Optimum Nutrition is crossing into the non-alcoholic beverage aisle with ChampionSips™, a limited-edition, protein-fortified NA brew that stacks 10g of plant-based protein, 90 calories, 11g of carbs, and 0g of fat into a 16 fl. oz. can priced at $14.99 for a 4-pack, available exclusively at OptimumNutrition.com while supplies last.
The Product
ChampionSips is brewed in partnership with Wisconsin Brewing Company — an independent Verona, Wisconsin brewery — using malted barley and hops to deliver an American pils-style profile with citrus and hop notes. Protein content derives from a pea-and-rice blend, keeping the SKU aligned with the plant-based positioning that has gained traction across functional beverage segments. The product contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume and carries a 21-and-older purchase requirement, placing it squarely in the growing no-and-low category rather than traditional sports nutrition retail.
Category Context
The launch arrives as the no-and-low alcohol segment accelerates across on- and off-premise channels. Operators and buyers tracking beverage daypart diversification have watched NA beer volume climb steadily since 2022, with major brewers and startups alike racing to capture health-conscious consumers who still want a social occasion. For Glanbia Performance Nutrition — whose portfolio spans Optimum Nutrition, Isopure, think!, and BSN — ChampionSips represents an LTO-style category extension into a new consumption occasion: post-game, tailgate, and social settings where a standard ready-to-drink protein shake carries little cultural currency.
Jeff Schoenfield, Director of Innovation at Glanbia, framed the move as consumer-led. "We're constantly looking at how consumers' needs and routines are evolving and where we can create something new," he said. "ChampionSips reflects that mindset, opening up an entirely new occasion for Optimum Nutrition and challenging expectations of where the brand can show up." A Morning Consult survey of 6,601 U.S. adults fielded in June 2025 found that 62% said they had wished they had gone out after choosing to stay in — a data point Optimum Nutrition is using to frame ChampionSips as a FOMO-reduction tool for active consumers.
Foodservice Implications
For foodservice and hospitality buyers, ChampionSips signals where functional beverage innovation is heading: off-premise formats that blur the line between sports nutrition and social drinking. The direct-to-consumer launch limits immediate on-premise availability, but the NA brew's macro profile — sub-100 calories, double-digit protein — maps neatly onto menu whitespace at gyms with café operations, sports bar dayparts, and health-focused fast-casual concepts looking to differentiate their non-alcoholic beverage set. Distribution beyond OptimumNutrition.com has not been announced; the product is currently unavailable in Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Carolina.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
