Building a Clean-Label Tart Cherry Beverage with No Natural Flavors and No Added Sugar in the Midst of a Booming Ingredient Trend

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Lindsey Fredrick, founder of Tart, a healthy lifestyle beverage built around tart cherry and house-made mineral water — just five organic ingredients, with zero natural flavors and no added sugar. Lindsey's path into CPG started in her college kitchen, where she was managing 35 different food allergies and searching for nutrient-dense foods she could actually eat and enjoy.What began as a personal recipe (and a popular hangover cure among her college friends) turned into a canned RTD launched on January 1st of this year — and within two weeks, Tart had a booth in the Startup CPG section at Winter Fancy Food Show. Lindsey walked in with zero expectations and no formal CPG background, and walked out having handed out a thousand samples and met buyers across the board.Caitlin and Lindsey dig into the packaging pivot that led to Tart's now-iconic red can, why organic certification became an unexpected retail differentiator, and Lindsey's refreshingly minimal approach to trade show booths and retail activations — proof that when the product is strong, it doesn't need much dressing up.Listen in as they discuss:Why Lindsey makes her own mineral water in-house instead of shipping it in — and what actually goes into itHow a lifelong list of 35 food allergies led her to formulate Tart in her college kitchenThe packaging near-miss: how Lindsey almost passed on the design that became her standout red canGoing from a January 1st launch to a booth at Winter Fancy Food Show two weeks later, with zero expectationsWhy organic certification — despite months of delays — became one of Tart's biggest competitive advantages in retailThe "no natural flavors, no added sugar" formulation philosophy and why it's resonating with today's de-influenced consumerLindsey's low-budget, high-impact trade show booth strategy: letting the product speak for itselfRunning retail activations solo — from fitness studios to beaches — while prepping simultaneous launches in California and TexasWhy tart cherry became the "trending flavor of 2026" the same month Tart hit the marketEpisode Links:Lindsey Fredrick – Founder, Tart: LinkedInWebsite: drinktart.comInstagram/Social: instagram.com/drinktart; tiktok.com/@drinktartDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] music by Super Fantastics