Novo Fogo Cachaça has announced the Tree-Keeper initiative in collaboration with Seattle Sounders goalkeeper and two-time champion Stefan Frei, now a partner in the company. The program supports Novo Fogo’s reforestation project named The Un-Endangered Forest, which seeks to remove 36 species of native Brazilian trees from the threatened list.
For each save recorded by Frei or his replacements during the 2021 professional soccer season, Novo Fogo will contribute $100 to the project. As of July 8, the tally for the season is 36 with Frei’s team undefeated in the league and tied for the lowest number of goals allowed after 13 games.
Off the field, Frei is an artist and an appreciator of Brazil’s national cocktail, so the new partners set out to raise awareness for the Tree-Keeper project by developing a custom packaging series for two Novo Fogo caipirinha products. Frei developed original artwork based on the inspiring landscapes and community of Morretes, Novo Fogo’s home base in the Atlantic Forest of coastal Brazil; his colorful artwork acts as a mural of natural scenery, wrapped around the packaging boxes for two products:
The Brazilian Caipirinha Kit (SRP $29.99) – includes a Novo Fogo Silver 750ml bottle, certified 100% organic by the USDA, two custom 10-oz jars, and a custom muddler, plus recipes and stories.
The Sparkling Caipirinha Tropical Variety 6-pack (SRP $14.99) – includes “toucans” (two cans) of each of the Lime, Mango, and Passion Fruit flavored cocktails (8.2% – 8.5% ABV, 128 – 135 calories, 10 – 11 g of carbs).
Both products are 100% natural and made in Seattle with cachaça from Brazil. “Our company has homes on two continents, in two regions of the world that are leaders in environmental stewardship and are filled with soccer culture: the Pacific Northwest of the USA and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil,” said Frei. “Although the packaging mural is mostly a reflection of the Brazilian jungle life and soccer imagery, I hid a few icons in there that Northwesterners will enjoy discovering.”
Both the products and the program are a reflection of Novo Fogo’s pursuit to combine Brazilian tradition with modern drinking trends in the USA. “We’ve welcomed Stefan as a partner in the business,” says Dragos Axinte, CEO of Novo Fogo. “Because of his great saves, his leadership acumen on and off the pitch, artistic talents, love for caipirinhas, and especially like so many others, he is an immigrant who has brought human excellence into his new community. In this world that keeps shrinking, intersecting perspectives and finding our common voice is the path to fulfillment.”
The Tree-Keeper initiative is a program without an end date. The partners hope to recruit other professional athletes and personalities to increase environmental stewardship. “The more saves, the better,” says Axinte, a lifelong soccer fan. “But you don’t have to be a goalkeeper to participate. Everyone can be a Tree-Keeper and save the forest.”
The Tree-Keeper products will be available nationwide at select retailers and online. To learn more about Novo Fogo’s “Un-Endangered Forest” project visit the brand’s official website.
Earlier this month, Novo Fogo released a new, high-proof silver cachaça in a 1-liter bottle format designed for the bar community, known as Novo Fogo Bar Strength Silver Cachaça.