Mr. Scott Harvey reports

JONES SODA RELEASES NEW ZERO COLA; MORE ZERO-CALORIE FLAVORS TO BE ADDED

Jones Soda Co. has released Jones Zero Cola and plans to add two other zero-calorie sodas later this year. The new series marks the debut of the company's mainline sodas in the zero-sugar beverage market, now logging a 13.8-per-cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate), as part of Jones's strategy to expand into profitable new growth areas.

Jones Zero Cola is available immediately at more than 10,000 national and regional grocery stores, including Kroger, in single bottles and four packs as well as in 12-packs on the Jones Soda website. Jones Zero Root Beer is scheduled to launch in late Q2 and Zero Dr. Jones will bring a spicy soda to the line in the last half of the year.

All three zero-calorie SKUs (stock-keeping units) will leverage Jones's nearly three decades of flavour expertise and will be sweetened with sucralose, delivering best-in-class taste and meeting surging consumer demand for beverages that support better health by reducing sugar intake.

The new products are being introduced under the company's special-release program, which issues limited-edition flavours several times a year and are scheduled to join Jones's permanent portfolio after the special-release timeline expires. They will launch in Jones's iconic 12-ounce glass bottles with photo labels, with plans to add 7.5-ounce mini-cans in the future for easy on-the-go use.

"The market for zero-sugar beverages is expected to more than double by 2030 as health-conscious consumers try to decrease their sugar intake. That presents a huge opportunity for a line extension to our craft soda portfolio," said Jones Soda chief executive officer Scott Harvey. "We're launching with Zero Cola because cola accounts for half of the carbonated soft drink flavours sold globally, and we fully expect all of our Zero products to play an important role in building our revenues and profits."

Jones Zero Cola arrives on the market just weeks after the release of Pop Jones, the company's entry into the rapidly growing functional beverage category. Already receiving rave reviews for taste, Pop Jones is an all-natural prebiotic beverage with just 30 calories per 12-ounce can. The line is available in cucumber watermelon, pineapple ginger, orange and cream, strawberry passion fruit, and mixed berry and kiwi flavours; is cleanly sweetened with real fruit juice, pure cane sugar and natural stevia leaf extract; and incorporates apple cider vinegar, agave inulin and 20 per cent of the recommended daily intake of zinc for fibre and immune support.

Other notable new products include Fiesta Jones, a line developed specifically for convenience stores with Latin-influenced watermelon strawberry, mango passion fruit, coconut lime and guava berry flavours in resealable aluminum bottles. Each flavour has just 80 calories and 19 grams of sugar per bottle with no artificial colours or caffeine. The line hit the market in January with initial distribution in nearly 2,000 convenience stores, marking Jones's first significant presence in the convenience channel in its nearly 30-year history.

About Jones Soda Co.

Jones Soda is a leading developer of sodas and hemp-infused beverages known for their premium taste, unique flavours and unconventional brand personality. Launched in 1996 as the original craft soda brand, the company today markets a diverse portfolio of core craft sodas, premium adult beverages and modern beverages under the Jones Soda brand as well as a line of award-winning hemp beverages and edibles leveraging Jones's trademark flavours under the Mary Jones brand.