Vibes Launches Hot Tropic: A Kava-Powered Functional Tonic Built for the Modern Social Occasion

Vibes, the functional social platform redefining how adults drink and socialize, officially launches Hot Tropic — a zero-calorie kava seltzer crafted for effortless social calm without alcohol.

Fort Myers, FL — Vibes is entering the market with Hot Tropic, its kava-powered Chill Functional Tonic, available beginning June 5th across convenience stores, kava bars, dry bars, and select on-premise venues nationwide.

A New Kind of Kava Drink

Hot Tropic isn't just another non-alcoholic option — it's a precision-formulated functional tonic built around 2,000mg of kava root extract emulsion, delivering 60mg of active kavalactones per can. The emulsion format is the key differentiator: compared to standard kava extracts, it provides double the bioavailability, meaning consumers actually absorb and feel the effect. It also ensures consistent dosing in every can and extends the product's shelf life — a critical advantage for retail distribution.

The result is a drink that delivers the calm, present, socially relaxed state that kava has offered in traditional ritual for centuries — now packaged in a sleek 12 fl oz can with zero calories, zero alcohol, and zero THC.

Flavor: Mango Habanero

Hot Tropic introduces a bold new flavor direction for the functional beverage space: Mango Habanero. The flavor profile marries tropical sweetness with a slow, warming heat — a sensory experience that mirrors the drink's functional promise. It's unexpected, craveable, and distinctly social.

The Nootropic Stack

Beyond kava, Hot Tropic layers in a purpose-built cognitive stack:

• Kava Root Extract Emulsion — 2,000mg total extract, delivering 60mg kavalactones with enhanced bioavailability
• Alpha GPC (250mg) — cognitive support and smooth focus
• L-Theanine (100mg) — calm alertness, synergistic with kava's relaxing properties
• Green Tea Extract (PurTea®, 37mg natural caffeine) — light, sustained energy without the jitter or crash

The combination is engineered to produce what Vibes calls the Chill state: calm, socially present, clear-headed, and unimpaired.

Zero Calories. Zero Compromise.

Hot Tropic contains 0 calories and uses allulose as a sweetener, keeping the drink clean for health-conscious consumers without sacrificing flavor. It carries 0% ABV and contains no THC — making it fully accessible across the widest possible retail footprint.

Distribution Strategy

Vibes is launching Hot Tropic with a multi-channel retail push targeting:

• Convenience stores — capturing the impulse occasion and the on-the-go functional consumer
• Kava bars — an authentic, community-native channel for the brand
• Dry bars and non-alcoholic venues — meeting the sober-curious consumer at the point of social ritual
• Specialty wellness retail — reaching the premium functional beverage shopper

This distribution approach reflects Vibes' broader thesis: the next dominant beverage brand won't be built in one channel. It will be built around occasions.

About Vibes

Vibes is a functional social platform offering a three-SKU system of occasion-based tonics — Electric Shores (Energy, ketone-powered), Hot Tropic (Chill, kava-powered), and Glow Getter (Social, hops-powered). Each drink is designed to replace alcohol in a specific social moment, delivering real functional states without intoxication, hangover, or comedown.

Manufactured through an owned production relationship with Burma Brewing in Fort Myers, FL, Vibes is built to scale across retail, DTC, and on-premise channels.

For product inquiries, wholesale opportunities, or press samples: Jason Croxford and Matthew Abate drink-vibes.com