‘Prebiotic Soda’ Mother Rebrands As Poppi, Tries To Make Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar Cool

The ancient Roman army was one of the most formidable battalions in Europe in its heyday, with some attributing that strength from “posca,” a mixed drink of vinegar, sweeteners, and herbs that was a constant in your typical Roman solider’s rations.

They thought the beverage gave them resilience, and a Roman maxim extolled the virtue of posca while also claiming that wine inebriates, “posca fortem, vinum ebrium fecit.” Vinegar’s consumption to improve health and well-being lasts to this day, and when Allison and Stephen Ellsworth found that drinking shots of apple cider vinegar improved their health, they set out to create a more palatable “prebiotic soda.” Originally called “Mother,” the duo—armed with an investment from “Shark Tank” host and CAVU Ventures founder Rohan Oza—decided to rebrand their line of vinegar-containing drinks to Poppi.