Fredericton’s ‘Work Water’ Gives People An Alternative To Energy Drinks
FREDERICTON — Work Water began with Brody Hanson ordering a pound of caffeine off the internet. Besides getting a few raised eyebrows, he ended up with an energy drink that has none of the usual harmful side effects.
“I just started in my kitchen, making what I wanted in a caffeinated beverage,” said Hanson, the owner of Work Water.
Throughout the workday, Hanson depended on caffeinated beverages to keep himself energized. He wasn’t a big fan of coffee and was wary of the harmful additives in some energy drinks.
“It was actually my wife that pointed me to this news story of the guy the same age as me that had a spontaneous cardiac event triggered by the multiple stimulants in energy drinks,” said Hanson.
He said besides the synthetic ingredients and artificial sweeteners, energy drinks are high in sugar. Energy drinks can contain stimulants in addition to caffeine — like taurine and ginseng.
So Hanson started by mixing together the basics; caffeine and water. After developing his recipe, Hanson thought this might just be a product that others would find useful.
Hanson describes “work water” as having the taste of an “elevated white popsicle with notes of coconut,” similar to cream soda. It is lightly sweetened and isn’t carbonated.
Completely new to the beverage industry, Hanson was left to take on a complicated world of supply chains and manufacturers by himself.
“The nice part of when you’re bootstrapping, and you’re self-funding, is that if you are paying for your own mistakes, you’re motivated not to make them,” said Hanson.
Hanson went through a year of trial and error, learning what to do and what not to do. He came out with partnerships he is proud of.
“Most notably, we are producing with a company called Craft Coast Canning, which is located here, just outside of Fredericton,” said Hanson.
He appreciates being to go to the physical location of the factory and have in-person meetings with his partners. The canning company also works with local businesses like Picaroons.
After he had his product, it was then onto distributors.
“That was just me rolling up to every store in Fredericton,” said Hanson.
Work Water had a soft launch in August and is selling through their website and in around 30 stores in town, including Synergy Gym and the Fredericton Co-op.
Hanson is looking to get into larger chain stores like Costco and Sobeys in the future, but right now is happy with making it work with local businesses.
Since his launch, customers have reached out to Hanson with personal stories about the effects energy drinks had on them and how happy they are to have a replacement.
“It could be that thing that closes the gap that you had in terms of a more natural option to what you might already be consuming,” said Hanson.
Rachel Smith is an intern with Huddle.
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