New Leadership Reintroduces Kona DeepTM Electrolyte-Rich Bottled Water in Hawaii

New Leadership Reintroduces Kona DeepTM Electrolyte-Rich Bottled Water in Hawaii

Deep Ocean Drinking Water Sourced 3,000 Feet Off the Coast of Hawaii Delivers Same Great Taste, Purity & Performance

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – (December 19, 2015) – Kona DeepTM, the Hawaii-based bottled water company founded by area locals in 2006, will soon be back on retail shelves across the state. Due to increased consumer demand for premium bottled water with natural benefits, Kona Deep executives felt now was the time to fully embrace and share this special untapped natural resource of deep ocean water.

“In the early days, we were more focused on exporting to Asia where the benefits of deep ocean water are well known,” said Mark Mukai, board member and major investor in Kona Deep. “Now, we’ve enlisted a leadership team with proven brand building experience and a skilled local distribution team in Johnson Brothers of Hawaii, Inc., with the goal to create the leading North American brand of this new deep ocean water category. Our water has always been exceptional and naturally delivers functional benefits that other beverages don’t have – a deep hydration you can feel and a refreshing taste that can only come from Kona Deep. I’m incredibly excited to introduce this new campaign in our home state of Hawaii.”

Until now, consumers had to choose between spring water and highly processed, functional purified waters with artificially added electrolytes. With Kona Deep, bottled water drinkers no longer have to choose between purity and performance. The new brand offers both – the purity of a trusted, natural source with nothing artificial, nothing added and the hydration benefits of electrolytes. A new study that’s currently underway at the University of Arizona, which seeks to evaluate the impact of post-exercise hydration with deep ocean mineral water on exercise performance, rehydration and recovery, may further strengthen this connection.

Kona Deep comes from melted glacial water, which sunk to the ocean floor more than 1,000 years ago, creating a deep ocean current that still flows today. This infinitely renewable source absorbs naturally occurring electrolytes and minerals along its journey across the ocean floor and along volcanic fissures, which are crucial for hydration and body balance.

While deep ocean water is difficult to access, the coast of Kona, Hawaii, provides an ideal location to source and bottle the water because the ocean floor falls sharply to more than 3,000 feet below the surface. At this depth, near-freezing cold and prolonged darkness create a pure water that is protected from light and surface ocean water. Once brought to the surface, the water is desalinated and bottled at the source with a total dissolved solids (TDS) content of 250, the perfect balance of performance and taste. During the process, nothing is added.

Kona Deep Chief Executive Officer Patrick Turpin, the co-founder of PopchipsTM – the innovative and wildly popular all natural snack – looks forward to enlightening and educating people about the benefits of deep ocean drinking water.

“Kona Deep is a great option for those who want their water to work harder, naturally,” said Turpin. “We’re giving people who want more from their bottled water a reason to rethink their choice.”

All operations for the brand, including sourcing and bottling, will take place locally. As the brand grows in Hawaii and beyond, so too does the potential to add new jobs. And while Hawaii is a natural first place to launch, Turpin is setting his sights on growing this brand across the U.S., where premium bottle water sales have skyrocketed +315% over the past five years.[1]

“Deep ocean drinking water is a billion dollar category in Asia, but this is still very much a new category of bottled water in the U.S.,” Turpin added.

“We’ve had a strong acceptance rate among retailers for Kona Deep,” said Pat McGuirk, Director of Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Johnson Brothers of Hawaii. “They love the local connection, the smooth, pure taste and the natural benefits deep ocean drinking water provides. They’re excited to see the brand back on shelves in Hawaii.”

Kona Deep is now available at a variety of local Hawaiian retailers, including grocery stores such as Foodland and KTA, convenience stores like Minit Stop, natural stores, such as Down to Earth, and military exchanges like AAFES, in 500mL and 1L bottles. Consumers can also purchase 24-bottle cases of Kona Deep in store or online at www.amazon.com. The brand will begin to roll out into other mainland U.S. markets later this month.

