Bob Golden, son of Hyman Golden, one of the three founders of Snapple, has embarked on his own beverage venture. After discovering the benefits of organic birch water during a trip to the Nordic countries of Europe, he developed Treo Organic Birch Water Infusion, a product of Harrison, N.Y.-based Treo Brands.
Due to launch at the Natural Products Expo East tradeshow Sept. 22 in Baltimore, Treo is a low-calorie, organic-certified fruit beverage that is infused with hand-tapped Vermont birch water to enhance its natural sweetness, full flavor and nutrient benefits, the company says.
“Treo is not only a super healthy beverage, it tastes delicious and hydrates you like nothing else,” said Bob Golden, founder and chief executive officer of Treo Brands, in a statement.
Treo is the first beverage to incorporate birch water sourced from U.S. birch trees, the company says.
“We worked closely with forestry experts affiliated with major universities in the Northeast to identify the best birch sources and ensure the tapping process was done in the most ecologically friendly manner,” said Brian O’Byrne, Treo president and former chief executive officer of YooHoo/Orangina.
Treo is offered in four flavors — Strawberry, Blueberry, Peach Mango, Coconut Pineapple — each with only 10 calories per serving and packaged in a proprietary 16-ounce PET bottle. Each flavor is non-GMO and gluten free, it says.
“Our strategy is to roll out the product primarily through the natural channel beginning in the Northeast” Golden said. “We do believe that Treo will also do well in more mainstream outlets and plan to expand our business not only geographically, but to a broad range of retailers in club, mass, drug and c-stores during the coming year.”