Ep 30: How Orka Built an Energy Drink for People Who Hate Energy Drinks

Episode 30 June 18, 2025 00:36:02
Ep 30: How Orka Built an Energy Drink for People Who Hate Energy Drinks
Drinks Insider
Ep 30: How Orka Built an Energy Drink for People Who Hate Energy Drinks

Jun 18 2025 | 00:36:02

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Hosted By

Felicity Carter

Show Notes

What happens when two friends in their twenties get fed up with syrupy energy drinks and decide to invent a caffeinated water that actually tastes like water? Orka founders Michael Moriarty and Nash Hale join Drinks Insider to talk about their journey from college roommates to beverage entrepreneurs. They reveal how they raised $355K in friends-and-family money, endured a year of catastrophic production failures, and finally cracked the code for manufacturing a clear pressurised can — just in time to ride a viral wave on Amazon.

We cover:

If you’re dreaming of launching a drink brand, this is a must-listen.

And don’t forget to sign up to the Drinks Insider newsletter!

Meet your host:

Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker at international events, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.

 

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