Sportsballer's RTD Cocktail Trio Brings Creatine to the Can

Sportsballer just rolled out three non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktails built around a shared protein-and-creatine base: The Hotshot, Underdog, and Sweet Victory. Every 12 fl oz (355mL) can shares the same core supplement stack, but each flavor carries its own botanical mix, and one label detail is worth flagging before you grab a case.

The brand's own launch messaging, posted to LinkedIn by veteran beverage baller Eric Nikolaus, who calls Sportsballer the first non-alcoholic RTD cocktail to combine creatine and protein in one can. Nikolaus says he helped lead the commercial and operations side of the launch after Katie Nikolaus connected him to the project, crediting co-founders AJ Hassan and Emily Doskow for the vision and buildout. He's also the founder of The Liquid Growth Collective.

We got a full read on all three labels. Here's what's actually printed on them, including a real mismatch between the can art and the brand's current product page.

Three Cans, Three Flavor Profiles

All three Sportsballer flavors start from the same 70 calories, 5g protein, 9g total sugars, and 8g added sugars per can, with 10mg magnesium across the board. Carbohydrate, sodium, and potassium shift slightly by flavor, and each SKU carries its own flavor-driving ingredients.

The Hotshot

The Hotshot carries 13g carbohydrate and 95mg sodium per can, with the highest potassium of the three at 120mg. Its flavor-specific ingredients are ginger juice, ginger root extract, lemon juice concentrate, and fruit juice used as a coloring agent. That ginger-forward build points to a spicier, brighter citrus profile than its two siblings.

Underdog

Underdog matches The Hotshot's 13g carbohydrate and 95mg sodium, but comes in at 110mg potassium. Its flavor-specific ingredients are blackberry juice concentrate and malic acid, giving it a tart, berry-forward identity instead of ginger heat.

Sweet Victory

Sweet Victory sits at 12g carbohydrate and 105mg sodium, the highest sodium of the three, with potassium matching Underdog at 110mg. This is where things get confusing. The can art we reviewed shows the same blackberry juice concentrate and malic acid used in Underdog, but the brand's current official product page lists lime and lime juice concentrate instead. That's a genuine mismatch between the package graphic and the live product page, not something we're guessing at, and it's worth knowing before you crack a can expecting lime and getting berry (or the other way around).

Quick Formula Check

The printed ingredient list on all three cans includes the same functional stack: whey protein isolate, creatine monohydrate (listed on the label as "Creavbev"), L-theanine, magnesium bisglycinate, rhodiola rosea, and Curowhite curcumin extract. None of the individual doses for creatine, L-theanine, magnesium bisglycinate, rhodiola rosea, or the curcumin extract appear on the Nutrition Facts panel, so we're not going to guess at them here.

The CreaBev naming is likely a reference to Glanbia's CreaBev encapsulation technology, which solves a longstanding beverage problem: standard creatine monohydrate breaks down into inert creatinine when it sits in liquid, especially at low pH or under heat processing. Glanbia built CreaBev to keep creatine intact in drinks, and it's the same underlying technology used in our CREATEA Mighty Mango project from SupplySide Global 2025. Sportsballer's official product pages advertise 1g of creatine per can, but that number comes from current site copy, not the printed Nutrition Facts panel, so treat it as a brand claim rather than a verified label spec.

• Whey protein isolate - the source of the 5g protein per can, and the ingredient that puts this squarely in protein-cocktail territory rather than a standard sparkling drink.
• Creatine monohydrate (CreaBev) - the brand's headline functional ingredient. No dose is printed on the Nutrition Facts panel, though the brand's product pages claim 1g per can. You can learn about CreaBev in Glanbia's Strength Throughout Life campaign materials.
• L-theanine - listed without a dose. These cans don't appear to carry meaningful caffeine, so its role here likely leans more toward general relaxation than caffeine smoothing.
• Magnesium bisglycinate - a more absorbable magnesium form, contributing to the 10mg magnesium figure on the panel.
• Rhodiola rosea - an adaptogenic botanical included without a listed dose.
• Curowhite curcumin extract - a pigment-free curcumin form. Dose isn't disclosed on this label.
• Other ingredients - carbonated water, agave nectar, natural flavors, citric acid, sodium citrate, monk fruit extract, and potassium citrate round out all three formulas as the sweetening, acidity, and flavor-supporting components.

Related Flavors

The three-SKU launch reads like a positioning exercise as much as a flavor lineup. The Hotshot leans into ginger heat and citrus, Underdog goes tart and berry-driven, and Sweet Victory is supposed to be the lime-forward option, at least according to the current product page. Given the packaging mismatch on Sweet Victory, buyers should compare the can in hand against what they're expecting before committing to a case.

Where to Get Sportsballer

Sportsballer's three-can lineup, The Hotshot, Underdog, and Sweet Victory, is rolling out through the brand's own retail and online channels. Check the PricePlow-powered links and CTA areas on Bevlab for current availability on each flavor.

This is a lineup worth watching for anyone curious about protein-and-creatine RTDs outside the usual shaker bottle, but the Sweet Victory ingredient discrepancy is a real one. Go in expecting berry until the brand cleans up the mismatch between the can and the product page.

As a bonus tidbit, Eric Nikolaus attended college with PricePlow/Bevlab's founder Mike -- Eric famously goes by the nickname "E-Check".