Enroot stands out from other sparkling beverages because of its conscious efforts to glorify the “unhurried” art of tea-making, celebrating the authentic taste of tea that is full, bold and refreshing. For Enroot’s CEO and co-founder Cristina Patwa, a Filipino-American, each bottle of Enroot is a tribute to her beloved grandmother, who taught her compassion and the value of giving back.
By Ma. Angelica Demegillo
A whole new and revitalizing adventure in the form of a healthy sparkling drink– that’s what every sip of Enroot Sparkling Cold Brew Tea promises to give you.
Enroot is certainly one of a kind, as it takes pride in its slow and meticulous three-day farm-to-bottle ritual, masterfully and creatively crafted by chefs at the James Beard Foundation, which Enroot proudly supports.
In a one-on-one interview with PeopleAsia, LA-Based Filipino, Enroot CEO and co-founder Cristina “Cris” Patwa shared with us the facts behind the creation and the growing success of this innovative drink.
An entrepreneur for 15 years now, the 41-year-old Cris has built a strong portfolio of works in the media and entertainment scene, including award-winning shows like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and the Transformers franchise. Her exposure to the industry gave her the opportunity to become good friends with From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series executive producer John Fogelman and veteran Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
Still, how did Enroot come to be? Over dinner and drinks one night, Cris and her A-lister friends Brad and John were brought together by the desire for a healthy and alcohol-free beverage they can enjoy with fine food wherever they are around the world. Soon enough, Enroot was born.
The journey to developing the perfect drink to cleanse the palette was not a walk in the park. She revealed that it took them and their team of 12 chefs from the James Beard Foundation three years to find the perfect quality blend and taste profile they were looking for.
Enroot offers four sparkling cold brew tea drinks, namely the Raspberry Mint-White Peony Tea, Peach HIbiscus-Jasmine Green Tea, Strawberry Lavender-Rosemary Tulsi and Apple Lemon Cayenne-Yerba Mate. Every sip comes with less guilt for this generation’s more health-conscious customers, as each 355 ml bottle contains only 25 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates.
Let the brewing begin!
What sets Enroot apart from other sparkling beverages is the whole, slow process of putting the drink together, which helps celebrate the authentic flavor of the tea and each of its ingredients. Cris mentioned that different key ingredients have varying harvesting seasons that can range from six months up to two years.
The process begins by combining the tea leaves and the botanicals in a temperature-controlled stainless steel tank for the small batch, that’s continuously cold-brewed for 20 hours, slowly agitating the flavors to incorporate into the blend.
“We learned that if it’s [brewed] too short, it doesn’t have the taste profile the chefs are looking for, and then if it’s too long, some of the bitterness starts to creep in. So, perfecting that timing with the chefs was critical,” Patwa shares.
The following day, the cold-brewed teas are batched with the purees or juices that are required for building different blends and flavors. Another four to six hours of carbonation then takes place, before the drink is completed, delicately bottled, then packed for distribution on the third day.
Heritage, sincerity and a helping hand
For Cris, Enroot is an homage to her grandmother Pamela, a farmer and businesswoman, who made her feel loved and seen as a child. She was known for helping and empathizing with people, which inspired Cris to do the same for Enroot.
Cris shared that she knew the James Beard Foundation through numerous events and impact programs. She said their values of giving back to the community, doing grassroots, and being on the ground reminded her of her grandmother. And so, partnering with them simply aligned with Enroots values of “Food-Family-Farms,” as seen in the brand’s emblem.
As a certified B. Corp, Enroot is dedicated to giving back to the community and helping more women in the food community to propel forward.
“I’ve learned that actually there’s so few of us who run our own restaurants or food companies. So few were marginalized. So, we give back to their women’s programs that help advance, educate, promote, fund and launch more women into food,” she says, adding that there are only an estimated seven percent of female chefs in the world.
An open-ended future
When asked about where she sees Enroot two to five years from now, Cris shares that she will let time decide. She says that promoting in the Philippines is really one of her dreams and she hopes that chefs or future CEOs who share her vision and values would find Enroot worth investing in.
“I’m hoping that Enroot evolves and emerges as this beautiful brand, an experience that is community-driven, and value-driven,” says Cris.
To her, Enroot is more than just a bottle of drink, but a “soul,” which she wants to blossom into something it wants to be, without getting dictated where to go or what to be.
Like an open-ended movie, Cris would like to see how Enroot would grow and evolve on its own. Maybe it belongs with meals, maybe it lives in a restaurant. Hopefully, Enroot would end up where it rightfully belongs, may it be in world-class restaurants and hotels, or on tables where families share hearty moments together over fine meals.
Now widely sold in the United States, particularly in the West Coast, Enroot will soon be available in the Philippines. For inquiries, visit drinkenroot.com.
