Our Fave 5 Filipino AMERICAN-Founded Beverage Companies

Written by Jennifer Redondo

I may be dating myself by sharing my childhood favorite drinks of choice. Growing up, you would have found one of the following beverages in my Little Twinstars lunch box: Capri Sun, Sunny D, Squeeze It, Zesto (specifically the calamansi flavor), Peach Nestea or canned Philippine mango juice. In high school, after school you’d find me eating a Mexican strawberry paleta on the sidewalk or sipping boba at the local Taiwanese shop. Back then, I didn’t know any better. As an athlete growing up, I wasn’t too worried about the extra calories because I knew I would quickly burn it off. I was highly unaware and didn’t realize how sugar filled these beverages were. No wonder I was addicted to them! As I got older, I became more health conscious on what I consumed. Enter my new found love for alternative, function-based drinks.

I put together a list of my favorite Filipino founded beverage companies that I’ve found particularly innovative, super tasty and refreshing and wanted to share with all of you here. Disclaimer, one is an alcoholic spirit but it’s all about, balance, right?

1. Sanzo

In 2019, Sanzo became the first Asian-inspired sparkling water brand. Sandro Roco, a former nuclear power plant engineer, started Sanzo in his 500 square feet apartment in Queens, New York, which is the same borough his parents immigrated to from the Philippines. It wasn’t until his twenties that he started to embrace his Asian American identity through the portal of food. While walking through a popular Asian supermarket in Manhattan’s Koreatown, he noticed a huge gap between the modern American brands and the legacy Asian brands. 

Sanzo’s mission is to bridge the Eastern and Western cultures by connecting people to authentic flavors. Sanzo’s goal was to celebrate high quality Asian flavors using real fruit and zero added sugar, artificial, or natural flavors. Their drinks are gluten free, non-GMO, and vegan. Sanzo is currently available in the following flavors: Yuzu with Ginger, Calamansi, Lychee, and Mango. My favorite Sanzo flavors are Calamansi and Mango. In my opinion, it’s best served chilled or on the rocks. But that’s because I like cold drinks (even though I have been told that drinking cold water is not good for you).         

Sanzo can be purchased: Online, on Amazon, and select retailers. When you order online directly from Sanzo, you get free shipping + 10% off orders of 2+ cases when you use the code: CART10. They even have a subscription service in 2, 4, or 8 weeks increments. If you subscribe, you receive 15% off + free shipping! You can cancel any time! If you’re in California, the Pacific Northwest, or the Tri-state area on the East Coast, there are more retailers that carry Sanzo. It’s available at all Whole Foods and Sprouts nationwide, along with select Target and Panda Express restaurants. 

2. Drink Droplet

Droplet is a health + wellness company founded by two Filipina-Americans, Adrienne Borlongan and Celeste Perez, along with Talia Jafarkhani. I love that this company is founded by daughters of immigrants, and it was developed by an all-female team of designers and food scientists. During the pandemic, Droplet was born out of their limited choices in the beverage aisle – either a caffeinated energy drink or a sugar-filled soda. 

Droplet’s mission is to bring joy and nutritional value to your daily self-care routine. They created flavorful yet functional beverages. I pay attention to details and I am a stickler for aesthetics. I admire the thought and effort they put into making their product beautiful. It truly is a work of art. It may appear that this drink is only for women because of how it’s marketed, but anyone can drink Droplet. Yes, even men! I heard Celeste Perez on This Filipino American Life podcast jokingly say that Droplet won’t make men grow boobs. Their target market is actually 50/50 men and women, and for anyone who just needs a break.   

Droplet is best known for creating sparkling, stress-balancing adaptogen drinks made with whole fruit juices, organic adaptogens, and aromatherapeutic superfoods. Droplet is less than 40 calories, less than 9g of natural sugars, and made with whole fruit pulps and juices. It comes in three distinct flavors: pretty bright, pretty balanced, and pretty happy. 

• pretty bright is yuzu citrus + ginger + reishi mushroom which is meant to boost immunity, revitalize, and rejuvenate. Yuzu and ginger have aromatherapeutic powers to help regulate mood and PMS systems. 

• pretty balanced is white peach + lemon verbena + moringa + ashwagandha to calm and balance, nourish and recover. This is good for those who need a clear head and steady energy levels to keep going all day. 

• pretty happy is passion fruit + cacao + vanilla bean + rhodiola to boost mood, sharpen focus, and fight fatigue. This is for those looking to reduce anxiety and a boost in mood. 

My personal favorite is pretty balanced. The catchy flavor name drew me in as balance is something that I truly seek and need more in my life. Drinking pretty balanced makes me feel a little more centered and not so frenetic with my crazy schedule. If you can’t decide, I highly recommend the self-care sampler pack so that you can try all three of their stress-balancing, sparkling flavors. The best part is that it ships free anywhere in the United States! New subscribers receive 10% off and free shipping.

Since Droplet is dedicated to supporting independent vendors, it’s a bit more difficult to access. To find a location near you, head to their website or follow them on Instagram to get the latest information,

3. Kassava 

I’m a boba lover so I am happy to share Kassava with all of you. Kassava is co-founded by two women, Victoria Reyes and Vy Duong. Kassava started off as a phone call between two friends catching up on a few favorite things they missed during quarantine: traveling and boba tea. During their discussion, they reminisce on their previous travels and where they visited the best boba shops around the world. Their conversation instantly transitioned into figuring out how to solve the problem of limited options for boba milk tea not just for themselves, but for many boba lovers out there.

