Protein beverages have taken a turn this past year, where brands have dug into the clear and carbonated approach, as seen in the likes of Don’t Quit’s Protein Soda, Tidal’s Protein Refresher, and, of course, Bucked Up’s Lightly Carbonated Protein. They’re basically protein in the form of a familiar carbonated drink or soda, and coming in early 2026 is another one of those from No Sugar Co’s functional subbrand Joyburst.
Joyburst Protein Soda has been unveiled, and it is set to hit the big box retailer Target in February of next year. As per the name, it’ll be a compact 12oz soda that has a bit of protein injected into it, although it is a lot smaller than we’d prefer. No Sugar Co and Joyburst’s next innovation won’t be hitting the heights of 30g, the standard 20g, or any sort of double-digit total. Joyburst Protein Soda is going to have a very minimal 4g.
If you end up having a few cans a day, that 4g each would add up, but even then it won’t be a huge amount, where something like three adds 12g of protein to your day. No Sugar Co has said it didn’t want to compromise on flavor and felt 4g was that threshold. The beverage won’t have any sugar, so it’s very much all about the muscle-building macro, and it is launching in delicious Orange Cream Crush and Gummy Bear Sparkles flavors.
