The News
Tractor Beverage Company announced that its Organic Craft Haymaker ready-to-drink apple cider vinegar line won four FABI Awards at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, with Citrus Ginger named a "FABI Favorite." The awards recognize products that demonstrate exceptional taste, innovation, and operational impact for restaurant operators. Tractor Beverage is a farmer-founded company based in Denver.
The Takeaway
Organic Innovation Spotlight: Tractor Beverage’s Organic Craft Haymaker line earned four FABI Awards across all its flavors, showing strong appeal in the craft beverage space. The recognition highlights how organic ingredients and bold flavor profiles are resonating with restaurant operators looking for unique RTD options.
Flavor-Forward Strategy Pays Off: Citrus Ginger's "FABI Favorite" designation underscores that consumers—and foodservice buyers—are increasingly drawn to beverages that offer both health-conscious appeal and vibrant, unexpected taste combinations. This aligns with a growing trend in the beer sector toward more complex, ingredient-driven drinks.
Sector Validation for Craft Beer: The fact that Tractor Beverage—a company rooted in farming—won these awards at an event hosted by the National Restaurant Association shows how craft beer and RTD beverages are gaining traction beyond traditional retail channels. This could signal a shift in how consumers access and experience beer-like products, especially in foodservice settings.
Added May 2026: The awards highlight a growing trend in the beverage sector where organic and RTD products are increasingly being sought after by restaurant operators looking for unique, health-conscious options, as noted in the takeaway.
Original Press Release
Farmer-founded organic ready-to-drink apple cider vinegar beverage line recognized across all four flavors following its recent foodservice debut, with Citrus Ginger named a “FABI Favorite” at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show
DENVER, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tractor Beverage Company today announced that its Organic Craft Haymaker ready-to-drink line has earned four Food and Beverage 2026 Awards presented by the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, one for each flavor in the lineup. Citrus Ginger was additionally named a prestigious “FABI Favorite.”
Selected from across the global foodservice landscape, FABI Award winners represent products that demonstrate exceptional taste, innovation, and operational impact for restaurant operators. This year, only 28 products received the honor.
“The Food and Beverage Awards highlight the creativity and product innovation that continues to drive the foodservice industry forward,” said Tom Cindric, President of the exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice Group. “The FABI Favorites offer an extra spotlight to the most outstanding products that truly exemplify the future of food and beverage.”
This across-the-board recognition highlights the strength and consistency of the Organic Craft Haymaker portfolio and reinforces Tractor's commitment to organic ingredients and flavor-forward beverages that stand apart from conventional offerings.
“Haymaker was inspired by a traditional farmer's drink made to sustain people through long days of hard work,” said Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage Company. “Our co-founders believed there was a better way to bring that spirit forward using certified organic ingredients and bold, honest flavor. As a ready-to-drink beverage, it delivers that same authenticity with simplicity for operators. To see the entire lineup recognized tells us we're offering something meaningful for both guests and the people who serve them.”
Rooted in a traditional farm drink made with apple cider vinegar, citrus, ginger, and fruit, Haymaker reimagines a time-tested tonic as a ready-to-drink beverage for today's consumers and modern foodservice. Each 12-ounce can contains a full tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar, real fruit, just 5 grams of sugar, and 20 to 25 calories.
Debuting in foodservice in February 2026, the four award-winning Organic Craft Haymaker flavors include:
Apricot Peach — A lightly sparkling blend of organic apricot and peach with a bright, balanced finish.
Citrus Ginger — Bright citrus layered with a warming kick of organic ginger, delivering a bold, refreshing take on the classic switchel. (Named “FABI Favorite”)
Dragon Berry — A vibrant, berry-forward flavor with a lively, refreshing profile.
Passion Mango — Tropical passion fruit and mango come together in a bright, juicy blend.
Among the winners, Citrus Ginger rose to the top as a “FABI Favorite,” a distinction reserved for a select group of standout products representing the judges' top picks. The flavor will be featured in an on-site tasting experience, giving operators the opportunity to sample one of the year's most highly regarded innovations.
Judged by an independent panel of restaurant operators, the FABI Awards spotlight products that help kitchens operate more efficiently while elevating the guest experience. Tractor's Organic Craft Haymaker ready-to-drink line delivers a modern take on a centuries-old farmer's tonic, combining certified organic ingredients with bright, balanced flavors, Clean Label Project certification across all ready-to-drink SKUs, and operational ease for foodservice.
The FABI honors build on Haymaker's recent NEXTY Award win at Natural Products Expo West. Together, the recognitions highlight the platform's strength across flavors and its ability to resonate in both retail and foodservice. Haymaker was also named a NEXTY Award finalist in Product Design & Storytelling, reflecting Tractor's farmer-founded mission and commitment to soil health, ingredient transparency, and purpose-driven innovation.
The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will take place May 16–19, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago, where attendees can experience award-winning products across the Show floor.
Source: BevNET