Miami Personal Trainer Creates Healthy Energy Drink Benefiting Honeybees

There's no denying energy drinks have earned a bad rep. They contain too much sugar, use synthetic caffeine, and taste like cough syrup are just some of the things consumers and experts have said about products like Red Bull. But according to 28-year-old Zach Grossman, energy drinks can actually be good for you while also boosting your energy. 

Grossman was born and raised in South Miami and is a certified personal trainer as well as the cofounder of Enerbee. Grossman and his business partner, Paul Friedopfer, were working out when they decided there needed to be an alternative option for people who don't like coffee or unhealthy energy beverages. After conducting some research, they saw an opening in the market for Enerbee.

Their product contains three foods they were both already consuming prior to hitting the gym: honey, bee pollen, and royal jelly — i.e. the "super bee trifecta," as they refer to it. What's more, Enerbee is USDA-certified organic and has the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. However, the caffeine comes from yerba mate and green tea which provides a more even buzz than coffee. Each can of Enerbee also includes ginseng and fresh lemon juice.

"Bees are the most energetic workers on the planet and we wanted to harness that energy for Enerbee," says Grossman, adding that honey, bee pollen and royal jelly are all things honeybees eat for fuel. A portion of every sale of Enerbee goes to the HoneyBee Alliance which conducts research and raises awareness on the colony collapse disorder that's threatening the honeybee population. Humans need honeybees because the insects pollinate one-third of all the food we eat, and Grossman says now they they need our help to save them. 

You can find Enerbee at all Whole Foods' locations throughout Florida ($2.69), as well as at various independent health stores in state and throughout the country. The lightly carbonated beverage is available in two flavors: lemon green tea and hibiscus berry tea, and Grossman says it's suitable for anyone looking for a little extra fuel.  For best results, he recommends drinking Enerbee one hour before working out. 

Grossman is considering doing some rebranding because despite Enerbee containing clean ingredients and being sold at Whole Foods — many people still can't move past the stigma associated with energy drinks. That being said, there are healthy energy drinks apart from Enerbee, although theirs is the only one made with honey and benefitting a worthy cause. Grossman says he's thinking of writing "organic energy tea" on the can to replace "organic energy." He'd also like to introduce new flavors in the near future. "We want to change peoples' perception of energy drinks," Grossman adds. 

Follow Valeria Nekhim Lease on Twitter and Instagram.