Anna Duke

Features Editor

With room to spare on MacLeod’s shelves due to the bottled water ban, it did not take Wooster staff much time to restock the shelves with new beverages, most recently “That Indian Drink.”

The unfamiliar bottle is filled with an Indian drink called Lassi. “Lassi is the name for the traditional Indian drink that is a combination of yogurt and fruit,” said Daniel Lehman, a 2012 College of Wooster graduate and current representative of the beverage company.

“Our product is unique because we add a little bit of spice to each flavor.”

The name sounds cheeky, but it is the best way to describe the new drink. “People might not know what a lassi is, but they might know it as ‘That Indian drink,’” said Lehman.

After graduating in May, Lehman did not know what he wanted to do, and decided to stay in Cleveland to play on an Ultimate Frisbee team. Through a teammate, Lehman got involved with the business.

“Our business plan has been getting it into universities and upscale grocery stores,” explains Lehman. When he heard this he thought, “We have to get this into Wooster. It is a great product, and I know it can do well there.’” Wooster was the second college in the area to receive the drink after Oberlin College.

The Indian beverage is also being sold at John Carroll University, Kent State University and Cleveland State University.

The drink comes in three flavors: Blueberry Cardamom, Raspberry Cinnamon and Alphonso Mango. Of all the flavors, this last mango and rosewater combination is selling the best.

According to Lehman, That Indian Drink has experienced its most successful sales at the College of Wooster.

“I really like the raspberry one,” said Holly Hickman ’15. “I don’t know if I will buy it again because the price is pretty high, even for flex.”

The drink sells for $3.49 at MacLeod’s and so far, has sold out quickly after each restocking.

“We are working on bringing [the price] down,” said Lehman.  “We are having some issues with our distributor trying to take advantage of us because we are a new company and do not have a whole lot of leverage. But as we have more successful business, helped along by Wooster [and other schools], they will see the value in our company.”