Vermont-based Upstate Elevator has entered the dual-botanical beverage space with what it claims is the first functional line combining kanna and kava in a single can format — a formulation move that positions the brand at the intersection of the fast-growing adaptogen and alcohol-alternative segments.
The collection launches with two SKUs now available — Pink Grapefruit Uplift Spritz and Blackberry Zinger Unwind Soda — with a third, Lychee Blood Orange Uplift Spritz, slated for later in August 2026. All three are 0% ABV, THC-free, and formulated with organic ingredients, no artificial additives, and no preservatives.
Formulation Breakdown
The two lead SKUs take meaningfully different botanical approaches, reflecting distinct end-use occasions. The Pink Grapefruit Uplift Spritz is kanna-forward, delivering 50mg of Zembrin® kanna — a clinically studied, standardized extract of Sceletium tortuosum — alongside 20mg noble kava root extract, 90mg L-theanine, and 40mg potassium, at 40 calories per can with low sugar. The Blackberry Zinger Unwind Soda inverts that ratio: 100mg kava extract leads the stack, supported by 15mg Zembrin® kanna and 90mg L-theanine, with natural flavors and natural sweeteners. The kanna-forward spritz is positioned for mood lift and social energy; the kava-forward soda targets evening relaxation and wind-down occasions.
Zembrin® is a patented, standardized kanna extract with published clinical data on mood and cognitive support — a distinction that matters for both formulation credibility and eventual label claims. Noble kava sourcing is a recognized quality differentiator in the kava category, as non-noble varieties carry higher risk profiles and are associated with adverse hepatotoxicity signals flagged in international regulatory reviews. The inclusion of L-theanine at 90mg per SKU adds a well-documented amino acid known for promoting calm focus, commonly seen in functional tea and nootropic beverage formats.
Market & Supply Context
The launch extends Upstate Elevator's portfolio beyond its cannabinoid core — an explicit strategic response to regulatory headwinds and market volatility in the hemp-derived THC and CBD segments. As Dylan Raap, Founder and CEO of Upstate Elevator, noted, the hemp industry has faced "significant change and uncertainty" over the past year, making botanical diversification a risk-management lever as much as a product-development one. The new beverage line complements the brand's recently introduced kanna and kava gummies, giving co-manufacturers and retail buyers a cohesive botanical wellness platform across multiple delivery formats.
For ingredient suppliers and beverage formulators tracking the adaptogen space, the kanna-kava combination represents a formulation frontier. Kava has established retail traction in the non-alcoholic occasion market through standalone kava bars and RTD formats, while kanna remains a comparatively nascent ingredient in the U.S. functional beverage supply chain. Pairing the two with a clinically backed, standardized kanna extract lowers the regulatory ambiguity that has historically complicated kanna commercialization, and the organic-ingredient commitment adds alignment with clean-label positioning increasingly required by natural channel retail partners.
Products are available direct-to-consumer at upstateelevator.com, with a nationwide retail rollout to select partners underway. For functional beverage ingredient suppliers tracking placement velocity in the mood-and-relaxation occasion, Upstate Elevator's channel strategy — direct-to-consumer first, then natural and specialty retail — mirrors the commercialization path taken by early kava RTD entrants.
The broader backdrop is favorable: the global adaptogen beverage market continues to attract investment as consumers seek non-intoxicating alternatives, and the combination of a standardized botanical extract with a recognized amino acid like L-theanine increasingly reads as a credible, differentiated stack to retail buyers and foodservice operators building functional non-alc programs. For ingredient suppliers of kanna, kava, and amino acids, demand signals from branded launches like this one typically precede broader category adoption by 12 to 24 months.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
