Has Liquid Death Lost Its Edge? And, Is Jetty Real?

Can a brand be too good at being disruptive?

Liquid Death built a billion-dollar business by challenging convention, but as its collaborations multiply and its products move beyond water, some are questioning whether the brand has lost its edge. We debate whether Liquid Death is evolving or jumping the shark, and what its journey reveals about building a brand that stands out and stays relevant.

Plus, we dig into Jetty, the new hydration brand from Poppi founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, unpack its mysterious early appearance at Whole Foods, recap our London meetup and sample several new products riding the apple flavor wave.

Show notes:

0:20: English Evening. More Meetups*. JettSetters. Death By 1,000 Collabs? Apple, Not Autumn. – The hosts recap Taste Radio's London meetup, discuss the strength of the U.K.'s emerging CPG community, highlight several participating brands and thank the event's hosts and sponsors. They also look ahead to the 2027 meetup series and preview the upcoming Nosh Live, BevNET Live and Brewbound Live events in Marina del Rey. The conversation then turns to Jetty, the new hydration and electrolyte brand from Poppi founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. The hosts examine the brand's early product and packaging imagery amid reported sightings at a Whole Foods in New York City. They discuss the brand's positioning as an everyday hydration product, its formulation and design, and whether the attention surrounding its initial reveal is intentional marketing or simply an unconventional product rollout. The hosts then debate whether Liquid Death is losing some of its edge, prompted by a recent essay questioning the brand's cultural relevance and its recent collaboration with Pop-Tarts. They consider whether the brand's shock-driven marketing has begun to lose its impact and the challenge of maintaining a distinctive identity. They also highlight Liquid Death's lasting influence on CPG branding, particularly its willingness to draw inspiration from outside the industry. Finally, the hosts sample several new products, including Journee energy drinks, Spindrift Fuji Apple sparkling water, Halfday Crisp Apple prebiotic iced tea and Day Out's limited-edition Apple Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake protein bites.

Brands in this episode: Poppi, Jetty, Liquid Death, Pop-Tarts, Grillo's Pickles, Red Bull, Monster, Death Wish Coffee, Sailor Jerry Rum, Hendrick's Gin, Rotten Candy, Lucky Energy, TRIP, Chili Maven, Living Things, Superfoodio, Kwenched, Feisty Drinks, Dash, Agua de Madre, Moju, Mother Root, Noot, Bellydance, Everystate, Journee, Spindrift, Halfday, Culture Pop, Day Out, Lemon Perfect, Recover180, David, Fly By Jing, Sparkling Ice, Weird Beverages, Rockstar