Hardware Podcasts

Founder Feature: Maria of The Purple Drop

The Startup CPG Podcast · 24 Apr 2026 · 24m · Episode 289

What this episode covers

Maria Velasquez, founder of Purple Drop, explains how she commercialized a traditional Peruvian chicha morada recipe from her mother-in-law into a ready-to-drink beverage using organic agave and purple corn high in the Andes. She details the significant co-packing challenges of adapting a novel formulation for American brewery equipment, including overcoming initial failures with powder-based formulations and perfecting pasteurization for shelf stability. Velasquez outlines a community-first launch strategy targeting Peruvian Americans and NYC-area restaurants, supported by a vibrant rebrand featuring llamas and a sensory PR box experience. The company is preparing for a spring Shopify launch with plans to expand into lucuma flavors and concentrated antioxidant shots.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Jane's House
Products
Purple Drop, Chicha Morada, Lucuma, Alfajores, Blackberries
Materials
Purple Corn, Palo Santo, Hibiscus, Agave
Also
Anthocyanins

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 1h 11m

    Guayakí Yerba Mate: David Karr and Chris Mann

    Guayakí co-founders David Karr and Chris Mann explain how they built a $100 million beverage company by introducing yerba mate to the U.S. market, starting with hand-packing loose tea and touring in a VW bus to demo the product. They detail the strategic pivot to bottled and then canned ready-to-drink formats, which allowed them to scale beyond niche natural food stores into broader retail channels. The founders also describe the difficult decision to build their own direct store distribution network using Chevy Bolts to maintain control over their brand and supply chain relationships.

    Starting a product companyScaling production
    8 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 28m

    346 - Sistine Spritz packaging aesthetic is unreal! w/ founder Kate McLamb and Lauren Alexander

    Kate McLamb and Lauren Alexander, co-founders of Sistine Spritz, explain how they built a beverage brand by treating it like a fashion house, prioritizing brand aesthetics and community before finalizing the liquid formula. They discuss the design of their 750ml champagne bottle with a hand-applied blue wax seal and the technical challenges of transitioning to a 222ml slim can while maintaining their 'sexy' brand identity. The founders detail how they achieved the drink's natural ruby-red color using beets and carrots to match their computer-generated ideal, and describe their strategy of launching through intimate events and LA retail partnerships rather than traditional alcohol distribution.

    Packaging designIndustrial & consumer product design
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 06m

    21 Seeds: Kat Hantas

    Kat Hantas, co-founder of 21 Seeds, explains how she turned a home infusion hobby into a $160 million tequila brand sold to Diageo in 2022. She details the strategic decision to target moms with a cleaner, less sweet alternative to wine, navigating the complex three-tier distribution system by initially partnering with Bevmo and later Southern Glazers. Hantas discusses the operational challenges of scaling production in Jalisco, Mexico, and the critical role of timing and influencer marketing in achieving rapid growth and exit.

    Starting a product companyValidation & product-market fit
    9 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 29m

    298 - The rise of the espresso martini and the importance of packaging for RTD w/ Night Owl

    Charlie Grace, co-founder of Night Owl Martini, explains how his company disrupted the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail market by launching a shelf-stable espresso martini in 200ml aluminum cans. He details the strategic decision to use a tequila variant alongside vodka, the technical challenges of nitro-filling to preserve foam, and the partnership with Green Mountain Beverage for co-packing. The episode highlights their current distribution across 10 US states and their focus on premium ingredients and sustainable packaging solutions.

    Packaging designMaterials & manufacturing processes
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 57m

    Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout

    Daina Trout, co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, explains how a failed attempt to create a natural hair loss product pivoted into a kombucha brand after realizing the formulation was too difficult. Starting in her Los Angeles apartment closet, Trout, her husband Justin, and friend Vanessa Dew sold kombucha at farmer's markets, eventually quitting their jobs at GlaxoSmithKline to scale the business. The company secured $2 million in Series A funding from First Beverage, allowing them to move from home brewing to professional facilities and secure distribution deals with retailers like Erewhon and Gelson's.

    Starting a product companyValidation & product-market fit
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.