Goshen Grads Launch Beverage Venture
Three recent graduates of Goshen College have launched a beverage company. The drink, known as "Local," comes in two flavors, watermelon-lime and orange, and will be carried by the college’s coffee shop, Java Joint.
Carter McKay-Epp, Nimoy Vaidya and Mikol Aspinwall have been developing the drink November. They describe it as a “soda and sparkling water hybrid."
Branding and logistics are still underway for the product are still being finalized, however a cornerstone of the company is the intent to showcase local artists on the cans or bottles of the drink.
A percentage of the proceeds will go to the artists, the founders said, and will be determined as the business gains traction.
McKay-Epp said in a news release that the idea for the product came from the founders’ love of sparkling water.
“We were upset that more of our friends didn’t like sparkling water, and we were talking about how many people don’t like soda because it’s way too sugary and syrupy,” McKay-Epp said. “We were thinking of what was out there and there really wasn’t what we were looking for – a drink like sparkling water but with just enough sugar to take the edge off.”
The founders say the name, “Local,” was chosen as a nod to where the drink will be produced and sold: Goshen.