PRINCETON -- You’ve heard of coffee beans for sure, but have you heard of coffee berries?

   The antioxidant-rich fruit, which surrounds the bean — somewhat bitter and unpalatable on its own — traditionally has been thrown away as part of the harvest and processing of coffee beans. But Ben Weiss had a better idea and has founded Princeton-based BAI Brands to market his series of coffee-berry-infused health and energy drinks.

   Launched in August, BAI Brands’ three varieties — Tanzania Strawberry, Mango Kauai and Jamaica Blue Berry — are available all around Princeton as well as in New York City and Seattle, the two other markets chosen for initial distribution by Mr. Weiss, a Princeton Township resident.

   So far, local response in Princeton has been all he could wish for and more, Mr. Weiss said, with local retailers and consumers embracing his product.

   ”The reality is I’m just blown away by how receptive Princeton has been to the product,” Mr. Weiss said. “Now I think it is a good product,” but the Princeton community’s support of a local business like his has been extraordinary.

   A veteran of the beverage and coffee business where he has been a roaster, distributor, wholesaler and retailer, Mr. Weiss had long known of the coffee berry’s overlooked status.

   ”It is literally a byproduct of the coffee process,” Mr. Weiss said. “On its own, it’s a little bit bitter. There is a reason they discarded the fruit and used the bean, but the fruit has something unique.”

   What is unique is a level of antioxidants, which far outpaces other well-known antioxidant rich fruits such as blueberries and pomegranate, he said.

   Mr. Weiss decided to harness this healthful potential by combining processed coffee berries with other fruit flavors and organic cane juice to create an alternative to high-sugar, over-caffeinated energy drinks. Although coffee berries do not carry much caffeine, which resides primarily in the bean itself, white tea in BAI drinks adds caffeine to them, he said.

   The name BAI is from the Chinese word for “pure,” also standing for Botanical Antioxidant Infusion, Mr. Weiss said. “BAI by translation means pure so the drink is 100 percent natural.”

   Mr. Weiss chose to initially distribute BAI drinks in Princeton and New York as well as Seattle.

   ”We did Seattle because that is the mecca of coffee,” he said. “It has been well received in every market.”

   Mr. Weiss declined to go into detail about his sales figures for the two months since BAI has been in business, but said “they’ve exceeded all of our expectations aggressively. Sales have been really robust.”

   Mr. Weiss, who is sole owner of BAI, is in the process of procuring another round of financing to expand. In January, he hopes to expand his offerings to a five-calorie version of each of BAI’s three flavors. In 2010, he hopes to achieve either Fair Trade or organic status for his beverages as well as to launch his products nationally.

   In the meantime, Mr. Weiss says he intends to continue to grow his direct sales distribution locally, moving to offer BAI drinks from Pennsylvania up to Connecticut.

   Despite his plans to keep growing, Mr. Weiss is thankful for the supportive and receptive community in his back yard.

   ”The message to Princeton is a big thank you for how responsive this community has been to businesses that are local,” he said.

    BAI beverages are available at food and drink purveyors throughout Princeton. For more information, go to www.drinkbai.com.

lotis@centraljersey.com 

 

Flanked by Ray Schlaefer, left, and Ben Weiss, right, of BAI Brands Inc. are Adam Angelakis and Caterina Liviakis, of Olives, one of the Princeton area stores carrying the company’s coffee berry-infused beverages.