What Consumers Really Want From Energy, Hydration & Wellness Drinks in 2025

Functional beverages are no longer about ingredients, macros, or category labels. They’re about moments, emotions, and jobs-to-be-done across the day. This report reveals how consumers are actually using functional drinks — and what brands, retailers, and insights teams need to do next.

Inside the report:

Why morning has become the category’s center of gravity
How the midday slump is driving one of the biggest growth opportunities
Why emotional regulation is now a first-class functional benefit
The six Jobs-to-Be-Done shaping functional beverage choice
How discovery, trial, and adoption actually happen in this category
Why powder-stick formats signal the next major adoption wave
What’s stopping trial — and what finally unlocks it
How merchandising will shift from category-based to moment-based