Sipping Smarter: Functional Drinks and the Wellness Wave

The wellness wave continues to grow across the drinks sector. UK consumers are prioritising health and wellness, which has been reflected in their recent drink choices. Emerging as a new category in soft drinks, functional drinks present an enticing offering to consumers: convenience and flavour. Functional beverages are also positioned and perceived as more premium than traditional soft drinks, made with quality ingredients and possessing functional benefits, with over a third of consumers willing to spend more on drinks with added health benefits.

Functional drinks require functional packaging. Keeping healthy probiotics, vitamins or herbal extracts intact is key, as sensitive formulas may degrade in poor packaging. Glass drinks bottles are the ideal solution for functional beverages, providing an impermeable barrier that ensures quality is preserved from factory to fridge, delivering every sip with the intended flavour, freshness, and nutritional integrity.

Discover how Verallia is forging the future of functional drinks!

 

The Functional Drinks Landscape

Wellness has been driving the boom in functional drinks, deriving from a shift in consumer attitudes to health. Gen Z in particular have been propelling this change, with 53% considering functional drinks as an alternative for social events. New consumer habits show a clear movement towards the concept of ‘conscious consumerism’. This reflects a holistic mindset in which consumers are increasingly mindful, not only of what they purchase and the sustainability of the products they choose, but also of how these choices impact their health.

As a result, the functional drinks market is expected to reach $339.6 billion by 2030, as more young people prioritise health. The rise of functional drinks stands alongside the rise of NoLo spirit, also backed by the shift to conscious consumerism. Functional drinks are reshaping the traditionally sugary image of soft drinks, with kombuchas, probiotic sodas, and kefirs gaining in popularity.

 

The Role of Packaging in Functional Drinks

For functional drinks, packaging fulfils three key roles: protecting quality, conveying the brand story, and influencing perception.

As mentioned, glass’s impermeable nature makes it the ideal choice for functional beverages, safeguarding every drop from external contaminants. By combining protection with elegance, glass packaging ensures that the consumer experiences the beverage exactly as the brand intended.

Glass offers more than protection – it is a canvas for your brand story. From bespoke, masterfully sculpted shapes to our opulent off-the-shelf designs, every bottle becomes a statement of craftsmanship and identity. Paired with our sustainable packaging solutions, your brand not only captivates the eye but also communicates integrity, trust, and a shared commitment to the values your customers hold dear.

Opting for glass drinks bottles elevates the perception of your functional beverages. Glass bottles convey prestige through their tactile luxury, durability, and elegant aesthetic. They also enhance the drinking experience itself: with superior seals compared to plastic, glass preserves the full integrity of flavour, ensuring every sip reflects the quality your brand promises.

 

Crafting Premium Drinks Bottles for Wellness Beverages

Three Spirit, a pioneering non-alcoholic brand, were seeking a bottle that would capture the essence of their herbal elixirs, blending function, wellness, and alchemy. With a focus on health benefits and flavour, they needed packaging that would elevate their brand while supporting international growth.

Partnering with Verallia, the team designed a bottle inspired by vintage medicine bottles with a modern twist through decoration, giving Three Spirit a striking shelf presence. Organic and UV inks were used to highlight directional triangles on the bottle, each representing a different drink mood (up for Livener, forward for Social, and down for Nightcap) creating bold, sustainable on-shelf visuals.

Sustainability was central to the project. The bottles were lightweighted and made from high PCR (post-consumer recycled) glass, with the 500ml drinks bottle weighing 460g and the 200ml just 200g. This reduced energy use in both production and shipping whilst maintaining structural integrity and elegance. The benefit of choosing organic and UV inks is a lower curing temperature, this ensured a sustainable decoration process without compromising visual impact.

The collaboration produced a bottle that preserves flavour, illustrates the brand story, and positions Three Spirit as a premium, wellness-led functional beverage. Verallia’s expertise in glass innovation and sustainable luxury packaging demonstrates how functional drinks can stand out, combining aesthetics, performance, and responsibility.

Premium Packaging, Uncompromised Quality

In a market where functional drinks and wellness are redefining the drinks sector, packaging plays a decisive role. Glass drinks bottles protect delicate formulas while conveying craftsmanship, luxury, and brand story with every detail.

Verallia’s bespoke and sustainable solutions ensure your beverages not only stand out on the shelf but deliver an unforgettable experience in every sip.

Discover how we can elevate your functional drinks with premium glass packaging.