Bishop, Georgia-based Hibo is offering an organic beverage that it says contains more electrolytes than a sports drink, more iron than spinach and the same antioxidants as berries. The hibiscus drink is made with three ingredients – sparkling hibiscus water, Mesca Sweet and organic flavors like pineapple, grapefruit and lemon.
Founder Clayton Oetting said he was stunned to see how popular hibiscus drinks were all over the world but lesser known in the United States. Hibiscus is a superfood, and therefore hibiscus drinks are superdrinks, according to the company.
With Hibo’s caffeinated version, one will get a longer lasting energy burst than the other sugar-filled energy drinks on the market, and every Hibo drink offers a faster recovery during workouts than sports drinks. Hibo drinks offer 100 percent of daily iron recommendations and double the electrolytes than found in other sports drinks, with zero calories.
The taste of Hibo is both sweet and tangy, and the drink has a deep red glow, the company says.
Mesca is a Georgia company that focuses on producing natural, zero calorie sweetness. Its sugar-like sweetener contains Monk Fruit, Stevia Extract and Erythritol, which is a natural sweetener made in a similar way to kombucha. Except in the fermentation process, a different yeast is used to make Erythritol instead of kombucha.
Hibo retails for $1.99 for a single can, $6 for a four-pack and $32 for a 24-pack. The drinks are available on the Hibo website, in Earth Fare stores and in more than 80 retailers. The cans are fully recyclable domestically.
