I Tried Barron Trump’s $39 Yerba Mate Drink. Here’s What Happened

I had to double-take when I saw the notification flash across my phone screen. It wasn’t about politics, the White House, or even a late-night tweet from the former president. It was a headline that read, “Barron Trump launches a beverage company.”

Confession time: I immediately thought it was a meme.

But it’s June 2026 now, and the cans are real. The website is live. And people are either seriously intrigued or absolutely furious. Barron Trump, the famously private 20-year-old son of former President Donald Trump, has officially stepped out of the shadows. He isn’t launching a real estate empire like his father. No. He is selling cans of sparkling yerba mate in a pineapple and coconut flavor called SOLLOS.

As someone who has watched about a hundred celebrity-backed spirit and soda brands crash and burn, I needed to get to the bottom of this.

Wait, Did Barron Trump Just Launch a Drink Brand?

Yes. It's true.

For years, Barron has been the enigmatic, towering figure standing awkwardly behind his father at rallies. He didn’t speak much. He went to NYU’s Stern School of Business. But mostly, we had no clue what he actually liked, or what he wanted to do with his life.

Well, now we know. He wants to sell you caffeine.

His company, SOLLOS Yerba Mate, is a beverage brand founded by a group of friends between the ages of 19 and 23. These aren’t random corporate suits. These are his high school buddies from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach. According to public SEC filings, Barron is listed as one of five directors of the company, which incorporated in Delaware in late 2025 and then registered in Florida in early 2026.

This makes sense if you think about it. The kid is a business major. The Trump name is one of the most valuable (and polarizing) brands on earth. Why not sell a lifestyle product?

So, What Actually Is in This Florida-Inspired Drink?

Let’s cut through the vague marketing speak. What are you actually paying for?

If you visit their site, SOLLOS markets itself as a “lifestyle beverage brand built around clean + functional ingredients.” But let’s decode that. The hero ingredient is Yerba Mate.

For those who haven't jumped on the wellness train yet, yerba mate is a traditional South American herbal tea. Think of it as the Zen cousin of coffee. It’s plant-based, packed with antioxidants, and gives you a smooth energy lift without that jittery, “I need to run through a wall” feeling that synthetic energy drinks give you.

Here is the specific breakdown of the launch product:

• Flavor: Pineapple + Coconut (basically, a tropical pina colada vibe with zero alcohol).
• Pack Size: 12 cans.
• Sweeteners: Cane sugar, organic raw honey, and monk fruit extract.
• Caffeine Content: Approximately 120 mg of natural caffeine (equivalent to about a strong cup of coffee or two shots of espresso).
• Calories: Only 50 per can.
• Certification: It earned the USDA Organic certification, which is a big deal in the crowded beverage aisle.

So, they aren't selling gutter oil. From a nutritional standpoint, this actually looks… decent. It’s low cal, it has real sugar (honey and cane) instead of chemical garbage, and the caffeine source is high-quality.

The "Cabana Origin Story": Why Florida Drives the Branding

The branding is where this gets interesting. The name "SOLLOS" is a play on the Spanish word for Sun, “Sol,” combined with its reverse “Los” to represent a sunset. The slogan? “It Begins Where It Ends,” meant to capture the full cycle of the sun. Pretty poetic for a sugar-water company.

They say the idea started in a cabana. Seriously, their tagline is “Created in a Cabana”.

The founders (who all grew up in South Florida) claim that for years, there was no beverage that truly fit the Florida lifestyle. In their own words, “Despite Florida’s outdoor, sun-driven lifestyle, there was no clean, functional, and great-tasting beverage that truly fit how people in Florida actually live”.

I mean, I kind of get it. When you are baking on the beach in 90-degree weather, the last thing you want is a heavy Red Bull or a syrupy soda. You want something crisp, light, and functional. They are selling a vibe: the yacht deck, the beach chair, the post-surf hydration.

"The Perfect Drink": Why They Only Have One Flavor

This is the part of the strategy that actually surprised me. Most beverage companies launch a lineup of five or six flavors to see what sticks.

SOLLOS is doing the opposite. They are launching with one flavor. Just the Pineapple + Coconut.

I spoke with the team’s mentality via their press release. They told Fox Business, “We didn’t set out to make a flavor lineup; we set out to make the perfect drink.” They claim to have gone through over 100 iterations of the recipe before settling on this single option.

It’s a ballsy move. They are banking on quality over quantity. Instead of hoping you like one of their five flavors, they are forcing you to decide if you love this one specific thing.

