In the lot where “The Mummy,” “Nacho Libre,” and iconic Universal monsters existed, Mexico Town at Universal Studios, a new chapter in Latino beverage innovation was unveiled Wednesday night. Jarritos, the beloved Mexican soft drink brand with over 70 years of history, officially launched its collaboration with wellness beverage company Salud — a powdered hydration drink blend that’s as much about sabor as it is about storytelling.
The event marked more than just a product release. It was a celebration honoring the migrant workers and heritage practices that contributed to the development of the drink. As mariachis played and ballet folklórico dancers spun in rhythm, the crowd gathered not only to taste the new flavors but to witness a short-form documentary that traced the drink’s origins back to the Mexican entrepreneurs and workers who made it possible.
The two founders of Salud — Josh Leyva and Tyler McCann — took the stage with humble pride, each carrying the weight of a larger story: one about culture, health and entrepreneurship from the margins. Their presence echoed a truth felt by many in the crowd: that building from the community up is not only possible, but necessary in reshaping how products are made and who they serve.
A drink with roots
The new Jarritos x Salud powdered hydration mix is more than a fusion of flavor and electrolytes — it’s an invitation to reimagine health from a Latino perspective. Available in signature Jarritos flavors like mandarina and tamarindo, the blend combines nostalgic taste with functional benefits like zero sugar, high electrolytes and supporting immunity function.
Each packet represents a duality — modern nutrition science meeting traditional flavor memory — inviting people into a multisensory experience where heritage is not sacrificed, but celebrated. It is not merely a rebrand of a familiar taste, but a transformation into something with both cultural and physical nourishment.
The collaboration is, in many ways, a culmination of Salud’s mission since launching in 2021 — to offer wellness products rooted in Latinx culture. For the co-founders, that mission always meant meeting community needs on their own terms, offering alternatives to sugary sodas and sports drinks while preserving the flavor and identity that make our palates unique.
This partnership bridges two eras: Jarritos, a cornerstone in Latin American pantries since the 1950s, and Salud, a contemporary brand forged in the digital age. Together, they are creating a product that speaks to young people carving new paths of wellness, identity and consumption, as well as to older generations for whom these flavors conjure a sense of home.
The documentary — directed by José Luis Medina and screened exclusively at the event — chronicled the trio’s recent trip to Mexico, where they met with farmers, bottlers and artisans who power Jarritos’ supply chain. It was a moving portrait of labor, intention and legacy. Shot in vivid color and set to a score that swayed between reverence and celebration, the film spotlighted the very hands that develop the bottles, press the flavors and bring centuries-old techniques into modern production.
The screening was met with quiet awe, punctuated by cheers when scenes showed agave fields, citrus orchards and the everyday workers who are so often left invisible in the final stages of branding. Their inclusion in this launch represented an intentional choice to center not just the story of product development, but the people whose knowledge and sweat make it real.
Mexico Town as memoryscape
Mexico Town, Universal Studios’ backlot-turned-celebratory stage, served as the perfect backdrop for the evening’s fusion of cinema, culture and commerce. The location itself carries a certain cinematic mystique — a fabricated replica of a Mexican village, typically used in films and studio tours — but on this night, the set came alive with the heartbeat of real Mexican artistry.
As the sun grew golden and dark brown, mariachis serenaded guests with classics like “Volver, Volver” and “Cielito Lindo.” Dancers from a local ballet folklórico troupe whirled in flowing red, green and yellow skirts, their footwork like punctuation marks on a sentence about joy, history and resistance.
Decorative archways were covered in florals, papel picado strung across walkways like banners of resilience. The architecture of the space — though artificial — was momentarily transformed into a vessel of real cultural memory, activated by the presence of artists and families whose roots stretch across both sides of the border.
Guests moved between tasting stations and mezcal pairings, snapping photos beneath vibrant signage. The mood was jubilant, but reverent. For many, it felt like something more than a product launch. It felt like a homecoming.
There was a palpable pride in the air, an acknowledgment that this wasn’t just a corporate rollout, but a moment that placed Latino heritage at the forefront of wellness and entrepreneurship. The careful details — from the curated playlist of cumbias and boleros, to the handcrafted centerpieces made with real fruit — spoke to a kind of event planning that is more about ritual than promotion.
The business of belonging
Salud’s journey from start-up to national co-brand with Jarritos was paved with community-driven grit. The trio of founders bootstrapped their way through the pandemic, hand-delivering early orders across Southern California, testing flavors at swap meets and using TikTok and Instagram to build a loyal audience. Their authenticity resonated — especially with first- and second-generation Latinos seeking products that speak to both wellness and cultura.
These early chapters of Salud’s growth reflect a larger pattern in Latino entrepreneurship — one that relies on ingenuity, storytelling and connection rather than venture capital alone. They understood that building something sustainable meant building something relatable — from the flavor palette to the visual branding to the music that accompanied each campaign.
Now, partnered with a legacy brand like Jarritos, Salud stands as a rare example of cross-generational synergy — a young brand informed by the past, elevated by the present.
This is not just about business; it’s about belonging. It’s about seeing oneself reflected in the products on a store shelf, about choosing a drink that honors your palate and your people. The launch signals a future in which cultural specificity is no longer a niche strategy, but a powerful driver of innovation.
Indeed, Salud’s brand is deeply shaped by its grassroots origins — from bilingual packaging to community partnerships and pop-up activations in schools, swap meets and barbershops. Even the product itself reflects this hybrid sensibility: powdered mix packets that can be carried in a gym bag or lunch pail, offering hydration on the go, without forgetting where you come from.
These packets — often brightly colored and adorned with flavor names in Spanish — feel like small artifacts, small messages that say: we are here, we are healthy and we are worthy of joy.
