Verde.®, an Albuquerque-based cold-pressed juice and mixer producer, has won nine medals at the 2026 San Francisco Ready-to-Drink Competition, placing it as the top-performing non-alcoholic brand in the event. The company earned four Gold medals, four Silver medals, and one Bronze medal across its product portfolio of single-origin citrus and tropical juices, craft cocktail mixers, and lemonade bases. "We're proud, honored, and honestly a little humbled to land among brands like Fever-Tree, Q Mixers and Fresh Victor in this category," said Founder and CEO Kelly Egolf. "Companies like that have set the bar for what non-alcoholic mixers can be, and for a small Albuquerque producer to earn nine medals right alongside them is a huge moment for our team."

Competition Standards The San Francisco Ready-to-Drink Competition, produced by The Tasting Alliance, evaluates products through blind judging by industry professionals including sommeliers, buyers, and tastemakers. Judges assess taste, balance, creativity, and craftsmanship. The competition launched in 2022 in response to growth in the ready-to-drink market.

Distribution and Product Range Verde.® products are available nationally through broadline foodservice distributors including Sysco, US Foods, and Performance Food Group, as well as regional and specialty distributors. The company's full line is produced in Albuquerque under the manufacturing name New Mexico Fresh Foods, never heat-treated and made from whole fresh fruit, sold in 1-liter foodservice format. The brand is certified as New Mexico True and targets bars, restaurants, and hospitality operators seeking to reduce labor and waste associated with fresh-squeezed fruit for craft cocktails.

Why It Matters

For foodservice operators, the recognition signals quality and consistency in a mixer category that continues to expand beyond basic cocktail ingredients. Verde.®'s positioning as a premium cold-pressed alternative to fresh-squeeze juice addresses both cost and labor pain points in bar operations.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors