The Launch

GHOST® is adding an A&W Root Beer SKU to its energy drink lineup, the Chicago-based lifestyle nutrition brand confirmed September 15 — its second licensed flavor developed in partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper in 2026, following the earlier GHOST® Energy x 7UP® release. The new can is positioned around the root beer float flavor profile, offering what the brand describes as a sweet, creamy finish in a standard energy drink format.

The Partnership

The back-to-back licensed launches signal a deepening commercial relationship between GHOST® and Keurig Dr Pepper, which controls the A&W® trademark in North America. Justin Whitmore, President of Energy, Juice, Sauce, and Drink Mix Brands at Keurig Dr Pepper, framed the collaboration as an extension of the company's broader strategy to place its legacy beverage brands in new usage occasions and retail segments. For GHOST®, the deal continues a licensing playbook the brand has deployed across the supplements and food categories with partners including OREO®, Cinnabon®, Sour Patch Kids®, and Sonic® Drive-In. Dan Lourenco, Founder and CEO of GHOST®, signaled additional KDP-brand releases are possible, saying the partnership still has "plenty of room to surprise people."

The energy drink category has become one of the most contested shelves in beverage retail, with established players such as Monster and Red Bull facing sustained pressure from a wave of better-for-you and flavor-forward challengers. Licensed flavor collaborations have emerged as a key differentiation tactic for emerging brands, generating consumer recognition and earned media at a lower cost than conventional advertising. GHOST®'s approach — transparent formulas paired with instantly recognizable third-party flavor IP — has translated into distribution across more than 40 countries and a growing footprint in mainstream mass and convenience channels. The brand's 2024 expansion into high-protein cereals further illustrates how sports nutrition operators are leveraging brand equity beyond their core supplement aisles, a trend that retailers and foodservice buyers are increasingly monitoring as cross-category launches reshape shelf-set decisions. For a broader look at how licensed IP is reshaping the energy segment, see our coverage of flavor innovation in functional beverages and sports nutrition brand crossovers.

Retail Footprint

GHOST® Energy x A&W® is available immediately at ABSCO, Casey's, Circle K, CVS, DoorDash, Publix, Kroger, Target, and Walmart — a nine-chain footprint that spans convenience, drug, grocery, mass, and on-demand delivery. The breadth of the launch underscores how far GHOST® has moved from its specialty supplement origins toward mainstream retail, a channel shift that carries both volume upside and increased competition for shelf space from established energy brands.

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.