Abigail Klein Leichman
December 9, 2015

The trending blog Awesome Jelly predicts a new Israeli product “will forever change the way we drink water.” AOL has called it “ingenious,” and Entrepreneur calls it “clever.”

Six years of research and patented technology went into The Right Cup, a BPA-free recyclable plastic drinking cup infused with FDA-approved aromatic fruit flavors to trick your senses into thinking plain water has a fruity taste.

CEO and founder Isaac Lavy was diagnosed with diabetes at age 30 and was advised by his doctor to drink only plain water. But he hated the taste, and thus began a long process of research, trial and error that led to the first prototype of The Right Cup.

“Isaac has been lecturing about scent marketing for a long time, so naturally this is what entered his mind after being told he had to drink only water,” cofounder and creative director Erez Rubinstein tells ISRAEL21c.

“Over the years, he told many people about his idea and they all said it was impossible,” adds Rubinstein.

As we all know, Israelis read “impossible” as “I’m possible.”  Skepticism only serves to strengthen their resolve to turn their out-of-the-box idea into reality.

The company has already raised 242 percent of its $50,000 goal from about 2,000 backers on crowdfunding site Indiegogo and the campaign is not over yet.

Expected to hit the market next April after starting production in Israel, The Right Cup will cost about $35 and will be available in orange, mixed berry, lemon-lime and apple varieties to start. (Those pre-ordering from Indiegogo get free shipping within Israel.) The three-part cup releases aromas for at least six months if it is hand-washed.

The aromatic fruit flavors fool your senses into thinking you’re drinking flavored water. Photo: courtesy
The aromatic fruit flavors fool your senses into thinking you’re drinking flavored water. Photo: courtesy

The Awesome Jelly blogger reports that the company sent her test straws made of the same material as the cup, infused with lemon scent and flavor.

“When I took my first sip of water from The Right Cup straw I was blown away. The material is a smooth, hard plastic type material that smelled exactly like lemon. I honestly have no clue if the material tasted like lemon or if my brain perceived it that way, but is most certainly tasted like I was drinking a fresh glass of lemon water.

“I then gave the test straw to my 8-year-old daughter and asked her to simply try the water. Her immediate reaction was amazement and awe. She said that the lemon water tasted ‘soooooo good’! When I told her that it was the straw that caused the water to taste like lemon she was quite amazed and immediately asked if I had other flavors.’”

Rubinstein affirms that other flavors are planned. He says The Right Cup has no competition. Of course you can buy flavored water, but that always includes some type of sweetener, natural or artificial. “People perceive flavored water as much healthier than it is,” he comments.

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Jason Harris

Jason Harris

Executive Director