First launched in 2016, ARYA Curcumin+ is a beverage with a proprietary blend of water soluble turmeric that is easily absorbed into the blood stream, according to ARYA founder and CEO George Uy.
However, for Uy, it was not easy to break into the beverage industry at first. Before launching ARYA, Uy worked in the biotechnology field developing drugs to treat cancer.
“Our difficulty was getting onto the shelves initially because I didn’t know the right people or have the right connections,” Uy said.
The business partnership with LA Libations has helped ARYA grow into a beverage brand that can better reach the mainstream consumer. The close partnership between the two companies resulted in revamped packaging and changing of ARYA’s base liquid from still to sparkling.
“We really look at it as a sparkling water with functionality,” LA Libations CEO Danny Stepper told BeverageDaily.
“I think there’s an evolution going on right now,” Stepper said. “It’s not so much about how does this taste anymore; it’s more about ‘what does this do for me’?”
Undetectable turmeric taste
What sets ARYA apart from other turmeric beverages on the market is there is no detectable earthy turmeric flavor.
“ARYA's highly absorbed turmeric extract is water soluble and tasteless, which is the beautiful thing about it. It makes it ideal to be infused into sparkling water,” Uy said.
Due to the high solubility of the turmeric blend, there is not any sediment that settles to the bottom of the bottle.
Creating an affordable luxury for consumers
ARYA will be making its market relaunch debut at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, this March, where Stepper and Uy hope to get as many people to try ARYA as possible.
“We’re really in the education and the awareness space right now. Everybody’s talking about it but we want to make sure people are actually tasting it,” Stepper said.
Accessibility and affordability are other priorities for ARYA in 2017 as it makes its way into specialty and mainstream grocery retail stores.
“It’s great to be a niche brand in Los Angeles, but we believe everyone has the right to access affordably-priced options,” Stepper said.
“We probably aren’t going to be able to get down and dirty with some of sparkling water pricing, but we think this is an extremely affordable option,” Stepper added.
ARYA products are currently available on online retailers like Amazon where it is priced at $29.88 for a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans.
Culinary initiatives
Uy believes that because of turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties, ARYA can complement the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.
“One of our marketing priorities is that we will probably be partnering with certain culinary events that focus on health, diet, and a healthy lifestyle,” Uy said.