12 Sep 2013
Posted by admin 
By Kyle Langan
The herbal blend is not an energy drink, which is part of why it’s such an innovative idea. Though it comes in sugar-free and regular, neither variety has caffeine or taurine, two of the active ingredients in Monster and Red Bull. Instead, it contains milk thistle, white willow bark and prickly pear, known to help prevent and allay hangovers.
Afterparty doesn’t just offer health benefits over your run-of-the-mill energy drink. The fruit and citrus flavor make it taste better too. Aptly named, the feel-good beverage rehydrates and revitalizes, helping to ensure that responsible partygoers don’t miss out on any of the action. Thanks to the drink’s tastiness and interactive marketing plan geared toward major metropolitan nightlife, it’s garnering a name for itself.
“We’re not trying to compete with energy drinks,” says Craig D’Eletto, the Chief Executive Officer of Afterparty. “We’re just trying to offer something new.” D’Eletto and his partner Jon Shiffman (via Beverage Kings LLC) own Afterparty.
The powerful potion has already taken the nightlife world by storm. Since its official launch on May 17th, it’s been all over the club scene in Las Vegas as well as large events in Los Angeles.
Rambunctious 21 to 34-year-old party animals make up the brand’s target market. They probably stand to benefit most from the beverage, but Afterparty doesn’t discriminate against its drinkers. In fact, the Afterparty staff mentioned the sober socializer gains something here too.
Afterparty was a hit this summer in the outdoor pool party scene
Carrying around a bottle of water at a nightclub can sometimes make a person feel self-conscious around the cute glasses and colorful cocktails. But because of Afterparty’s sleek graphic design, it fits right in. And the size makes it easy to hold. It’s not like some of those energy drinks that come in cans thicker than body limbs.
Paul Nicholls, a club promoter who produces Matinee Las Vegas, the self-proclaimed “biggest gay dance party of the summer,” explains that his audience already understands Afterparty’s appeal. Many of his guys are used to bringing milk thistle supplements with them when they go clubbing. Now they have access to a product that is stylish and functional.
So infiltrating that specific nightlife scene proved easy. While Afterparty has also found success catering to Las Vegas transient tourists who mix alcohol with the “essential party companion,” in Los Angeles, the team has more of an opportunity to develop lasting relationships with people who will believe in and enjoy the beverage for the long haul.
“We see the light bulb go off when a lot of people taste it for the first time,” says Collette Leonard, the brand’s national on-premise director. “They’re shocked no one had thought of this before. It makes so much sense I feel like one day people will not know what nightlife was like without a premium hydration beverage in the mix.”
The vision behind Afterparty stemmed from founder Wade Belliston, who wanted to create a product that was versatile enough to drink alone or with alcohol, but that also offered nutrients that could give partygoers the stamina to make it to their respective after-parties feeling good and rejuvenated.“A few years back I was watching people come out of clubs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and it occurred to me that it’d be cool to have a something that could make them feel better the next day, as part of their nightly routine,” Belliston says. “Then it just mutated into the idea of a healthy, feel good drink.”
After he solidified the concept, Belliston hit the books and started his research, most importantly figuring out a way for the drink to rehydrate after a long night of alcohol consumption. He then took his proposal to a factory and after a period of trial and error, the final product was finally formulated – the original ingredients are still the ones put into every can.
One of the perks about the drink is that it can be enjoyed at any time. Having a can with lunch is perfectly healthy, and even encouraged thanks to the presence of anti-inflammatories and electrolytes. To boot, Afterparty does not contain any aspartame, for all of you fake sugar haters. At only 50 and zero calories per respective regular and sugar free can, Afterparty is waist friendly.
Afterparty is gaining traction with the active set too (or maybe they are just hungover)
The Afterparty team is conscious of the fact that there are many different types of after-parties, and thus, many different types of after-partiers.
“We understand that an after-party for some might be the traditional club atmosphere,” Leonard expressed, “but for others, it could mean a group of parents hanging out after their kids’ soccer game. Everyone can enjoy it.”
Afterparty achieved its newfound popularity in various nightspots, but it’s not worried about transitioning between club drink and backyard beverage. The company agrees that it had to start somewhere but because of its universal appeal, they are confident that with time, it will become the first premium hydration beverage of its kind to hit it big.
Next time you’re out drinking and you see someone cute, make the night last. Grab an Afterparty from the bartender. You won’t regret it and the morning after you might actually remember what happened.
Currently, BevMo and Albertsons grocery stores carry Afterparty. Go to thirstmonger.com to find it online at a reasonable $48.99 per two-dozen pack.
