Melo Sparkling Kava Launches at Erewhon

Melo will launch its sparkling kava drinks at Erewhon Market on Oct. 30. Two flavors, Passionfruit Orange & Guava and Tahitian Lime, will be sold in 13 Erewhon stores across Southern California. The Australian-founded company, built in the United States, uses noble kava from Vanuatu in its 12 fl. oz. canned drinks. Melo is positioning the launch as part of its retail expansion through 2027.

Southern California Store Launch

Melo will be stocked in functional beverage coolers in Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Venice, Calabasas, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Culver City, Silver Lake, Studio City, The Grove, West Hollywood, Glendale, and Thousand Oaks.

The release cites research indicating that the U.S. functional beverage category continues to grow.

Amy Betts, co-founder and CEO at Melo, said:

“For a decade, the functional beverage market has run on the go, go, go mentality of energy drinks, but now what people actually want is permission to slow down. That’s why I started Melo. I wanted a calming drink I could genuinely feel, without the side effects. Kava has done that job for centuries; it just needed a format that fit a modern shelf. We’re excited for Erewhon shoppers to now have it available to try for themselves.”

Kava Sourcing

Melo works directly with family-owned farms in Vanuatu. The company is an official private-sector partner of the United Nations and International Trade Centre Pacific Islands Kava Initiative, which aims to improve quality standards and help kava-growing communities reach new markets.

Wider Retail Availability

In addition to Erewhon, Melo is available through Amazon, Thrive Market, Raley’s, Bristol Farms, Lassen’s, BevMo!, Gopuff, and drinkmelo.com.

The Erewhon rollout places two Melo flavors in 13 locations as the company prepares for further retail distribution.