Posca was the everyday drink of Roman soldiers: water, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Merrick Watts, a well-known Australian radio and TV personality, was fascinated by the ancient Roman drink and developed a modern version designed for today’s hydration needs.
Ed Stening, co-founder and CEO, led the brand's build and commercialisation, translating the original idea into a scalable, retail-ready product.
Most sports drinks lean on sugar, and many flavoured waters lack meaningful function. Posca Hydrate sits in the middle as “functional hydration meets adult soda”. It is a sugar-free, hypertonic functional soda designed for modern life.
Its key benefits include hydration support from four key electrolytes, a gut-friendly profile, a prebiotic angle through red grape vinegar, zero sugar, very low calories (12), no artificial sweeteners or colours, and being caffeine-free; it’s not an energy drink.
Watts said the goal from day one was to make something people genuinely wanted to drink.
“Function doesn’t matter if it doesn’t taste unreal. We wanted something craveable first, then earn the right to talk about the benefits,” he said.
From a retail lens, Stening said Posca works best where shoppers are already looking for “better choices” without losing flavour: either a functional hydration set adjacent to sports drinks, or in a better-for-you soft drink set near sparkling flavoured beverages.
“People quickly get it once they try it, and we’re seeing repeat behaviour through reorders and expanding doors as we scale nationally,” Stening said.
He also highlighted that education at the shelf as well as through various marketing channels has been essential.
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