NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 14, 2026--
Banagua, a single-ingredient banana water brand, has been named “Best New Brand” by Beverage Digest, marking a standout early run for one of the fastest-emerging brands in the better-for-you beverage category.
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Launched less than six months ago, Banagua has quickly captured attention across the beverage industry, earning national retail placements, strong early consumer adoption, and recognition from some of the most influential voices in food and beverage. The brand was also recently selected as a finalist at BevNET Live, placing it among the most closely watched new launches in the category.
Banagua’s rapid rise is being driven by a refreshingly simple idea: hydration made from one real ingredient. Using a proprietary extraction process, the brand unlocks the naturally occurring water found inside bananas, delivering electrolytes like potassium and magnesium with no added sugar, concentrates, or preservatives.
In a category crowded with complex formulations and long ingredient lists, Banagua’s clarity has struck a chord with consumers and retailers alike. The brand is already appearing on shelves across major grocery banners and natural retailers nationwide, with additional expansions planned for spring and summer resets.
“What’s resonating is how easy it is to understand,” said co-founder Rob Smithson. “One ingredient. Great taste. Natural hydration. People don’t need a science degree to decide if it’s right for them.”
Founded in Nashville by Vanderbilt MBA classmates Rob Smithson and Jose Carlos Herrera, Banagua was inspired by the discovery of advanced extraction technology overseas that allows banana water to be produced with minimal waste. The process repurposes remaining fruit material into sustainable applications, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to responsible production from the start.
Backed by a leadership team with deep experience in beverage operations, brand building, and retail execution, Banagua is scaling deliberately while maintaining strong performance at shelf. Industry observers are increasingly pointing to the brand as a potential category-defining alternative to traditional coconut water and enhanced hydration drinks.
As awareness grows and distribution continues to expand, Banagua is focused on disciplined growth, strong retail partnerships, and staying true to the simplicity that sparked its early success.
About Banagua
Banagua is a single-ingredient banana water brand delivering clean, naturally hydrating refreshment. Made from real bananas using a proprietary extraction process, Banagua offers great taste and naturally occurring electrolytes with nothing added and nothing artificial. The brand is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
For more information, visit www.banagua.com
Banagua banana water can photographed by Tom Bell Photography.
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish court on Thursday issued a ruling that effectively removed the head of the country’s main opposition party by annulling a 2023 congress that elected him.
The move deals a serious blow to the beleaguered Republican People’s Party, or CHP, as it struggles under waves of legal cases targeting its members and elected officials.
An appeals court in Turkey’s capital Ankara declared the CHP congress that picked Ozgur Ozel as chairman to be null, ordering that he should be replaced by his predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Last year, a lower court ruled against claims of irregularities and misconduct surrounding Ozel’s election but Thursday’s decision overturned the original verdict.
The ruling led to frantic meetings at the CHP’s Ankara headquarters, further threatening the opposition’s chances of unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after more than two decades in office. Large crowds gathered outside the office block and police erected barriers.
The next presidential election is due in 2028 but Erdogan can call for an early vote. His main challenger, the CHP mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, has been imprisoned since March last year and is currently on trial on corruption charges.
The appeals court's decision suspends Ozel and members of the party’s executive board from their duties. They will be “provisionally” replaced by Kilicdaroglu and those who held office before the November 2023 congress.
In comments to broadcaster TV100, Kilicdaroglu called for party members to remain calm. “Our party is a very large party and it will solve its own problems internally,” he said. The 77-year-old was removed following a 13-year tenure as leader, during which the CHP failed to win any national elections.
Ozel, meanwhile, attempted to rally supporters.
“I am not promising you a path to power through a rose garden,” he posted on X following the ruling. “I am promising you the ability to endure suffering but never surrender. I am promising you honor, dignity, courage and struggle!”
The CHP is expected to challenge Thursday’s ruling in the Supreme Court in the coming days.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who oversaw several cases against the CHP in his former role as Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, described the court’s ruling as one that “reinforces our citizens’ trust in democracy.”
Many observers have said that the legal cases against the CHP — mostly centered on corruption allegations — are politically motivated and aimed at neutralizing the party ahead of the next election. The government, however, insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.
Erdogan has ruled Turkey, first as prime minister and then as president, since 2003. His electoral record suffered a serious blow in 2019 when the CHP seized control of several major cities in local elections. In Istanbul, Imamoglu emerged as a popular and charismatic figure that many felt could successfully topple Erdogan.
FILE - Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel gestures to party members during his speech during a CHP convention, in Ankara, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
FILE - Turkish CHP party leader and Nation Alliance's presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, center, joins legislators elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as they attend their first parliamentary session, in Ankara, Turkey, June 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Ali Unal, File)
