Spindrift has broken ground on its new facility, dubbed as “innovation center” at Waltham, Massachusetts, as part of plans to further advance the use of additional exotic ingredients in its products.
Soda_Spindrift
Spindrift founder Bill Creelman was quoted by BevNET as saying: "We started out with citrus-based sodas - lemons, oranges, grapefruits - but as we started to look at ingredients like freshly-squeezed ginger and cucumber, we discovered there was really no established supply chain and no authorities on the subject.
"We realized we were going to have to pursue the use of these ingredients ourselves."
Spread across 2,000ft2 space, the new center will employ a full-time research and development specialist to carry out analysis on the ingredients properties for potential use in shelf-stable beverage products.
Expected to become operational later this summer, the center will also be operated as a production facility to develop new beverages before moving into commercial scale.
According to the news agency, Creelman is also considering the use of herbs such as mint, including incorporation of fresh ingredients in traditional sodas like root beer and cola.
Creelman said: "With the migration from traditional carbonated soft drinks, it's such an exciting time in the category and this is our way of acknowledging that and advancing our position within it."
Last year, Spindrift secured $2m in financing from venture capital firm Prolog Ventures.
California-based Spindrift produces soda, seltzer and ginger beer brands using fresh squeezed ingredients.
