Former PepsiCo global chief marketing officer launches Sh’nnong Beverage Company

Introduces Má CBD+ natural botanicals functional iced teas exclusively in over 500 The Vitamin Shoppe stores

Sh’nnong Beverage Company is launching new Má Functional Iced Teas with CBD+ natural botanicals with a national roll-out to over 500 The Vitamin Shoppe stores in the USA. Má ready-to-drink teas might be new to The Vitamin Shoppe customers but their roots date back to 2737 BC when Emperor Shennong of China discovered tea and combined it with organic hemp and botanicals to make his original Má brews.  Sh’nnong Beverage Company’s next-generation plant-based beverages start with the finest Green, Oolong or Bai Mudan Teas blended with CBD+ natural botanicals to detox, focus or relax.

Jill Beraud, CEO and Co-founder of Sh’nnong Beverages Company, is no stranger to the iced tea beverage category, having previously served as President of Starbucks & Lipton Joint Ventures at PepsiCo, where she oversaw the largest global tea portfolio and the reinvention of Pure Leaf Teas.

“When my business partner Charlie Herbstreith and I originally discussed this idea, it reminded me of my time at PepsiCo when kombucha and coconut water were just emerging.  However, given the far-reaching benefits of CBD, this is a much bigger white space,” stated Beraud. “The Vitamin Shoppe is the perfect launch partner for us.  They are establishing themselves as CBD Central across multiple categories and have tremendous in-store expertise in health, wellness and nutrition.”

Sh’nnong Beverage Company is raising the bar with next generation, plant-based beverages by infusing each Má Iced Tea with CBD+ natural botanicals. CBD+ not only harnesses the functional benefits of zero-THC Hemp CBD but elevates those benefits by combining it with nearly 20 different herbs and spices inspired by the original Má brews of Emperor Shennong.  Shennong used his brews to treat a variety of conditions and later became known as the Father of Chinese Herbal Medicine.

All Má Functional Iced Teas with CBD+ Natural Botanicals ($4.99) are naturally sweetened, contain no sugar and are less than 10 calories.  Available exclusively at The Vitamin Shoppe, Má Iced Teas are carefully curated into three distinct blends including:

• FOCUS:  Oolong Peach Spark will help you feel more focused with CBD + brain-stimulating adaptogens of ginkgo biloba, gotu kola and Rhodiola Rosea.  With 40mg of natural caffeine added, it is just the right spark you need to help promote cognitive brain activity.
• RELAX:  Lavender Berry Chill features blueberry-infused, caffeine-free Bai Mudan Tea blended with CBD, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, elderflower and passionflower to impart calm and help reduce stress and anxiety.
• DETOX:  Emperor Spice Cleanse is a caffeine-free, detoxifying brew to help you purify the mind, body and soul with CBD + Green Tea, lemon, chamomile, schisandra berry and dandelion root to help remove toxins from the body.

Sh’nnong Beverage Company was founded to develop plant-based, functional beverages leveraging CBD + natural botanicals inspired by Emperor Shennong.  The company was founded by Jill Beraud and Charlie Herbstreith, executives with over 25 years of business and marketing expertise.

About the Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.:

The Vitamin Shoppe® is an omni-channel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to help them become their best selves, however they define it. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and natural beauty aids.