I’m Nikki, and I’m the CEO and founder of sunōmi. Sunōmi came to be after years of gut issues, countless homemade concoctions, and the thought that maybe there was an easier and healthier way to be social and healthy and mindful all at the same time. As a college athlete with a *fickle* stomach, I found that all the artificial ingredients in energy and recovery drinks were actually hurting me, not helping me. And as a college student who wanted to keep up with her friends, I relied on those same energy and recovery drinks to mix into "cocktails," chase shots with, and cure my hangovers. 'Twas a mess!
After graduating, I took a big step back from those habits, and got to the root of the problem: my gut was out of whack. Lots of doctors appointments, lab testing and a plethora of treatments led me to the simple conclusion: what I put into my body affected how I felt every day. So I set out to make major changes to my diet and my lifestyle, and began testing out health hacks that fit into my busy day.
It was during this time that I found switchel: an apple cider vinegar and ginger based drink, that was much easier to make than my home brewed kombucha, and all of the ingredients could be found in my pantry. I immediately fell in love with the taste, the simple ingredients, the rich history of the drink, and all the ways I could use it in my daily life.
Switchel quickly replaced traditional sports drinks, my kombucha habit, my afternoon coffee, my late-night/early-morning Pedialyte chugging, and the soda and juices I mixed into drinks. I knew I was onto something special, but it wasn’t until August 2017 that I decided to put my career in digital and political news on hold, and start this thing for real.
In January 2018, we launched with our first three flavors of switchel bottles in at Glen's Garden Market in Washington, DC. Almost a full year later, we launched our sparkling switchel in stores. We’re now selling in 50+ retail locations throughout the DMV area, including Whole Foods, Sweetgreen's Tavern, The Wing, and many more local spots!
It’s my hope that sunōmi switchel can help someone else along the way, in the way that it helped me. Whether you’re looking for a daily gut-health drink, relief after a long night out on the town, a post-workout replenisher, a better cocktail mixer, or a mocktail alternative, our switchel is for you.
