The people behind every pour

Julie is one of the top female sommeliers in the world. She has been trained to notice the smallest details: balance, craft, the difference between something made well and something made exceptional. She brought that same discipline first to Exsto Cognac, then to Semiplume, building drinks that never asked anyone to settle.

So when her friend and co-founder Sabrina came to her with an idea sparked by her own six-year-old son, Julie knew exactly what was missing. Kids were still stuck with flat soda or sugary juice while everyone else at the table had something worth savoring. Nobody had yet brought a real palate to fixing that. Julie wanted the same sommelier's eye for quality, balance, and craft in a drink made just for kids. POPELO is built the way she'd approach a pairing: layered, balanced, and made to be genuinely enjoyed, not just tolerated.

Sabrina has spent years building brands in the beverage world. First Exsto Cognac, then Semiplume, an option for people who want to feel included at the table without the alcohol. Both taught her something powerful: everyone deserves a beverage made for them, not a leftover, not an afterthought.

The idea for POPELO started closer to home. Watching her own six-year-old son being handed flat soda or sugary juice while everyone else had something worth savoring. Sabrina couldn't unsee the gap. So, for the third time, she brought the idea to Julie.

Running two beverage companies means Sabrina spends her days behind the scenes - sourcing, production, logistics, the unglamorous work of getting a product from an idea into a can and onto a shelf. She brought that same hands-on rigor to POPELO: sourcing quality ingredients, building production with organic certification in progress, and holding every step to the same standard as the flavor itself.