How Poppi Became An Internet Sensation

Poppi's Allison Ellsworth's career as a pioneer in the apple cider vinegar soda business started accidentally. After a decade on the road working as a landman in the oil and gas industry, her unhealthy lifestyle was literally causing her discomfort. "I had that bloating feeling in the stomach where your gut kind of always hurts, and my face was always a little red," she told DFW Child. But after tinkering in her kitchen for a while, she discovered a recipe that infused apple cider vinegar into a tasty soda. After finding success, she quit her job to focus on her new business.

When she got a deal with guest shark Rohan Oza on "Shark Tank," her company was rebranded from Mother Beverage to Poppi and hit Amazon shelves in April 2020, right after the pandemic began. But it wasn't until she hopped on TikTok one night and shared what issues prompted her to begin the company that things really took off for Poppi. "I went to bed and I woke up the next day and the video had gone viral with millions of views," Ellsworth told Inc.com. "We'd done $100,000 while we were sleeping on Amazon." The video has been watched close to 100 million times, and Ellsworth thinks speaking directly to her audience is what struck a chord. "Nowadays, that's what the consumer wants, right?" she told BevNET. "They want to connect with a real human, they don't want the high gloss, they don't want the ad in your face."

While many debate whether apple cider vinegar is actually good for you, fans of the murky liquid have long touted its health benefits. When Mashed asked dietician Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD about possible positive results from drinking apple cider vinegar, she said that it could "help repair or correct many gastrointestinal issues because of the antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and pre- and probiotic characteristics it exhibits." So while many claim improvements such as glowing skin, the one aspect you can be sure of is improved gut health, and having a better working gut is said to be the key to solving various health issues.

At the same time, apple cider vinegar can have the opposite effect on your digestive system, if you have ulcerative colitis or suffer from a sensitive stomach. It has even been found to erode tooth enamel in larger quantities. "If your stomach burns or your teeth hurt, apple cider vinegar is not for you," dietician Melissa Groves Azzaro, RDN, told Everyday Health.

While studies about apple cider vinegar have given mixed results, Poppi has definitely found a following among those who believe in the power of her apple cider vinegar sodas. Celebrities like Kylie Jenner drank it in a TikTok video, and Billie Eilish gave it a shout-out in her own TikTok video, describing it as a prebiotic drink she demands in her rider. The drink is also No. 1 on Amazon among the best sellers in soda soft drinks.