LaCroix Is About to Unleash a Key Lime Flavor

At a time when soda consumption is at a 31-year low, LaCroix—the once-niche and now unstoppably-hip flavored sparkling water brand—has been an unmitigated success story. Fans of the bubbly beverages openly admit they don't even know what goes into the so-called "naturally essenced" drink that allows the "Healthy Beverage Choice" to bill itself as "100% Natural, Calorie-Free, Sugar Free, Sodium Free, No Artificial Sweeteners"—and frankly, they don't care. That level of love has led to eleven consecutive quarters of revenue and earnings growth for National Beverage Corp, the Florida-based owners of the Wisconsin-founded brand. And to celebrate, LaCroix is baking itself a pie… Key lime flavor.

National Beverage recently announced its results for the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year, once again being able to boast about the company's successful run. Though your broker can talk you through all the numbers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nick A. Caporella snuck in some exciting news for casual fans as well. "While momentum signals its presence in a myriad of ways, the one that most excites us is the scent of 'toasted meringue' in our ready-to-launch La Croix Key Lime sparkling water," he was quoted as saying. "Why . . . because our heartbeat is 'innovation' and here that spells . . . aroma and scents!" Keep in mind, Key limes don't inherently smell like toasted meringue—that would technically be Key Lime Pie flavor—but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

According to Eater, cases of the beverage have already been shipped to some investors, with LaCroix's team describing this new variety as having a "distinctive aroma and sweet-and-tart flavor." Indeed, those who've tried the new LaCroix Key Lime say its taste is inspired more by a sweet Key lime pie, than the limes themselves, a distinction that helps distance the new flavor from LaCroix's existing plain ol' Lime variety. As to when this beverage will be available to us non-Wall Street types: That appears to still be up in the air. Key Lime isn't yet among the 20 flavors on LaCroix's website.