Organic Acai makes Sambazon the anti-Red Bull

In a sea of over-caffeinated, chemically-enriched energy beverages, Sambazon Amazon Energy may be the first organic, naturally sweetened energy booster.

Longtime acquaintances of ele, Sambazon is the first company to focus on the health benefits of the açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-eee) berry. Their mission:

Using Açaí as a vehicle to promote and further sustainability, we’ve teamed up with groundbreaking companies and international organizations dedicated to developing cooperation and positive exchange in the Amazon and beyond. Sambazon is one viable solution of how you, the locals and the rainforest can reap the benefits of a truly magical fruit while protecting and enhancing the future for all.

The USDA-certified organic energy drink comes in a bright purple, 12 oz, recyclable can and states:

We start with açaí, the amazing purple berry we harvest from the Amazon basin. Add the Vitamin-C superfruit acerola, along with rainforest botanicals like guaraná an yerba mate, and you’ve got one potent, all natural energy drink that heightens awareness while boosting your energy and immune system.

Though our editor drank all the samples before I could get to ’em (which I guess counts as his enthusiastic recommendation)…I’m impressed with the, well, packaging. Most energy drinks are so obnoxiously colored or cluttered with imagery that get a buzz just from looking at the shelves, deliberating which to buy.

As opposed to Red Bull, Sambazon’s Amazon Energy feels classy, the kind of classy that is not immediately equated to long nights mixed with vodka. The can is (of course) recyclable, furthering the company’s devotion to ecological sustainability. They’re in partnership with the Sustainable Amazon Partnership (SAP), working to support the healthy harvest of the açaí tree. With photos of foreign children munching happily on Sambazon’s açaí bars, I’m impressed with Sambazon’s care in evaluating every stage of the production process, especially in supporting the açaí farmer’s family. Additionally, Sambazon supports local Amazonian women by supplying them with the skills to turn the açaí berries into jewelry, the women are able to sell their goods for supplemental family income.

Sambazon’s Amazon Energy may provide a mindful, conscious consumer alternative to those seeking a natural high.