Temple Beverages

Temple Beverages, originally founded as Turmeric-Elixirs of Life in 2009 by Daniel Sullivan, emerged from the founder's personal health journey and travels. A former carpenter and artist, Sullivan discovered the benefits of fresh turmeric while on a farming vacation in Maui. Inspired by this experience, he returned to New York and began formulating turmeric-based beverages in the basement of a church in Manhattan's East Village, initially distributing them locally via bicycle carts to yoga studios and health food stores.

The company, later known as Temple Turmeric, focused on creating ready-to-drink beverages centered on the functional benefits of turmeric, particularly a proprietary Hawaiian Oana Turmeric™ varietal, noted for its high curcumin content. The business model revolved around producing and distributing these high-pressure processed (HPP), organic, and Non-GMO verified juices. The target market consisted of wellness-oriented consumers, and sales channels included natural food retailers like Whole Foods Market, local stores, and e-commerce.

Over the years, the company underwent several rebranding efforts, transitioning from TumericALIVE to Temple Turmeric, and finally to just Temple, in a strategic move to broaden its appeal beyond a niche turmeric focus. This evolution included expanding the product line to feature ingredients like adaptogens and green coffee-sourced caffeine, aiming to compete in the broader functional beverage and clean energy drink categories. Product offerings included elixirs, shots, supertonics, and blends with flavors such as White Turmeric Dark Cherry and Pure Mega Turmeric.

The company's journey involved significant milestones, including multiple acquisitions. In April 2018, Dunn's River Brands, a beverage investment company, acquired a majority stake in Temple Turmeric. This led to a rebranding and a strategic shift towards wider market appeal. Subsequently, in July 2019, Dunn's River Brands sold its controlling interest to Natur International Corp., a Netherlands-based producer of plant-based foods and beverages. Despite these efforts to grow and adapt, the brand was eventually discontinued.

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