The ultra-premium brand that introduced the Eastern botanical Shiso to the global energy drink market does it again with the LTO flavor known for starting wars and ending marriages
Mōcean™, the wellness energy drink for anyone who has outgrown neon-colored battery acid marketed to kids, announced the world’s first durian-flavored energy drink. The LTO edit draws on the Filipino heritage of Co-Founder and Master Brewer Tony Vieira whose expertise has produced some of North America’s most iconic beverages and now, apparently, its most polarizing.
The “King of Fruits,” carries a flavor devotees describe as “complex,” while others suggest it is “reminiscent of a dead cat on an Arizona highway.” Across Southeast Asia, durian is banned from public transit, hotels, and airports. People I know who have smelled it, well, well let’s just say that they’re very descriptive. But then like many things, it’s worth a try.
“Durian wasn’t just a fruit in my family. It was a first-class spectacle,” said Tony. “My mother would crack one open and half the neighborhood would show up. The other half would call for cadaver dogs.”
Mōcean™ sources its durian via triple-sealed containment vessels originally designed for biohazard transport and a fulfillment team staffed exclusively by workers without a functioning sense of smell.
“We’re not here to play it safe,” said Co-Founder Christian Vieira. “We put the word ‘ocean’ in our name and launched a flavor that could get us banned from a cruise ship.”
Harvard University’s Behavior Sciences Lab administered the controversial Triple Blind Rorschach-Keller protocol on one hundred core Mōcean™ consumers. Former MLB pitcher Sidd Finch, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated: “I’m struggling. My Tibetan upbringing would have me focus on the positives… but this drink’s aroma could make a maggot puke.”
In response, Tony stated that “A prophet is never recognized in his own lifetime.”
Mōcean™ Durian will be available in extremely limited quantities at www.drinkmocean.energy on April 1, 2026. One day only secure yours before the flavor “disappears forever, or until we lose another bet.”
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
About Mōcean DrinkWerx
Founded by Tony and Christian Vieira, Mōcean DrinkWerx is a functional energy drink company dedicated to immunity and wellness through premium, taurine-free formulations. Inspired by Eastern botanical traditions and backed by Tony’s 36 years of expertise, Mōcean™ creates energy drinks for health-conscious adults. Four core flavors available: Mandarin, Blueberry Pom, Strawberry Guava, and White Peach.
Bourbon Classic’s Friday night Cocktail & Culinary Challenge featured cocktail and small plate pairings prepared by 18 teams of chefs and master bartenders representing sponsoring distilleries. The inventive and delicious creations were judged by an expert panel including Robert Bleifer, Chef; Paul Clarke, Editor in Chief, Imbibe; and Sam Fore, Chef and Owner, Tuk Tuk Snack Shop. Attendees also voted for their favorite cocktail and small plate.
And the winners are:
Judges’ Choice Best Cocktail Representing Bardstown Bourbon Co. Bartender: Billy Kunkel, Bardstown Bourbon Co. Cocktail: Oolong State of Mind
Judges’ Choice Most Creative Cocktail Representing James B. Beam Distilling Co. Bartender: Lee Caldwell, The Kitchen Table Cocktail: On Glenwood Hill
Judges’ Choice Best Small Plate Representing Bardstown Bourbon Co. Created by: Chef Ming Pu, TANA Dish: Beef Noodle Soup “Soup Dumpling”
Judges’ Choice Most Creative Small Plate Representing Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. Created by: Chef Steve Atkins, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. Dish: Season on the Farm Seared Venison, Weisenberger Grits with Newton Truffiere Perigourd and KY Rose Cheese, Beet Capellini and Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. Bourbon-Brown Butter Gastrique.
Judges’ Choice Best Pairing Representing Bardstown Bourbon Co. Bartender: Billy Kunkel, Bardstown Bourbon Co. Cocktail: Oolong State of Mind Dish: Beef Noodle Soup “Soup Dumpling” Created by: Chef Ming Pu, TANA
People’s Choice Best Cocktail Representing Maker’s Mark Bartender: Tom Wilburn, Watch Hill Proper Cocktail: Dove of Two Valleys
People’s Choice Best Small Plate Representing Stonestreet Bourbon Created by: Chef Shawn Broadway, Porch Kitchen & Bar Dish: Porch Bourbon Butter Cake
Photo credit: Kriech-Higdon Photography for Bourbon Classic
Virtue Cider founder Gregory Hall, a pioneer in the farmhouse cider industry and a major player in Southwest Michigan’s craft beverage landscape, has repurchased the proper farmhouse cider brand from beer titan Anheuser-Busch. Nestled in the distinctive fruit-growing terroir of coastal Southwest Michigan, which Greg deems the “Napa Valley of cider making,”
Virtue Cider is taking its sustainable old-world production methods back to its independent roots, bringing the brand’s deep commitment to clean, high-quality ciders to new heights with a series of announcements for the new era. These include a full distribution overhaul, a farmhouse tasting room renovation coupled with a new menu direction, guest chef dinners, local artist collaborations and a reinvigorated direct-to-drinker subscription service delivering sustainable sips nationwide.
“My heart and soul have always been devoted to crafting independent beverages that connect with our local community,” says Hall. “I’ve poured myself into building both Goose Island and Virtue Cider on this foundation, guided by a passion for creativity and collaboration. As Virtue Cider enters this new chapter, I’m excited to return to our roots, refine our winemaker’s approach to craft cider, and rediscover the sense of independence that inspires us and helps us grow.”
