Clean energy® drink
From a leaf
What is
guayusa?
Guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) is a super leaf that is found almost exclusively in the Amazonian forests in Ecuador.
The leaf is brewed much like a tea, but is not actually related to green or black tea, and has more caffeine than a cup of coffee.
Thanks to the unique balance of polyphenols and L-Theanine, the brewed guayusa leaf provides sustained energy, mental clarity, and focus without feeling a crash.
Grown in
rainforest
gardens
The unique “forest gardens” in which guayusa grows are tended to by Kichwa farmers, an indigenous people of the Amazon. So by drinking one simple beverage you are both helping to preserve the rainforest and supporting independent farmers. And that’s just the beginning of what makes the guayusa leaf so incredible.
Fully alive
To the indigenous Kichwa people guayusa leaves have immense cultural importance and they have been using them to brew tea for thousands of years. Traditionally Kichwa families wake up before dawn and gather around a communal fire to drink guayusa. During this early-morning ritual, community members share dreams, myths, and legends. Hunters also drink guayusa before nighttime hunting trips in order to heighten their senses of awareness and focus.
They describe the effects of guayusa as making them feel “RUNA” which translates to “fully alive.”
Fully alive
To the indigenous Kichwa people guayusa leaves have immense cultural importance and they have been using them to brew tea for thousands of years. Traditionally Kichwa families wake up before dawn and gather around a communal fire to drink guayusa. During this early-morning ritual, community members share dreams, myths, and legends. Hunters also drink guayusa before nighttime hunting trips in order to heighten their senses of awareness and focus.
They describe the effects of guayusa as making them feel “RUNA” which translates to “fully alive.”
Our certifications
We’re dedicated to bringing you clean energy in every way possible, from using only real ingredients to how we source and produce our great-tasting energy drinks. That’s why our ingredients certified both USDA Organic and Fair Trade™. Being Fair Trade Certified™ means that a fair price is paid to the farmers and a safe work environment ensured for all workers.
It’s all part of what makes us a Certified B-Corporation. This means that we have legally-defined goals to have a positive impact on society, workers, the community and the environment.
Our backstory
After taking college courses about the languages and religions of the Amazon in college, Tyler Gage became enthralled by the rich, complex world of Amazonian tribespeople. With some guidance from a professor, he moved to the Ecuadorian rainforest for two years to learn the local languages and take in the community’s ancient traditions, rituals, and relationship with the earth.
The local tribesmen’s relationship to the guayusa leaf in particular drew him in. After learning about the unique properties of the guayusa leaf, he began to hatch a plan to bring guayusa to the US.
The goal of RUNA was, and continues to be, to manage the land profitably using sustainable farming practices and direct trade relationships with products like guayusa to help support the local communities that guayusa is grown and harvested from.
