The Launch
Yesly Water is entering the protein beverage category with Sparkling Protein Water, a clear, lightly carbonated ready-to-drink product that lands exclusively at approximately 500 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide beginning this month. Each 12 oz. can contains 20 grams of protein sourced from whey and collagen, zero sugar, 100 calories, electrolytes, and essential vitamins — positioning the SKU squarely against incumbent protein shakes and functional energy drinks in the natural-channel retail space.
The product launches in five flavors: Kiwi Strawberry, Watermelon, Pomegranate Acai Blueberry, Berries & Cream, and Shirley Temple. Yesly's co-founders — Ken Uptain and Scott Miller, both alumni of Essentia Water — are betting that a non-milky, lightly sparkling format can attract consumers who want functional protein delivery without the texture and caloric load of traditional shake formats.
Distribution Roadmap
The Sprouts exclusivity window is relatively brief. Yesly has signaled it will extend the product to Amazon and TikTok Shop in January 2027, a channel stack that reflects how emerging functional beverage brands increasingly layer natural-grocery exclusivity with direct-to-consumer and social commerce platforms to build brand equity before pursuing broader conventional grocery placement. The sequencing mirrors tactics used by several better-for-you beverage entrants in the electrolyte and sports-nutrition segments over the past three years.
The functional beverage market continues to draw new entrants as consumers trade away from carbonated soft drinks toward products that claim utility — protein, hydration, energy, or recovery. Protein-enriched water specifically has seen elevated retailer interest following strong scan data in the sports-nutrition aisle, though the segment remains fragmented with no dominant national brand. A Sprouts-first strategy gives Yesly access to a health-focused, premium shopper base likely already browsing adjacent functional SKUs.
Athlete Partnerships
Alongside the product announcement, Yesly is formalizing partnerships with two elite distance runners: NCAA champion and 2:04 marathoner Charles Hicks, and American marathon standout Emma Bates, who returns to competition as a new mother. The brand has built its identity around the endurance and running community — a consumer segment known for high engagement with clean-label functional nutrition.
"Charles and Emma understand that progress comes from showing up every day and trusting the process," said Scott Miller, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yesly. The two athletes will appear across digital and social channels, retail activations, and brand events through 2027. For operators and buyers assessing shelf viability, athlete-anchored marketing in the endurance category has historically driven trial in specialty and natural retail, where Sprouts competes most directly.
The launch marks a meaningful category expansion for Yesly, which built its initial footprint on electrolyte-enhanced still water. Moving into protein represents a higher-price-point, higher-margin opportunity — and a direct bid for a share of the functional beverage shelf space that conventional grocery and specialty retailers have been allocating aggressively. Buyers and distributors tracking the natural-channel protein segment will want to monitor sell-through data from the Sprouts rollout before the brand's planned broader digital expansion early next year. Food & Beverage Magazine (fb101.com) has previously tracked the rapid growth of the functional hydration segment as a key battleground for consumer wallet share.
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.
