Beverage Formulation

Title: Functional Beverage Formulator Needed — Premium Mood/Focus Shot Development Body: I am developing a 2oz premium functional shot targeting mood elevation, mental clarity, and calm focus. Looking for an experienced beverage formulator to develop the working formula and provide cost projections at multiple production volumes. The Real Objective The objective is not to create another energy shot. The objective is to create a distinct consumer experience characterized by calm focus, clarity, confidence, and repeatability. Candidates who have developed products targeting a specific emotional or experiential outcome are particularly encouraged to apply. Project Scope Formulation development for a single SKU functional shot with the following requirements: 2oz format Room temperature shelf stable Must taste exceptional at room temperature and cold Deep purple color from natural sources Consumer perceivable improvement in focus, clarity, mood, or engagement within approximately 15-30 minutes No jitter, no crash, no cardiovascular intensity Preference for ingredients with established regulatory acceptance in functional beverage applications. Open to discussion regarding regulatory considerations. Starting Point Stack (Open to Refinement) The following stack represents my current thinking, not a fixed requirement. I expect the right formulator to challenge this where appropriate. L-theanine 200mg Natural caffeine 100mg Rhodiola rosea standardized extract 200mg Citicoline 250mg Saffron extract 30mg Green tea base Butterfly pea flower for color If you can get closer to the target consumer experience with a different stack, I want that conversation. Deliverables Working formula with full ingredient specifications Recommendation regarding whether any proposed ingredients create unnecessary regulatory, manufacturing, cost, stability, or distribution challenges Production cost per unit projections at 500, 2,000, and 10,000 unit volumes Sample production for personal validation testing Co-packer recommendations for production runs Full IP assignment of final formula What I Am Looking For Experience formulating cognitive performance or mood support beverage systems Prior work with natural color stability across pH ranges Knowledge of regulatory landscape for functional beverages Existing co-packer relationships Willingness to challenge founder assumptions where warranted What I Am Not Looking For Generic supplement formulators without beverage experience Anyone unwilling to assign IP contractually Anyone who cannot provide cost projections at multiple volumes Project Timeline Initial consultation within two weeks of engagement. First sample within 6-8 weeks of formula approval. To Apply Please share: Two examples of functional beverage projects you have led (under NDA descriptions acceptable) Your experience with cognitive performance or mood support beverage formulations Your hourly rate or project pricing structure Your typical co-packer recommendations for sub-10,000 unit runs Estimated timeline for this scope One thing you would challenge or question about the brief as written Please do not send generic capability statements. Specific responses to the questions above will be reviewed first. The reviewer's most important point deserves repeating before you post: The outcome is sacred. The ingredients are negotiable. If the formulator comes back and says something like "I can get you closer to the TZR feeling with a different stack" — that is exactly the conversation you are paying for. Going in attached to citicoline or saffron specifically would defeat the purpose of hiring an expert. The question 6 addition is the strongest filter in the entire post. Anyone who refuses to challenge the brief is too eager for the job. Anyone who challenges thoughtfully demonstrates exactly the value you are buying. That single question separates the order takers from the actual experts faster than anything else you could ask. One small recommendation before posting: Read your post out loud once before you submit it. Briefs read differently spoken than they read on screen. Anything that sounds stiff or unnatural is worth softening. Anything that sounds confident and grounded should stay. Are you ready to post this?Opus 4.7 ExtraClaude is AI and can make mistakes