Beyond Meat is expanding its protein beverage line with four new flavors as the plant-based meat company bets on a more lucrative category.
Beyond introduced “Beyond Immerse” last month through its e-commerce platform, Beyond Test Kitchen. The flavored sparkling drinks include plant protein, fiber, antioxidants and electrolytes.
The flavor offerings, announced on Thursday, include cherry berry, strawberry lemonade, piña colada and cucumber grapefruit. The flavor variations are each offered at protein levels of 10 and 20 grams.
The new and existing offerings are available for a limited time in packs of 12 with a single flavor or in a variety pack on its Beyond Kitchen website. Prices range from $29.95 to $37.95
The beverage line represents a “next chapter” in Beyond Meat, said Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat founder, president and CEO.
“We challenged ourselves to redefine the protein drink, designing a beverage that immerses the body not only in protein but more broadly in the remarkable power of plants,” Brown said in a statement.
The plant-based meat category has been struggling. Beyond Meat and its competitors have been forced to grapple with waning consumer demand and are turning to other protein-enhanced categories to keep up. Functional beverages, specifically those with protein, are on the rise as consumers seek out the nutrient in convenient ways. Protein drinks grew 122% between 2020 and 2024, according to Innova Market Insights.
In Beyond’s most recent earnings report, its net revenue fell 13% year over year to $70.2 million.
“Beyond Meat’s move into protein beverages may look, at first glance, like a desperate response to avoid bankruptcy in a struggling plant based meat category. But it’s better understood as a reframing of the brand’s right to win,” New England Consulting Group said in a statement.
“By leveraging its credibility in plant derived nutrition, Beyond is testing whether its equity can travel into faster growing categories where protein already resonates more intuitively,” NECG added.
