Whole Foods Features Alumnus-Founded Sap! As Part of Its Top 10 Food Trends for 2018

Whole Foods Market, the mission-driven food retailer that bills itself as America’s healthiest grocery store, has released its Top 10 Food Trends for 2018, and the list features Sap!, a Vermont maple water beverage producer co-founded by entrepreneur Chas Smith ’15, a member of the pioneer cohort of The Sustainable Innovation MBA.

Coming in at number ten in the list of trends to try is a category of beverages — flavored sparkling water — that Whole Foods dubbed “the other bubbly:”

“There’s an entire booming category of sparkling beverages vying for consumer attention. Just don’t call them “soda.” These drinks are a far cry from their sugary predecessors.”

Whole Foods urges consumers to try Sap! and a number of other options.

Sap! was launched by Chas, his cousin Nikita, and his father Charlie, and took flight while Chas was working toward his MBA here at UVM. Their company is fueled by their passion for the maple and birch industry, their dedication to Vermont and the working landscape, and their excitement to build a company that embodies these values.

Sap! bills its products as non-alcoholic beverages made from 100 percent natural maple syrup and healthy alternatives to sugar-sweetened drinks. Sap! products can be found in Vermont, throughout New England, New York City, and worldwide on Amazon.