A new licensed flavor from GHOST® is hitting the energy drink cooler door at some of grocery's highest-volume banners. GHOST® Energy x A&W® Root Beer, inspired by the classic root beer float, is now available at Kroger, Target, Walmart, Publix, CVS, Casey's, Circle K, ABSCO, and DoorDash — a retail footprint that spans mass, drug, grocery, and convenience channels simultaneously at launch.

The drop is the second co-branded energy SKU to emerge from GHOST®'s ongoing partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper in 2026, following the earlier GHOST® Energy x 7UP® release. The strategic cadence — two licensed flavors from the same portfolio within a single calendar year — signals a deliberate pipeline strategy between the two companies, using KDP's legacy trademark equity as a flavor-differentiation lever in a segment where novelty drives trial and velocity.

The Licensing Play

For category managers tracking planogram pressure in the energy set, the GHOST®-KDP alignment is worth watching. Licensed flavor collaborations have become one of the most reliable velocity drivers in better-for-you and lifestyle energy, with recognizable trademarks from food-service and confectionery brands reducing slotting risk and accelerating consumer adoption. GHOST® has built its brand identity around exactly this model — previous collaborations include OREO®, Sour Patch Kids®, Cinnabon®, and Sonic® Drive-In, among others. Extending that playbook into A&W®, a brand with decades of QSR recall, gives retail buyers a familiar equity anchor in an increasingly crowded set.

"A&W® has such a strong legacy. It's instantly recognizable and gives us the chance to do something completely unexpected in energy," said Dan Lourenco, Founder and CEO of GHOST®. "We have a feeling there's still plenty of room to surprise people."

Justin Whitmore, President of Energy, Juice, Sauce, and Drink Mix Brands at Keurig Dr Pepper, framed the launch around occasion expansion: "GHOST® Energy x A&W® gives fans a fresh way to enjoy a familiar favorite, combining the timeless appeal of A&W® with the performance benefits energy drink consumers expect."

Retail & Category Context

The energy drink category remains one of the few center-store adjacencies posting consistent dollar and unit growth, with functional and lifestyle-positioned brands outpacing legacy players on a velocity-per-point basis according to syndicated scan data. GHOST® sits in the premium energy tier, where transparent formulas and ingredient storytelling have become table stakes for shelf placement in natural/specialty and conventional grocery alike.

The brand's distribution strategy for the A&W® SKU is notably omnichannel from day one — blending DSD-eligible convenience accounts like Circle K and Casey's with grocery banners, drug chain CVS, and on-demand delivery via DoorDash. That breadth suggests GHOST® and KDP are prioritizing rapid ACV penetration over a staged channel rollout, betting that simultaneous multi-channel presence accelerates household trial. For retailers, the question will be whether the A&W® float nostalgia translates to repeat-purchase velocity that justifies premium shelf real estate against entrenched national-brand competition.

GHOST® products are distributed across more than 40 countries and sold through GNC, direct-to-consumer via ghostlifestyle.com, and select global retailers — a distribution profile that gives the brand meaningful leverage when negotiating domestic planogram space.

For more on licensed-flavor strategy and velocity trends in the functional beverage aisle, see our coverage of energy drink category trends and CPG brand collaboration launches.

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.