BAI BELIEVERS: “This truly has the potential to become an iconic product. It embodies all that is healthy — it is packed with antioxidants, has nothing artificial, and people like it because it tastes good, with a bold fresh-fruit flavor.” Danna and Ben Weiss, owners of bai Brands, are enthusiastic about their popular new product, a rising star in the beverage industry.

bai believers — bai guys — bai buyers — bai triers: they are all over town!

In case you haven’t heard, bai is the hot new soft drink that is packed with all the good stuff. 100 percent natural, with no chemicals or preservatives, it is rich in those vital antioxidants (so important to good health) that chase away the bad free radicals.

And, what is more — it tastes great!

Not only that, points out co-owner, Danna Weiss, “bai was born and raised in Princeton — a real hometown product and business.”

The creation of Mrs. Weiss’ husband, founder Ben Weiss, bai was introduced in 2009. It has an intriguing history, he notes, and it all began with a special ingredient, the secret coffee super fruit: the hitherto discarded fruit of the coffee harvest.

Super Fruit

“I had been in the coffee industry for many years. Energy drinks were popular, and I thought we could do better and create a health and wellness beverage that tastes great. Over the past two decades, I have cupped coffee from the hilltops of exotic regions across the globe in search of the best-quality green coffee available. When I learned that local farmers from these regions have always used the whole fruit of the coffee bush to make high energy foods and beverages, I knew that I had stumbled on coffee’s untold secret.

“While the bean has always been harvested, the fruit was left to perish because it was simply too delicate to process. Yet, filled with phenolic components that are found widespread throughout the plant and concentrated in the coffee fruit, it is truly an extraordinary antioxidant-packed super fruit.”

Voila! Mr. Weiss realized that he had the makings of something special, and he embarked on an intense research and development program to harness the coffee fruit into a marketable product. Mixing coffee fruit with exotic fruit juices, he developed a healthy, antioxidant-rich, low calorie beverage that — importantly — tastes good.

The Weisses named the product bai — for botanical antioxidant infusion, and “bi-product” of the coffee fruit. “Also, in Mandarin Chinese, bai means pure,” points out Mr. Weiss. “Pure ingredients, pure taste, and pure goodness. Just one bottle of bai contains the same antioxidant levels as a bowl of blueberries and provides 100 percent of the FDA’s Daily Recommended Intake for antioxidants.”

“Ipanema baitini”

Suitable for children and adults, it does contain a very small amount of caffeine from the white tea extract included in the ingredients, which is also an antioxidant source. For adults, who may wish to add a little octane, the “Ipanema baitini” is easy to create with the addition of a splash of vodka to the Ipanema Pomegranate bai5 or any other of your favorite bai choices.

Initially, the company produced three flavors, containing 70 calories: Tanzania Strawberry, Mango Kauai, and Jamaican Blueberry, all lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice.

There are now 11 flavors, including bai5, the new 5-calorie drinks, infused with erithritol a natural sweetener. Red and black bottle caps differentiate the two choices. In addition to the original flavors, new tastes include Kenya Peach, Congo Pear, Ipanema Pomegranate, Sumatra Dragonfruit, and Costa Rica Clementine (and brand new bai’s continue to come along!).

“Every bottle touches the soil of a faraway place, from South America to Asia,” says Mr. Weiss, “and every ingredient is pure.”

The company, now headquartered in Hamilton, has experienced remarkable growth in a very short time. The product is manufactured and bottled in South Brunswick, and distributed along the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Virginia, also in south Florida, and southern California.

New York is an excellent market, and so is Princeton, point out the Weisses. bai is offered in many establishments here, including Olives, D’Angelo’s Market, Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Co., Bon Appetit, Chez Alice, McCaffrey’s, Main Street, Whole Earth, Whole Foods, and Hoagie Haven, among others. It will also soon be available in Wegman’s.

Major Distribution

“From 2010 to 2011, we tripled sales, and from 2011 to 2012, we are increasing 5-fold. We have formed partnerships with major distribution companies, such as Canada Dry and Snapple Dr. Pepper, and we now have 32 employees,” says Mr. Weiss.

“Our customers are incredibly loyal,” adds Mrs. Weiss. “All of the stores that started with us originally are still with us today. We love what we do. The whole family has been involved — our parents, and kids. The kids are so proud of it. They love bai! It’s become a life-style. We also plan to have a stand on Communiversity Day, Saturday, April 28.”

Both the traditional bai and bai5 are flourishing in the market place, and the Weisses are very optimistic about bai’s future. “This is basically an affordable luxury. It’s supernaturally good for you! It’s healthy, it’s relevant, and it’s interesting. For you, it means pure ingredients, pure taste, pure goodness. For us, it means sharing the goodness of coffee’s super fruit with the world. Pure and simple!”

For further information, email: info@drinkbao.com. Website: www.drinkbai.com. Facebook.com/drinkbai.