For more information, and a full list of retail locations, please visit www.konadeep.com and follow the brand on Twitter and @KonaDeep

About Kona DeepTM

Kona Deep is a deeply refreshing and restoring water with a unique balance of naturally occurring deep ocean electrolytes essential to life and health. Kona Deep comes from the ocean waters of Hawaii, over 3,000 feet below the surface where cold, pressure and darkness combine to create an exceptionally high quality water. We utilize a unique method to bring the water to the surface to offer you an extraordinary taste and hydration experience. In the process, we add nothing.

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[1] Beverage Digest 2015 Fact Book

New Leadership Reintroduces Kona DeepTM Electrolyte-Rich Bottled Water in Hawaii

Bardstown Bourbon Company Announces First of its Kind Collaborative Kentucky Whiskey Craft Distilling Program

Bardstown, KY (December 14, 2015) – The Bardstown Bourbon Company is pleased to announce an innovative Collaborative Whiskey, Bourbon, and Rye Wholesale Distilling Program. Slated to open in Summer 2016, the new distillery will offer wholesale customers the opportunity to create custom, authentic, Kentucky whiskey products and will also provide comprehensive barrel financing. The Program promises to expand the explosive growth of the craft distilling industry by providing craft distillers and brand owners high quality whiskey to strengthen their supply.

Currently, many craft distillers and brand owners obtain their whiskey from large industrial distilleries, are limited in their ability to produce custom products, have no financing options, and are reluctant to promote the location and source of their whiskey. With a production team led by Bourbon Hall of Fame Master Distiller, Steve Nally – a 40-year veteran of the spirits industry and formerly the Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark – the Bardstown Bourbon Company will provide craft distillers and brand owners the opportunity to:

• Work with a team of whiskey experts to create their own authentic and innovative Kentucky whiskey products;
• Benefit from highly competitive wholesale prices;
• Ensure consistent, high quality production that can rapidly scale;
• Control the future source for their product;
• Finance new fill barrel production and aging, and
• Provide a production location and environment that they can celebrate and promote.

“We are very excited to offer a suite of much needed services that we believe will help foster continued innovation and growth in the whiskey industry,” said David Mandell, President & CEO of The Bardstown Bourbon Company.

The Company, in collaboration with Live Oak Bank, the second largest SBA lender in the country, is offering customers comprehensive financing of the purchase price of newly filled barrels with terms of up to 10 years. This is an enormous benefit in an industry that is capital intensive and often without many good banking options.

“This program is a game changer,” said Daniel Linde, Chief Financial Officer of the Company. “As the first company to offer a comprehensive barrel financing program for whiskey, we are helping our customers continue to develop and grow their brands, without tying up all of their capital in production.”

As the domestic and international whiskey and bourbon market continues to expand, The Bardstown Bourbon Company will help its customers meet growing demand. The distillery has an initial 1.5 million proof-gallon capacity with barrel storage on its property for up to 185K barrels. The distillery is also designed to easily expand as production grows.

In addition, The Bardstown Bourbon Company offers a unique environment to showcase customer products. Set on 100 acres of active farmland and adjacent to the Bluegrass Parkway, The Bardstown Bourbon Company and its 37,000 square foot distillery form the gateway to Bardstown, Kentucky, the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

“This is such an exciting time for bourbon,” explained Steve Nally, Master Distiller of The Bardstown Bourbon Company. “I look forward to working with other distillers and brand owners to make great products. We also look forward to integrating some of these brands into the Bardstown Bourbon Company’s visitor experience, and we will use our facility to highlight and promote their brands.”

To learn more about and apply for the Collaborative Kentucky Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye Distilling Program, contact David Mandell, President & CEO, at [email protected]

About The Bardstown Bourbon Company
Under construction since October 2014, The Bardstown Bourbon Company is “the Modern Distiller of the American Spirit.” The company is developing a $25 million destination experience with a first-of-its-kind Napa Valley style campus featuring a unique and transparent educational experience, high-end tours and tastings, integrated visitors center, event space, and eventually a restaurant and boutique hotel. The distillery is set to begin production in Summer 2016.

To learn more about The Bardstown Bourbon Company visit:
www.bardstownbourbon.com
www.facebook.com/bardstownbourboncompany
www.twitter.com/btownbourbon

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