From Sandbars in Eilat to Brewla Bars in New Jersey

 

We recently caught up with Israel Outdoors alumna and business owner Rebecca Dengrove at the annual Israel Outdoors / Birthright Alumni association end of summer party.  Rebecca was there promoting her Brewla bars and we couldn’t get enough of them!

Brewla1Israel Outdoors: When did you attend Israel Outdoors?
Rebecca Dengrove: August 2007

IO: What was your favorite part of the trip?
RD: So hard to decide.  Probably when we were in Tzfat, I cried to much at Yad Vashem and we didn’t get enough time in Tel Aviv.  Plus I am still friends with a bunch of people from my trip which is pretty amazing.  I wouldn’t know my fiancee if it wasn’t for this trip!!

IO: Where are you from?
RD: I grew up in Los Angeles but live in NYC (Astoria) now.

IO: What is your day job?
RD: I’m a food scientist.  I work for a mid-sized food company in NJ.

IO: How did you come up with the idea for Brewla Bars?
RD: My brother actually came up with the idea to make specialty ice pops.  He had a good humor bar as an adult and was so disappointed by how it tasted.  It didn’t deliver against his fond memory of them as a child.  

We came up with the idea to make them brewed and boosted together.  We liked the trends going on with tea in the beverage industry.  Plus tea is enjoyed all around the world and has such wonderful health benefits that we were really drawn to it.  We liked the connotations associated with being brewed.  We also liked the versatility and ability to go beyond tea creating ice pops with other brewed beverages. The boosted health benefits seemed like a logical fit.  We grew up in CA where Jamba Juice started so that definitely inspired us.   
 
IO: Where does the name Brewla come from?
RD: It is completely made up.  As I stated before, we really like the connotations associated with being brewed.  The word brew stuck with us and we tried to build off it.  We added the “la” to make it roll of the tongue and make it more memorable.  

IO: What is your favorite Brewla flavor?
RD: My favorite is the Remedy.  It is a raspberry green tea with an antioxidant boost.  It has a bit of caffeine and green tea antioxidants.  My brother, and business partner, Dan’s favorite is the Lullaby, a peach ginger white tea with a calming boost.  

IO: Any other interesting facts about you or the company?
RD: I have a masters in food science.  I studied nutrition science for my undergrad degree.  I grew up doing gymnastics and competed through college.  Training as a competitive gymnast taught me the importance of eating healthy and taking care of my body.  Brewla is something Dan and I created to be enjoyed often.  The calories, sugar and nutrition of the ice pops have always been at the forefront, but we never wanted to compromise on taste.  It is also very cool that we are certified OU Kosher 🙂  

Israel Outdoors entrepeneurs, we want to hear from!  Send us your business ideas to [email protected] and you too might be featured on our blog!