Leftovers: Chips Ahoy! launches first mystery flavor | Sam Adams goes booze-free for Octoberfest
Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Chips Ahoy! launches mystery flavor
Chips Ahoy! is introducing its first-ever mystery flavor, offering consumers a big prize if they can crack the case.
Chips Ahoy! Mystery Cookie includes overhauled packaging with an unidentifiable cookie wrapped in caution tape. No details were provided about the cookie, though the picture depicts it as a vanilla cookie with unidentifiable white chunks.
Brand owner Mondelēz is offering consumers who guess the flavor online a chance at a $25,000 grand prize, in addition to other potential prizes. The flavor launched July 30 on SnackWorks’ TikTok Shop and will roll out to retailers nationwide on Aug. 10.
The mystery flavor plays into a rise of gamified experiences in food and beverage, with more innovations looking to engage consumers beyond taste. This is also the cookie brand’s first time launching on TikTok Shop, which highlights how brands are using the platform to inform innovation and drive sales.
“For Gen Z, snacking and gaming aren’t just pastimes, but how they connect, recharge and build community,” Mili Laddha, senior director of marketing at Mondelēz, said in a statement. “We’ve turned a simple treat into an interactive side quest, blending IRL flavor with the digital culture they live and breathe.”
Mondelēz has played with mystery flavors before, launching a similar challenge for Oreo in 2017 and 2019. The mystery flavors in those challenges were later confirmed to be Fruity Pebbles cereal and churro, respectively.
In 2023, Coca-Cola launched a mystery flavor co-created with human and artificial intelligence.
— Sarah Zimmerman
Sam Adams removes the alcohol from Octoberfest
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Courtesy of Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams is launching a nonalcoholic version of its signature Octoberfest beer ahead of the fall season.
The Boston Beer-owned brew, called NA Octoberfest, will roll out beginning Aug. 3 and will be sold in six-pack cans. NA Octoberfest has the same caramel malt flavor profile that mirrors the original.
Samuel Adams, one of the largest mass-market craft brewers, has been deliberate about rolling out nonalcoholic options as consumers seek out more no- and low-alcohol options. Shelley Smith, Sam Adams’ master cicerone, previously told Food Dive the brewer sets a high standard for itself in producing nonalcoholic beer that actually tastes like beer.
“We’re not going to release a nonalc just to release a nonalc,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that it still tastes like a beer.”
The nonalcoholic Octoberfest is part of a broader fall lineup from the brewer, which includes a pumpkin beer called Jack-O, plus classic Octoberfest and Harvest Helles. Also new this season is the Apple Spice Ale, a fruited ale with hints of cinnamon and gingersnap.
Original Octoberfest and Jack-O are sold individually, while the Apple Spice and Harvest Helles brews will be available in a Fall Legends Variety pack.
Nonalcoholic offerings have consistently been a growth spot in an otherwise uneven beer category. From 2021 to 2025, nonalcoholic beer sales grew 159%, though they accounted for 2.5% of beer sales by volume in 2025, according to the Brewers Association.
Brewers across categories have embraced alcohol-free versions of their offerings, including Coors Light and Modelo.
— Laurel Deppen
Chef Boyardee says ‘buongiorno’ to protein
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Courtesy of Brynwood Partners
Chef Boyardee is rolling out high-protein innovation to the canned pasta aisle.
Chef Boyardee Protein Canned Pasta contains at least 25 grams of protein per can and features five flavors: Chili Mac, Beef Ravioli, Beefaroni, Spaghetti & Meatballs, and Chicken with Rice & Vegetables. They will appear on store shelves starting in August.
“Chef Protein represents a meaningful leap forward for the canned pasta category,” Dan Anglemyer, chief operating officer and chief marketing officer at Hometown Food, said in a statement. “As consumers continue seeking convenient, affordable ways to get more protein into their diets, we’re excited to bring an entirely new offering to shelf that delivers on taste, value, and nutrition.”
Hometown is backing the launch with a “significant” marketing investment that includes a national campaign and influencer partnerships to drive awareness, trial and long-term growth.
An estimated 70% of Americans say they want more protein in their diets compared to 59% four years ago, according to the International Food Information Council. Pasta has become a prime target for protein fortification, with companies such as Goodles and Banza gaining momentum with consumers. In the U.S., there have been 1,247 high-protein product launches over the last 25 years, according to Innova data cited by Food Research International.
The protein innovation continues what has been an aggressive innovation rollout by private equity firm Brynwood Partners, whose Hometown Food unit purchased Chef Boyardee from Conagra last year for $600 million. In May, Chef Boyardee added a line of skillet meals in an effort to meet consumer demand for easy, budget-friendly meal solutions that don’t compromise on taste.
“In just one year since acquiring Chef Boyardee, we’ve turned out meaningful innovation on a fast-paced, entrepreneurial timeline,” Henk Hartong III, Chairman & CEO of Brynwood Partners, said in a statement.
— Christopher Doering
