New York Post

Silicon Valley water flowing to Gotham

- By CLAIRE ATKINSON catkinson@nypost.com

Coke and coffee weren’t healthy enough for Google engineers who pull caffeinefu­eled allnighter­s writing computer code — so they got a replacemen­t.

The product, Hint Kick, which is stocked in refrigerat­ors all over Silicon Valley ranging from Facebook to Yelp, is hitting New York City stores this month.

The caffeinela­ced flavored water is the latest product extension from Hint Inc., founded by former AOL exec Kara Goldin in 2005.

Goldin said she developed the unsweetene­d Kick line in response to requests from foodservic­e workers at Google, who wanted to cater to staff with a healthier version of an energy drink.

“A lot of people have admired what has happened in Silicon Valley with food service and they have mimicked it,” Goldin told The Post.

The product, which retails for less than $2, is also sold at King Kullen on Long Island and Whole Foods stores around the country.

Caffeine tastes bitter in its natural state, so to make it palatable Goldin mixed in such flavors as lemon cayenne, apple pear and black raspberry.

A 16ounce bottle of Kick contains around 60 milligrams of caffeine compared to 86 milligrams for a samesize can of Monster.

Monster was the leading energy drink in the US last year, followed by Red Bull, Statista figures show. Both posted an uptick in sales in 2014, while sodas saw a 10th straight year of declines.

The closely held company, whose revenue is on track to hit $50 million this year, is taking advantage of a movement by consumers to seek healthier hydration.

Last week, actress Sofia Vergara bought a piece of EHydrate which offers everything from fluids with protein mixes to other rehydratio­n ingredient­s. The company is about to expand into Target stores.

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