I feel so lucky that this job gives me the opportunity to highlight brands and founders that deserve their time in the spotlight, and let me tell you, this couple is going to be a fan favorite. I met up with Sophie and Oliver a few weeks ago, and immediately knew that we would be friends. The couple is easy to pick out of a crowd. With Sophie’s bright red hair and Ollie’s mustache, they seem like the type of people to create a brand destined to become a cult favorite.

Let me introduce you to OOSO: a sparkling tea brand inspired by natural wine with adaptogens and vitamins for functional wellness.

It’s clear that the demand for non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails is only increasing, and OOSO fulfills that demand completely. But Sophie and Oliver's vision wasn’t just to create a drink that won’t hurt you like alcohol will…they’re creating a drink that makes you feel better the next day.

In order to understand OOSO’s origin story, it’s imperative to understand Ollie and Soph as a couple first. The couple met in January 2020 during “the golden age of Hinge,” as Sophie likes to call it. They moved in together after only 3 months due to Covid-19, and like many people, experienced a lot of anxiety due to the state of the world at that time. The couple decided to cut back on their drinking to combat their anxiety, but missed the feeling of having a drink at home or at a bar, so they started playing around in their kitchen.

Through trial and error, Oliver and Sophie realized that green tea seemed to mimic natural wine, but the experimentation didn’t stop there. The couple frequented Kalustyan’s, a specialty grocery store famous for its Middle Eastern spices, and scoured the shelves to find flavor profiles they loved. Partnering with Sophie’s friend and mixologist Lacy Hawkins, they were able to make the flavors a bit more complex. Lacy brought the expertise needed to perfect the recipes, and Sophie and Ollie ended up with two flavors: Green Tea Mint Lime and Hibiscus Ginger Currant.

Green Tea Mint Lime

is almost a natural white wine comp. It’s refreshing and bright, with lots of citrus notes to it. Ingredients include Guayusa (a nootropic energy ingredient) providing a touch of caffeine, with Ashwagandha and ginseng adaptogens helping to regulate stress and make sure that the release of energy in your body occurs in a calming way (This is mine and Sophie's favorite flavor).

Hibiscus Ginger Currant

is OOSO’s take on a chilled natural red wine. It has bright juicy notes with a lingering gingery taste with added Ashwagandha, L-theanine, Vitamin C & B, and Passionflower, an adaptogen that helps calm the nervous system and relieve anxiety (This one is Ollie’s favorite.)

OOSO is made with organic teas and only sweetened with organic honey and absolutely no artificial ingredients.

It took 50 rounds of kitchen testing, 10 to 15 rounds of testing with the formulator, and around 6 months to nail down the recipes, but surprisingly, testing and formulation took less time than the actual design and look of OOSO.

When Sophie and Ollie were deliberating whether or not to pursue OOSO, they put the final decision in the hands of someone else. While sitting in a Greenpoint coffee shop scouring LinkedIn for local graphic designers, Sophie found Nick and James: best friends from childhood and freelance designers in Brooklyn, and emailed them immediately.

Sophie and Ollie made a deal with themselves that if the designer duo agreed to work on this project, they’d move forward with OOSO. If not, they’d drop the project. I think I speak for everyone when I say thank god for Nick and James!

Pulling inspiration from the Bauhaus movement and mid-century/contemporary interior design, as well as brands like Ganni, Baggu, and Colours of Arley, the couple landed on the final iteration of OOSO’s orange and green striped design, and it embodies them impeccably.

Sophie and Ollie are the perfect yin and yang. Ollie’s finance background makes it easy for him to call the shots when it comes to everything operational, and Sophie’s 6+ years of experience in the wine and spirits industry means that she knows how to market and sell a product better than anyone. The duo has big plans for OOSO, but first, they want to conquer New York City.

OOSO’s Green Tea Mint Lime and Hibiscus Ginger Currant flavors are currently available at Big Night and drinkooso.com, as well as Happier Grocery, Talea, Minus Moonshine, and other boutique grocers (starting June 5th).

I could talk about Sophie, Ollie, and their incredible product for hours, but don’t just take my word for it...you should try OOSO for yourself. I promise you’ll love it as much as I do.

Happy launch day!