Once Upon a Coconut has launched Coconut Water + Fruit Punch, its fourth fruit-infused SKU, available immediately on Amazon, direct-to-consumer via OnceUponACoconut.com, and at select retailers across the brand's existing footprint of more than 12,000 stores nationwide.
The Product
The new variety is built on five ingredients — coconut water, pineapple juice, apple juice, orange juice, and strawberry juice — all sourced as 100% juice, never from concentrate. It carries Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, and plant-based certifications and contains no added sugar. The SKU is offered in single 10.8-ounce slim aluminum cans and 12-packs, consistent with the brand's existing packaging format. The flavor joins Pineapple, Watermelon, and Blueberry in Once Upon a Coconut's portfolio, extending a product architecture that targets consumers seeking clean-label alternatives in the functional hydration aisle.
Athlete Partnership
Alongside the core launch, the brand introduced a limited-edition can designed in collaboration with professional baseball player Jazz Chisholm Jr., who serves as a brand partner. The custom packaging spotlights the Jazz Chisholm Foundation, which focuses on creating opportunities for young athletes and families in underserved communities. Athlete-affiliated limited editions have become a standard demand-generation lever in the better-for-you beverage segment, blending social-impact messaging with collector appeal to drive trial at retail.
"Fruit punch is one of those flavors that instantly takes you back to childhood, but when you look at what's on shelves today, so many options are loaded with added sugar and artificial ingredients," said Ray Burbige, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Once Upon a Coconut. "We wanted to bring back that same fun, familiar taste with clean, simple ingredients parents can feel good about."
Market Context
The fruit punch flavor segment occupies significant volume in the ready-to-drink beverage category but has historically skewed toward high-sugar, artificially flavored formulations. Once Upon a Coconut's entry positions the SKU at the intersection of natural electrolyte hydration and a nostalgia-driven flavor profile — a pairing that has proven commercially viable for brands navigating the better-for-you beverage shift. The coconut water category broadly has benefited from consumer demand for functional, low-calorie hydration, and adding a recognizable flavor like fruit punch lowers the barrier to trial for shoppers who may not yet be coconut water loyalists.
The brand, launched in 2020, sources young green coconuts from Vietnam and packages products in eco-friendly slim aluminum cans. It donates 10% of profits from each case sold to nonprofit partners including the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Investors include Daymond John, Rob Gronkowski, Ronnie Stanley, and Sophie Cunningham — a roster that provides the brand with continued visibility across sports and entertainment marketing channels relevant to retail shelf placement and distributor conversations.
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.
