PepsiCo to Launch Drink for Relaxation

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PepsiCo is set to launch Driftwell, a drink that promotes relaxation and relieves stress, by the end of the year. PepsiCo employees pitched the idea of a drink that can help people relax before going to sleep during a company-wide competition last year. According to PepsiCo executive Emily Silver, the launch of the new beverage is timely because the current health crisis has been causing stress and anxiety for many people. Driftwell is an enhanced water drink that has 200 milligrams of L-theanine, an amino acid present in green and black teas and some types of mushrooms. Previous studies found that L-theanine could alleviate physical symptoms of stress and improve sleep quality. Driftwell also has 10% of the recommended daily intake of magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Driftwell only comes in one flavor, blackberry lavender, and it is sold in a 7.5-ounce mini can. Silver said that the size can give people the hydration they need before going to sleep while sparing them from bathroom breaks in the middle of the night. PepsiCo will release the product on US e-commerce platforms in December and in supermarkets by the first quarter of 2021. The suggested retail price for a 10-pack of Driftwell is $17.99. According to market research company Euromonitor International, enhanced water beverages accounted for $2.97 billion in sales in the US market last year. The research company forecasts that sales of enhanced beverages are going to increase by almost 5% this year because of their growing popularity. Euromonitor International's findings also suggest that while relaxation drinks are currently a very minor type of enhanced beverage in the US, their high demand in Japan implies that they could also become a part of Americans' lifestyle.