We created ZEVIA because the world needed an all natural zero calorie soda. Before ZEVIA, soda lovers had
to choose between nasty artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and sucralose) and sugar.
With stevia and other natural ingredients, we have solved this dilemma that plagued soda lovers since the invention of soda itself.
How was it that we came up with the world's first all natural zero calorie diet soda? We got together with two revolutionary inventors.
The first, and most important, is Don Thrasher (pictured above). Don is a health concious entrepreneur from Los Angeles. He had already begun work
on a prototype soda using stevia. Don was the first person to come up with the idea to create a stevia soda.
The second is Bill Bluemer. Bill was a flavor artist who Don worked with to create the first stevia soda in history.
Bill and Don discovered that combining stevia with erythritol would reduce any aftertaste in the stevia, and bring out the sweetness of the erythritol.
Don's product was originally called Diet Zero, and then he changed the name to Z-Cola.
When we started the company that would eventually introduce ZEVIA, we worked with Don and Bill. We bought the rights to Don's and Bill's invention
and intellectual property, and applied for a patent to protect the origin of our formula. Don became our company's initial Chief Operating Officer,
and oversaw the first ever production of ZEVIA. Bill designed the original ZEVIA flavor.
Don has since moved on to other projects, and we have since improved the ZEVIA formula (removing all artificial ingredients, and improving
taste with all natural ingredients). But we will always owe a debt of gratitude to Don and Bill for their brilliant innovation that allows us to bring you delicious and natural ZEVIA.
