One of just six winners selected from 170 drink submissions, the inaugural Pantry Award adds to a breakout first seven months as the apple cider vinegar sparkling tonic expands from Sprouts Farmers Market to Wegmans
DENVER, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tractor Beverage Company is pleased to announce that Haymaker has been named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Beverages of 2026 in the magazine’s inaugural Pantry Awards. Editors selected six winners after months of tasting 170 drink submissions. The honor comes just seven months after the USDA Certified Organic apple cider vinegar sparkling tonic made its national retail debut at Sprouts Farmers Market and as the line expands to Wegmans in September.
Created to recognize the most delicious and innovative new products hitting shelves, the Bon Appétit Pantry Awards put flavor first. Editors called Haymaker “light, crisp and tart,” while associate video producer Oadhan Lynch praised its abundant flavor and natural, refreshing taste.
“Our founders are a little like Willy Wonkas in the kitchen. They’re always playing with ingredients and imagining where a drink might go,” said Duke Stump, Chief Brand and Product Officer at Tractor Beverage Company. “Haymaker is one they had in their back pocket for years, waiting to be shared. It comes from a drink people made to refresh themselves through long days in the field, so wellness is part of its history. Every can has a full tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and, because it’s Tractor, it’s USDA Certified Organic. But the experience comes first: bright, tart, full of flavor and a little unexpected.”
Haymaker is inspired by the switchels and shrubs made by Barbadian field workers in the 1600s and later carried into American hayfields as “Haymaker’s Punch.” Traditionally made with apple cider vinegar, ginger, citrus and a natural sweetener, it was a practical refreshment for long, hot days of work.
A full tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar anchors every 12-ounce can. Real fruit and light carbonation create a bright, bracing tonic with no added sugar, five grams of sugar and 25 to 30 calories, depending on the flavor. The USDA Organic seal verifies that Haymaker has been certified and inspected against federal organic standards—a meaningful distinction in a category crowded with loosely defined claims like “natural” and “clean.”
The lineup includes Citrus Ginger, Apricot Peach, Dragon Berry and Passion Mango. Each offers a distinct expression of Haymaker’s signature tang.
Haymaker launched nationally at Sprouts Farmers Market on Jan. 1, bringing Tractor’s organic, flavor-forward approach from foodservice to grocery shelves for the first time. Now available at Wegmans as well, the line’s early recognition spans natural products, foodservice, ingredient transparency and consumer food media.
The four-flavor collection offers shoppers an easy way to bring Tractor’s organic, culinary approach to everyday refreshment beyond the restaurant.
In just its first seven months on shelves, all four flavors earned Clean Label Project Certification; Apricot Peach won a 2026 NEXTY Award; and every flavor received a 2026 FABI Award, with Citrus Ginger named a FABI Favorite. The momentum began before launch, when Beverage Digest named Haymaker a finalist for its 2026 Best New Drink Concept award.
All four flavors are available at Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide and at select Wegmans locations. Read Bon Appétit’s Best New Beverages of 2026 and learn more at drinktractor.com/haymaker.
About Tractor Beverage Company
Farmer-founded and employee-owned, Tractor is built on the belief that a better food system starts with the land and the people who care for it. Every beverage is crafted with USDA Certified Organic ingredients and a commitment to supporting soil health. Tractor makes drinks that taste great, deliver real impact and raise awareness of regenerative practices that nourish both the earth and the communities they sustain.
Through the Farmhand Foundation, Tractor supports growers in their transition to organic farming and works to expand the domestic organic supply chain so farmers prosper, ecosystems thrive and the organic market continues to grow. With the Organic Impact Tracker, Tractor provides unprecedented transparency into the environmental benefits of organic sourcing, helping partners see the measurable difference every sip makes. Tractor’s ready-to-drink products are Clean Label Project Certified, reinforcing the company’s commitment to purity and accountability from farm to glass.
For more information, visit drinktractor.com or follow @drinktractor on Instagram.
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