Where Are They Now: Health-Ade Kombucha

Written by: Kaylee Franklin

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When it comes to kombucha, some people hate it, some love it. Personally, I land somewhere in the middle. In recent years, its become more and more popular, and in the year 2018, kombucha began to blow up again for the first time since the early 90s. When this new kombucha trend started to come around again in 2018, there was one brand dominating the market: Health-Ade Kombucha. 

When Stairway to CEO launched in 2018, Lee got the privilege to interview the Co-Founder and CEO of Health-Ade, Daina Trout. Daina’s episode, Following Your Gut, was the very first episode of Stairway to CEO, and since then, not only has the show grown tremendously, but we’ve gotten to watch Health-Ade’s journey grow as well. 

Taking a look back at our very first episode with Daina, Health-Ade had been on the market for six years and had become one of the most successful kombucha brands. The company's main goal has always been “to make the best-tasting, highest quality kombucha you could buy.” Like any successful company would do, they’ve continued to expand their brand beyond their everyday kombucha bottles. 

Through the years, Health-Ade has made it known that no matter how much they grow, they’re committed to staying best-in-class. Even with new product launches, they’ve continued to remain one of the most successful brands in the non-alcoholic kombucha space, as stated by MarketWatch. 

For a while, I wasn’t sure who they were, as I only started working for Stairway to CEO in 2020, and being a person who is somewhere in the middle about kombucha, it was never a product I’d pick up, but my friends on the other hand…they love it! One thing I am most certainly a fan of is the better-for-you sodas that have hit the market in the last few years. Being that the better-for-you soda aisle is somewhere I head every week, I’ve been able to see a growth in the soda aisle from the new brands that have hit the shelves, the regular soda brands expanding into better-for-you soda, and the brands that have existed in other categories growing their inventory and making their way to this new aisle, Health-Ade being one of them. 

In July of 2021, Health-Ade launched Pop, a functional soda alternative with prebiotics for a happy gut. With six flavors, ranging from Apple Snap, Lemon Lime, and Ginger Fiz, this step into a new inventory has helped grow the brand.

Not only has Health-Ade stepped into the better-for-you soda aisle, but before launching Pop, they dropped an extension to their kombucha line, and released Health-Ade Plus, which they tagline as “​​the kombucha you love, each with a special health benefit.” This extension to their kombucha comes in three different varieties:

1. Happy, an energy boost with tasting notes of tangy, fruity, and floral

2. Belly Rest, a digestive boost with tasting notes of fruity, tangy, and spicy

3. Chill, for when you need stress relief, with tasting notes of fruity, tangy, and floral

This Health-Ade Plus line comes with an interesting and new take on the everyday kombucha flavors and varieties. It seems to be working out for them as they have glowing reviews, on their website, Amazon, and BevNET.

With the launch of those two categories in a year, they decided they weren’t done yet. Shortly after launching Pop, they introduced Health-Ade Mixers…yes, please! 

Health-Ade Mixers are exactly what they sound like…a probiotic mixer for your alcohol, ready to bring to the party. They currently only come in a pack of three flavors, Whiskey Sour, Moscow Mule, and Spicy Margarita Mix. I haven’t gotten to try these myself but I am looking forward to the day I do!

Health-Ade has recently had these mixers on tap at bars according to an article by MarketWatch, and this expansion has allowed them to focus on the growth. Co-Founder Vanessa Dew told MarketWatch, “having a presence at bars and in cocktails helps the category. Expanding outside of normal grocery stores and having points of reference in lifestyle junctures where people have shared experiences is a great way to build a brand and a category.”

Since our first episode with Daina, Health-Ade has expanded into three new categories and has announced as of August 2021, that their long-standing partner, First Bev, had acquired a controlling stake in the company. In this update, Daina moved from the CEO position to Chief Mission Officer, so that she could “focus on her passion and energy in a new way.” This news comes from Cision PR Newswire, who also stated that Jack Belsito, Managing Partner of First Bev, would take the seat of CEO.

Since the announcement, Health-Ade has continued to grow and has plans “to become the global leader in kombucha and digestive health beverages, one gut at a time." We look forward to watching their continued growth and seeing what comes next!

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