Going out in Miami usually consists of choosing between mixing your liquor with sugar-loaded juice or an energetic drink that keeps you up until sunrise. Verse wants to change that.
Founded by University of Miami alumni Chris Tracy and Carlos Liverani, along with co-founder Vinny Patalano, Verse is a premium, non-alcoholic functional drink built for the moment the night starts and the morning after it ends. Its tagline speaks for itself: “Toast Today, Thrive Tomorrow.”
What’s in the bottle
Verse is built to be versatile, and this matters more now than ever. Only 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, one of the lowest rates Gallup has recorded. The data shows a growing share of young people still want the night out, just without the hangover that comes afterward.
For anyone taking it easy at night, Verse works like a social drink as a whole; it serves both as a healthy mixer and a liquor substitute.
“Liquor is bad enough for you as is,” said Tracy. “It’s already a poison. No need to compound your poison with more poison and sugar.”
Every bottle is alcohol-free and zero sugar, made with electrolytes to keep you hydrated, complemented by adaptogens and nootropics blends. Verse affirms that the drink brings a gentle lift along with calm, focus and creativity, and can additionally ease social anxiety.
Liverani, the other co-founder, told The Miami Hurricane that the drink works in two phases: some ingredients act fast, while others release more slowly and carry into the next day. He added that compounds like ashwagandha target the same GABA receptors alcohol latches onto, therefore drinkers start feeling more relaxed after about an hour.
Verse also comes in three flavors; orange and pineapple lean sweet, while cranberry brings a little more tart.
“Just because you want to go out and have a good time tonight doesn’t mean you have to suffer tomorrow,” Tracy said.
A bottle worth keeping
Chances are you will spot Verse before you ever taste it. The team spent two and a half years building the brand, putting real intention into the packaging. Its container is designed to stand like a trophy next to renowned labels such as Clase Azul, Don Julio 1942 or Grey Goose. Either grab the 375-milliliter bottle for yourself, or the one-liter for the table to keep the empty aesthetic bottle around.
Since launching, the brand has grown quickly. Early pop-ups at Basel and New’s Year Eve parties turned into regular customers, and now it is stocked at the hottest Miami’s spots, including E11EVEN, Palm Tree Club and the Hard Rock.
A few famous faces have been spotted with the bottle as well. Neymar has had one, Afrojack and Fisher have kept it in the DJ booth and the U.S. men’s Olympics hockey team brought Verse on stage while celebrating their gold medal in Miami. However, Verse is not unique to nightlife. The other half of its events are in the wellness world, from run clubs and cold plunges to pilates classes.
Back at the “U”
Closer to home, UM holds a special place for the brand. Tracy and Liverani met as students here, and getting their drink into the Rathskeller ticked off a major bucket list item. Verse has also hired UM alumni and sponsors campus events like Homecoming. Every Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., its ambassadors hand out samples at the Rat during happy hour.
Students are also catching on to this conscious wellness shift.
“At UM everyone is juggling classes, internships and social life,” said Clarissa Echevarria, a physiology and psychology student at UM. “Verse gets that; you can go out, celebrate with your friends and still wake up ready for your 9 a.m. [class]. It is refreshing to see a brand that gives you the benefit of choosing.”
words_valentina mena. photos_chris tracy. design_cayla quintero.
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