Rochester’s healthy beverage maker Cowbell adds a hydration drink to its offerings – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — The team at Rochester’s

Cowbell beverages

wants everyone to stay hydrated, not just athletes. That’s why they added a hydration drink to their product line.

Co-founders Josh Grenell, Nolan Fox and John Pacchetti

rolled out their high-end performance and recovery drink called Cowbell

in June 2022. The idea was to create an effective, great-tasting beverage that didn’t have the chemicals and downsides of popular energy drinks.

The bright purple cans are sold directly through the company’s website and in CrossFit gyms and other workout centers. Sales have increased steadily since its introduction and now about two to four trucks a day load up the purple cans from Cowbell’s Rochester distribution center.

Now the local fitness entrepreneurs are aiming to place bottles of their new beverage at a broader customer base who buy their drinks off the shelf at retailers like Kwik Trip or Costco.

“It’s a more mainstream drink for anybody with any kind of an active lifestyle. It could be an athlete. It could be kids. It could be people who walk their dogs,” said Pacchetti. “This is the next phase of Cowbell.”

Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin

The 16.9-ounce bottles include consumption estimates based on the consumer’s level of activity — a half bottle to follow 30 minutes of activity, a whole bottle for 60 minutes of activity and two bottles are recommended following 90 minutes of activity.

Bottles of the hydration drink, which comes in blue raspberry and grape flavors, started selling directly through

Cowbell’s website

this week. They are now looking for retail distributors to get the bottles in stores and at workout centers.

While the beverages in Cowbell’s purple cans have a very complex formulation to give active people a healthy boost, the hydration drinks are aimed at a more basic and direct need.

“When you sweat, you sweat out a specific amount of electrolytes and sodium. The hydration drink is formulated to replace what you’re sweating out,” explained Grenell.

Like the performance and recovery beverage,

the hydration product is “clean” with no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.

When it comes to the formulation, Pacchetti describes Cowbell’s mantra as “Less salt. Not more.” The hydration drink has a 4:1 sodium-to-potassium ratio of 200 MG of sodium to 50 MG of potassium. Pink Himalayan salt is used as a premium and effective source of sodium.

The ingredient list includes 20 MG of magnesium and 300 MG of chloride. The hydration drink, which has 40 calories, is sweetened by cane sugar instead of high fructose syrup.

“You need carbs. In our case, it’s cane sugar to inject the sodium into your bloodstream for proper hydration,” said Pacchetti. “It’s a scientific formulation. Other companies throw a drink together and make sure it’s zero sugar to sell more bottles. That’s not the proper way of doing it. So that education does lead to a little more uphill battle for us with consumers, but we’re willing to do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

While the Cowbell brand continues growing, all three founders continue to pursue other local fitness and business projects.

Grenell is the owner of Crossfit Progression and the author of a new book called

“Fitness First: Your Mindset For Overall Health, Happiness, And Life Transformation.”

Fox is a track coach at John Marshall High School as well as being coach to the school’s Crossfit club. Pacchetti is a Crossfit enthusiast, an owner of the Bitter & Pour bar in downtown Rochester and he also co-owns Home Instead Senior Care of Southeastern Minnesota.