During quarantine, not everyone had access to their favorite boba drinks because the shops were shut down. Vy and Victoria wanted to use their professional background and experience working for some of the most reputable brands to make this business idea come to life. 

Victoria Reyes was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. She grew up in an entrepreneurial family and always had dreams of owning her own business. Prior to serving as Kassava’s COO, she worked in supply chain management and product development at Starbucks, The Honest Company and Art of Sport. Vy Duong was born in Dalat, Vietnam and moved to Arizona as an immigrant with her family in 1991. Friends know Vy as a boba tea connoisseur. She has been to over 100 boba shops and makes an effort to visit a new one on every trip. Her passion for travel has led her to nearly 50 different cities all around the world, giving her access to her favorite foods and fashion. Prior to serving as Kassava’s CMO, she has experience in product management, marketing, and procurement for ADP, American Airlines, Sally Beauty, and Neiman Marcus.

After conducting market research and fiercely studying the competition, they were dedicated to bringing a better product to the market and operating a more efficient supply chain to get products to customers easier and faster. They spent months learning and testing countless ingredients and preparation methods. After all their efforts, they proudly share their custom recipes that they specially created for each of their boba tea kits.

Kassava strives to bring their customers the finest ingredients to create a simple and fun experience in making the most delicious boba tea drinks. Each kit is curated with premium loose leaf teas and boba sourced directly from Taiwan, the birthplace of boba milk tea. They never use tea powders or instant boba. These kits bring family and friends together, and it’s an experience that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home without having to compromise on quality. 

Victoria’s Kassava favorite is the Oolong Milk Tea, which she enjoys with two servings of boba! Vy loves Kassava’s Iconic Black Tea Kit because it contains her favorite Earl Grey Milk Tea, which she always has with boba. Kassava can be purchased directly online. 

4. Narra 

As if Victoria Reyes (yes, same from above) wasn’t already busy enough, she started another beverage company, Narra! Narra is a modern, Asian-inspired beverage company that is shaking up your routine, co-founded by Victoria and her brother, Miggy Reyes. Narra is the national tree of their birthplace, the Philippines. It is tall, strong, enduring and signifies persistence – representing their immigrant journey. Miggy and Victoria are proud Filipinos who grew up looking forward to merienda – the Filipino tradition of taking a midday break to sip, snack and recharge. Their mission is un-boring your beverage with the most refreshing plant-based latte that brings Asian-inspired flavors into the mainstream and sets a new standard for caffeinated beverages. Narra is a healthier choice with no added sugar, zero artificial ingredients and is lactose free. It’s made with oat milk, and the best part is, it’s ready to drink!    

Narra comes in the following flavor offerings: Strawberry Matcha, Jasmine, Ube, Oolong, and Black Teas. They’re currently still in pre-launch. But I am spilling the tea and letting you know that they will soft launch online in November and hard launch in retail early next year. Stay tuned! In the meantime, visit Narra’s website and sign up for their newsletter for a special deal at launch! 

5. Kasama Rum

Did you know that the Philippines is one of the largest rum producers in the world? In fact, Tanduay, the biggest rum company brand, comes from the Philippines. Since it’s mostly consumed locally, it’s not as commercially known worldwide. I am excited to share Kasama rum with all of you because it takes on a new twist and breathes new air into the drink category. Kasama is founded by Filipina-Polish, Alexandra Dorda, who is not afraid to put out a world-class product that is beautiful, feminine, and distinctly Filipino – from the name, use of sugarcane, and the illustrations of the Philippine sun and native flora (sampaguita) and fauna (anahaw) on the bottle. If you look closely, on the bottle, you will see that the stamp says “Mabuhay”.      

Kasama, which means “together” or “companion” in Filipino, is the perfect name for a beverage that’s meant to be enjoyed with good company, good vibes, to celebrate good times. Alexandra Dorda is the daughter of a Filipino mother and Polish father who co-founded both Belvedere and Chopin, the renowned vodka brand she and her family have run for 30 years. 

After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in International Relations, Alexandra started her career in marketing at Chobani Yogurt in New York. Being so far away from home, she decided to return to Poland to help her family business with marketing and new product development. After that, she switched gears and spent four years in private equity. Having experience both in and outside of the spirits industry was important to her, but she was inevitably drawn back to her roots. This background gives her a thorough understanding of the spirits industry, an unparalleled commitment to quality, and a new approach that she brought to Kasama, her first solo venture that she launched in 2020.  

Kasama is a perfect concoction, honoring the three continents she’s called home: Philippines, Poland, and the United States. Kasama rum is made of sugarcane that is pressed, fermented and distilled in the Philippines, bottled at Alexandra’s family's distillery in Poland, and enjoyed in the United States. The brand represents sunshine and optimism inside and out with a golden rum that is aged seven years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Kasama rum brings a new, fresh approach through its notes of sweet pineapple, a hint of vanilla, and just a pinch of sea salt. 

Kasama can be enjoyed neat, but can be made into a fabulous cocktail. I’ve seen recipes where Kasama is mixed with coconut water, pineapple juice, and calamansi. If you want to try it, the price of a 750ml bottle runs for $29.99 and can be purchased throughout the United States. Kasama is available online and can be found in 250 stores across the country including​ K&L Wine Merchants​, ​Hi-Time Wine Cellars​, and ​BevMo​ in California, ​New York Wine Exchange​ and ​Broadway Wine & Spirits ​in New York, Total Wine & More​ in Florida, and Binny’s Beverage Depot​ in Illinois. For a full and growing list of stockists visit their store locator here. 

Cheers! 

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Written by Jennifer Redondo

Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose

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