De Soi, the Los Angeles-based nonalcoholic drinks brand co-founded by Katy Perry, is moving into the functional seltzer set with Social Spritz, a three-SKU line now stocked at Total Wine locations nationwide and select Whole Foods stores, with DTC availability on Amazon and drinkdesoi.com. The launch marks De Soi's first foray beyond its original evening-occasion sparkling cocktail portfolio and positions the brand to compete in a daytime functional segment that sits at the intersection of the booming NA beverage aisle and the fast-growing better-for-you energy category.
The Formulation Play
Each 25-calorie can is built around a nootropic and adaptogen stack — ginseng, L-theanine, L-tyrosine, and Vitamins B6 and B12 — designed to support mood, sharpen focus, and deliver energy without stimulants or the crash profile associated with conventional energy drinks. The lineup debuts in Lemon Elderflower, Blackberry Hibiscus, and Peach Ginger, all gluten-free, vegan, and free of artificial flavors and sweeteners, with less than 5g of sugar per can. Co-founder and Master Distiller Morgan McLachlan described the target consumer occasion as the "mid-afternoon reset" and the "creative session" — a positioning that deliberately splits the difference between functional energy and social refreshment. "The drink behaves like a High Noon or a softer Celsius, but without the alcohol or the endocrinological disruption," McLachlan said.
Retail Footprint and Category Context
The initial distribution footprint — Total Wine nationwide plus select Whole Foods doors — reflects a channel strategy common among premium NA and functional beverage brands: anchor in specialty retail where category-educated shoppers drive trial, then expand ACV as scan data validates velocity. De Soi has not disclosed door counts at Whole Foods or projected TDP targets, but the brand indicated additional retail partners are expected later this year. That trajectory mirrors the playbook used by emerging functional beverage brands that seed in natural/specialty before pursuing broader mass or grocery distribution.
The launch arrives as the nonalcoholic beverage segment continues to outpace total beverage alcohol in growth metrics, with functional energy overlapping increasingly with NA occasion drinking. Syndicated data from both Circana and Nielsen has tracked strong velocity gains for adaptogen- and nootropic-forward SKUs on planograms that previously sat adjacent to conventional sparkling water. De Soi's original sparkling cocktail line — formulated with lion's mane, reishi, and L-theanine for evening relaxation — already occupies that premium NA shelf; Social Spritz gives the brand a second planogram entry point in the functional/energy adjacency, effectively doubling its potential facings per store. For category managers evaluating the nonalcoholic and functional beverage aisle, a brand with credible retail presence in two distinct day-part occasions is a meaningfully different conversation than a single-SKU newcomer chasing slotting.
Katy Perry, in her capacity as co-founder rather than celebrity endorser, framed the product's genesis in consumer-need terms: "When I was looking for a daytime pick-me-up, I didn't like the trade-offs that existed for a little energy. Social Spritz met the moment — a light, sparkling, functional seltzer that gives you just enough of a push to keep the day going without jitters or sugar crashes."
With the functional NA space attracting increased attention from both emerging brands and established CPG players, De Soi's dual-portfolio positioning — evening relaxation and daytime energy, both under a single brand halo — offers retailers a cohesive story for cross-merchandising and potential end-cap placement across the non-alc and better-for-you sections.
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.
