Founded by cardiac arrest survivor and former collegiate hockey captain Lou Vesperini, the modern coffee brand debuts in 150 LA-area stores, and online
DALLAS, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GoKafé, the sparkling coffee-and-fruit brand built as a cleaner alternative to traditional energy drinks, launched across the Los Angeles area. The brand arrives in 150 retail doors following a completed pre-sale, and a direct-to-consumer store at drinkgokafe.com.
A Founder Story Rooted in Necessity
GoKafé co-founder Lou Vesperini is a former collegiate hockey captain who survived a cardiac arrest in 2019. Afterward, he was advised to stay away from traditional energy drinks. He still needed a lift, but couldn’t find one that felt both safe and enjoyable, so he built it.
The result is GoKafé: a fruit forward flavor profile, fizzy, chilled coffee blended with real fruit juice. It delivers 120mg of caffeine for natural energy per 12 oz can, with 10 to 20 calories and zero added sugar. No artificial flavors, no synthetic energy blends.
Three Flavors at Launch
- Lemon + Coffee — bright, crisp citrus with 10 calories and 22% of the daily value of vitamin C.
- Peach + Coffee — a juicy, peach-lemonade take on coffee with 20 calories, made with all-natural flavors.
- Pink Pineapple + Coffee — tropical pineapple with a hint of coconut and 12 calories.
Every can is shelf-stable for 18 months and is best served ice cold.
“After my cardiac arrest, I was told not to touch an energy drink, and I realized how few real options were out there,” said Lou Vesperini, co-founder of GoKafé. “Coffee is the most natural way people have always gotten their energy. The consumer’s decision stops at canned flavored lattes, black coffees, or energy drinks. Why not both. We just made it sparkling, cold and fun to drink, with real fruit and nothing you can’t pronounce. Launching in Los Angeles, the city that sets the pace for better-for-you, is the start of bringing modern coffee and modern energy to everyone.”
Built to Scale from Day One
GoKafé enters a market where consumers want convenience, function, clean labels and flavor all at once. The brand sits in the white space between ready-to-drink coffee and fruit-flavored sparkling energy, two categories growing at roughly 7–8% and 8.3% a year, respectively.
GoKafé launches with a go-to-market team designed for growth:
- Cultivate, a nationwide brokerage with 25+ retailer-dedicated sales reps, leads national retail.
- ASCND serves as the California go-to-market partner, with a focus on convenience stores and scaling support.
- Melissa Alcantara, trainer to Kim Kardashian and a fitness creator with more than 1 million Instagram followers, joins as Head of Partnerships & Brand Awareness.
- Liquid Solution manages ordering and co-packing across a network of 25+ manufacturing partners, with quality control on every production run.
What’s Next
Two new flavors, Cherry + Coffee and Blueberry + Coffee, are slated for early 2027. GoKafé is also in active conversations with national retailers as it plans its expansion beyond California and through telehealth platforms.
About GoKafé
GoKafé is a modern coffee brand making sparkling coffee with real fruit juice. Co-founded by Lou Vesperini, the brand offers 120mg of caffeine, 10–20 calories and zero added sugar per can, as a cleaner alternative to traditional energy drinks. GoKafé is available in select Los Angeles retailers and at drinkgokafe.com. Follow along on Instagram at @drinkgokafe.
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SOURCE GoKafé
