Stacey Andrade-Wells, chief marketing officer of Liquid I.V., El Segundo, Calif., points to the U.S. drink mix market as continuing to grow at an extremely fast pace. 

“What’s driving the growth are the priorities of the consumer, mainly health and wellness benefits, lifestyle alignment, and flavor expansion and innovation,” she says. “Consumers are looking for products from brands they can trust, that fit into their already-set daily routines, and that they personally enjoy.” 

Howard Telford, senior global insight manager for soft drinks at Euromonitor International, Chicago, also says that the U.S. drink mix market is gaining momentum, noting that Euromonitor tracks drink mixes under the powder concentrates category.

“This includes traditional children’s fruit mixes, as well as electrolyte-powder mixes,” Telford says. “The latter has been a strong source of growth for the wider category, with powder concentrates achieving 6% growth in 2025, reinforcing the segment’s momentum within U.S. soft drinks overall.

“This performance is driven by a combination of cost advantages versus RTD beverages and the shift toward functional hydration, with powders also benefiting from convenience and increasing repositioning as wellness-led solutions/platforms,” he continues.

As for other trends influencing the drink mix market, Telford adds that drink mixes increasingly are influenced by wellness-led and function-first beverage demand, particularly hydration as a gateway to broader health needs, such as energy, immunity, gut health and stress support.  

“These trends are reinforced by consumer priorities around cost savings, convenience and health, with growing interest in functional ingredients, sugar reduction and personalized formats that align with everyday routines,” he explains. “The best example of this is the so-called ‘water-stacking’ trend, where younger consumers fortify and enhance their water with custom mixes of flavor, electrolytes and other nutrient additives.”

Liquid I.V.’s Andrade-Wells points to nostalgia as a growing trend, with no indication of slowing down.

“We recently ran a study that uncovered 70% of consumers are currently buying food and drinks that remind them of the past,” she says. “We saw this firsthand with the viral success of our Hydration Multiplier Popsicle Firecracker flavor, proving that some of the best feelings are the ones we remember from childhood. This year, we doubled down on that insight with our flavor of the summer, Hydration Multiplier Ring Pop Cherry. 

“The flavor is for everyone who grew up with Ring Pop Cherry and wants to bring that sense of fun and self-expression into their daily lives, with a Sugar-Free twist,” Andrade-Wells continues, “Culture, specifically music, is also a cornerstone of the category more than ever.”

For Liquid I.V.’s Ring Pop Cherry campaign, Andrade-Wells notes that the brand worked with FLO, a global award-winning girl group on the cusp of superstardom, to debut new music within the commercial. 

“This wasn’t just a partnership, but a strategic move to embed Liquid I.V. into the cultural conversation,” she says. 

Image courtesy of Liquid I.V.

Tailor-made for convenience

With growing demand for a variety of drink mixes, experts highlight the most common product attributes.

Euromonitor’s Telford notes that the most common attributes center on functional hydration, especially electrolytes, vitamins and other performance-oriented ingredients such as adaptogens or caffeine. 

“In parallel, brands often emphasize low sugar or sugar-free formulations (more typical in the single stick format), flavor innovation, and convenience-driven formats such as stick packs and multipacks that enable portability and easy dosing,” he says. “The announcement this week from Kraft Heinz Kool-Aid brand of an electrolyte enhanced SKU is evidence of even children’s fruit powders moving in the direction of hydration positioning.”

Liquid I.V.’s Andrade-Wells notes that consumers are gravitating toward bold flavor profiles and offerings that meet their lifestyle needs. 

“They want products that taste great, deliver a clear benefit, use ingredients they trust, and fit easily into their daily routines,” she says. 

As for how brand owners are differentiating these products from finished beverages that deliver the same attributes, Andrade-Wells says brands differentiate mixes by emphasizing customization and on-the-go accessibility. 

“With a packet of Liquid I.V., consumers can determine the strength of flavor and serving size based on their personal preference. They are also able to carry a packet of Liquid I.V. in their back pockets, work totes, or carry-on luggage through TSA at the airport, offering convenience.”

Euromonitor’s Telford echoes similar sentiments, noting that brand owners are differentiating through flavor and format advantages, including powders that enable customization, dosage control and multi-benefit stacking without increasing liquid volume.  

“They also lean into superior cost-per-liter value and eCommerce suitability, while positioning concentrates as higher-value functional solutions rather than simple refreshment, supported by innovation in ingredients and branding,” Telford says. 

“Leaders in the space are also expanding the need-states addressed from powder mixes,” he continues. 

For instance, Telford points to Liquid I.V. launching a new caffeinated SKU at the Natural Products Expo West show in March, as well as Celsius also seeing success with its On-the-Go energy powder mix.

What’s in store

As the drink mixes market continues to expand, experts highlight the impact it is having on other categories like bottled water, juice, tea, etc. 

Euromonitor’s Telford says that drink mixes are driving consumer migration away from RTD categories. 

“[P]articularly sports drinks in the United States over the last two years, as their lower cost and convenience (purse or gym-bag friendly) offer a compelling alternative,” he explains. “More broadly, hydration-led powders are reshaping category boundaries by pulling functional positioning into adjacent segments, with juice, tea and even energy brands entering the space by adding electrolytes or incorporating other hydration cues.” 

Liquid I.V.’s Andrade-Wells calls attention to increased water consumption with drink mixes.

“Our product (Liquid I.V.) doesn’t exist without water. With that insight, we’re aware that our product increases water consumption, whether that be through bottled water or personal, refillable water bottles,” she says. “Right now, with health, wellness and ‘better for you’ trends rising, consumers seem to be shifting toward reduced-sugar and functional offerings with health-forward benefits.”

As for what’s on the horizon for the U.S. drink mix market, Andrade-Wells notes that the category is both highly competitive and rapidly evolving as consumers increasingly expect their beverages to do more for them. 

“The lines between benefit spaces are blurring, with people looking for products that support hydration, wellness, energy, immunity and overall lifestyle needs all at once,” she says. “As consumers become more educated about health and wellness, their expectations continue to rise. That’s why it’s critical for us to stay deeply connected to consumers — understanding their unmet needs and designing products that deliver meaningful benefits in ways only we can.”

Andrade-Wells adds that Liquid I.V is a science-led brand, with 12 completed and ongoing clinical trials and partnerships with subject matter to ensure the brand stays at the forefront of innovation. 

“That foundation of science and expertise helps differentiate us through functional benefits and high-quality, trustworthy ingredients,” she says. “At the same time, taste remains essential. We intentionally develop flavors based on consumer insights, feedback and cultural trends, supported by a dedicated sensory team that crafts complex, differentiated flavor experiences.”

Euromonitor’s Telford says that the category is set to expand through greater variety, deeper functional innovation and more targeted propositions addressing advanced need states such as cognitive support, mood and personalized wellness.  

“Hydration will remain a key area — but as we have seen with Gatorade’s announced repositioning this quarter, the hydration space is no longer only about athletes and sports,” he says. “At the same time, powders will continue to gain traction with new consumer groups, potentially GLP-1 users and the ongoing convergence of hydration with energy and broader lifestyle positioning.”