Chasing Rabbits Founder and CEO Michael Musser discovered yerba mate about six years ago at a local supermarket, where he sold his Chasing Rabbits Natural Energy Beverage, and while he was doing a product demo alongside Guayakí Yerba Mate at San Francisco State University.
As a result of discovering yerba mate, Musser and his San Rafael, Calif.-based company shifted from their original energy beverage and launched Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea, a functional, ready-to-drink (RTD), slow carb and low glycemic, energy-producing organic yerba mate and black tea beverage.
Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea is currently available at a growing list of Northern California retailers, including specialty stores, supermarkets, delicatessens, and coffee and tea shops, in addition to being sold direct to consumer through the company’s website.
Musser – who attended the recent World Tea Expo 2023 in Las Vegas to gather tea industry insights and to network – said his vision is to build a successful, better-for-you, natural beverage company based on the West Coast.
“Our beverage company’s mission is to be part of the solution to America’s sugar-laden beverage problems, by providing consumers with authentic Chasing Rabbits non-GMO, natural ingredient and functional clean-energy beverages that provide low-calorie, slow-carb and low-glycemic sweetened beverage refreshment,” explained Musser, who officially launched Chasing Rabbits in 2012 with the support of friends and family.
Offering RTD Consumers a Unique 'Tea Taste' Profile
Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea is currently available in two flavors, Tropical Citrus and Raspberry Mist, packaged in environmentally friendly, digitally printed 12-ounce aluminum cans.
“Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea is made with organic yerba mate and black tea extracts that offers ready-to-drink consumers a unique tea taste profile, appealing to established black tea drinkers as well as yerba mate consumers,” Musser explained.
Musser said that because obesity and Type 2 diabetes continues at epidemic levels across America, his company strives to be part-of-the solution to consumers’ sweet-tooth quandary by offering a better-for-you functional RTD alternative to zero calorie, artificial or “diet type” ready-to-drink beverages.
“Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea is uniquely positioned to appeal to consumers seeking to avoid blood sugar spikes, often caused from high calorie, sugar-laden beverages,” Musser noted. “Considering the average consumer’s need to reduce sugar intake in their daily diet, Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea simply provides a wholesome, ready to drink, 25-calorie per can serving of ice tea that provides glucose energy and satisfies a consumer's sweetened tea preference without producing unhealthy blood sugar spikes.”
According to Musser, consumers have been discovering yerba mate’s unique caffeine and antioxidant properties, and they like the flavor profile and the Chasing Rabbits blend of organic yerba mate and black tea.
Early Development and Generating Awareness of Chasing Rabbits
During the early development of Chasing Rabbits, Musser had to overcome challenges with production. “Chasing Rabbits natural beverages require tunnel pasteurization,” he shared. “Co-packers with small minimum order quantities and tunnel pasteurization capabilities are limited on the West Coast. We have been fortunate to ride the craft brewing co-packing wave to find co-packers who have reasonable minimum order quantities to make Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea.”
Today, the company is finding success through its direct-to-consumer website and retail sales, in-store demos, social media promotions and a 30-second Spotify radio ad.
“Ready-to-drink, naturally caffeinated yerba mate and traditional teas are becoming the consumer’s new go-to, clean energy drink choice,” said Musser.
To learn more about Chasing Rabbits Vitality Tea, or to see a list of retailers who carry the brand, visit ChasingRabbits.com.
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