Sparrow Caffeine Water

“I was drinking like five to six Diet Cokes a day,” said Cole McKussic of when he worked in cubicles for tech firms up north and entertainment companies down south. “I didn’t really feel super-great.”

So when the Santa Barbara High and UC Berkeley grad moved back to town to take care of his ailing father, he focused on his family’s health and became an entrepreneur by launching Sparrow, a sparkling, caffeinated, lemon-flavored water that donates 10 percent of proceeds to animal welfare charities. “The easiest thing in the world is to stop putting sugar into your body via what you drink,” said McKussic. “As a caffeine addict, I wanted an alternative to all that other stuff out there.”

McKussic found a source of organic, sustainably harvested caffeine; worked with a beverage consultant on a lemon flavor that used actual orange and lemon peels; and opted for sparkling water because “there’s something about having sparkling water that’s more of an event.” He thought about doing a Pellegrino-sized glass bottle, and then considered a plastic-wrapped can, but opted for painted-on aluminum because it’s the most environmentally sane option. “With each decision, I’m trying to do the least harm,” said McKussic.