It feels very "Apple" of them. You get the one perfect product. Or you get nothing.

It Comes With a $39 Price Tag… Here’s Why People Are Furious

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The screaming. The twitter mobs. The "$39 for a 12 pack?"

The price: $39 for a 12-can pack, which breaks down to roughly $3.25 per can.

For context, a 12-pack of standard sodas usually runs you between $6 and $8. A high-end energy drink on a store shelf (like a premium Celsius or a Monster) might cost you $2.50 to $3.00 if you buy singles. So, $3.25 isn't wildly out of bounds for a premium organic product.

But.

When you factor in that this is a brand nobody has ever tasted, from a founder who has never done this before, the optics look terrible.

Social media did not hold back. One viral X post read, “$39 for a 12 pack? A fool and his money are soon parted.” Another commenter simply called the price tag "absurd" and a "grift".

And listen, I get the frustration. We are living in an era of inflation. Seeing a billionaire’s son charge luxury prices for a canned drink hits a nerve. It feels out of touch. One person noted, “Bro is selling piña colada in a can. Epic.” They aren’t wrong. It is very much a non-alcoholic piña colada in a light blue can.

To make matters more "premium," they are also selling merch. A sweatshirt costs $95, an insulated beach bag is $80, and a hat is $30.

The Backlash Goes Beyond Just the Price

But it's not just the money. The backlash has three distinct layers.

1. The Cultural Appropriation Debate. Yerba mate has deep Indigenous roots in South America (specifically the Guaraní people of Paraguay). Critics argue that a bunch of rich white kids from Palm Beach slapping a Spanish word on a can while the Trump administration has notoriously targeted Latin American immigration is... well, tone deaf at best. One user pointed out the hypocrisy of using a South American product name while the administration’s policies affected Latinos.

2. The "Grifter" Narrative. Because he is a Trump, people assume the business exists solely to trade on the name. The SEC filings show the company raised $1 million in capital quickly. Detractors claim the name is the product, not the liquid inside.

3. The "Rich Kid" Factor. This stings the most. Barron’s net worth has been estimated at around $150 million according to Forbes estimates from late 2025. He doesn’t need the money. When a guy with $150 million in the bank starts selling $3.25 sodas, it feels less like entrepreneurship and more like a hobby. It is hard for the average person to root for the kid who is already winning.

So… Is This a Legitimate Business or Just a Side Hustle?

Here is where I land on the business analysis.

If you strip away the "Trump" name, the product is surprisingly solid. The single-recipe focus is smart. The yerba mate category is growing in the US (valued in the tens of billions globally).

Co-founder Spencer Bernstein told Fox Business that despite the skepticism, “We’ve received very positive feedback about the taste… even from people we expected to dislike it”. I believe him. It is really hard to screw up pineapple and coconut.

However, the longevity of the business depends entirely on whether non-Trump fans buy the drink. If this just becomes a loyalty product sold to supporters, it will have a ceiling. If they can actually break into the Whole Foods market and convince Gen Z health nuts that it’s just a good drink, they might have a shot.

Will You Buy a Can?

Look, I am not going to tell you to rush out and blow forty bucks on a beverage you’ve never tried. That would be irresponsible financial advice.

But I will tell you this: Don’t dismiss it as a joke just because of the last name.

Barron is 20 years old. He is an NYU business student. And rather than just sitting on his inheritance, he actually started a company with his friends. That takes guts. The drink has 120mg of caffeine, 50 calories, and organic honey. For people who are into fitness, beach days, and clean energy, this might actually be the summer hit nobody saw coming.

Key Takeaway: The drama is fun to watch, but the drink itself might be fine. The price is high, but the ingredients are clean. Just don’t expect to see Barron handing out free samples himself. The guy is famously quiet—he will probably just watch his bank account grow from the sidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Where can I buy SOLLOS Yerba Mate? 

A: The drink is available for purchase directly on their official website (sollos.com). It is also being rolled out to select retail locations across South Florida.

Q: Is Barron Trump actually the founder? 

A: He is listed as a director of the company. He is one of five partners, alongside childhood friends Spencer Bernstein, Stephen Hall, Valentino Gomez, and Rodolfo Castello.

Q: Is SOLLOS an energy drink? 

A: Yes. It is a caffeinated beverage using Yerba Mate. It has 120mg of natural caffeine, similar to a strong cup of coffee.

Q: What are the reviews like for the taste? 

A: Early reviews from major outlets have been surprisingly positive regarding the taste. Many compare it to a "non-alcoholic piña colada." It is creamy and not overly sweet due to the monk fruit balance.