes, while meeting consumers’ evolving palates and the desire for exciting, personalized experiences. 

As part of Innova’s 360 research into beverage flavor trends — highlighting social media trends in the United States and Canada, Innova further notes that beverage flavor fusion displays buzz, with 43% of consumers expressing positive sentiment across social media and online platforms during the past year. 

“Conversations around this flavor trend are especially prominent on social media platform X, where 59% of mentions come from males and 41% from females, primarily young millennials and Gen Z,”  the report states. “When it comes to beverage flavor fusion, news receives the most mentions, while Pinterest generates the highest engagement. This highlights the growing appeal of innovative drink combinations, especially among younger, digitally active consumers, through creative flavors and targeted online strategies.”

Stirring up buzz around flavor fusion, HEINZ recently teamed up with Smoothie King to introduce The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie, a first-of-its-kind ketchup-based smoothie, which blends real fruits with HEINZ Simply Tomato Ketchup. 

“With new celeb-inspired smoothies dropping almost daily and millions of social media posts about smoothies in the past year alone — including thousands a day during the hot summer months — smoothies are clearly having a moment,” the company says. 

The HEINZ Tomato Ketchup Smoothie blends sweet acai sorbet,  apple juice, strawberries, and tart raspberries with the taste of HEINZ Simply Ketchup, which is all-natural and made with red ripe tomatoes full of vitamins and antioxidants, the company notes. Launching during peak tomato harvest season, when HEINZ tomatoes are the ripest, the limited-edition smoothie is now available exclusively at select Smoothie King locations nationwide, while supplies last, it says.

“When we saw this cultural debate start gaining traction, we knew we had to weigh in with a resounding yes,” said Angie Madigan, vice president of elevation marketing at Kraft Heinz, in a statement. “The idea of a ketchup smoothie is provocative, and our top priority was landing a delicious tasting fruit smoothie with distinct yet well-balanced ketchup notes. The experts at Smoothie King helped make this dream a reality, and we’re absolutely thrilled with the final smoothie we created together. And like it does for any food — from burgers to fries to eggs — the slightly sweet and tangy taste of HEINZ Ketchup elevates this traditional fruit smoothie to new heights.”

Lori Primavera, vice president of R&D and product marketing at Smoothie King, added: “After months of meticulous R&D, testing, and tasting, we landed on a savory-sweet blend that celebrates the tomato in all its glory. As always, our commitment to nutritious ingredients and our Clean Blends promise remain at the heart of every recipe — and this bold new blend is no exception.”

As far as what’s next in the realm of beverage flavor trends, Innova Market Insights notes that brands can focus on blending different beverage categories such as coffee-tea hybrids, juice-infused sodas, and alcohol-free cocktails with unique flavors.

“Taking inspiration from global tastes, brands can explore flavors such as yuzu from Japan, tamarind from Latin America, and hibiscus from the Middle East, tapping into cultural diversity,” it states. “By combining functional benefits like hydration, gut health and immune support with appealing flavors, brands can capture health-conscious consumers. Effective marketing and smart distribution strategies can further help establish a strong demand for these innovative beverages.”