Functional beverages are taking over Canadian grocery aisles. But do they work?

Canadians expect more from their drinks these days. The beverage economy used to run on boosts of sugar, aspartame, or caffeine; a sweet and energizing treat in the middle of the long workday. While that hasn’t disappeared entirely — people still love their fridge ciggies — many consumers want their cold cans to also contribute to their overall well-being. That’s why grocery store aisles today are overflowing with an array of functional beverages (to use the industry lingo), promising all kinds of health benefits in a tasty, drinkable format. 

Many of these products are made right here in Canada. A slew of domestic drinks startups have popped up over the past few years trying to stake a claim in the booming functional beverage segment. It’s hard to tabulate all of them, but by our count, there’s at least a couple dozen, ranging from sparkling tree waters that advertise their naturally occurring electrolytes, to prebiotic sodas that promise the tastiness of pop without all the bad stuff, to specialty packages that claim to be formulated to support menstrual cycles. 

“We think consumers are getting more and more educated about their health,” says Scott Currie, the CEO of the Canadian functional beverage company WakeWater. “Our challenge is ‘how can we make this simple and attractive for people while also making it fun and convenient.’ People don't want to be preached to about science… and so how can we solve these high-leverage health outcomes for them while making it convenient.”