Not many beverage companies have five co-founders and a “tribe” of friends and family investing a total of $1 million to get a startup up and running, but it’s safe to say that Riff Cold Brewed is no ordinary company. Shortly after its founding in late 2017, the Bend, Ore.-based company was honored as the “Early Stage Company of the Year” by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. With five varietals, Riff is crafting cold-brewed coffees while ensuring consumers receive the right amount of caffeine thanks to its Riff Lift Index.
“We were seeing a correlation between the cold brew segment in coffee and the craft beer segment in beer,” explains Paul Evers, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Riff Cold Brewed. “An impressive amount of innovation (nitro, sparkling, flavor extensions, etc.) and a profound break from the deeply entrenched hot coffee experiences we’re used to.