Hudson Dentist Creates New Drink
A few years ago, Hudson dentist David Paquette, DMD, finished the Boston Marathon in grueling 85-degree heat and was treated for dehydration at the finish line. As the intravenous line instantly restored his parched body, it also fueled an idea in his mind.
Why not develop a drink that could prevent dehydration, both for athletes and for partiers whose alcohol use could lead to a hangover?
Today, Paquette has a new drink on the market designed to keep the body hydrated, whether it’s chugged by an athlete after a sweat-filled workout or stirred into a cocktail. His lime-flavored, caffeine-free carbonated creation, “Biba,” (from the Latin word Bibo, “to drink”) is now for sale at local stores.
The Hudson dentist calls Biba a “hybrid drink,” and a new category of beverage.
“It takes the best qualities from electrolyte drinks, sodas, waters, and energy drinks, and combines them into one drink,” he said. “It is designed for our ‘hybrid lifestyles.’ We are all athletes, business people, loving family members, and party animals at one point or another, and Biba is a drink that is designed for those lifestyles.”
While Biba is not an energy drink, Paquette said that being hydrated allows the body’s metabolism and electrical system to run efficiently and maintain energy.
Following his epiphany at the Boston Marathon finish line, Paquette set to work developing his idea.
“I had been wondering why there was no non-alcoholic product on the market that could be mixed with alcohol to help prevent hangovers, really to make a ‘healthier cocktail,’” he said. “Dehydration is one of the major causes of hangover effects, and I had heard of many remedies or tricks people use to help stay hydrated while drinking.”
From running marathons, Paquette also learned that the key was preventing dehydration, rather than recovering from it.
After checking to ensure a similar product was not on the market, Paquette began to develop Biba. He incorporated electrolytes, vitamins C and B-12, and a few others ingredients, and made it slightly carbonated and clear enough to mix with other drinks.
“We wanted the drink to be all natural, with no preservatives, to really make it as healthy and clean of a drink as possible,” he said. “We worked with a beverage developer and sampled and tested different versions with my friends and family for a few months until we had the perfect mix, our ‘secret formula.’
“We mixed it with everything you can think of — vodka, beer, juices — and we tested it before and after working out, before having cocktails, when we were sick, when we were tired. We had older adults, younger children, everyone taste it, and everyone liked it and felt great after drinking it.”
Once he knew he had a winner, Paquette lined up investors from among his friends and family. He found a beverage manufacturer in Wisconsin, a distributor, and a beverage marketing group to help him promote Biba. Paquette said all of Biba’s ingredients have been approved by the FDA, and registered with the State of Massachusetts.
While lime is the only flavor on the market now, other flavors – lemon, cola, pomegranate and orange – are currently being developed. An 8.4-ounce can of Biba has 55 calories and is low in sugar.
Biba can be found at Lake Boone General Store, Tedeschi’s on Cox St., Bacon’s Liquors, and Country Cupboard in Bolton, as well as at two Boston stores and at Hickey’s Liquor’s in Milford. All locations can be found at the drink’s website www.drinkbiba.com. The product also has a Facebook group, Friends of Biba, a Twitter account, drinkbiba, and an online newsletter. “The internet has been amazing in spreading the word about Biba,” Paquette said. “We have had website hits from 17 different countries and requested in South Africa and Argentina.”
Paquette is also training for a triathlon with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training – his goal is to raise $6,000 — and is supplying Biba to his teammates. We also plans to hand out Biba at other triathlons and road races.
Along with developing and promoting Biba, Paquette has also been a general dentist for 11 years in a Hudson practice shared with his older sister Nicole and father Roger. His mother Dolores serves as bookkeeper. They recently built an office building in Hudson.\
Paquette said the Biba experience taught him much about business and branding. “There are no ‘overnight success stories,’” he said. “It takes time, hard work and determination.”
“We are committed to developing Biba as far as we can. The story is still unfolding but we feel if we make a good, healthy product, run an honest business, and take care of people, we have a good shot at success.”
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