Kin Euphorics Launches Lightwave, A Wind-Down Beverage To Calm The Mind – Forbes

Kin Euphorics has launched its second canned beverage, Lightwave

Alcohol alternative brand Kin Euphorics is pushing deeper into the ready-to-drink beverage segment.

The New York-based company, launched in 2018 by entrepreneur Jennifer Batchelor and Soylent co-founder Matthew Cauble, on Thursday unveiled its second nonalcoholic RTD, called Lightwave.

The lightly carbonated beverage which features a blend of nootropics, adaptogens and other botanicals is designed to help consumers mellow the mood without alcohol at the end of a stressful day.

Available in 8 oz. cans, Lightwave contains 45 calories, and features a proprietary blend of L-theanine, L-serine, tryptophan, magnesium and reishi mushroom extract.

A four-pack retails for $27 on Kins online store.

Lightwave is Kins fourth product, and the RTD counterpart to Dream Light, a spirit-like nightcap that contains a similar blend of adaptogens and nootropics as well as melatonin.

According to Batchelor, Kin consumers loved the flavor profile and mellowing effects of Dream Light, but they wanted a more accessible product that could be enjoyed earlier in the evening.

While Lightwave and Dream Light are both formulated to help consumers wind down, Kins other products High Rhode and Spritz are designed to provide more of an uplifting experience.

Spritz is tangy and herbaceous with a spiced hibiscus, slightly sweetened with white wine grapes and touch of ginger, Batchelor said of the flavor profile. Lightwave is creamy like a birch beer kissed with lavender-vanilla, saffron, and sea salts. And they, of course, have symbiotic yet opposite effects.

Like Lightwave, Kin Spritz features L-theanine, an increasingly popular amino acid that is said to promote relaxation and improve cognitive performance. However, Spritz contains caffeine and other mood-boosting ingredients that dont always make sense for evening consumption.

Launched in mid-2019, Kins first foray into canned beverages was initially intended as a more convenient way for consumers to skip alcohol during happy hour. Batchelor has since discovered that customers are substituting Spritz for coffee and energy drinks throughout the day.

They see the functional benefit, she said. They see the calm and focused energy, and they are drinking like three or four of these as they work.

Now, Batchelor hopes her consumers which she refers to as guests will use Lightwave in a similar way.

Lightwave is a critical addition to our lineup, Batchelor explained. Its the yin to the Kin Spritz yang.

When asked what role Kin plays in helping to educate consumers about the effects of adaptogens and nootropics which are becoming more common in both beverages and everyday supplements Batchelor pointed to the companys ongoing strategy of disrupting traditional alcohol occasions.

We were the first to bring nootropics and adaptogens into one bottle designed for the bar experience, she said. By introducing nootropics into unexpected settings and occasions that dont fit with the prescriptive norms of supplements, we connect with guests emotionally to create a stronger memory and ultimately a richer experience.

According to Batchelor, Kin consumers understand which products to use when they want to uplift or downshift, even if they arent totally aware of how individual ingredients affects them.

In its quest to push these nootropics and adaptogens further into the mainstream, Kin has raised upwards of $10 million, according to Batchelor.

Its also in the process of shifting from a nearly exclusive direct-to-consumer retail strategy, to one that includes more traditional brick-and-mortar stores like Whole Foods WFM .

Were expanding our offline footprint quite a bit, she said. Were about 95% online right now, and well be closer to 70% by the end of the year.

As it broadens its reach, Kin is betting that growing consumer curiosity for adaptogens and nootropics coupled with an increasing appetite for reducing alcohol consumption will lead to greater sales.

I want people to be able to choose a euphoric for any social dynamic, any season, any time of day, or any social occasion, she said.

Batchelor added that sales more than doubled last year, and she expects the business driven in part by the companys RTDs to triple in 2021.

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Kin Euphorics Launches Lightwave, A Wind-Down Beverage To Calm The Mind - Forbes