Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat built its name on plant-based burgers, and these days the company just goes by Beyond, "the Plant Protein Company." The shoppers who knew it for imitation beef are now being pitched a protein drink.

The meat line (Beyond Burger, Beyond Beef, sausages, steak tips) is the backstory here. Most shoppers never warmed to heavily processed fake meat, and the brand struggled to hold the spot it had promised itself. Ignoring that wouldn't be honest, and the company clearly isn't ignoring it either.

The pivot to drinks is the smartest move Beyond Meat has made. Protein is the one thing the brand can claim real expertise in, and a can is an easier sell than a patty. Nobody has to believe a drink tastes like a cow. It only has to taste good and deliver the protein.

The Beyond Immerse Drinks

Beyond Immerse is a line of sparkling pea-protein drinks with 20g of protein per can, and the newer versions are sweetened with organic agave. Fruit-forward flavors such as Peach Mango and Strawberry Lemonade lead the caffeine-free side, and the lineup is still growing.

The more interesting play is Beyond Immerse Protein + Energy, which adds 160mg of caffeine to the protein. That puts it in the middle of the category's hottest crossover: protein drinks that double as an energy drink. It launched in Cherry Berry and Watermelon Strawberry, and it lands closer to a standard energy drink than a gym-bag shake.

Beyond sells Immerse through its own online store, with only limited retail so far. That keeps the drinks off the shelves where buyers compare them head to head, and it means the brand is still proving itself with a drink-first audience.

Who It's For

Beyond Meat is for plant-based drinkers who want real protein in a sparkling can, and for anyone curious whether a brand that missed with fake meat can get it right with drinks. The Immerse line is a stronger fit for the company than anything in its meat case ever was.