Monfefo

New York-based Monfefo produces organic and raw cold-pressed shots in two flavors: Ginger and Turmeric. Previously sold in plastic bottles pasteurized via high pressure processing (HPP), the products have been relaunched in glass packaging that the brand is supporting as more eco-friendly.

In addition, the product is now fully raw and has a 90 day refrigerated shelf life thanks to its low pH. As part of this brand refresh, Monfefo’s Ginger Water has been discontinued. 

From a taste perspective, both of these products are definitely on par with the prior version. The flavor profiles are fresh and intense and the ingredient list is simple and straightforward. 

In the case of Ginger, the combination of ginger juice, lemon juice and honey results in a very spicy flavor that’s true to what you’d expect from a fresh ginger shot. It can definitely hold its own with the best of them.

On the other hand, Turmeric -- made with orange juice, turmeric juice, lemon juice, agave and black pepper -- is a bit lighter. It has a tart and tangy opening that gives way to the earthy flavors of the turmeric and the spice of the black pepper.

The real story here isn’t the change in flavor or the move to glass, but rather it’s Monfefo’s new branding. The old design was very compact in how it treated text and spacing, whereas this one has a more more open layout starting with the visual treatment of the Monfefo name, which is now “mon fe fo.” From there, the words “FEEL” and “GOOD” run vertically around their logo, which appears to be a triangle on top of a circle on top of a sun image. Below this, the text continues with the flavor name, product tag line, and the standard copy for bottle size and refrigeration. Gone from the front panel of the original is the list of ingredients, which is now found on the back.

While much of the extra space is welcome and helps the product feel less busy, we feel that the conceptual icon that’s smack in the middle of the bottle isn’t very useful. We prefer the look of the circular “M” icon that was on the original bottle.  Same goes for “feel good” as a core text element of the logo; it’s hard not to feel like this space could be better utilized.

In the end, there’s definitely room for refinement, but Monfefo has successfully made the transition to glass while keeping the product tasting just as good as we remember.

Ginger Water is the latest product from Monfefo, which is a company that has been focused exclusively on cold-pressed beverages that are packaged in a 1.7 oz. shot format. The company also won the New Beverage Showdown 11 at BevNET Live Summer 2016.

Their focus to date has been with two products: a ginger shot (their flagship) and a turmeric shot. Both are sold as in both multipack and single unit form. That being said, expanding into a full size product isn’t that much of a stretch, especially since Ginger Water is a concept that is very much in line with what they’ve been marketing to date.

The formulation for Ginger Water includes water, organic cold-pressed ginger juice, organic lemon juice, and organic honey. It very much tastes like a Monfefo Ginger Shot mixed with a bottle of water, which is to say that its flavor profile is much much lighter than their flagship product. Calling it a “Water” is a pretty accurate descriptor -- and this product is quite crushable.

Still, we can’t help but wish there were a bit more flavor. Why? Well, we wonder if the perceived value of this product will be at odds with the price tag (which is certainly going to be higher than plain or flavored water). Furthermore, if you’re a fan of Monfefo’s shots, this product isn’t necessarily for you. Also, it’s a little confusing in terms of its impact on the brand, although it’s still in startup mode.

As far as the packaging goes, we really like how they’ve created something that feels like an extension of their core product. In many ways, this larger format allows their branding to shine a bit more than it does on the much smaller label of the shot container. The copy is clean and easy to read, with straightforward messaging.

However, we’re not sure that consumers will recognize the flowering ginger plant that’s on the label since it’s the root that’s both more familiar and where the juice comes from. While it looks nicer than a ginger root, it seems like it has the potential to distract (e.g. “What’s this?”) rather than help. In addition, we wonder if they shouldn’t directly address the level of spice (or lack thereof) that’s contained inside the bottle.

In the end, we feel as though Ginger Water is a step forward for Monfefo in terms of establishing a product line that has a broader reach than just the shots. There’s certainly some room for refinement -- and perhaps additional SKUs -- but this is a nice starting point for the product.

When Monfefo first launched their flagship organic ginger shot, we were quite enthusiastic about the superspicy, potent flavor that they’d managed to cram into a 1.7 oz. bottle. Later that year, the brand won over our judging panel for the New Beverage Showdown 11 at BevNET Live Summer 2016.

Now, in Spring of 2017, the company is back with their first line extension: Monfefo Turmeric Shot. It’s a USDA Organic blend of orange, turmeric, lemon juice, agave, and black pepper. Unlike their ginger shot, this product is not spicy or, at least compared with a straight turmeric shot, as intense in its flavor profile.

Instead, the product is sweet and tangy, with the orange, turmeric, and lemon providing the majority of the flavor. The sweetness from the agave definitely makes these flavors taste bright and fresh, while the touch of black pepper spices up the finish. In the end, this is a very different product than its counterpart, but it’s equally, if not more even more, addictive --  you can easily consume a bunch of them in one sitting.

On the outside, the bottle looks the same as the ginger shot, aside from the different color of the liquid. That bright orange backdrop is appealing and inviting, although it does have a slightly fiery look to it that doesn’t match the liquid inside the bottle.