A new, homegrown drink hit the shelves of many midtown and downtown stores and restaurantsin June. Memfizz, an all natural probiotic soda, is sourced and produced in Memphis and aims to fill a growing desire for tasty, non-alcoholic drinks with healthy aspects.
Though it just launched commercially, Memfizz has been in the making for more than a year. Steve Cantor, the beverage’s co-owner and producer, had been producing and offering Memfizz at the midtown coffee bar Otherlands for months before high demand prompted an expansion.
“People kept telling me how refreshing it was to find a delicious, fizzy drink that was actually good for them,” says Cantor.
Memfizz currently has four full time employees working on the project.
Cantor and an employee handle the production, which is done in the Mollie Fontaine’s kitchen in downtown Memphis.
The drink is made through a fermentation process using “water kefir grains,” a natural method that combines locally sourced fruits and beneficial probiotic organisms to create a light, naturally carbonated beverage.
“Staying local is a big deal to us,” says Cantor. “Plus, the water we use comes from the Memphis Aquifer — one of the purest sources around.”
The brightly-labeled bottles come in three flavors: Cranberry, Lemon, and Ginger. The drink is already offered at The Curb Market, Miss Cordelia’s Grocery, Otherlands, and The Dixon Gallery, and about a dozen more local venues have expressed interest. They plan to expand quickly within Memphis, and hopefully regionally.
To launch the beverage, Cantor teamed up with Southern Growth Studio, a Memphis-based strategy and consulting firm. Cantor is a long-time friend of Michael Graber, the Studio’s founder, and the firm is excited to pair its business and marketing expertise with Cantor’s production know-how.
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