Esspo, a ready-to-drink carbonated coffee beverage, launched in approximately 530 Whole Foods Market locations in April as co-founders Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries and Katharine Leitch pursue afternoon consumption occasions previously dominated by energy drinks and other pick-me-ups.
The product is formulated with carbonated water, cold brew coffee extract, blue agave nectar, and L-theanine, an amino acid present in tea leaves. Esspo contains 120 mg of caffeine per can, which the founders described as the "sweet spot for the afternoon" and equivalent to roughly one and a half cups of coffee. The beverage sits at 45 calories per can.
L-theanine was added intentionally to "take the spiky edge off the caffeine," according to Stefano. The amino acid is meant to reduce the jittery feeling caffeine can create, particularly for consumers on their third cup of the day.
The three flavors are vanilla, cherry vanilla, and sweet lemon. Stefano said sweet lemon, which he compared to a classic Arnold Palmer but with coffee as the base instead of iced tea, was the flavor that inspired the concept. The co-founders started with direct-to-consumer sales on their website and TikTok Shop but believe retail and wholesale is where scale happens. Von Borries noted that people buy beverages primarily in-store, not online, and Esspo's strategy aims to introduce the product nationally before expanding into natural channels and conventional grocery.