Following his 20-year tenure at Goose Island Beer Company, founded by his father John Hall, Greg immersed himself in European cider culture, soaking up time-honored techniques from some of England and France’s top cider craftsmen. He brought that same spirit home to the United States, purchasing the brand’sFennville, Michigan farm in 2011 and building a haven for craft cider production anchored in two ingredients: apples and time.
Hall sold a 51% stake in Virtue Cider to Anheuser-Busch in 2015 and reacquired the brand in late summer 2024. A constant throughout Virtue Cider’s history, the brand will continue to use only local heirloom fruit with absolutely no added sugar, uplifting the apple farmers of the Midwest’s “Cider Coast” and raising a glass to sustainable Michigan-made sips.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN VIRTUE CIDER’S NEW CHAPTER:
Once again embracing its spirit of independence, Virtue Cider is leaving big beer-backed cans on grocery store shelves behind and committing to 750 ML bottles, only available at Virtue Farm or through the brand’s robust direct-to-drinker shipping program.
In tandem, Hall will stay true to his love of grassroots relationship development in the chef community, pouring new seasonal releases and beloved bottle varieties at intimate gatherings inside some of the Midwest’s best chef-driven restaurants.
Hall will also welcome some of the nation’s most prominent culinary talents to Fennville for guest chef dinners with fine cider pairings, embracing the local bounty of the micro-region.
On the 48-acre Virtue Farm, the tasting room will undergo extensive renovations and welcome a vibrant new food program, with a menu refresh to align with the brand’s wine-making approach to cider. Menu details are forthcoming but will focus on seasonal, homestyle comforts made with regionally sourced ingredients.
Hall and his team are also excited to continue nurturing their direct-to-drinker and Cider Society subscription box programs, delivering proper farmhouse cider from the fermentation tank to the front porch. Cider enthusiasts in 43 states across the country can give the gift of Michigan cider to themselves and their loved ones with access to holiday boxes and exclusive seasonal releases.
Virtue Cider has also forged new partnerships with local musicians and makers through amped-up live music programming at Virtue Farm and merchandise and cider label partnerships with acclaimed regional artists. Tony Fitzpatrick, whose work has been showcased at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, is the first of many Midwest artists to join the list of collaborators.
More details on Virtue Cider’s upcoming craft cider releases, renovations, events, and more to be released in 2025. For more information, follow Virtue Cider on Instagram or visit the website at www.virtuecider.com.
ABOUT VIRTUE CIDER: Located on a 48-acre farm in Fennville, Michigan, Virtue Cider is a craft cider company committed to creating exceptional farmhouse ciders that blend old-world traditions with modern cider fermentation and aging techniques. Embracing a deep-rooted respect for sustainable practices and local partnerships, Virtue was founded in 2011 by Gregory Hall, who brought two decades of innovation and an impressive collection of 14 consecutive Great American Beer Festival medals from his tenure as head brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Company.
After his time at Goose Island, Hall set out on a pilgrimage to the cider capitals of England and France to study time-honored European cider-making traditions, and Virtue was born. Virtue Farm, Virtue Cider’s headquarters, is specifically located in the heart of one of the country’s premier apple-growing regions, known as the Midwest’s “Cider Coast.” Hall has cultivated a deep bench of local farming partners, using the bounty of the highest quality Midwestern heirloom apples to craft a collection of crisp, complex, award-winning ciders, which never contain added sugar.
Apples are pressed on-site and fermented in tanks below ground to maintain a steady temperature, housed within three cider houses with architecture that emulates the Norman French style and a strong environmental focus. Virtue Cider’s farm is open year-round and is a vibrant destination for visitors, offering scenic trails, a tasting room featuring a seasonal menu and samples of a variety of ciders, cider flights, and more from their extensive portfolio. For more information on Virtue Cider, please visit www.virtuecider.com.
ABOUT VIRTUE FARM: Virtue Farm, located in Fennville, Michigan, is a 48-acre farm and the destination headquarters of Virtue Cider. Three Norman French-style cider houses, built with Michigan White Pine, hold Virtue’s below-ground fermentation tanks, which use only locally sourced apples and are naturally cooled and heated by the region’s climate.
Most of the farm’s electricity is sourced from 200 solar panels, just one piece of the farm’s vast commitment to sustainability and nourishing its community. Over 20 acres of the farm are grasslands, creating a monarch waystation for Michigan pollinators, and the farm is home to several Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, harking back to old orchard folklore, as well as a variety of chickens. Virtue Farm also features a full tasting room with cider flights, handhelds, and charcuterie selections, offers guided tastings and tours for visitors, hosts live music, and supplies seasonal bottle selections for Virtue Cider’s national Cider Society subscription service.
On Saturday, November 23rd, from 6-9 pm, join Virtue founder Greg Hall for an evening of feasting, proper farmhouse cider tastings, and live music. Hosted in the cider tasting room at the beautiful 48-acre Virtue Farm in Fennville, guests can dig into roasted turkey and seasonal sides all paired with curated cider selections — a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving with your closest friends before heading home for the holiday.
Plus, those still searching for a Thanksgiving Day housewarming gift can pick up one of Virtue’s Thanksgiving Cider Boxes, which contain four 750 ml bottles of old-world, autumnal craft ciders. Each box is $125 and will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets for the evening are $100 and can be found on Tock. Must be 21+ to attend.
