Should roasters invest in functional RTD cans beyond standard coffee beverages?
As convenient beverage trends continue to grow, coffee roasters globally are exploring different ways to cater to shoppers beyond the café or coffee shop setting. Functional RTD cans are a perfect way to do so.
Modern consumers, especially younger generations, place an increasingly high emphasis on drinks that mesh well with their busy, on-the-go lifestyle preferences. They also express a higher desire than their older peers for variety. Diverse lifestyles demand diverse beverage options.
As traditional hot coffee drinks give way to coffee served cold, roasters should consider the forecasted upside of offering their audience functional RTD cans featuring cold brew, nitro coffee, and other lifestyle-driven choices.
We spoke with Raymond Buerger, CEO of Brew Bomb and managing director of Torr Industries Coffee Division, to learn more.
Where is the demand for functional RTD cans coming from?
Retail coffee products, from takeaway lattes to ambient nitro coffee cans, can be broadly categorised as fulfilling various different consumer need states.
Indulgent-led beverages, for example, give the consumer a treat or personal reward and are often sweeter or customised with tasty additives, like flavoured syrups. The Starbucks frappuccino is a prime example.
On the other end of the spectrum, functional beverages are consumed to provide energy or a specific nutrient to enhance the consumer’s health and performance. With coffee, caffeine is the primary benefit. For many coffee drinkers, this is where cold brew shines. Its mellow flavour profile and naturally sweeter taste mean it can be consumed without sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Brew Bomb is a manufacturer of cold-brew coffee equipment that helps coffee roasters produce high-quality cold brews. The better the cold brew, the more the coffee’s natural flavour and aroma shine through, and the better the overall beverage is suited to functional needs.
“As with many inventions, we initially developed our equipment for our own use at our Southeast Asia roasting and brewing facility,” says Raymond.
“Most of the coffee in Southeast Asia is iced coffee, so in 2014, we started experimenting with cold-extracted products for two key reasons. Firstly, the preferred flavour in the region is a rich roast with low acidity. Secondly, it makes far more commercial sense to use batch-brewed cold brew concentrate as a base for cold coffee beverages than cranking out individual espresso shots.
“The demand for our equipment is directly related to the massive shift in consumer preferences towards cold coffee beverages. This trend goes far beyond traditional cold brew even, extending deep into the beverage realm where cold extracted espresso-replacement concentrate is the go-to coffee component for the wide range of mixed coffee beverages that are dominating the market today.”
For functional RTD cans, like canned nitro coffee, canned cold brew with added nootropics like L-theanine, or plant-based RTD canned lattes, cold brew concentrate is a commercially-optimised coffee base. Manufactured correctly, cold brew offers great ambient shelf-life performance, pairs well with non-dairy milk alternatives, and can be consumed without additives to counteract the bitterness of espresso.
For coffee roasters, investing in functional RTD cans is a useful tool in converting customers who are looking for a functional beverage that is more health—and wellness-oriented and doesn’t need to be artificially sweetened.
Why should coffee roasters capitalise on cold brew and functional beverage growth?
“Cold extracted coffee – like cold brew – tends to be a rich and smooth coffee experience that is perfectly suited to satisfy the trend toward consuming ready-to-drink canned beverages,” Raymond says.
“These beverages, ranging from black nitro products to latte varieties, deliver the ultimate in convenience and choice. It is precisely the combination of trends towards cold coffee and the lifestyle demand for convenience that has led to the explosive growth in the cold category.”
Raymond highlights a key point for those considering entering the cold brew market. Cold brew satisfies multiple consumer trends, including convenience, variety, and health and wellness, so investing in a line of functional RTD cans is likely a smart decision.
With new technology and equipment, even the smallest roasters or those with limited resources can get a piece of the action.
“You will find Brew Bomb and Torr equipment worldwide, from small mom-and-pop shops to industrial-scale RTD production facilities,” confirms Raymond.
“Coffee is changing at a lightning-fast pace, with the demand for convenience, speed, and quality an important formula to solve. For those who embrace innovation in equipment and product development, the opportunity is compelling. At the same time, those who lag behind will be shown no mercy by the market.
“The trend towards commercialising and expanding specialty coffee into much wider menu offerings will continue, as will the growth in commodity coffee in bag-in-box formats. Expect automation and smart technology to evolve. The market is sure to embrace those operators who can deliver innovative beverage products with both convenience and speed of service.”
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer 100% recyclable and customisable functional RTD cans for cold brew and other beverages. With their unique 360-degree canvas, aluminium cans offer coffee roasters maximum space to relate key brand information, storytelling and sustainability messaging.
As consumers increasingly seek their functional beverage fixes beyond the traditional coffee shop, from supermarkets, convenience stores, and vending machines, having a strong functional RTD can portfolio is a vital tool in futureproofing your business.
To learn more about sourcing your own sustainable, recyclable aluminium cans, visit our website or contact us directly.
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