Pure Leaf puts mental clarity in focus with new functional tea

The brand, jointly owned by PepsiCo and Unilever, is releasing its first sparkling drink designed for balanced energy instead of extreme performance.

What happened

Tea brand Pure Leaf is entering the functional beverage space with its first sparkling beverage designed to boost focus, which is an untapped opportunity in the crowded wellness market, according to an executive.

Mental Focus is a sparkling, brewed, iced tea that contains naturally occurring caffeine from black tea and added L-theanine, an amino acid from tea leaves meant to improve focus. As consumers are increasingly seeking out physical and mental benefits from beverages, the move into functional beverages was a natural extension for the brand, Zach Harris, general manager of the Pepsi Lipton Partnership in North America said in an interview.

Why it matters

“Function is really an extension of what the brand already stands for, it’s not a shift away from it,” Harris said in an interview.

Highly caffeinated energy drinks make up a significant share of the functional beverage market, but Pure Leaf Mental Focus wants to capitalize on a consumer shift away from extreme energy. Mental Focus caps its caffeine content at 69 milligrams, which Harris said helps the offering stand out — especially in the energy and cognitive function space.

The drink wants to position itself for more everyday use, and consumers’ growing interest in ingredients that they understand and recognize, Harris said. Mental Focus also wants to tap into “soft wellness” culture, where consumers look for low-effort ways to feel better in convenient, on-the-go options, Harris said.

This news brief is based on reporting published by Food Dive on 2026-04-28. The original report is linked below.