Sanzo is a new sparkling water company offering a unique flavor experience. It was launched in 2019 by Filipino-American Sandro Roco, who had a desire to share the Asian flavors he enjoyed as a child. He also wanted to offer a natural alternative to most sparkling beverages, which are often sugary and filled with artificial flavors. 

Although Asians make up 60% of the global population, these flavors are hard to find at your average grocery store in the US. Noticing a gap, Roco felt Sanzo could be a great bridge between our western palates and what Asia has to offer. Before he launched the brand he recalled his initial thoughts about the representation of Asian flavors:

“I [also] wondered about this when I started. I thought that surely, someone else had to be doing it. When it became clear that no one was — or at least at a level or with a brand voice that I thought was powerful enough — that was one of my first inspirations to really go after the market with Sanzo. As to the why, this one is a bit uncomfortable for me to address, but I do think a lot of it has to do with access to capital and certain networks for minority founders in an industry that is thankfully becoming more diverse, but still has room for growth.”

Sanzo is made using actual fruit and contains zero added sugar, artificial or natural flavors. In other words, when you look at the ingredients, you can pronounce each one. Adding to a clean and crisp experience, you also get the distinct taste of authentic Asian fruits.

What’s really cool is that each fruit offering represents a different Asian country: Calamansi Lime is native to the Philippines, Alphonso Mango, native to India, Lychee comes from Southeast Asia, and their latest flavor, Yuzu Ginger, is Japan’s favorite citrus.

Although less than three years old, Sanzo has managed to secure shelf space in 2000+ retailers, with Whole Foods being their latest. The bold flavor and natural ingredients recently awarded them an investment of 10 million in their Series A financing round. Like sparkling water, it’s clear that Sanzo is poised to quench thirsts and expand many palates in the coming years.

Recently, Sanzo released a limited edition Lychee can to celebrate the new Disney and Pixar film “Turning Red,” which follows the story of a young Asian girl that turns into a giant red panda. The partnership continues Sanzo’s goal of highlighting the stories of Asian leads in pop culture.

To experience this new world of flavor, you can locate Sanzo at your local retailer here.