ERTH Beverage Co. makes moves after $25K pitch competition win 

Boise’s own ERTH Beverage Company recently won Trailmix Pitch Competition’s grand prize of $25,000 and shelf space at Albertsons. The company, which was founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Eric and Sam Herrera, began as a small-scale side hustle. The original concept was to produce a medicinal syrup that could be added to sparkling water, but the idea grew to include its unique sparkling switchel, a prebiotic recovery drink that’s made with local honey, apple cider vinegar and cold-pressed ginger. They also have a line of honey-sweetened botanical sodas.    

“ERTH beverages boost immunity, help people stay hydrated and harness the power of plants,” said Sam Herrera. “Our intention  was to  create the gateway drug to clean consumption with a product  that tastes great while introducing people to and sparking curiosity  in plants and clean consumption concepts that can carry over into other aspects of life.” 

The products have no ‘natural flavors’ and are made with no preservatives. ERTH Beverage Company is also one of few companies that produces a canned carbonated switchel. 

“We are the epitome of a clean label product,” Sam Herrera explained. “Our heavy focus on sourcing and sustainability sets us apart from our competitors as well.  Every ounce of spent plant material is composted, and our waste is extremely limited.” 

As the team plans for adding ERTH products to Albertsons shelves, Sam Herrera said that they are excited about what that means for company growth. “We anticipate them being an excellent retail partner for us, and we are looking forward to working with them,” she said. “This win also gave us some wiggle room to get creative for upcoming plans that ERTH has for the future.”  

The Trailmix Pitch Competition began four years ago as part of Trailhead’s program that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs get mentoring and the experience needed to succeed in the world of startups. To date, it has awarded $90,000 cash in non-dilutive prize money to early-stage food product entrepreneurs. It has also helped land 21 local companies on Albertsons shelves so far.  

To be entered into the competition, companies apply online and must meet certain criteria demonstrating that their product is shelf-ready. From there, Trailhead narrows applicants down to seven finalists, and they are matched with a mentor who helps coach them leading up to the competition. The finalists engage in a question-and-answer session and pitch their product to a panel of four judges, who are usually part of sponsor organizations or are other food experts. The panel then judges the finalists on six key areas to narrow down the winner — compelling story, innovation, food quality, market opportunity, scalability and product sample.  

Tiam Rastegar, executive director of Trailhead, said that there were a few things that stood out about ERTH Beverage Company’s products. “Their branding is outstanding,” he said. “The taste of their product is very smooth…and they have established a good customer base by being proactive — going to festivals and events. This showed the judges that they are ready to help get their products sold once they land on shelves. They are also in a really good category that is growing and building on converging trends like zero-proof drinking and functional medicine foods.”  

While the money is going to help ERTH Beverage Company maintain its momentum as a business, one of the biggest benefits is the brand exposure that the competition has already brought them. 

Rastegar said, “The $25K is nice, but the real prize is winning shelf space at Albertsons’ new Broadway and Eagle stores.”  

Sam Herrera said that after winning the competition, they launched a ‘Box of Good’ that contains products from each competitor in the pitch competition. All proceeds from the boxes sold on the website will go to City of Good, a local nonprofit organization that unites restaurants and growers to help address food insecurity.  

“We have gained some name recognition from the competition and have seen an increase in our direct-to-consumer and retail sales,” Sam Herrera said. “But above all else, the Trailmix competition has brought many amazing relationships that we are extremely grateful for. We are deeply grateful for a deeper dive into our local small food business community.”