Popular beverage brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The most popular sodas in America are no surprise to most soft drink fans.

Coke is, by far, the most popular soda with 19.2% of the market, followed by a tie between Dr Pepper and Pepsi for the No. 2 spot with each soda taking 8.3% of the market, according to Beverage Digest.

Two other Coca-Cola brands take the next two spots, with Sprite holding 8.1% of the market and Diet Coke with 7.8%.

Coke: 19.2%.
Dr Pepper: 8.3%.
Pepsi: 8.3%.
Sprite: 8.1%.
Diet Coke: 7.8%.

Health risks from regular consumption of sodas, such as type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure that can lead to heart disease, and tooth decay, has prompted consumers to seek out soft drink alternatives with less sugar content.

Some of the choices consumers have turned to include sparkling mineral water, fruit-flavored sparkling water, prebiotic sodas, caffeinated sparkling water, sparkling tea, and kombucha.

Kombucha is a tea drink mixed with sugar and symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that gives the drink its fizz.

Popular kombucha drinks:

GT's Synergy.
Health-Ade.
Brew Dr.
KeVita.
Better Booch.
Kombucha Town.

Some of the kombucha drinks on the market include GT's Synergy, Health-Ade, Brew Dr., KeVita, Better Booch, and Kombucha Town.

The estimates of the U.S. kombucha market vary but were mostly in the $2 billion range in 2024. Those estimates paled in comparison to the overall U.S. carbonated soft drink market, with about $52 billion in the same year, according to market research firm Mintel.

Smaller drink companies file for bankruptcy

Drink companies offering an alternative to sodas have a smaller piece of the soft drink market and don't have a lot of margin for error to be profitable.

In June, a private label ready-to-drink and loose tea producer Caraway Tea filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize.

Another soda company alternative that offers a healthier option filed for bankruptcy, as July came to a close.

Real McCoy Tea Company's Kombucha Town competes for soft drink business with giant soda brands like Coke, Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi.

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Real McCoy Tea files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Popular kombucha tea beverage maker Real McCoy Tea Company, which distributes its canned products online and at various retail stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize its business.

The Bellingham, Wash., soft drink manufacturer filed its Subchapter V petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington on July 30, listing $100,000 to $500,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities.

The debtor's largest creditors include Radd Diversified, owed $550,000; Splashing Tiger Ventures, owed $530,000; U.S. Small Business Administration, owed over $514,000; and the Internal Revenue Service, owed $350,000 for unpaid taxes from 2017-2024.

More Bankruptcy:

Real McCoy Tea Company was launched in 2011 by founder Chris McCoy, who created the company's line of Kombucha Town and Live Seltzer non-alcoholic soft drinks.

Kombucha Town's drinks include Original Ginger, Blood Orange, and Guayusa Mint, while its Live Seltzer varieties include Grapefruit Clarity, Cucumber Focus, and Ginger Energy, according to its website.

Real McCoy Tea Company Brands:

Kombucha Town Original Ginger.
Kombucha Town Blood Orange.
Kombucha Town Guayusa Mint.
Live Seltzer Grapefruit Clarity.
Live Seltzer Cucumber Focus.
Live Seltzer Ginger Energy.

The company asserts its Kombucha Town contains good bacteria that helps digestion, amino acids to detoxify the liver and other organs, and antioxidants to protect the body and support the immune system.

Real McCoy says that it uses fair-trade certified, non-GMO, and USDA organic teas, sugar, and ingredients.

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