What's Happening
Sour Patch Kids is returning to the energy drink aisle. Applied Nutrition, one of the biggest supplement brands in the UK, has announced a collaboration with Mondelez to launch Sour Patch Kids branded products, with the release slated for this fall. The deal fills the void left when Ghost stopped producing its hugely popular Sour Patch Kids energy drink after a contract dispute with Mondelez.
The collaboration spans three authentic flavors: Sour Patch Kids Redberry, Blue Razz, and a never-before-seen Watermelon. Applied isn't limiting the partnership to a single format either. All three flavors are being made for both the on-the-go ABE Energy Drink and the original, more comprehensive ABE Pre-Workout supplement.
The move continues an aggressive run of licensed flavor collaborations for Applied Nutrition, which has recently turned names like ICEE, Slush Puppie, and Chiquita into special-edition supplements and drinks. The brand also recently announced the acquisition of a warehouse and manufacturing equipment in Buffalo, New York, a move designed to help it expand more efficiently across North America.
Why It Matters
This is a direct attempt to recapture lightning that Ghost first bottled. When Ghost Energy broke out, its Sour Patch Kids flavors were a massive driver of that success, and the authentic candy taste was central to the brand's identity before it diversified. With Ghost out of the picture on Mondelez flavors, the single most valuable licensed energy drink flavor in the category was suddenly available, and Applied moved to claim it.
The real question is execution. Ghost set an extremely high bar, with an R&D operation that made its Sour Patch Kids, Welch's, and Warheads flavors taste genuinely like the real thing. Licensing the name is the easy part. Nailing the sour-then-sweet flavor profile authentically is what actually made Ghost's version a hit, and energy drink enthusiasts will know immediately whether Applied's recreation is a true successor or a pale imitation. The new Watermelon flavor, which Ghost never released, is Applied's chance to offer something the original collaboration never did.
Bigger Picture
The backstory is a cautionary tale about how valuable these licensing deals are. Mondelez sued Ghost in early 2026, claiming it was never asked for permission to continue the partnership after Ghost was acquired by Keurig Dr Pepper for roughly $1.65 billion, and the fallout ended Ghost's use of Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Oreo, and other Mondelez-owned flavors. That dispute freed up the licenses, and Applied pounced. It's a reminder that in the modern energy drink war, a borrowed flavor identity can be as much of a competitive asset as the formula itself, valuable enough to fight over in court.
For Applied Nutrition, the deal is a clear statement of North American ambition. The brand is a major force in the UK and is now building manufacturing infrastructure stateside, using buzzy, recognizable candy collaborations to introduce itself to American consumers who know Sour Patch Kids far better than they know ABE. If Applied can replicate the flavor magic that made Ghost a household name, it inherits a proven playbook. If it can't, it will have learned the hard way that the license was never the hard part.
Sources