What started as a dream between two friends blossomed into a new reality and along with that friendship bloomed into a partnership of love and mutual quest for adventure and living life alive.
Mocean Mate’ was modeled initially after one of Megs, RootsWise herbal tonics that i was taking in vial form to help fuel me. I also began to drink Yerba Mate’ tea in earnest(Meg had for years, i’m a slow learner) and was amazed at its powers. The blend worked so well, it felt like a magic potion and i suggested we look deeper into making it into a drinkable tee. The alchemist(Meg) went to work and the Guinea pig(me) got to tasting and giving feedback and suggestions until we felt it was ready to share with friends and family. Meg picked the best blend of adaptogenic herbs and we did the research and decided it could only be sweetened with real VT Maple Syrup with a hint of organic lime juice and we finalized two amazing flavors to start, Hibiscus(YUM) and Black Cherry(YUM2x).
This was very well received and everyone suggested we take it to the next level. More testing and legalities and formalities took place until BOOM, it hit the marketplace in Northern New England, namely VT and NH in the summer of 2009. It was off and running and though not profitable, had a pretty hefty following and our list of stores increased almost at the same rate as the price of our premium ingredients. We have never skimped from the pimping glass bottle to the organic ingredients, premium label and supporting a team of ambassadors that got free product. We also were a strong presence at local events from bikes to art to surf and everything in between. Here is team rider Sasha repping hard, shot by Skye.
Once it got some legs it started to demand more than part time efforts which was a struggle to balance for us with our numerous projects. We decided that the brand needed more attention so we passed along the brand to our good friend Brian Clark of Adaptogen Labs, a locally renowned artist and all around great guy with an awesome family and ties to the VT scene. We remain brand ambassadors and minority owners but its really Brian’s to run with now and he has been rocking the brand big time and plugging along really well despite the margins being very slim on it. Did i mention he is an amazing artist? Check out this repaint of the Mocean Mobile..
Brian runs the brand along with the help from his awesome family too, so kick ass to see!
Brian is also always creating along with others that help drive the brand like Scotty Raymond and DJ Rekkon. Fresh colors supporting local art. They believe in not just the drink but the adventure of life and pursuing your dreams no matter the cost. Below piece by Brian.
One big change that we had wanted to happen was a growler program, so you can now join the Mocean Mate Growler Program. You also have more opportunities to buy local and direct from Adaptogen Labs at some really cool venues in VT and beyond especially in the warmer months. Since the margin is very tight on this super high quality handcrafted product, the number of retailers has been slimmed a bit but like i said, you can buy it right from the owner now! Buy local is not just a fad in VT, its a way of life and has been since the states inception. Meg and I give a huge mahalos to all the people that supported our dream from day one, loyal customers, friends and believers and now to Brian and his crew for taking the torch and making into something we could only dream of. Lets make this 5 year anniversary really rock!
So this year will be a bit of a celebration of Mocean Mate’ and we hope to see a renewed interest in this product that is a great alternative to the options out there. Go get some today and “Fuel Your Adventures”! Check out the website or get hip and go friend on facebook too.
mocean365action.com 